Ask the Crew: Which Game Would You Take To A Desert Island?

Scenario: Pirates (Somali or old fashioned) are planning to maroon you on a desert island. But they are merciful and also have a vast video game backlog stored on their ship. Which game do you take with you to wile the time away until the rum is gone?

Diablo 2

I would call this game my crack cocaine. I’ve been addicted to this game three times in my life. The first time was when I initially bought it. I damn near wore out a mouse with all my clicking. The second time was when I worked the late shift at a call centre. I would get home late, watch Star Trek: Voyager (did I mention I hated my job and thus felt like punishing myself?), and then finish up with some Diablo 2 before hitting the sack. The most recent time was when my husband was blasting his way through Mass Effect. Exiled from the Xbox, I turned to my old friend. It wasn’t long before I was staying up late and waking up bleary eyed.

What is it about this game that goes straight to my gamer veins? I think it’s the vast and varied loot you can find in the game. I’ve never completed a green armour set so there’s always the hope the next corpse has it. Or the next one… click… click…

- Natalie Sit

Advance Wars: Dual Strike

This was a hard question. If it’s going to be my only game, this game would have to be pretty special, that’s for sure. At first I thought that maybe I should go for one of those long-ass games like Civilization or one of the SimCity games. After considering the fact that I would probably drive myself nuts by building virtual empires while stuck with nothing, I had to go with this DS classic.

A huge campaign, a new twist on classic Advance Wars gameplay that allows you to commandeer two generals, and a create-a-level feature would let me play out my fantasies as I slowly starved to death playing video games instead of looking for food and building shelter. Plus, I could just pass the DS over to any other marooned shipmates for 4 player action. Pure goodness.

- Sean Taylor

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Going to a desert island? Heck, with GTA: SA, I started to create one around me. Chores were left undone, showering became an option, one set of clothing would have to do me. This game creates a large enough world to lose oneself in… and I was lost.

Eventually, I took a step back and regained a semblance of self respect, but I have no problem returning to Rockstar’s take on a California that includes Vegas. Not only is the “game proper” a long and twisting story that can eat away at hours of your life, but the massive GTA sandbox can have you building and destroying castles for days. As with its sister titles, the world is filled with mini-games and races should you want a different flavour (I’m still a fan of the triathlons).

But, beyond all that, this is the first game I’ve ever played where I created my own mini-games, heists and epic chases. Feeling like a challenge? Your new mission is to assassinate two dirty cops outside of a Los Santos police station, race through the streets in the first car you can steal (a police cruiser if you’re truly awesome) to the LS airport where you complete the mayhem by hijacking a personal jet and flying to your hideout in San Fierro, which you’ll arrive at–naturally–by parachute.

Yeah, Wilson and I could do that stuff for months.

- DM Le Bray

The Sims 3

This is an easy one. Alone on an island, no one around, with little hope of rescue. A people/life simulator it is!

Even though I’m alone, I’ll be able to create a “meaningful” relationship, travel the world (if I have the expansion pack), maybe even settle down and have a virtual baby or two! Yes, The Sims 3 wins hands down.

When my chump (and I say this with love) crew members are all done their games, I’ll be in my 2000th hour of The Sims 3 still trying to see if I can beat Tiger Woods with my own virtual harem.

-Mike Yawney