The Sims 2 is a
great sequel and a great game in its own right, and it's recommendable to just
about anyone. For some, especially the devoted fans that have enjoyed the first
game's open-ended gameplay, which was all about controlling the lives of
autonomous little computer people, this is all that really needs to be said.
But considering that The Sims 2 is the sequel to what is reportedly the most
successful computer game ever (and that's not even counting its many expansion
packs), the new game almost seems like a victim of its own success. Yes, it
introduces plenty of new features that enhance the gameplay that was so popular
in the original game, but it doesn't drastically refresh it. It also features
plenty of options to play with, but it seems like it could've used even more
content. Then again, you could simply say that EA and Maxis are making sure the
game has room to grow with future updates--and there's no denying that The Sims
2's additions will give dedicated fans of the series plenty of stuff to do.
In the most
basic terms, The Sims 2, like The Sims before it, lets you create one or more
"sims" autonomous characters with distinct personalities and needs.
You then create a virtual household of one or more sims (you get to decide
whether they're roommates, spouses, or parents) and move them into a house and
a neighborhood that is either prebuilt or built from scratch. Your sims
interact with each other and with their neighbors, children leave the house for
school each day, and employed adults head out for work to earn a living in one
of a number of different career paths. However, the sequel has several new
options, including an enhanced neighborhood editor that lets you import custom
cities from Maxis' own SimCity 4, if you have that game installed. Plus, there
are expanded building options that let you build a much bigger house.
The sequel also
features enhanced appearance editing tools that let you customize your sims'
clothing, hairstyle and hair color, and also let you make many adjustments to
their facial features. Oddly, the editor doesn't let you adjust your sims'
height or their build (beyond making them "normal" or
"fat"), but it, along with the "body shop" utility, should
let most players basically re-create whatever characters they want to from
their favorite TV shows or movies.
More
importantly, sims maintain their family ties (assuming you don't have any
dramatic family squabbles), so if you decide to really hunker down and build
out an extended clan, you can start with a carefully designed family or group
of families, let them get married, and let them have children. You can then
watch the children grow up and move out into their own places. And since sims
are still autonomous and go about their lives even without supervision, you can
expect to later receive visits from doting grandparents (or mooching
grandchildren, depending on whose household you decide to control). Again, like
memories, these are features that will reveal their rewards with the extra time
and effort you choose to spend on them.
In The Sims 2,
your characters actually grow old and even die of old age (or other causes, if
you're into that kind of thing). Like with the original game, sims can and will
die from neglect and extenuating circumstances, and if you're one of those
sadistic players that enjoyed making your sims suffer, you'll still be able to
do this in the sequel. However, if you're the sort that might really get
involved in your sims' lives and history, you may look at aging as a way to
build a rich and storied life for your sims. Yes, it can take several hours of
play to age a sim from a baby to a senior citizen; however, if you're really
looking to create an entire life for your sims, you'll find that as senior
citizens your characters will not only look older, but will also look back on a
long string of memories and possibly a large family tree filled with weddings
and grandchildren before they eventually pass away, to be mourned (or not) by
their children. It might also be worth mentioning that even though you can go
through different generations of your sims' families, the time period of The
Sims 2 never changes, so you won't see any technological or chronological
progression. That is, you won't go from horse-drawn carriages to jalopies to
modern-day sports cars--all your sims will still be watching plasma screen TVs
and playing SSX 3 on their home computers, regardless of how many generations
you've gone through.
Then again, you
may also look at aging as a challenge, because The Sims 2's most significant
gameplay addition, the aspiration/fear system, can actually help your sims
stave off old age. The new system gives your sims one of five aspirations from
which to choose (in addition to their personalities, memories, and personal
relationships), including building a family, earning money, seeking knowledge,
experiencing romance, or being popular. These aspirations boil down to four
simpler goals that are clearly displayed onscreen, as well as three basic
"fears." Each sim has an "aspiration meter" that fills up
whenever you complete a goal and empties out whenever your sims' worst fears
are realized. These goals can be as immediate as throwing a party where
everyone enjoys themselves, or as long term as eventually winning another sim
over as a best friend or spouse. These fears can be comparably straightforward
or long term, such as being rejected from trying to make a romantic advance or
getting fired from work.
Taken together,
the aspiration system and career system provide some much directed,
goal-oriented gameplay, surprisingly reminiscent of a challenging role-playing
game, of all things. These new features not only add variety to The Sims 2, but
also address a common criticism about the first game: how it didn't present any
clear goals or objectives beyond dutifully ordering your sims to relieve
themselves every time their "bladder" needs got out of hand. But
using this new system to successfully create a household of fulfilled sims can
be very tough since you must also balance their relationships, their jobs,
their income, and their moods at the same time.
Not: This is Torrent Download file. You must be Install µTorrent in your System.
Minimum System
Requirements for The Sims 2
Processor 2.0 GHz
RAM 256 MB
Graphics 64MB
Hard drive space 3.5 GB