"A fun version of the Sims, with lots of good and a little bad."

I got a $50 gift card to EB games for Xmas a few days ago. I was in a toss-up between Prince of Persia and Sims: Bustin Out. Even though PoP was getting rave reviews from just about everywhere, I remembered that I beat half the game in the rental period, and I didn't need another game that I would beat and toss on a shelf somewhere. So I picked up Bustin Out. I have Unleashed for my PC, but unfortunately for me my PC sucks and the game frequently freezes the entire computer. Anyway, on with the FIRST review of this game.(Yay!)

Graphics: 8/10
Everything in the game looks good, however there are still a few ''jaggies'' in the game(mostly on the Sims themselves) Still nothing to make a fuss about. I don't know about the Xbox version, but you can hear that the disc is constantly being read, due to the frequent clicking of the laser moving. As a result, when there are several(more than 4) Sims on screen, and they are all trying to do something, the framerate will take a major dive, and sometimes stop for a second. It has never completely frozen on me, but my GC never has *hugs GC* All in all, the game looks good, but character models are a little lackluster. It looks about the same as the PC versions, maybe a little better.

Sound/Music: 7/10
To tell the truth, there isn't really a ton of sound in this game. There are only a couple of tracks on the main menu and pause screens, plus whatever is playing on your stereo, which could be about 4 or 5 different songs, but they are sort of catchy. SFX are good, but then again you don't really notice them in the game as being really convincing. What really drags this score down are the Sims voices. Like always, it is some kind of gobboly-gook that can not possibly be translated into understandable words. They don't talk very often, so it isn't much of a problem. Anyway I don't think audio is a big factor in games, just icing on the cake.

Gameplay/Story: 8/10
This is the big one. So lets break it down into bite-size pieces. First off, this game takes a WHOPPING 161 blocks on your memory card. That's WAY more than the previous console Sims game, which only took like 60. You might want to pick up another 251 just for this game if your current card is almost full. Anyway, the first time you play you have to choose ''Bust Out'' mode. There you name and create a single Sim, choosing from hundreds of options. After that you move in with your mom. To progress in the game, you have to complete enough objectives, like to progress to a Level 2 career, make at least 2 friends, and gain 4 Logic points. once you complete enough objectives, you can move out to a different house. And this keeps happening all through the game. Towards the end the objectives can get pretty difficult. To get promotions, which are objectives in every house, your Sim has to be in a good mood. Veterans of the Sims series know what I mean, but for first-time players I will explain. Your Sim has ''motives'' like energy, hunger, social, comfort, and fun which you can check by pressing up on the D-pad. You need to make sure their motive bars stay green by telling them to eat, sleep, talk to friends, watch TV and go to the bathroom to keep them happy. This is not as easy as it sounds. Often you are pressed for time and your Sim's needs cannot all be satisfied. Making(and keeping) friends is difficult because your Sim needs to interact with that person for quite some time to earn enough ''relationship points'' to consider them a friend. You then need to regularly see that person or else your friendship will fall apart. You can also adjust people's houses by buying new things. There are lots of things, and most of them are unlockable by completing objectives. In ''free play'' mode you play like you would the PC version. You have no goals, and nothing to worry about. Create an entire family and build your own house or move into a pre-built one. Re-create your family and house. But be careful, keeping more than 2 people happy can be quite a challenge.

Bottom Line: It will last a long time, as it has nearly unlimited replay value. The 161 block requirement is a problem, but you can easily get around it. A solid buy, but if you are unsure you will like it, give it a rent.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/27/03