Gamenikki
Systems
Screens
Summary
pros
- Same Sims gameplay from the hit series
- New control system
- Split-screen multiplayer
cons
- Feels like a port
- Not as deep as PC version
final score
6
The Review
Sims 2, The
- Number of Players: 1-2
- Genre: Simulation
- Developer: Maxis
- Publisher: EA
- ESRB Rating: Teen
- Online: None
- Supports: Memory Card (147 blocks)
I've never given the Sims series a lot of time. I can see why it appeals to a wide range of people and I never had anything against it, but it just wasn't my personal cup of tea. When I want to play a simulation, I don't care as much about the social aspect as I want to be able to collect NES games or plant crops or control a whole city.
I’ve played both The Sims and The Sims 2 on a friend’s computer and neither hooked me. After all, if I wanted to play a poor, overworked schlub who did chores the rest of the day and relied on writing video game reviews to get entertainment income, well- never mind.
From the start, if you can only get one version of The Sims 2, get the PC version. For the archival-inclined, check out the review of that version. It's a much richer game with a deeper system of aging, the ability to have families and kids, customizable content and more. There are just too many things in the PC version that they couldn't fit in the console version. However, rather than comparing it strictly to the PC game, which I don't think is quite fair, this review is mainly based on viewing it through the lens of a standalone game for the Gamecube.
There are two modes of play, the first of which is “Story” mode in which your newly created sim moves in with a pair of pre-made roommates to a pre-made home and pre-made neighborhood. The character creation process is very rich and a real strength of the game. In particular, the look of your sim is extremely customizable and gives you the feel that your sim is something uniquely your own.
After deciding on a look, you choose an aspiration for your sim to work towards from a list of romance, wealth, knowledge, popularity, and creativity. This is what the main focus of your sim is; it determines what job he/she should look for, and what kind of goals give him/her aspiration points. Next, you determine your sim’s personality either by spending points on character trait pairs such as serious/playful and lazy/active so that it gives you a zodiac symbol or by choosing a symbol and it assigning you the corresponding preset traits. Finally, your newly minted sim gets a name.
Early on, more than half of your buying catalog is locked as you need to reach certain aspiration point goals to open them up. Similarly, you can only go to your home lot and can’t access the others. While it is called “story mode”, this doesn’t make for much of a narrative, however. The “story” is a set of unique tasks for an area such as beating a chicken at checkers so you can get an item to unlock a new area.
The other mode is “Free Play” mode and it is more open ended like the PC version. It’s basically story mode except you choose your neighborhood, the people who live in your house, and start with money to design your home. You also get to control all of the different sims who live in your house. While that’s only a few changes, it drastically changes the feel of the game.
In story mode, your play is almost exclusively driven to collect aspiration points so you can unlock items and occasionally try to advance the story and open up a new area. In free play, you have to balance aspiration points across multiple characters as well as worry about income. Some of the neighborhoods provide you with more than ample starting money but others leave you with money to build a small, spartan house with a toilet, fridge, bed, and nothing else until you start getting income from work. Money issues play a major role in free play but are almost nonexistent in story mode unless you cease going to work.
I’ve played both The Sims and The Sims 2 on a friend’s computer and neither hooked me. After all, if I wanted to play a poor, overworked schlub who did chores the rest of the day and relied on writing video game reviews to get entertainment income, well- never mind.
From the start, if you can only get one version of The Sims 2, get the PC version. For the archival-inclined, check out the review of that version. It's a much richer game with a deeper system of aging, the ability to have families and kids, customizable content and more. There are just too many things in the PC version that they couldn't fit in the console version. However, rather than comparing it strictly to the PC game, which I don't think is quite fair, this review is mainly based on viewing it through the lens of a standalone game for the Gamecube.
There are two modes of play, the first of which is “Story” mode in which your newly created sim moves in with a pair of pre-made roommates to a pre-made home and pre-made neighborhood. The character creation process is very rich and a real strength of the game. In particular, the look of your sim is extremely customizable and gives you the feel that your sim is something uniquely your own.
After deciding on a look, you choose an aspiration for your sim to work towards from a list of romance, wealth, knowledge, popularity, and creativity. This is what the main focus of your sim is; it determines what job he/she should look for, and what kind of goals give him/her aspiration points. Next, you determine your sim’s personality either by spending points on character trait pairs such as serious/playful and lazy/active so that it gives you a zodiac symbol or by choosing a symbol and it assigning you the corresponding preset traits. Finally, your newly minted sim gets a name.
"...If you can only get one version of The Sims 2, get the PC version ..."
Once you start, it’s the game play that everyone is familiar with. Your sim has short term needs such as hunger and cleanliness that need to be addressed. There are more intermediate goals such as working a couple of days to get that new item, working on a romantic interest, or trying to accomplish a particular aspiration goal. And then there are long term goals such as getting married and advancing in your particular career.Early on, more than half of your buying catalog is locked as you need to reach certain aspiration point goals to open them up. Similarly, you can only go to your home lot and can’t access the others. While it is called “story mode”, this doesn’t make for much of a narrative, however. The “story” is a set of unique tasks for an area such as beating a chicken at checkers so you can get an item to unlock a new area.
The other mode is “Free Play” mode and it is more open ended like the PC version. It’s basically story mode except you choose your neighborhood, the people who live in your house, and start with money to design your home. You also get to control all of the different sims who live in your house. While that’s only a few changes, it drastically changes the feel of the game.
In story mode, your play is almost exclusively driven to collect aspiration points so you can unlock items and occasionally try to advance the story and open up a new area. In free play, you have to balance aspiration points across multiple characters as well as worry about income. Some of the neighborhoods provide you with more than ample starting money but others leave you with money to build a small, spartan house with a toilet, fridge, bed, and nothing else until you start getting income from work. Money issues play a major role in free play but are almost nonexistent in story mode unless you cease going to work.
Written by: Frank Goodoff