The Sims 2 - Review
Added October 31st, 2005 by Kisan Parikh
Introduction:
The Sims franchise has been one of the most popular in gaming history. This success has mainly been limited to the PC. Sims games have been available for consoles, but these games were far less intuitive than the PC versions. With The Sims 2 for the Xbox, EA hopes to make the game more accessible and fun for console gamers. Let’s look at what The Sims 2 has to offer.
Gameplay:
The Sims 2’s major mode of play is called Story Mode. This mode of play, contrary to what the title would lead you to believe, does not actually involve a plot. The story is yours to create.
The Sims franchise has been one of the most popular in gaming history. This success has mainly been limited to the PC. Sims games have been available for consoles, but these games were far less intuitive than the PC versions. With The Sims 2 for the Xbox, EA hopes to make the game more accessible and fun for console gamers. Let’s look at what The Sims 2 has to offer.
Gameplay:
The Sims 2’s major mode of play is called Story Mode. This mode of play, contrary to what the title would lead you to believe, does not actually involve a plot. The story is yours to create.
The first step in Story Mode is creating your Sim. By randomly selecting two parents, your character is generated. You can choose to generate your Sim until you find one that you like, and then you are able to change their appearance as you see fit. Though you are not able to change every feature, you are able to change: eye color, skin tone, hair, build, and head shape. Additionally, you are able to customize your Sim by choosing hats, tops, bottoms, shoes, and accessories. The number of combinations is enormous.
Once your Sim’s appearance has been created, you must still worry about their personality and aspirations. The personality system doesn’t vary from the Sims games in the past, and you are able to adjust sliders according to how you want your Sim to act. The aspiration system basically allows you decide what your character will want in life. The categories are Wealth, Knowledge, Popularity, and Creativity. Your selection will influence your Wants and Fears. Fulfilling wants, such as making friends with a Sim or making an enemy, helps you progress through the story mode. By accomplishing Gold Wants, you unlock Platinum Wants and Platinum Wants unlock new locations.
The one problem with this system is that it feels a little too guided at times. For instance, you will be forced to befriend a certain character or take a certain type of job. This can be annoying at times, but this will assists console gamers who are new to the series. Longtime Sims fans will take comfort in the fact that the handholding nature of the Wants system does not detract too much from the beloved open-ended gameplay.
The core of The Sims 2 is similar to previous Sims titles. In addition to the already discussed Wants, Sims have Needs. These Needs must be fulfilled, and this becomes a bit more difficult after advancing locations. This is due to the fact that once you advance locations, you are in control of more Sims.
EA knew it had to stay true to the basic gameplay elements of the franchise, but they also realized the need to include extras that are not featured in the PC version. One of these additions is the Social Mode. Now, when socializing, you are able to monitor your relationships through the Interest Meter as well as the other Sim’s body language. The Interest Meter rates your relationship with the other character from -100 to 100, and the screen will change colors according to the type of relationship (Lovers, friends, enemies, etc). Another new feature is the Cooking feature. Now, your Sims can create culinary masterpieces by combining ingredients in the correct manner. You are able to take ingredients right out of the fridge, but you can also harvest your own fruits, vegetables, and fish. Certain foods will give your Sims an edge in their love life, and they can even boost skill ratings. To combine ingredients in the best possible way, you must find and use recipes. The cooking system is a fresh new feature that provides a more in-depth alternative to just picking up food and eating it.
Although there are additions to the console version, some elements from The Sims 2 for PC were excluded. These included child rearing and the more complicated AI system. The AI in The Sims 2 for Xbox is much more predictable, and it doesn’t remember past conversations. This proves to simplify the game a bit, and this was probably another move to appeal to gamers new to the Sims scene. Another feature designed to appeal to the console crowd is Direct Control. This feature allows you to move your Sim with the left thumbstick. Instead of having to click on objects with a cursor to interact with them, you can now merely walk up to them. This proves to be a much more intuitive system than the Classic Control method, which is still offered. This Classic Control method is still important when stringing together commands, and by using both Classic and Direct Control together, you can take full control of your Sims.
