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Review:

22nd November 2005:
The Sims 2
The Sims are back on the PlayStation 2 in a smoother version of the PC game. To find out why they are welcome on our street any time, read our review...
Posted by Chris Barnett - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

After all the success that The Sims series has received to date it is hard to believe that it's actually been six whole years since the first game appeared on the PC. But unlike most franchises, this has certainly not 'sold out' and has instead progresses to take the needs of gamers into account. The new PlayStation 2 version of The Sims 2 is certainly a welcome update to the series.

As we mentioned, the series keeps giving out what is demanded by the gamers of the time, and in these days of modification and fashion craziness that thing is customisation. Before we discuss what has changed it is apt to mention that the fundamentals of the game have stayed exactly the same. In fact, they appear more streamlined into the whole 'groom' idea of the game.

The basics are where you build a character, control every move they make by offering them interactive items, customize their world, build their homes, create their food (and options), and design their fashion sense. You guide every factor of their life from jobs through to relationships. Quite simply, everything that a real person has to deal with can be stressed in a sim. The hunger and demands of these sims is exaggerated somewhat, but that makes them more apparent.

The main addition to this version of the series is in the sheer abundance of options available. From out of the box there are over 10,000 items of clothing and fashion to add to your little people - more than any other game we have seen without benefit of internet communities. It boggles the mind to think of the possibilities this can create but the most important thing is this: no two gamers will have the same families, not even in a vague way.

As the game was originally released on the PC a year ago a straight port may have been a lazy-yet-successful option. But that has not happened, with credit to Maxis, as the game now features a new 'story mode'. The title is a little misleading as it is not a story as such, but it does involve set factors for you to meet. It centres on demands that your sims have. If you fulfil the demands then you help them progress. If you create or subscribe to any of their fears then you cause them to regress. It is a good system as it ensures that there is always something to do other than design a new room for shoe storage.

The other mode in the game is a free mode that is similar to the PC game. In this mode you are simply free to create a family in one of four locations. Sadly there is much less emphasis on multiplayer as the only mode in this area is a split screen two player option. But against our expectations it is very well done and equal to anything we have enjoyed on the PC in the world of the internet and such.

The major addition to The Sims 2 is the food features. Instead of simply eating in front of the TV or at generic times, your sims must now learn a little about what they are eating and why. This involves educating them with recipe books and allowing them to purchase the foods they like. This goes back to the idea of giving gamers what they want at that moment. Think about it as a soap on TV: if there is something in the news such as a new law or a major event, then it is quickly integrated. With The Sims 2 this has taken into account the obsession with eating and fashion. With topical features like this the game is given a very modern feel that is unusual for a game of this nature.
The children option and features of the PC version have been removed, but this is not a major flaw as the game is good enough as it stands and maybe too much would spoil the whole thing. The children on the PC were not one of the strongest features anyway as they often behaved too erratically, even when educated. But a new feature for the console versions is the ability to directly control any given sim by using the analogue stick. This feels a little weird to begin with as you are used to them being independent, but after a short time it becomes second nature exactly when to use the direct control.

The sound and visuals have all been updated and are on par with anything on the PlayStation 2 at the moment; not over the top or clunky, just clear and concise. With this in mind the whole game is actually a very good port of a difficult franchise to convert.

Although not a major feature, there is an ability to import pictures taken with an Eye Toy for the use of posters in the game. Sadly this cannot be used to map your face onto a sim, but it is still nice to see yourself on the mantle-piece of the living room in-game.

Those who love strategy or modification in any way will love this and others will likely find much here to love too. But these kinds of games are not for everyone and those used to PC strategy will feel chained up. Since the game is on the PlayStation 2 though, many gamers will take it at face value, as it should be. And it has a pretty good face at that.

Chris Barnett

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Review Summary:

The Sims 2 builds on everything that you could want from a life simulator. The ability to use split screen, direct analogue control and the Eye Toy really show how well this takes advantage of the abilities of the PlayStation 2. It takes everything that was good about the PC version and improves it for the console. The only ones who will fault it are those who hate strategy, but anyone wh has ever wrote a shopping list should be able to grasp and enjoy it in no time!

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