Virtual Villagers - The Tree of Life
Fifth installment of the Virtual Villagers Series involving strategy
- Category Strategy
- Program license Trial version
- Version 4
- Size 73.68 MB
- Works under: Windows 8
- Program available in English
- Program by Last Day of Work
Virtual Villagers: The Tree of Life is the fourth edition of the game, developed and published by Last Day of Work. The game series charts the lives of villagers on the fictional island of Isola. In the first game, dubbed A New Home, the islanders' own home is destroyed by a volcano, forcing them to flee. They arrive on Isola and must set about recreating their home: growing flowers, organising the water flow, building temples and graveyards and learning new skills. The ultimate aim of the game is to arrive at the point where a magical ageless child is born, unlocking many areas of the game. The second and third games involve the villagers exploring new areas of the map: a hidden cave and an abandoned ancient city, respectively, and working to restore civilisation in these places.
The Tree of Life is similar: the flora on the island has begun to die back and the player must, with a team of five companions (which are selectable), go and find out why. The explorers find a clearing in which an immense Bunyan tree, called the Tree of Life, is dying. This is causing the issues with the other island plant-life and must be halted and reversed. The game is played by working through a series of tasks and completing up to 16 puzzles, using the skills and strengths of the whole team.
Aesthetically, the game is very pleasing and there is a detailed 'hand-drawn' map with which the player can navigate around the island. The graphics are good and gameplay is absorbing. One interesting point about this simulation game is that it all happens in real time. This means that while the play is away from their game, time continues to pass by, which is useful when long-term work is ongoing, but less so when hard work is undone by missing a crucial task at the right time. The player can stop time in the game by quitting right out of the game, if desired. The real time pace does mean that it can be quite slow, but the game does not lose much by this.
Pros
- A good game for fans of the Sims who are looking for a more relaxed way to play
- Simple, cheerful gameplay and graphics
- Ideal for younger players
Cons
- Can be a little slow