Overall, the gameplay for The Sims 2 sticks to what is expected from the series. The major difference-maker is the new way to control the game. Direct Control may end up being the reason for a successful Sims title on console. Everything seems more accessible this time around, and the console-exclusive features offer a fresh Sims experience.
Graphics:
The visuals seen in The Sims 2 fall short of the offerings of the PC version, but this is expected. The character models and detail lacking textures seem to be what we expect from the series. There are some nice visual effects such as the color changes in Social mode. The game looks a bit smoother than previous console titles overall, and the overlays are clean and unobtrusive. This game is not outstanding graphically, but what is offered seems to be enough.
Once your Sim’s appearance has been created, you must still worry about their personality and aspirations. The personality system doesn’t vary from the Sims games in the past, and you are able to adjust sliders according to how you want your Sim to act. The aspiration system basically allows you decide what your character will want in life. The categories are Wealth, Knowledge, Popularity, and Creativity. Your selection will influence your Wants and Fears. Fulfilling wants, such as making friends with a Sim or making an enemy, helps you progress through the story mode. By accomplishing Gold Wants, you unlock Platinum Wants and Platinum Wants unlock new locations.
The one problem with this system is that it feels a little too guided at times. For instance, you will be forced to befriend a certain character or take a certain type of job. This can be annoying at times, but this will assists console gamers who are new to the series. Longtime Sims fans will take comfort in the fact that the handholding nature of the Wants system does not detract too much from the beloved open-ended gameplay.
The core of The Sims 2 is similar to previous Sims titles. In addition to the already discussed Wants, Sims have Needs. These Needs must be fulfilled, and this becomes a bit more difficult after advancing locations. This is due to the fact that once you advance locations, you are in control of more Sims.
EA knew it had to stay true to the basic gameplay elements of the franchise, but they also realized the need to include extras that are not featured in the PC version. One of these additions is the Social Mode. Now, when socializing, you are able to monitor your relationships through the Interest Meter as well as the other Sim’s body language. The Interest Meter rates your relationship with the other character from -100 to 100, and the screen will change colors according to the type of relationship (Lovers, friends, enemies, etc). Another new feature is the Cooking feature. Now, your Sims can create culinary masterpieces by combining ingredients in the correct manner. You are able to take ingredients right out of the fridge, but you can also harvest your own fruits, vegetables, and fish. Certain foods will give your Sims an edge in their love life, and they can even boost skill ratings. To combine ingredients in the best possible way, you must find and use recipes. The cooking system is a fresh new feature that provides a more in-depth alternative to just picking up food and eating it.
Although there are additions to the console version, some elements from The Sims 2 for PC were excluded. These included child rearing and the more complicated AI system. The AI in The Sims 2 for Xbox is much more predictable, and it doesn’t remember past conversations. This proves to simplify the game a bit, and this was probably another move to appeal to gamers new to the Sims scene. Another feature designed to appeal to the console crowd is Direct Control. This feature allows you to move your Sim with the left thumbstick. Instead of having to click on objects with a cursor to interact with them, you can now merely walk up to them. This proves to be a much more intuitive system than the Classic Control method, which is still offered. This Classic Control method is still important when stringing together commands, and by using both Classic and Direct Control together, you can take full control of your Sims.
Overall, the gameplay for The Sims 2 sticks to what is expected from the series. The major difference-maker is the new way to control the game. Direct Control may end up being the reason for a successful Sims title on console. Everything seems more accessible this time around, and the console-exclusive features offer a fresh Sims experience.
Graphics:
The visuals seen in The Sims 2 fall short of the offerings of the PC version, but this is expected. The character models and detail lacking textures seem to be what we expect from the series. There are some nice visual effects such as the color changes in Social mode. The game looks a bit smoother than previous console titles overall, and the overlays are clean and unobtrusive. This game is not outstanding graphically, but what is offered seems to be enough.
