Beach Life
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| Beach Life | |
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| Developer(s) | Deep Red Games |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Latest version | 1.1 |
| Release date(s) | September 6, 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Business strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen PEGI: 12+ |
| Platform(s) | PC |
Beach Life (known as 'Spring Break' in America) is a business strategy PC game released on September 6, 2002 by Eidos Interactive. The game was developed by Deep Red and, presumably due to the somewhat comic allusions to sexual activity and intoxication, the game is certified 12+ by PEGI and 'Teen' by ESRB.
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[edit] Gameplay
Beach Life is a business management sim in the same vein as perhaps Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon, to which it has been compared [1]. The twist is that you manage an Ibiza-style holiday resort, complete with themed clubs and holiday reps. Through learning what your guests want from their stay, different kinds of attractions and food and drink establishments can be built to satisfy their needs and make more money. Staff can be hired to help facilitate this, such as cleaners, mechanics and security guards.
Gameplay options themselves come in two forms - the Scenario mode and the Sandbox mode. In Scenario mode, you work your way through island after island, completing a number of set objectives in each. Your progress on a resort can be hampered by such hazards as shark attacks and thunderstorms, all while you build up attractions and cater to the needs of the guests. Once you have beaten a level in Scenario mode, you then unlock it in Sandbox mode. Sandbox mode is essentially a 'free-play' mode, where there are no objectives, unlimited time and more building options.
[edit] Music
The game's soundtrack consists of twelve licensed tracks from genres ranging from chillout to dance music, and changes tone as the day goes on. For example, laidback chillout music tends to play during the daytime, while more lively dance and trance music comes on at night, to fit the nightclub atmosphere. The music can be changed in-game via an 'MP3 player' located in the bottom right of the screen. Additionally, music files from your own music collection can be copied into the game's soundtrack folder, thus allowing you to customise the game's soundtrack to your liking.
[edit] Reception
Critically, the game was not extremely well-received, with reviewers rarely giving over 70% [2]. This was mainly due to a perceived unoriginality in the core gameplay mechanics, which do strikingly resemble most other business management sims. The original idea of resort management is often dismissed as being gimmicky.
However, the game is not without a wide fanbase, who appreciate the kooky sense of humour that the game has and its youthful, energetic spin on business management compared to most other games of the same genre. Graphically, the game is not stunning (all 2D and very fuzzy if you zoom in) yet has some very attractive background renders, with a good level of animation.
