Once upon a time EA said "It's almost identical to the PC version of Sims 3" - Come again? I don't think so.
For about two years now believe it or not i was looking on the internet trying to find ways of playing PC games on PS3 using the Linux option; which was never possible. It was for the exact reason that i wanted to play Spore and Sims 3, only i didn't have a high-end notebook or pc to play on.
When i saw Sims was coming to PS3 i was on Amazon right away and preorderd about a month before release. So as i got the game on release day, i had high expectations and likewise EA let me down.
----BASICS-----
First off let me start with the basics of the game. First i could only make one family and then to top it off, the neighborhood was broken into zones. Now correct me if i am wrong but isn't Sims 3 just Sims 2 but with an open neighborhood? So now we have about 12 zones with loading screens between all of them and about four buildings and a park in them.
Some say its because of the available RAM or Memory, but i say look at games such as GTA IV. Are you seriously telling me that the Sims 3 uses more Ram than huge memory intensive games such as GTA and many more that have lots of things going on.
----GAME-PLAY----
As GameSpot has already mentioned, the visuals or frame rate is choppy when moving around the lot, or zone. For the first hour because of excitement of a new game it doesn't bother you, but when you start to pick out whats wrong with the game it definitely makes its way on the list without doubt. It would be like driving on GTA and the frame rate shuddering every 5 seconds. It doesn't make it unplayable i must say.
There are glitches such as pizza boxes appearing out of nowhere:
- The bookshelf becomes unusable to everybody when you have a baby.
- Friends not going home when you don't want them in your house anymore.
- When you have a car your Sims still get a taxi, so having a car is pointless.
- Also animations such as getting in your car have gone.
As i have said you can only have one Family. Also you cant build your own lot from scratch without a family moving in , So no blank lots like on the PC version.
You have to ring you friends up all the time and ask them to come round, they never visit you unless you invite them. Now in real life best friends just pop round, but not on this game. It can be annoying when there not wanted, but at the same time its annoying when you have to ask them to come every time.
I see people across the road having picnics at 4AM. Don't get me wrong, i would see thugs doing that, but not a family with a toddler.
The speed up tool, for people who have played it, it will look like this >>>, >| . However you might as well put '>>>' on and go and make a cup of coffee.
---CONCLUSION---
Believe it or not, for a long review, its cut short because i know people wont bother reading all the way down.
Its just a half cut version of the PC. To say its a PS3 and an age of High Def gaming you would think they would be able to make it better due to the fact all PS3 Specs are the same and it would be able to be tailor made, however if it is, sorry EA but it doesn't work out for me.
So i would say rent a copy first and make your own judgement.
3 out of 4 Users doesn't seem to see the credibility in my review. I am open an honest about my reviews, having played the pc version and have a game base of around 25 games, i don't think i have much to gain by distorting the facts.
To put things into perspective, i sold my copy to the highest bidder on ebay.