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Educational: 4.0
Overall Design: 4.5
Ease of Use: 4.0
(4.0 = good, 4.5 = very good, 5.0 = excellent)
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Program Description Commentary Who Is This Program For
Why We Selected This Program Computer Requirements
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This classic story of a shipwrecked mariner on a deserted island is one of the greatest adventure stories in all of English literature. For a new generation, it has been recreated and creatively expanded as an interactive software program. This multimedia version of Robinson Crusoe is both an electronic book, that is a visually rich and engaging exposure to this classic, and a "Myst like" sleuthing game that has you scavenging the wreck and building a raft as part of a parallel experience to Robinson Crusoe's own story. The interesting quality to the program is that it can be explored simply as a narrative experience or as a game to test your sleuthing skills or, if you wish, you can interweave the two.
Robinson Crusoe, as an electronic book, is a 93 page version of the original story which you can either read on your own or have it read to you by Martin Jarvis. His english accent is engaging to listen to and the backgound sound track of the birds in the forest and the waves washing on the shore, creates a desolate and haunting atmosphere.
As you read or listen to the story unfold from Crusoe's early struggles to survive, to his eventual encounter with cannibals and his rescue of who was to become "his man Friday", you encounter richly illustrated drawings (see top right) which come to life in the form of short animations related to the events on the page.
At any time, you can access a map of the island and engage in the interactive role playing part of the program. Taking this path, you will find yourself standing on the beach with your shipwreck just offshore. Using the mouse, you can turn yourself around to see different views of the panorama around you. You do not have any guidance as to what to do, other than a few clues in the story. Start by clicking on the ship and you are transported to the deck where you can start scavenging in the different ship's compartments, just as Crusoe does early in the story.
Initially you are building a raft from parts of the ship and then you are getting everything you can rescue, off the ship before it sinks.
As you progress, more parts of the island become accessible to you and the activities involve building a shelter, starting a small farm, making medicine, and capturing a parrot, to name a few.
Like Myst, you are given no guidance as to what the tasks are and how you do them. You are simply sitting there facing a scene and by using your mouse, you access different images and objects you can collect and use. In the process you are also trying to figure out what needs to be done. If you get stuck, the program has a "Read Me" file which will give you step by step instructions for all the activities. If you have had experience with these types of games, you may find the challenge just right. If you have not had this type of gaming exposure, print the "Read Me" file. (We did)
As we said above, this Robinson Crusoe multimedia program is engaging as a story telling experience and can be enlarged to being a mind challenging adventure game as well,-- if you choose.
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The beginning
An animated scene in the story
Exploring the wreck in the game
Bringing supplies ashore
View from the top of the island
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As part of the Grade 9 media studies program, I presented Robinson Crusoe to my class. I wanted to observe how the students interacted with the program as a reading, listening and viewing experience, and have them critically respond to the content and format.
When I asked; “How many of you want to keep going with this story?” The comments were very positive. 95% showed interest. I asked how this program compared to conventional text reading. The students (90% of whom have internet at home and are familiar with a variety of software) made the following comments:
“This program kept my interest and not all books do”
“I like being read to, and hearing the stories being read aloud”
“A lot of work went into this software”
“The action made it interesting.”
“ More books should be created in this format.”
We discussed how this program blends various media together. It was mentioned that movies create a sometimes significantly different story than a text. In this program the visuals support the text but don’t dominate. The focus is kept on the written story. The students also commented on the high degree of difficulty involved in the game and asked to use it again.
-Robert Shields, Grade 9 teacher of English and Media Studies, Wolfville, Nova Scotia
If your interest is in the narrative of Robinson Crusoe, this is a good program to introduce ones in the 8 - 12 age range to a classic story. This could happen in a school library, the classroom or home setting.
The gaming element of the program is likely to appeal to those probably 12 and up and who like such programs as Myst or it's successor Riven. The gaming element of the program is for the experienced gamer or those who respond positively to overcoming a real challenge.
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When you open the first page of this electronic book, you hear the sound of the surf breaking on the shore and the eerie silence of the tropical forest, broken by the sounds of the birds. It really grabs your attention and draws you into this compelling story of survival.
After some initial exploration discovering where the controls for the program were on the screen, the navigation was easy. The amount of text on each page makes the reading experience easy for younger readers and the animated illustrations add an engaging dimension to the experience as well. For kids who really enjoyed being read to when they were younger, listening to Martin Jarvis, a well known British actor, read the story is a treat.
The program as a narrative experience alone is well worth the price of admission. The adventure game, as an added dimension, is a real exercise in sleuthing and attention to detail. Be forewarned, it isn't easy but will be satisfying for those that can stick with it and get through the various stages.
We chose to profile this program as it is a very engaging bridge, for a generation raised with electronic media as their principal form of information gathering, to the world of great books and the joy of reading.
- reviewed by Dan Lang
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