The Sims Bustin' Out

"If you are looking for a good, fun Sims game, this one is for you."

Intro: The Sims have always been popular. But one problem with the game was that looking at the same house over and over and over again gets repetitive quickly. Maxis saves the day with The Sims: Bustin' Out, where your Sim can jump in his car and go visit or move in somewhere else. It really adds to the game, and was worth the $40 I paid for it.

Story: 2/10
Basically you create a sim and move to different houses to climb the career ladder. Yes, it sounds simple, maybe too simple. The real problem with it lies the fact that there is no real meaning to the story, just to succeed in your career. The story just doesn't hold your attention, and you will forget about it soon enough.

Gameplay: 9/10
A little clunky to begin with, but you will get used to it. For the most part, the game plays smoothly and you don't have to look down at your controller and say "Which button am I supposed to press again?" The only instance this happens is when you are navigating the menus. You are forced to use the D-Pad and the left thumbstick, and it can get confusing when to use which.

Graphics: 9/10
Vastly improved over the original sims for the Xbox, they are clean and beautiful. There is some framerate choppiness in this game. Nothing to get worried about, but it can't be ignored. Overall, the graphics are nice to look at, and you shouldn't be disapointed.

Music: 7/10
Not bad, but not great. Maxis has gotten rid of the classical style music in the title screen and replaced it with an odd techno/rock combination. The stereo system just drones on in the background if you leave it on. Again, not bad music, but not as good as it's been previously.

Replay Value: 8/10
One reason I like this game is that you can pick it up after you beat it and play it again. Once you get bored or finished with the Bust Out mode, (the main game of Bustin Out) you can play the open ended sandbox mode to build whatever house you want while you complete some bonus career tracks. This mode is what the sims is all about.

Recommendation: Buy!
Just buy it. You'll be glad you did when you forget about this game for a while, then decide to blow the dust off and play it again.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/05/04