It may be something unique to these Isles (and by that I mean the United Kingdom), that the idea of a ‘holiday’ or ‘vacation’, is assessed in terms of alcohol, sunburn, loud music, and sex. It could, alternatively, and perhaps more probably in these days of an increasingly small world, be the attitude of the young towards this most universal (in the West) of pastimes.

It is from this premise that the Ian Livingstone conceptualised Beach Life, takes its cue, aiming full-pelt in an unashamedly mass-market direction. I recently read word of this game in the pages of ‘The Sun’, and as any reader of that fine rag will know, this is a sure sign of Eidos’ intentions. What they’re after here is the market, with a spot of voyeuristic-style reality TV thrown in for lurid good-measure.

With this in mind, then, lets take a look at how good a job Beach Life makes of attracting the whims of the mass-market gamer. First things first, the idea is an unremorsefully unoriginal one. In fact if you’ve played any building simulation title ever, you’ll already know about this game. You can either begin the game by taking charge of various holiday resorts, as you work you’re way through particular Scenarios, resolving difficulties in holiday spots, and generally turning them for the good of your bank balance. Alternatively, you can opt to play in the ‘Sandpit’, a more free-form choice in which you can sit back and create your vision of an ideal holiday resort.

Both game options involve a lot of building (this is 50% of the gameplay), as well as slight resource management, staff hiring-and-firing, as well as a great deal of just people watching. With the latter in mind, and glimpsing the public’s obsession with fly-on-the-wall reality TV, a lot of time has been spent ensuring your Guests act in a convincing, and entertaining manner. As the box suggests, you really can watch your visitors get drunk, brawl, swim, and romance, all detailed through an interior monologue, revealing the individuals sometimes comedic and frequently foul inner-thoughts. Its actually annoyingly addictive, as I suppose it should be, so Eidos and Red Storm can consider this side of things a job well done.

The menu-system is well though out too, and seems to have been created with even the most novice of gamers in mind. It makes building a doddle, and intuitive, as well as staff management and overall control of game options (such as the speed of the simulation). The buildings themselves are well thought out, and as your resort increases, as does the number of potential structures made available to you. The main aim of building being to continually grow your resort and subsequently your coffers. Buildings include tacky Theme Bars, Ice Cream Parlours, Beach Bars, Amusement Arcades, Restaurants, and many more too numerous to mention in a bid to separate more punters from their cash.