Lost: Via Domus Preview February 7,2008 - Videogames based on movies generally range from run of the mill to terrible. Games based on television shows though, typically aren't even seen outside of the game show realm and terrible CSI games that undoubtedly fly off of store shelves faster than Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Sadly, that is the world in which we live. Enter Ubisoft with a videogame adaption of the hit JJ Abrams-produced television series entitled Lost: Via Domus. At this point is typically when your cursor, through means beyond your control, scrolls hastily toward the red X in the upper right hand corner. If you can regain control of your hand for a moment then you might want to reconsider such an action.

While all popular belief would have us believe that Lost: Via Domus will be terrible, there may be hope, at least if you're a fan of the series. That sounds like a cop-out as anything thought to be bearable can be enjoyed by inexperienced gamers. The oddity about Via Domus is that it doesn't err to the archetypes of licensed titles. It plays out as an adventure game, which for all intents and purposes isn't the most popular of genres, it involves fairly intricate puzzles you will need to complete, and it seems to promote genuine exploration as any good adventure game should. Given the series' vaunted reputation in storytelling and Ubisoft's proficiency in game development, it's conceivable that Via Domus could at least be decent, if not good.

Without doubt this game is all about the fanfare. Lost: Via Domus revolves around Elliot, a photojournalist turned amnesiac survivor of the Oceanic Flight 815 crash that has scattered debris about a secluded island somewhere in the Pacific. So with little more than torn photos and one man who actually knows who you are - and unfortunately wants to kill you for some inexplicable reason - you set off on an adventure to realize the goal echoed in the game's subtitle "Via Domus," Latin for "the way home."

In addition to you and your would-be assassin, Via Domus is chock full of characters from the television show including both Oceanic survivors and the infamous "Others." You'll even interact with some of your favorite characters from the show doing everything from hunting for boars with Locke to partaking in a mission involving Ben, Juliet, and Mr. Friendly in Episode 2. While quite a bit of the characters make their way into the game, Ubisoft was only able to secure the voice talents of Desmond, Ben, Mikhail, Mr. Friendly, Claire and Sun. A shame considering the level of detail evident in the environments pulled straight from the show and an actual 60 minute soundtrack courtesy of the series' composer Michael Giacchino.

In covering material from seasons 1 and 2 while incorporating a few environments from season 3, Via Domus is a 10-12 hour adventure divided into seven episodes. The episodes cover a lot of ground, starting out from when the plane first crashes all the way through key character points apparent to those who watch the TV series. Thankfully, the material isn't pulled straight from the show but rather explores the, well, unexplored areas not covered in the show. So if you're a die-hard Lost fan it should give you some further perspective and context in regards to the events on the show such as a hidden room in the magnetic room in Swan station.

During your journey to uncover the mysteries of the island and your past, you will be faced with many tasks. There will be a lot of dialogue sequences with the non-playable characters where you can engage in general questions about the character, questions specific to the mission, or even trade items like Apollo candy bars for valuables.

While there is action sprinkled about such as the chase by the Black Smoke where you must run through woods avoiding trees and boulders, Via Domus is most definitely an adventure game. Quite a bit of the game's backstory, which is inextricably tied to the fate of those on the island, is told through interactive flashbacks where the player must take clear images of past events to gain further understanding of the exact situations both your character and others were in at the time of the event.

There is an interesting puzzle system that may confuse even experienced gamers. If you've played Bioshock, you surely remember the hacking puzzles where you had to correctly arrange the pipes in order to keep the flow of water correct. In many ways that is essentially how you'll have to solve situation puzzles. For instance, there's one point in the game where Elliot is trapped by the Swan's blast doors. In order to save his life, he has to fix three fuse boxes by managing the flow of electricity. So in a system reminiscent of Bioshock's, you must piece together the right combination to get yourself out of the jam.

In all honesty we haven't seen enough of Lost: Via Domus to speculate on the game's quality, but it certainly isn't a paint-by-numbers licensed title. Lost fans can take solace in that fact for now, but the verdict will come when the game ships on February 26.

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