Objective: Create a sequel to the best-selling PC game of all time. Maxis and Electronic Arts have more than proved themselves capable of accomplishing the task, and have already released no fewer than seven expansions to The Sims. Now, with The Sims 2, Maxis has taken their addictive life simulation and snazzed it up with a fully 3D engine, the addition of some neat new gameplay elements, and a brand new story mode that lends an organic feel to the dry neighborhoods of the past. They were smart enough not to tinker too much though, and we are happy to see that all of the charm remains intact; from the new Simlish voice acting to the flies buzzing around old trash. The result may not offer much that is really all that different from the original, but gamers that loved The Sims will feel immediately at home - and those that wondered what all the fuss was about the first time around will have plenty to keep themselves occupied with for quite some time. As in the first title, the concept of The Sims 2 is rather simple: you play a simulated individual or family and guide them through the ordinariness of everyday life by keeping an eye on such needs as comfort and hunger, socializing with other sims, and earning simoleans with which to purchase items, household upgrades, and services such as pizza delivery. Such a humdrum description is a disservice to the complexity within, however: from purchasing items of increasing effectiveness in true role-playing fashion to managing your sims' bladders, fans of the series can testify to the wealth of content to be discovered. While there are some subtle changes, the interface remains mostly the same: point-and-click your sims through their activities while keeping an eye on their meters below. The Sims 2 also provides more social interactions than ever, letting you build and destroy interpersonal relationships as you see fit. In fact, your sims will bring workmates or schoolmates home for a visit from time to time, in addition to the usual invitation-making and party-throwing, which are always just a phone call away. The game ships with three neighborhoods with plenty of lots from which to choose, and several community lots to visit. Much to the delight of our sandbox instincts, you can now create and customize your own neighborhoods in a manner that reminds us of Maxis' scrapped Simsville project from a few years back. Not only can you place houses and build community lots in your neighborhood, but you can add decorations like trees, rocks, flocks of birds, and rainbows, and even change the layout of your roads (a la Sim City). As with the previous game's expansions, you can also call a taxi and visit a community lot, where you can visit other sims, meet various needs, or shop for food (you now must replenish your refrigerator) or new clothes. In build and shop modes, there are some nice improvements, such as furniture fashions that come in a variety of colors, and the ability to group home improvements by style, as well as room or item type. Sadly, you are still stuck arranging your items on a grid, keeping aspiring interior decorators as frustrated as before. To help make up for this, newly-created sims can be customized in countless ways, allowing you to tailor their faces and appearance to specification, and even letting you designate sleepwear and workout clothes. While the passage of time works much the same as before, how it affects your sims is new, both in terms of their age and their work. Finding a profession is pretty much the same: search the paper or the computer for a job, and the carpool will arrive at the predesignated time of day and cart you off to your job in the slacker career, the medical career, or so forth; increasing your skills in certain areas then allow you to get promotions, and with them, more simoleans. As an added bonus, as you progress at the job, you can also earn work aspiration points, with which you can purchase unique job-related items. Now, you get two predesignated days off, so there is less need to risk missing work and getting fired. You do, however, accumulate paid vacation days as the game progresses, so if you need to take an extra day off, you can simply use your vacation to focus on your sim's needs without missing a day's wages. Your sims now age: infants (who inherit the personality and physical traits of their parents, with impressive results) become children, children become adults, and adults become elders. Your sim's lifeline is now part of the mostly familiar interface, and yes, your sim can die of old age, although there are some pretty clever ways of cheating the grim reaper. Elders don't go to work, but still receive pension based on their job standings upon retiring. Some of the greatest additions to the gameplay itself give the player more structure without removing any of the freeform options that made The Sims so appealing. The primary enhancement is that of the wants and fears system, which gives you a few major goals and fears at any given time, based on your sim's personality and the basic aspirations you choose for him upon creation. For example, a romantic sim might have a hankering for the girl next door, so one of his wants may be to flirt with her. On the other hand, being rejected for the same flirt may be one of his greatest fears. Fulfilling wants will grant your sim aspiration points, which can be used to purchase all sorts of goodies, from money trees to a fountain of youth. Having a fear rejected will subtract aspiration points, and in severe cases, your emotional reaction may warrant a visit from – the therapist, of course! One of our sims was so traumatized by a fire, that not only did he lose aspiration points, but the therapist dropped down via umbrella in Mary Poppins style to counsel our sim until he felt well enough to move on. Cassandra Goth (yes, the Goths are back, although the Newbies are conspicuously absent), shattered by a rejected marriage proposal, was reduced to a blithering mess. This should please the sadistic instincts of the fans who delighted while their sims died of starvation or wet their drawers. How well you are fulfilling your sim's needs and avoiding his fears are measured by the aspiration meter, which you will want to keep high, lest the use of your reward items cause some nasty side effects. Your wants and fears are subject to change from day to day, although you can right click them to hold onto them, if you wish to keep them static. