The Urbz: Sims in the City Hands-On
We get an exclusive look at the latest evolution of The Sims on consoles.
We've been checking in on Electronic Arts' The Urbz frequently since the game was first announced earlier this year. Those looks have been fine at offering us overviews of the game, but we haven't had the opportunity to dig into it until now. We finally got our hands on a work-in-progress build of the PlayStation 2 version and have been able to have a look 'round the urban playground that the Maxis team is crafting.
If you're not familiar with what's being cooked up for The Urbz, the game puts an urban twist on the familiar The Sims premise. You'll still be tasked with caring for a virtual being, but the experience is different from that of the PC games, which paired you with a high-maintenance and moody charge. The console-exclusive The Sims games have maintained the key elements from their PC cousins but made the experience far more accessible. The Urbz represents the latest evolution of that approach, with an even more-refined system that makes meeting your character's needs a key part of the gameplay without letting it get in the way of having a good time.
The Urbz tweaks The Sims formula by fundamentally altering the goal system. Whereas the previous games had you working your way through an often-entertaining parody of daily life in a quest to get the best stuff, The Urbz revolves around your reputation. If you're going to make any kind of headway in scoring the cool stuff locked away in The Urbz, you'll have to do more than work--you'll have to bust out with a slick sense of style that will impress the locals in the several different districts in the game.
In creating an urb, you'll first choose which district you want to begin in. Each district has its own distinct style and flavor. For example, Kicktail Park is a skater haven where casual style rules the day, Diamond Heights is home to people who prefer upscale living and designer threads, while the Foundry is an urban commune populated with hip artists for whom black is the new black. Once you decide on a region to move into, you'll go about designing your urb. Once you've got your urb all fitted with the right body type, skin tone, hairstyle, and facial features, you can name him or her and head off to your designated home.
Upon reaching your new apartment, you'll meet up with your good friend Will, who introduces you to Darius, the most happening urb in the whole city. As befitting a man with such a fine reputation, the first thing he does is ask you to perform a power social move by jamming on your electric guitar. When you've completed this act to his satisfaction, you'll gain a bit of reputation on your own, and then Will and Darius will head out, leaving you free to explore your district. You'll need to find a job to earn yourself some cash, and depending on which district you're in, you can do anything from working as a sculptor in a converted warehouse to taking a job as a fashion model. These jobs consist of simple minigames that usually revolve around pressing certain buttons on the controller at certain times, and they can be pretty addictive, as you queue up the button presses to strike a pose for a camera, or feed pottery into a kiln. The jobs usually have prerequisites, too. You can't be a model if your urb isn't in a smiling good mood, or if she hasn't showered lately and is getting a tad gross. Similarly, you can't work the kiln if you're getting too hot, as the proprietor of the studio would really rather not have to explain to the authorities why his young charges are keeling over.
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- GameSpot Score7.3good
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The Urbz: Sims in the City Review
Maxis' bold changes to The Sims formula aren't all for the better, but they make The Urbz a very distinctive and surprisingly solid game.
- Nov 9, 2004
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