Audio:
The Sims 2, lacking the custom soundtracks ability, features a nice, but small selection of tracks. Some of these tracks are straight from the PC version. On the voice-acting side of things, I have to say that the job was done well. You have to remember that there are no real words in Sims games, and all conversations are in some gibberish language. All of the meaning derived from conversation is from visual cues on screen. This actually works better than real dialogue, because you don’t have to worry about repeated conversations and boring topics. The icons in dialogue bubbles get the job done.
Controls:
As mentioned before, the Direct Control system implemented in this game is absolutely genius. Replacing the drag-cursor method seen in previous Sims titles on console, this new way to control your character is very effective. Not only does it work better, it also feels much more natural. Newcomers to the Sims series will learn how to control their Sims in no time. The rest of the control scheme is fitting, with the shoulder buttons used to control time and the face buttons used to control actions.
Replay:
The Sims 2 for Xbox really does shine in the replay department. While there are only two modes of play, the Story Mode alone would suffice. There are more than 200 different wants, 16 locations, and a huge amount of items to purchase for your house. The open-ended nature of the game ensures that you can play the game repeatedly without having the same experience. The Freeplay Mode is basically what Sims gamers have come to expect. The guidance offered in Story Mode is absent, and you create a family and follow their life. Both modes include an option for split-screen multiplayer. This mode works well in its own right, but in all honesty, the game is more fun with only one player.
The Sims 2, lacking the custom soundtracks ability, features a nice, but small selection of tracks. Some of these tracks are straight from the PC version. On the voice-acting side of things, I have to say that the job was done well. You have to remember that there are no real words in Sims games, and all conversations are in some gibberish language. All of the meaning derived from conversation is from visual cues on screen. This actually works better than real dialogue, because you don’t have to worry about repeated conversations and boring topics. The icons in dialogue bubbles get the job done.
Controls:
As mentioned before, the Direct Control system implemented in this game is absolutely genius. Replacing the drag-cursor method seen in previous Sims titles on console, this new way to control your character is very effective. Not only does it work better, it also feels much more natural. Newcomers to the Sims series will learn how to control their Sims in no time. The rest of the control scheme is fitting, with the shoulder buttons used to control time and the face buttons used to control actions.
Replay:
The Sims 2 for Xbox really does shine in the replay department. While there are only two modes of play, the Story Mode alone would suffice. There are more than 200 different wants, 16 locations, and a huge amount of items to purchase for your house. The open-ended nature of the game ensures that you can play the game repeatedly without having the same experience. The Freeplay Mode is basically what Sims gamers have come to expect. The guidance offered in Story Mode is absent, and you create a family and follow their life. Both modes include an option for split-screen multiplayer. This mode works well in its own right, but in all honesty, the game is more fun with only one player.
Summary:
The Sims 2 for Xbox is a large step in the right direction for EA in their attempts to make the game more console-accessible. The new control feature and somewhat simplified gameplay is geared towards the mainstream console gamer that may not have played The Sims for PC. The console-exclusive additions, on the other hand, allow for a fresh gameplay experience for those who may have gotten bored with the PC version of the game. Gamers who are content with The Sims 2 for PC might want to stay away from this one, but for those looking for a console Sims experience; I recommend a rental at least.
The Sims 2 for Xbox is a large step in the right direction for EA in their attempts to make the game more console-accessible. The new control feature and somewhat simplified gameplay is geared towards the mainstream console gamer that may not have played The Sims for PC. The console-exclusive additions, on the other hand, allow for a fresh gameplay experience for those who may have gotten bored with the PC version of the game. Gamers who are content with The Sims 2 for PC might want to stay away from this one, but for those looking for a console Sims experience; I recommend a rental at least.
