The Sims Bustin' Out

"My name IS jaysonsimdude. What does that tell you?"

Ah, yes The Sims. What gamer in his right mind hasn't heard of, or for that matter played, The Sims. While the series has been a little too weird for a few people, it doesn't bother most people, especially considering that like, 99.999999999 percent of the gaming crowd is weird(Trust me, I am). But still, living life as another person is refreshing, and often amusing. And surprisingly enough, this is a very good anger management game (Think your life is screwed up? Try wrecking someone else's!). This may sound a little bit evil, but hey, sometimes we need to go to the dark side for at least a little while!

Just in case you're one of the like, two people who have not heard of the Sims, it is a game by genius designer Will Wright that allows you to to create and manage your very own neighborhood of Sims (People, in case you were wondering) and conduct their lives in as orderly (Or disorderly) conduct as you see fit. While some gamers prefer the shoot-em-up action of Halo or James Bond, the Sims requires a deeper level of thinking (And a much deeper level of weirdness). But still, millions of people who bought The Sims cannot be wrong. This game rules!

GRAPHICS- 8
Good job Maxis. You finally made the graphics worth looking at. And while the console versions of The Sims are quite dumbed-down versions of the game, at least my Sim's hands don't look like crab claws anymore. The original game on the PC didn't exactly win visuals of the year, but they were okay. And while still not the wonder that Halo or Dead or Alive 3 are, I cannot stress to you how much better the graphics are in the console versions of The Sims. Especially this year. Bustin Out really has a big visual leap over the other Sims titles. Textures are smoother and prettier than other Sim's games, and the new animations rock. Pretty good, Maxis. Pretty good.

SOUND- 8
The question rises when you talk about The Sim's music: what were they thinking? The radio music in this game sounds more like elevator music than real elevator music (That comment may sound illogical now, but play the game and you'll get it). On the other hand, the sound effects sound great. A fire in your Sim's kitchen, while not a sound you necessarily want to hear, sounds very realistic. Sounds good.

GAMEPLAY- 10
If I could give this an 11, I totally would. The gameplay is the most innovative thing in gaming. The control setup is easy to use, sure, but the big draw here is the concept. Who in their right mind would create a game where you create and control humans? Will Wright, thats who! And while he himself is not necessarily in his right mind, it's still a good game! Sure, you can actually go outside and like, actually live a real life, but somehow, that just isn't as fun. Like I said, controls translated to consoles surprisingly well. But in Bustin Out, the big new feature is that you can travel to places outside of home and work via a (Wait for it).... CAR!!! Thats right, now your precious Sim's can go kick it at a haunted mansion, or go party at a club all night long! This feature really works well with the Sims franchise, and allows for a lot of fun. However, the feature wasn't usable in the Free Play mode, and that sucks. Still, this is a great addition to a franchise that was going stale. Don't party too hard! :)

REPLAYABILITY- 10
The Sims is noted for excellent replay value, and thats no different here. You won't put this down for months. If you have any social life whatsoever, kiss it goodbye, because you've got a NEW FRIEND!

ENTERTAINMENT- 10
This game is quite simply fun. It sounds stupid, but it is strangely addictive. Pick this up no matter what!

Here is a recap of the scores for all five areas of the game.

GRAPHICS- 8
SOUND- 8
GAMEPLAY- 10
REPLAYABILITY- 10
ENTERTAINMENT- 10

And so I close. Quite simply, buy this game. It is worth your while. It is my favorite game of all time aside from Halo and Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I hope you enjoy this game as much as I did, because if you did, you like, REALLY like this game, dude.
In short, just buy it, okay. Trust me. You might never see daylight again.

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