The Sims

"It's like virtual crack..."

Unless you’ve been living in a virtual cave for the past couple of years, the computer craze that is known as The Sims has been taking the PC community by storm. With several different types of Sims games on the market that range from your basic building and life running simulations, to party houses and even dating, there is something for everyone. In the past, that statement has only been true with gamers who have access to a PC that is fast enough to run the life simulation game. Now, the ability to create and rule the life of digital sprites on the computer has been transplanted to the Play Station 2 with some excellent results.

It’s My Life! I’ll Live It My Way!

In this case, you are the one who plays God and you are the one who dictates just who and what your Sim will become through a couple of different modes of play. You’ll find that The Sims gives you the power to rule and run the lives of several different created people at your disposal. Once you’ve gotten into the mode of living the life of your Sim, you’ll find that the game is not about simply creating and letting your Sim do what they want, but rather making sure that their life is successful in all areas, from social relations to the type of house they have. Going deeper still, it is up to you to tell your Sim just what to do and when to do it in order to get them into a mode that will open up other things for you to do with them.

The two main modes that you have at your disposal are the open-ended Freestyle Mode and the Get a Life Mode. Both of these modes will allow you to create a Sim and play as them, but in order to have some of the luxuries that Freestyle Mode allows, you must first go through the Get a Life Mode. Through the successful completion of different tasks, you’ll be able to unlock different items that you can later use and buy in order to elevate your status above that of a pauper. The Get a Life Mode starts you out living at home with Mom in which you have to cook dinner, find time to sleep and shower, all while trying to get out of the house, all of which is time consuming and tough to do.

The Freestyle Mode is the closest that you’ll come to the PC version of the game, in which you can create not only your Sim, but also a home for your Sim to live in. Once you’ve established your home and your Sim, you can turn it into whatever you want, from a quiet place to a party palace, depending on what it is that you want to do. The further you get into the mode, the more time you’ll spend buying things in order to please your Sim, as both you and the created character want something to be proud of. Remember, you need to earn money by getting a job, and then find friends and romance through talking with others in your neighborhood.

One of the best elements is the fact that you can play through the game with a second player. This mode is probably one of the more interesting and challenging games that I’ve come across because you can either cooperate with your friend for money and status, or work against them to take what they have and best them. Once you’ve gotten into this mode, it really is hard to put the game down and the challenge, competition and arguments that you’ll have with your friend is something that is a key replay point for this title. Considering that it is relatively new to the Sims universe, you’ll find it to be well worth the time dumping into it if you’re a Sims fan.

Control is something that you have from the start and there are certain things that you have to have under your belt. For starters, you have to learn how to point and click on the different objects that will allow your Sim to function properly. Once you’ve clicked on a certain item, then you have choices on what to do with the item, such as use it, turn it off, pick it up and eat. Nothing is outside of your control, and you’ll have to learn how to stack your actions accordingly that will keep the Sim functioning on a healthly level. You might want the Sim to do a lot of things at once, but you have to learn that different actions take time, thus making you pick and choose carefully what you will do at certain times.

Virtual World, Virtual People…

The world of the Sims is what you make of it in terms of how it looks and just what it has to offer in detail. With the expenditure of more money, you can get impressive items for your home, or even turn your home into something huge and grand. These small items have plenty of detail to them, such as fish that swim in the aquarium and even images on the television. As you progress through the game, people will stop by to see you, and if you leave your house a mess, then you will find that bugs will invade it. To top it off, before you even start, you can customize your Sim with several different attributes in the appearance department, which gives just a little more customization to the visuals you have to watch.

The visuals also take on another role, in which small caption boxes will appear in the corner of the screen when you have something happening that is a little beyond your scope. The meters in the lower portion of the screen allow you to watch the degradation or the revival of different aspects of your Sim, which gives you an idea that there are certain things that you have to do in order to move on. The camera angle is also user operated, which allows you to get either a bird’s eye view of what’s happening, or an up close and personal of just what is going on. To top it off, if your Sim is mad or upset about something, a small caption will appear above their head, allowing you to know just what is bothering them.

It’s Quiet In Sims Ville…

The music selection that you have at your disposal really isn’t all that remarkable, with the same gentle tune playing throughout the game as you play. For the most part, you may or may not pick up on what it sounds like, but you will know if something bad is happening, because the music will take on a dramatic effect. These small instances of music change is near perfect because with the lulling tone of the game, you know immediately when there is something going on that will either ruin or destroy your Sim. A larger selection would have been nice, but beggars can’t be choosers in this case.

The sound effects are also somewhat limited in what they have to offer. You’ll have plenty of things that go crash, or that make noise, such as the television while watching a particular movie, or the shower when you’re using it. Little effects such as the phone ringing off the hook or the car horn really do make an impact, regardless of how small. Listening to your Sims talk on the other hand takes a little getting used to, as they seem to babble on without really making much sense, though it seems to make sense in the game.

From Rags To Riches…

The Sims is a game that allows you to control a virtual life in any way that you see fit. You can either make your Sim out to be successful, or a deadbeat, and that is the type of control that just about everyone enjoys. While the game is a little hard to get into at first, once you’ve gotten hooked, then it’s a game that you’ll waste hours on playing over and over until you’ve gotten the effect that you’re looking for. You might find that it is a game that is best bought rather than rented, because a weekend will only give you a taste of what there is to play. For gamers who like the simulation games, this title is the best that you can get to the PC version, but those who need more action from their games really need to leave this to the strategy gamers and move onto something more action packed.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/05/03, Updated 02/05/03