The Sims

"Sets the mould for what every Sims game should look like"

Introduction

It was only a few years ago that I got into The Sims, and I was lucky to find that a secondhand game shop was selling this cheap, so I bought it to see how it compared.

Gameplay - 9/10

Compared to the PC version, the gameplay is considerably smoother and easier to handle. Despite the occasional crash (and that may be because of my copy being secondhand), you do have more freedom over what your Sims do. You can rotate the houses you create completely, rather than just at 90 degree angles.

As well as Free Play (and six vacant lots), there is "Get A Life" mode, with is a story version of the Sims where you get your character to move to various houses and complete goals.

There are just two notable limitations to gameplay; you cannot build a second storey here, and there is a limit to the number of things you can put in a house.

Overall, the gameplay is fun, and actually compares quite well to the sequel, Bustin' Out. There are a few nuisances, such as the fact that there occasionally seems to be a delay before the Sims carry out their instructions, as well as the fact that they often cancel social commands for no apparent reason.

There is also a two-player mode, which is enjoyable if you happen to have two players, although after a while the goals seem to get repetitive (a lot of them are all about social interactions and making friends).

Story - 6/10

In the story mode, all that happens is your Sim moves from house to house, starting off with his/her rather ill-tempered mother, before moving to various houses with new characters. Granted, it isn't much of a story, but really this game is just about having fun controlling people.

Graphics - 9/10

I like the graphics. They are more cartoony than the PC version, but are more fun. Rather than just having a set of heads and costumes that you have to choose, you can choose your Sim's hairstyle, and mix and match costumes; and you can change your Sim's clothes and facial appearance. This is useful, since you don't get to choose the design of your Sims' kids when they grow up from babies (the first time I saw one of my kids, he had facepaint on and I thought he was an alien creature). There is also a code you can enter to see through your Sims' eyes, which is very enjoyable).

Sound - 6/10

It's really just the same sound as on the PC version, and there isn't a large amount to speak of.

Replay Value - 9/10

You will want to play this again and again, even when you've done everything you can. It's fun just to unlock all of the skins (without cheating), and play to see how much money your Sims can make. I got this over a year ago, and I actually often choose to play this in preference to Busting Out.

Final Verdict

This is actually a very enjoyable game. The only caveat is that it requires 60 memory card blocks. However, that is considerably less than the ridiculous number required for Busting Out, and this game is much better value in terms of memory card space. I recommend you buy this.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/05