Sims 2 Pets is a wonderful addition to the base game, but just having pets isn't always enough to keep it interesting...
Of course, as the name implies, Sims 2 Pets offers your sims new family members: dogs and cats. Adding a pet to your sims family can be done in several ways, one of them being the all new Create-A-Pet feature which really amazed me when I first used it. It is wonderful how detailed and customizable your pets can be when creating them in CAP, it offers lots of options to change simply every single inch of your pet's figure including multiple fur patterns, different eyes colors, tale size and shape, body size and shape, ears size and shape, nose size and shape... And from here you get the point. You can simply copy your real-life pet to a virtual figure in the game and add it to your favorite sims family! Of course other ways to get a pet is by adopting one using the phone, adopting one of the strays which tend to pay your garden a visit or buying one at a community lot from the all new pets display object.
After getting a pet, your sims can interact with a it in various way, play with it, train it to do a series of tricks etc... Your pets can even get jobs and advance as they learn to do new tricks and commands. Pets are not directly controlled like sims, but you can customize their behavior by using your sim to praise or scold them based on their different actions. For example, if a pet decides to take it all out on your sims couch, your sim can scold him, and by time the pet will learn to stay away from the furniture. Maxis added few objects to go with the pets theme including pets beds and and houses, food bowls, a litter box etc... However, I still don't think that the variety of pets objects is enough at all and that's one disappointment I had in the game, Maxis should have added more pets objects. The rest of the buy catalogue does include new furniture in many categories including few new chairs and sofas, new decorative items and finally a new phone. Build mode also got its share with a new hammer tool to delete anything on the lot very easily.
A nice new feature in the game is the unlockable codes. After your pets gets a job and advance in its career, you'll be given a new pet accessory with each pet promotion. These includes new fur patterns, collars and more for both dogs and cats. The game also adds warewolves which your sim will turn to after getting bitten by the leader wolf. There are also birds and hamsters in the game although these are more close to an object than to a pet.
The new soundtrack in the game is just wonderful with really great Simlish songs like Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls. The pets' sounds are also very good and stable giving the real there-is-a-pet-in-the-house feeling. No improvements in the graphics department and no new technical features either.
Overall, The Sims 2 Pets is a very good addition to the game play and will offer a rich experience to the fans of the series. The lack of pets objects did disappoint me though. If you are a dedicated Sims 2 player this is a must, if you are a Sims 2 hater I doubt 'Pets' will change your mind.