"Escape from Paradise" Review (PC)

The Bottom Line: Between the hunt for radio parts, completing challenges, and playing mini-games, "Escape from Paradise" is a must have for "Virtual Villager" fans and casual gaming fans.

Pros:

• Mini-games based on popular games, like Bejeweled
• Challenges to construct buildings, gather supplies
• Puzzle to find radio parts

Cons:

• Pace slow at times if you don't play the mini-games
• Small area of the island visible at a time

• Survivors from a cruise ship crash find themselves on an island. It's your job to help them find radio parts and meet the challenges faced.
• Gather food and wood.
• Further the escape by completing challenges given by an island native.
• Find hidden radio parts across the island.
• Play mini-games to earn skill points, wood, and food for survivors.

The challenges (generally collecting a specific number of wood or putting up a new building) keep you pointed in the right direction of getting off the island. You won't go down the wrong path and never be able to complete the game. There is exploration to "Escape from Paradise" in that you need to find hidden radio parts. Without all the parts, you can't call for help.

The entire island won't be available to you all at once. Areas will open up after tasks are completed, like knocking down a statue. Getting through the tasks and opening up new areas goes quicker if you play mini-games often.

The mini-games are not cheesy, shallow games. They are based on popular games some gamers have spent hours mastering. One being Bejeweled. Instead of making jewels, you have to match items survivors need to live. Mini-games eliminate the boring part of waiting for the work to be completed. For added bonus parts, playing games actually help the survivors. By beating levels, you earn wood, food, and skill points that you assign.

Survivors do spend more of their time working. It doesn't mean they don't have needs. Each needs to have sleep, water, food, and time to chat. They will take care of their own needs (as well as work on their own). Checking on needs and keeping is quick and keeps the moral going (there is a meter showing how survivors feel overall).

Taking care of survivor's needs adds another layer of things to do. Between making sure the moral is high and playing the mini-games for supplies and skill points, there is not a lot of downtime in "Escape from Paradise." The lull in gameplay is what usually is the fall for resource gathering games. "Escape from Paradise" avoids the lull with the extra games. It's a game both new and veteran gamers can enjoy.