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Virtual Villagers: The Lost Children PC Game Review

Wednesday, February 21st, 2007 at 7:20 AM 28 comments Category: Casual Games Reviews, News & Talk, Features, PC Games, Reviews, Strategy Games, Tech

This is my first encounter with the Virtual Villagers, but not the first time I’ve played a SIM-style game. I’ve played Populous, Sim City, The Sims — years ago. This game’s objective is to complete the 16 puzzles with other tasks along the way. This game stands out from many adventure games in that every time you start a new tribe (new game), the experience doesn’t feel like a repeated experience.

In the first tribe, I had a couple that had babies as soon as the mother finished nursing a baby. The second tribe ran into trouble very early on with the ocean rendered useless for food thanks to the algae build up. One of the villagers in the third tribe refused to swim in the ocean. He ran away every time I tried to put him in there to fish.

In other words, each tribe has personable characters and different timing of events. While playing, I thought to myself things like, “Oh it’s that annoying villager who won’t do anything,” “That’s a sweet villager who loves to tell stories and teach the children,” “I appreciate the villager’s dependability” and “Are these people ever going to master anything???”

I celebrated when the villagers completed a project, I got mad when villagers hadn’t mastered a job when I checked on them, I smiled when the children discovered a new item and I felt sadness when two elderly villagers passed away.

One thing I had to learn in playing this game: Patience. Sometimes there wasn’t anything to do except keep an eye out for items — that means I needed to let them take care of themselves for a little while. Even when the game wasn’t loaded, the villagers continued to go about their business. Those who have little time to play games, but long to play one will find this a perfect fit. It doesn’t take much time to check on the villagers and do a few things.

A good way to play the game is check in on them a couple of times a day and take care of things. The game isn’t meant to be played on a continuous basis like the arcade games as time is an important factor. Sure, you could change the clock on your computer, but you might miss important events.

The official web site has a great guide that provides hints without giving anything away. It also contains the details for the puzzles, but it warns you when you’re about to read the spoilers section. The community forum is another great resource for the game. This community is careful not to spoil anything since many users put (Spoiler) or (Possible Spoiler) in the subject.

Anytime I got stuck, I went to the forums where I found most of the answers. You just can’t control some things in the game — after all, the developers did a superb job of ensuring the experience isn’t the same each time you start a new tribe.

The island-style music fit beautifully with the environment without getting old after playing for a while. You can also rename your villagers — I had to, since several of mine received the same name. You can get creative and name them after your family as I did by giving an island-like version of my ancestors’ names.

Time to check on my tribes. It’s hard to stay away from them for too long as I miss my people and helping them discover new things. Fabulous game.

System Requirements:

Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
800MHz processor
256 MB RAM
DirectX 7 or higher

Original article source and reprinted with permission: TheDiamondGames

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28 comments

Posted by: meryl.net: writer, editor, business, technology, marketing » Blog Archive » Virtual Villagers 2 on February 21st, 2007, 7:51 AM
[...] all weekend. I’ll write about it at another time. In the meantime, I posted a review of Virtual Villagers: The Lost Children, a follow up to the popular Virtual [...]
Posted by: meryl.net: writer, editor, business, technology, marketing » Blog Archive » Chicken Chase Review on March 5th, 2007, 9:59 AM
[...] funny thing is that he picks up things from the games and learns new things. He LOVES Virtual Villagers. This is a 3 1/2-year-old who can’t read yet. He says, “Click Detail,” [...]
Posted by: Steven on March 11th, 2007, 8:28 AM
Hey, i totally agree with yall. Virtual villagers is awesome and the graphics are insanly well done as well as teh game interface. For all those who dont know about it can be found at http://www.ldw.com!
Happy Gaming
Posted by: Serafinos on March 22nd, 2007, 8:23 PM
Only started 3 days ago & like you — can’t leave very long. Laundry, house work — whats that? Oh, must be that stuff piling up outside the door! ROFLMBBO! lol

