Lost: Via Domus

Excellent for fans of the series. Everybody else: Do not take a look at this gameplay-lacking game.

For a fan of the series it may be great to explore the locations and talk to well known characters, but even the greatest atmosphere is going down the drain if the lack of enthusiasm of the developers is so obvious. Sloppily created missions, repetetive riddles and unnecessary howlers in design make it difficult to enjoy the game.

This short adventure game nails the feel of both the show and the island on which it's set, but struggles with some of the characters.

If you have the choice, check that you're really a huge fan of the show by reciting Hurley's winning lottery numbers, and then either play Via Domus on a PC or rent it.

In theory, all it takes to make fans of the series happy is giving them an interactive episode. And that's exactly what they got. Unfortunately the spirit of the series is lost and there is nothing mysterious about its disappearance: because there is no mystery in the game at all. It's just a guided tour through the well known set, only slightly masked as an adventure. Fans will be happy, the rest... well, whatever were you looking for, it isn't there. [Apr 2008]

Not the step forward for TV-to-game titles that we'd hoped. Only really dedicated fans of the show need apply.

Just too short and too shoddy. [May 2008, p.106]

At least it only takes five hours to reach the conclusion.

As a Lost fan, I enjoyed exploring the island and interacting with survivors from the Oceanic Flight 815; as a videogames player, Via Domus feels like a wasted opportunity.

Lost Via Domus will be tempting to fans obsessed with the show, but the story—as good as it is--has no bearing whatsoever on the overall canon. It’s short, much of the gameplay amounts to a hurdle to get to the next cutscene, and at just over five hours long, under no circumstances can we recommend it for a purchase.

Adventure game fans have come to expect a lot more than this, and fans of the show, while they may enjoy this extra chapter of the story, are not likely to get their money's worth.

Via Domus is a game for the fans only. And even then it gives only limited insight into the world of the show. Meanwhile, its puzzle aspects just aren’t strong enough to amuse serious gamers. [May 2008, p.62]

Folks who have been watching the show from the first episode won’t find any new answers about the island, and those used to a more robust adventure game experience will be put off by the boring, simplistic game play.

As a rental, Lost: The Video Game might entertain a handful of die-hard fans for four or five hours, but it has no replay value.

One gets the feeling that the show's creators are trying to wash their hands of Via Domus, awkwardly placed as it is in the series' now-sprawling legendarium. But above and beyond that, fans should approach it as a lark; it's not very accomplished as a game.

But there's nothing in the game that you haven't already heard blabbed around the water cooler. Besides, if you play the modest mess that is Lost: Via Domus you'll never again wonder if the TV series has jumped the shark. It can't possibly get this muddled.

A disappointment. As a Lost fan, I’m annoyed by the inconsistencies in character actions; if I were not a Lost fan, I’d be confused about who all these people are and what they’re up to. As a game player, I’m frustrated by clunky mechanics, and if I were a non-game player, I’d probably feel justified in thinking that videogames were still the realm of nerds and their ilk.

Ultimately, there's no real reward, no incentive, no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - there is literally no reason to play this at all. It's very, very average, way too short, has an underdeveloped plot, and only a few good gameplay segments.

But, even if it were more stable, lackluster controls, awkward camera angles, and a too brief story would still make Via Domus a game fit for fanatical completionists only. [June 2008, p.77]

It's the least fun I've had since I had a catheter fitted during a spell in the hospital. [May 2008, p.82]