Reviewed: January 1, 2002
Reviewed by: JoLene Lark
Publisher
Infogrames
Developer
Magic Lantern Playware
Released: November 15, 2001
Genre: Action
Players: 8
ESRB: Everyone
5
5
6
6
5.3
System Requirements
For the past three years viewers of the TV show Survivor have seen the contestants outwit, outplay and outlast each other until there was only one survivor. Fans of Survivor have wanted a game that they can play that will enable them to control the action, and Infogrames has provided this on the PC platform. The Survivor game encompasses the first two seasons and promises that Survivor Africa is coming soon.
Once the auto installation starts and checks to make certain DirectX 8.a is installed on your machine you are able to quickly begin a game. The splash screen shows what series you are able to play. It is also important to keep in mind those future episodes like Survivor Africa will come out in the form of an expansion pack.
Once you choose your series most people will choose the single player game. The single player game has three difficulty settings. The first is easy and your player’s skills will be slightly greater than the computer generated survivors. The second degree of difficulty, medium, makes your skill level equal to the computer generated players and finally the third called hard allows the computer players to have higher skills than your player.
The next setting you must decide on is the length of the Survivor season. The full season allows you to play all 13 episodes like the TV series; half season starts with the merge and has 8 episodes. Finally, the short season is only comprised of the final three episodes. After choosing these settings you pick what tribe you want to be a part of and either choose a pre-existing character or create a new one. The character you choose is rated using a set of ten skills that will affect the way your character performs.
When your characters are constructed your quest to Outwit begins in the survival period. This period is the place where character interaction such as volunteering to work around the camp and most importantly make or break alliances with the other characters.
The Outplay section includes the challenge periods. It is with these challenges that you show off your skills while using your resources to outplay your opponents in hopes of winning the reward and immunity challenges.
The final area to be discussed is called the Outlast section, which is comprised of tribal council. This area, like on the TV show, is not where you want to be as it is here that the fate of your tribe is decided. This section can be even worse in that if you do not have the immunity necklace your character has a chance to be voted off.
Overall, graphics quality is good for Survivor. This game incorporates video footage from the series as well as configuring the computer players to have the actual faces of the players from the TV series. The only drawback seen in the graphic quality occurs during the tribal challenges, and the players’ extremities are still not human in quality but rather roughly shaped. The switching from actual video to the animation was surprisingly smooth and a big plus for this game.
Sound quality resembles the TV series as closely as possible, thus reinforcing the feeling that you are actually a part of the game instead of an outsider. Sound bits have been taken from the TV series as well as new audio content. The overall volume of the sound remained constant and one did not have to adjust the volume that much at all.
The length of time to play this game will vary by the options of choosing the differing game levels. A full season game will naturally last many hours longer than the short 3-episode season. A good estimate is that the full series will take at least a few days to complete while the 3-episode season could only take a few hours.
Multiplayer is definitely an option for Survivor. You have the option of either hosting or joining a multiplayer gaming session. In order to either host or join a game you must know your IP address or the host’s IP address. Detailed instructions are available for either option and as other players enter the game you are able to see them on the left side of the screen. Once all players are in the Lobby they must choose their character and then click the start button. It is important to note that the multiplayer game begins after the tribes merge with all the Survivors in the same tribe. There is an on-line manual available to assist in learning more about the multi-player option.
Overall, this game will be a welcome addition to a Survivor fan's game collection, as it will provide them a constant reminder of the Survivor Series. Players of all ages are capable of playing this game, so maybe a parent can play against their children, or friends can play against one another. However, if one is not a fan of the Survivor Series they will probably not like this game, as it follows the principles found in the TV show.
Pricing for this game is also affordable, as when it first came out the cost was approximately $20 and now can be found on sale at popular stores for as little as $10. Good luck if you purchase this game on your challenge of Outwitting, Outplaying & Outlasting the other players or computer.