HELP - having trouble with last task… last GONG piece. Fully researched (bought) all 6 techs; built all buildings (hut, 2 small huts, sewing hut, hospital; completed all 4 collections; cleared both vines; retreived piece from pond; piece from box; have Esteemed Elder & totem. I placed it in the middle of the uncovered mosaic, placed him on the mosaic … but no last piece! :(:( I’m STUMPED! Thank you for the assist. Will check back shortly. :D:D
Posted by: LadeeGee on March 25th, 2007, 11:43 AM
Having the same problem too Serafinos. Won’t give me that last Gong piece. tried everything and still no gong HELP!!
Posted by: Clov on April 6th, 2007, 5:53 AM
I can’t find the last gong pice. I tried with all totems but it didn’t work… WHAT CAN I DO?
Posted by: villager on April 10th, 2007, 5:44 AM
I can’t get it either. I’we got 2 totems but none of them works. I am supposed to put one of them in the circle in the middle of that ancient floor, right?
Posted by: Manoj on April 11th, 2007, 5:21 AM
hey guys, im struck in finding out last 2 pices of gong plz help me out…..
Posted by: Gavin on April 22nd, 2007, 3:52 PM
How do u get the top right gong
Posted by: hannah on April 23rd, 2007, 11:17 AM
thx!!!!
Posted by: hannah on April 23rd, 2007, 11:20 AM
it’s me again…… i need help…well how do you get clothes after you built the sewing hut???????? and also you can stop the game by pressing the SPACE button, thx!!!
Posted by: KC on April 25th, 2007, 9:08 AM
Have the same problem with the last piece of the gong. I have 3 totems and I tried to put each of them in the middle of the mosaic and nothing! even tried to put all 3 in the middle. Also no luck. HELP!!
Posted by: Gerald on May 14th, 2007, 3:03 AM
How do I get the gong Pice by the water fall that is too deep to get to
Posted by: Theresa on May 24th, 2007, 12:08 PM
How do you get the last gong piece out of the water? I’ve done everything else. Please help!
Posted by: Meryl on May 24th, 2007, 12:23 PM
Spoiler Alert: This tells how to get the gong piece in the water. Highlight the following text to see the answer.

You have to make a soup with specific ingredients, have one of the villagers drink it and dive for it. You need one black and two orange flowers.
Posted by: gaynor on June 4th, 2007, 10:27 AM
Hi, you need to get the gong piece out of the water first. The black herb by the pond and the two pinky ones nearest to the mosiac. Put them into a stew and it lets the villagers dive for the piece in the pond, then drop the totem into the centre of the mosiac and it gives you the last piece. Well it gave me it anyway. lol.

I finished v2 and have nearly finished v1 can anyone tell me where to get the treasure from. Have been told its near the temple, have searched every bit, with a master builder, a master scientist, even the golden child and I can’t find it anywhere.
Posted by: Mary on July 8th, 2007, 10:44 PM
I completed all the puzzles, and now enjoying the Gong effects!
I never did have to buy the exploration level 3 or the science level 3, which is strange. I have 43 people, tons of food, so now what?
Is there anything else that can be accomplished, or do we just keep eating, swimming, farming and making babies?
This is a great game…..I’m addicted, and I heard someone mention that we can have more than one tribe?
Posted by: Neem on August 7th, 2007, 1:57 AM
Hey i have 15 totems but none of them allows me to retrieve the last piece of gong! Any ideas?
Posted by: Trevotillo on August 9th, 2007, 10:09 PM
I think the totem has to be on a specific part of the mosaic (the gong piece was mistakenly placed as a tile). Not entirely sure, since I lucked out and got it in one…but I put it a little up from the middle, if it helps.

As for the other tribes, the main screen has a “Change Tribe” button. Enjoy.
Posted by: krock on August 25th, 2007, 12:36 PM
What gong effects? I saw absolutely nothing when I rang the gong. Someone later said to read the little note at the bottom, but clearly I missed it. Is there a list anywhere of the potential gong effects? Because of now, I see zero, so why bother to keep playing the game?

You don’t need level three science or exploration to win, you don’t need all of the collections… if the gong was the end, it seems a real let down.
Posted by: Lynn on December 24th, 2007, 12:08 PM
Can anyone help me? I’m soooooooo stumped!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t figure out where to build!!!!! I’ve only repaired the hut and build the one that you are given in the beginning!!!!!!!! Plz help!!!!!!
Posted by: tday1988 on June 19th, 2008, 10:19 PM
I have 4 totems but none of them are helping to reveal the last gong piece..I have been at it for 2 days now. Can anyone help or tell me what I am missing? I have eveything to level 3.
Posted by: Sandy on June 29th, 2008, 7:03 PM
I have done everything yet for some reason I am missing 2 gong pieces. I picked up the one from the totem and the one from the crate and it’s only showing that I have 2 pieces. The one from the writings on the wall, I never saw in the first place. What’s wrong?
Posted by: Jade on July 16th, 2008, 4:30 AM
Sandy i have the same problem i have done everything to get the gong together but i am missing one peice and i know i shoudn’t be, have you figured it out yet. Can anyone help. Please.
Posted by: lubna on August 8th, 2008, 2:26 PM
the totem you need is the green one, it has a strange shape , it’s different from others. it has legs, and arms and head…
Posted by: ikki on August 8th, 2008, 7:37 PM
its not nessacary what shape totem u have, just place the totem on the bottom of that antique mosaic.. u’ll get 1 gong there, but i cant find a way to get the gong in the pond ? any help..
Posted by: ikki on August 8th, 2008, 7:44 PM
oh well, i think i can not post the image here check this out

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee241/sfochamp/totem.jpg
Posted by: velvetpl22 on November 12th, 2008, 8:43 AM
i found the last gong piece but it was right after i opened the crate and when the people started celebrating the girl dropped the gong piece and now its gone! what do i do?