The Sims Bustin' Out

"Proof that this is a true life sim: Taking the bus to work when you have a limo on your driveway."

There are times in life where it just, well, sucks. People often do something a little extreme like act suicidal by setting themselves on fire but not realize that little reset to it all. No, I’m not talking about our real, palpable selves here! I’m talking about a little game called The Sims: Bustin’ Out. This hot series sold more copies of its games and expansion packs than any other PC game ever! “So what makes this game different than any other games out?” a wary customer asked me. Let’s say God has a PS2 and is controlling us right now. Well now, God has handed us the controller of life and the Sims below are at out mercy. Yes, we have the ability to control a simulated human to live his or her life down to the very marrow of the bone.

This game has gotten more in-depth since the first one that got released a year or two ago. Essentially, we get total control a person or a bunch of people and choose to do what the people desire. Now choosing what to do is very different to what you’re used to do in Final Fantasy or GTA. By moving this glowing blue column, you can overlap an object and choose what mundane task to do with it. For example, by choosing a newspaper, your Sim will have the option to A: read it, B: look for a job, C: bring inside, or D: recycling it. Of course there are many other household objects to get your simulated hands on so try them all…that are if you can afford them.

“You’re telling me that you have to get a job?” Yes, it’s a life simulator. If you want some cash to flow in, you got to get a J-O-B to pay the bills. In this game, there are seven different career paths where you Sim can venture. Occupations like Musicians, Movie Star, and Military Op are still around. Now who really want to live out another positive job, huh? We can still adventure down the “wrong path” and be a Gangster or a Mad Scientist like we dreamed of since Scarface or Dr. No first came out.

Coming back for another joy ride is Story Mode (a.k.a Bustin’ Out mode). You start out in Club Rubb to get your dance on. On the dance floor, sweet girl from next-door Mimi appears from a smoke cloud like a ninja and with the hots for you. What else are guys going to do with a woman getting close to you in a club, huh? Kiss, duh! WAKE UP DUMMY! Here we meet your alarm clock, your mom. Now it’s on to get a job and some friends to move up the economical ladder. Of course, no story won’t be complete without an antagonist. Meet once cool guy gone selfish, Malcolm. Yes, he has turned on you this time around! Time piss him off; try stealing his crib like Tommy Vercetti for example.

Live life, is that so hard? Hell yes it is! It’s a 24-hour job. Here, we are to care (or torture if you’re that kind of person) for our Sim people. They have needs like babies and should be monitored by you up bottom on the D-Pad. The things we cherish so much is measured on a very easily depleting gauges. Things that we need to sustain life like Hunger, Bladder control, and Hygiene are measured along with the things to keep us happy like communication among friends, the feeling of home, and entertainment are all many necessities to keep your Sim happy and keep that $1000 a day job.

The graphics have gotten a well-deserved make over. The biggest gripe I had with the first installment is the fact that Create-a-Sim lacked detail. The prayers of thousands of Sim fanatics have been answered as the revamped Create-a-Sim contains more variations to make your Sim look like a virtual representation of your real self. Another addition is the loading screens. Now when you go to some places on the Sims you travel a never- ending road to the destination as your PS2 continues to load up the place. It sure looks really cool to go to the club half naked in a limo with a Jacuzzi.

You know what I like, the sound quality of the Sims. I loved the radio stations on the Sims even though it only provides two tracks per station. Now, Maxis has added some new genres (pop, jazz, and techno) to satisfy your urge to rave, play the sax, and even act like a preppy blonde. I have to admit that the genres I really hate listening to (metal and bluegrass) are still there; however, they got more deeper sounding tones like if it got closer to its soul purpose, or origin, of why this kind of music sounds so cool. I’m not Bling Bling from Club Rubb, but the hip-hop and techno stations are really enjoyable.

EA, why do you hate on the Go-Net owners? This has happened with SSX3 and now I have another game by EA where I cannot access the really nifty online weekend. First let me explain why online Sims really owns all. You get a vacation from work to do what ever you want with the extra 7 hours. Want to improve a skill but your bus is coming in within an hour. Go online and skip work without anything to worry about. Now I’m really mad at this since I can’t do that really rewarding stuff because I own a Go-Net adaptor. I need the official internet connection to play this mode. How can anyone cheat on the Sims online?

Pros:
- More Simlish (Sims official language)
- More items
- Places to visit
- Mutant Plants

Cons:
- Miss the bus to work by a minute
- Relationship with friends lowers quicker
- Vague story objectives
- Lack of Go-Net adaptability

Sims is the second life to every shy person. Bust out and have a good time with the game. Learn some Simlish to annoy your friends. Learn that the “Pull the finger” trick is still funny. The Sims has always been the fun side of your life that was waiting to show itself. Deep inside, the way you want to live is really shown in how you do normal things everyday. You may not know it, but your true personalities show when you play. So that means we have to leave through the back door of our house to reach the city bus and head out to work where we coincidentally live in.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/14/04