LostWinds
It’s the exception, not the rule, when a developer creates a game which departs from the tried and true formulas that most video games follow. Breaking the rules tends to yield either wild success or utter failure, with very little room for the in between; perhaps that’s why so few companies are willing to risk development time or resources on innovative new ideas that can not only improve upon gaming in traditional ways, but also change the way games are played. Frontier Developments has broken that mold with LostWinds, a WiiWare title that would be difficult to replicate on any system but the Wii.
LostWinds follows the story of Toku, a young boy who finds himself in the middle of a rising war for the island of Mistralis, his homeland. The unlikely hero stumbles upon the wind elemental Enril, who recruits Toku as her ally. Together, the pair visits various ancient shrines to restore Enril’s full powers, which they must use to face the evil Balasar.
All right, so I can’t give this title many points for its storyline. But it sets the stage for a fascinating gaming experience that offers much more than a traditional platforming adventure. You see, you’re not only in control of Toku with the nunchuk, but also of Enril with the Wii remote. Toku can’t accomplish much of anything without the wind spirit’s power (he’s not even strong enough to pull health-restoring fruit out of the ground), so you’ll spend a lot of time stirring up gusts and breezes with the remote’s pointer.
At the beginning of the game, Enril’s power can do little more than toss Toku a short distance, but you’ll unlock another wind-based ability with each shrine you visit. These abilities not only give new moves to your character – they also affect the environment, which is essential to advancing your quest. (Various NPCs, trees, and plants also respond to the wind, which is a nice touch.)
The island is filled to the brim with graphical details, boasting fantastic artwork in both the foreground and background areas. While exploring, I was disappointed to see many gorgeous landscapes in the distance that I simply couldn’t visit in the game’s 2-dimensional perspective. Frontier did a marvelous job creating the illusion of an endless world using WiiWare’s limited resources. You’ll find yourself wishing the entire island were accessible, if only so you could get a closer look at that waterfall, or those hills, and so on.
The darkest blemish on LostWinds’ record would have to be its length; I spent quite a bit of time messing around with moves, monsters, and objects, and still clocked in at only 3 hours by the end of the game. Considering its price ($10), you’re paying a bit of a premium to play it for such a short time. Don’t get me wrong, however – it is most certainly worth a purchase, and I wholeheartedly look forward to the future installments in the series that we know are coming.
My only other criticism is that LostWinds doesn’t have much replay value. There’s a little back and forth travel, but the game is generally quite linear, and there is not a lot to do on the side. This means that once you reach the end of the game, there isn’t anything else to discover with a more thorough playthrough.
In conclusion, I’d definitely recommend LostWinds as a buy. The gameplay is one of the freshest experiences on the Wii due to the innovative control scheme. In spite of its shortcomings, there are few better selections available on Nintendo’s download service. Frontier Developments has a winner on its hands, and I can’t wait to see what it comes up with next.
| Graphics | 8.2 | Simple but artistic design. Some great animation and superb background depth. |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | 6.5 | It’s forgettable, but by no means displeasing. The tribal tunes fit the game well, and the sound effects work. |
| Experience | 9.0 | The Wii remote was designed with this kind of innovation in mind. The story is all right, but probably could’ve been better. |
| Lasting Value | 5.0 | A second time through wouldn’t hurt, but the game itself doesn’t do anything to encourage it. The fun of commanding the wind would be the most compelling argument in favor of repeating the experience. |
| Overall: 8.5 (Not an average) | ||
