I admit, I was extremely pleased to see a sequel to
Campgrounds, that little sleeper of a game that bowled me over with its original storyline, robust content, and challenging time management gameplay a little over a year ago.
Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition marks the return of Addie and the fast and frenzied gameplay we experienced in the original Campgrounds game, plus a few extra fun features.
If you recall in the first game, there were moments where we were searching for treasure left behind from a lost civilization. It was a minor part of the story, but it helped as you progressed through the levels. Well, now that Addie has a ancient artifact she believes belonged to the Endorus people, she and a group of explorers plan on using it to attempt to retrace the path those people took years ago.
And, of course, while you're out exploring, you're going to have to create fancy campsites for you and the explorers to live in!
Yeah... okay... that doesn't really make a lot of sense if they are just traveling along a trail...why do they need all these fancy campgrounds if they are just temporary lodging for the travelers on an expedition? The story in Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition doesn't really pass my common sense meter... but oh well... I'll try not to let it diminish the actual gameplay experience... "try" being the keyword.
The graphics in Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition were very similar to the original game, although these were perhaps a little bit brighter, more comic book style as opposed to the more realistic textures the original game featured. This was extremely apparent in the cut scenes, which seemed to fall a little flat in my book... the artwork just wasn't all that impressive.
The sounds and music were pretty much unnoticeable and blended into the experience. There wasn't anything that stood out as notably annoying or awesome at all.
The gameplay, however, was the shining star to Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition... but only if you're a fan of time management games and enjoy a real challenge. And when I say challenge, I really mean it... once you get through the first few levels, things start to get pretty hairy, pretty fast. I think I was at about level seven when I had to start hitting that restart button and actually start thinking about my strategy and how I was going to get everything done in the target amount of days.
The level won't start, however, until you make your first move, so you'll have time to formulate a plan before you rush in all willy nilly... believe me, you'll need this time if you're going to keep racking up the gold times.
As far as actual game mechanics, Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition is very similar to the first game. You have tents and trailers and factories and greenhouses... but they also threw in some fun buildings like a coconut hut and at times you had to grow crops. You have workers who will do your bidding, and you're still very aware of that eco score as some levels will make you focus on preserving the environment.
Overall, Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition lost a few points for flat graphics and a lackluster storyline, but more than made up for it in the actual gaming experience. If you're a time management/resource management fan, you'll want to hit the download button on Campgrounds: The Endorus Expedition and experience it for yourself!
