Desperate Housewives: The Game is a life simulation adventure game developed by Liquid Entertainment and released by Buena Vista Games in 2006, in the style of The Sims games. It is based on the television series Desperate Housewives. The player takes the part of a housewife with amnesia who has recently moved with her husband and son to Wisteria Lane. The plot takes place over 12 episodes. The game features a script to Desperate Housewives writer Scott Sanford Tobis and voice acting by Brenda Strong. It achieved sales in excess of 400,000 copies by early 2009. The PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Xbox and GameCube versions were announced but were cancelled for unknown reasons.
Plot[]
The game begins when a family moves to Wisteria Lane; a successful doctor working at the Fairview Medical Center, a wife with a forgotten past after a jogging accident, and their son. In the game, the player takes on the role of the wife, and is able to customise her and build relationships with other characters. Edie Britt first introduces the wife to Wisteria Lane and visits Bree Van de Kamp, who invites her to gossip at her house along with Susan Meyer, Lynette Scavo and Gabrielle Solis. A pair of brothers then visit the player's house: Daniel Fox, a famous designer and his twin brother Frank Fox, who installs an Internet service in the player's computer. The player's character then progresses through episodes, completing tasks that range from gardening and cooking for player's family, to discovering the secrets of the neighborhood.
The player must battle off a love rival to her husband - his secretary Jackie Marlen who stops at not cost to get what she wants - and the cranky neighbor, Etta Davenport. She must also deal with the antics of her unruly 14-year old son and the people around him. Other residents aren't as nice as they seem when a private investigator, Erik Larsen, shows up in town alongside a shady businessman, Vincent Corsetti, who seems to have ulterior motives. In the end, their secrets are aired to the public and a desperate decision is made in a hostage situation.
The game features four possible endings. The player can decide to run away with Erik Larsen or Vincent Corsetti, or remain married to her husband. A fourth ending allows the player to shoot all three men.
Reception[]
Desperate Housewives received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Some reviewers praised it as a well-written and faithful adaption of the television series; however, the game also attracted criticism for its derivative, simplistic gameplay and prominent product placement. The editors of PC Gamer presented Desperate Housewives with their 2006 "Best Adventure Game" award. During the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Desperate Housewives for "Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female" (Brenda Song as Mary Alice Young).