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another enrichment to the The Sims 2's newfound focus is the story mode, which allows players to either create a story from scratch, using screenshots and movie clips to provide moments of reference, or to play out one of the neighborhood stories conveniently provided. In the Veronaville area, a Romeo and Juliet story is unfolding and you can choose to carefully play each role as you wish and bring the story to a dramatic close or mold it to your own liking. In Pleasantview, Mortimer Goth is searching for his missing wife and coping with the growing pains of his adult daughter. Insert story points as you wish, or simply ignore them altogether. There is no doubt, however, that players wishing The Sims had a more central purpose will find much to like about the mode, although its scope is somewhat limited, as the player's actions in live mode ultimately decide the outcome - and the mode itself is simply a journal mechanism that allows the player to keep track of story progress. Still, between the story mode and the aspiration meter, there is very little chance players will be at a loss of what to do; and with their sims' personalities so intertwined with the story, wants, and fears, they will never wonder why they are doing it in the first place. Still, there are always surprises in store. Your sim may get a phone call giving you a stock tip, and you will be pressed with a choice: purchase it on your own, tell your boss, or do nothing? When you stumble across an ancient ruin, will you explore it or leave it be? Your decision will affect your simoleans or skill points, either positively or negatively. These moments seem a little too random, but still liven up the gameplay by keeping you on your toes. Undoubtedly, one of the finest aspects of The Sims 2, as in the original, is that there is simply so much to do, and the pleasures of the mundane are as fascinating as ever. Still, is it enough for the casual gamers whose addiction to the original and its multiple expansions has kept them occupied for all these years? Well, yes – and no. In some ways, it is encouraging to see that Maxis fulfilled many of the wishes Sims fans had: a fully 3D camera, improved pathfinding and AI (artificial intelligence), and greater control over the neighborhood itself. On the other hand, with the gameplay possibilities already explored in the best Sims expansions, like Vacation and Makin' Magic, the door to future Sims 2 expansions is noticeably ajar. The new game seems so familiar, its innovations now so commonplace, that we sometimes can't shake the notion that something is missing. While the impending official additions and community objects and camaraderie are sure to be exciting, the evolution of The Sims is a constant reminder that there is still plenty of opportunity for its sequel to grow. The Sims 2’s graphics look really good. The new 3D camera lets you swoop right up close to the action and swing it around to any angle you choose. The real triumph, though, is the animation quality that needs to be seen to be appreciated. Zooming into your sim will show some terrific gestures and facial expressions, whether it’s the look of discomfort on his face when his bladder is full, or the dance of excitement after he returns home after a long day of work. As in the first game, the greatest pleasures are in the details, from the bubbles in the sink while your sim washes the dishes, to the way your married couples cuddle in their sleep. More impressively, animations are different based on your sim's personality. A neat sim will eat tidily, while a messy one will spray potato chip crumbs; a playful sim will get down and dirty to the music, while a stodgier one will dance conservatively. Once again, system requirements are not too high, but there are more settings available that should keep players on a variety of systems happy. Not all is perfect in Simsville, though, and you will pay the price with frustratingly long loading times and occasional frame rate jitters. You will also notice clipping and other small issues from time to time. As in the original, the audio is a real treat, and a whole new batch of Simlish phrases has been added - so many sounds, in fact, that it will take quite some time before you notice them being repeated. As with the graphics, the personality of your sim shines through in his gibberish, and you will be constantly amazed at the tiny details that really make the audio stand out. The music remains as appealing as before, although it does seem a tad more simplistic than that of the original. The Sims 2 remains outrageously addictive, and the new gameplay elements have spruced things up enough that those that stopped playing The Sims a few years back would be well served to pick up the sequel. Gamers that wanted more freeform control, as well as those requiring greater focus to keep them interested will be happy to find augmentations in both directions. Dedicated fans of the original may be pestered by the pesky notion that the sequel doesn't add enough to their already bloated Sims collection, but most will be kept too busy to care, for the most part. Charming, unselfconsciously mundane, and exquisitely tailored, The Sims 2 fits like a toasty mitten.
There are over 600 player reviews of EA's "The Sims 2" online on GameSpot. The average score is 9 out of 10, which is exceedingly good. The rating is well deserved for this worthy successor to the original Maxis master... Read Full Review
Ever wish that if your house caught fire, all you had to do was quickly exit to the neighborhood without having to save and the second your back in your house, the fire is gone and everything was back the way it used to ... Read Full Review
