The Sims 2

"No, your Sim isn't seizing, that's just the loading"

Is your life boring? Do your parents nag you? Does your lover not please you? Does your boss just plain piss you off? Well, sorry, tough luck. But why not play The Sims 2 and escape it all! Once again, EA offers a fun Sims game to play which lets you micromanage your character's life to make up for the boring life you actually lead!

Story
You take the role of your very own Sim. This poor soul had the misfortune of having their car break down in Strangetown, however. Once this happen the story keeps rolling from there. You spend most of the game helping people while trying to foil the plans of a crazy super villain who seems to be pulling the strings everywhere. Amazingly though, the story is pretty interesting. Very weird and freaky yet amusing enough to make you want to keep playing to find out what happens next. From a cult about cows to angsty alien teens, the fun never stops.

Gameplay
Same ole Sims gameplay. Your character has wants and needs just like real people. You need to make sure the eat, sleep, use the toilet, etc. However, to help you along you can also buy Perks to aid your Sim in holding out until you can take care of them. The needy NPCs in the game always want you to do something for them so you'll be running errands most of the time. May it be finding something, playing a mini game or even befriending someone, they always need you. Did I mention befriending someone? This game also adds a unique way to talk with people. If you want to chat, flirt or bully someone you must play a three button mini-game to do so. The higher their relationship towards you get the harder the game gets. It is fun at first but, due to loading and just plain repetitiveness, the mini-game gets boring fast. Not only this one but all the mini-games suffer from loading and repetitiveness. They only go up to level 5 and don't offer much else. They do offer more than one mini-game to play...but they're pretty much all the same. Leveling up is basic button mashing, boring but if your sanity is high it won't take too long. Another huge flaw is the fact that you cannot speed up time! You have to sit there and wait for your Sim to shower, use the bathroom and waste time while waiting for mini-games (which are only available at certain times of the day.)

Graphics
I really can't say anything wrong here. The Sims 2 fully takes use of the PSP's graphic abilities. They're crisp and nice, I like them. I don't like the lil mini pictures they have of the NPCs when you speak with them. Not very detailed and well...just not very pretty. But everything else is pretty well done.

Sound
Sound is also good. Characters speak basic Sim-nese, songs on the game radio are the same way. Background music isn't really there, more like basic sounds of the street I guess. Nothing bad, nothing amazing about the audio of this game.

Replay Factor
None whatsoever. Once you finish the game you might as well sell it (that is if you bought it.) The game is short, I beat it within a week, the game has no replay value at all. You can't marry, you can't have kids, you can't even buy all the furniture you want! The most you can do is finish any goals, make friends or flirt with everyone or just die and haunt people.

Loading
Yes, most games do have loading, however, this game's loading is some of the worst I've seen. I thought it was the PSP's fault but after playing another game on it and seeing other people had the same loading issue I see it's the game's fault. The loading is a major issue. It stalls when you change clothes for bed, shower or gym. It stalls when loading mini games which can cause you to mess up. It stalls when people talk to you. It basically stalls everything besides walking around.

Scores
Story - 7
Gameplay - 7
Graphics - 9
Sound - 7
Replay Factor - 0
Overall - 6

Closing Thoughts
I really don't recommend you buy this game. If you do then don't pay more than twenty bucks for it. This game is fun, you can even trade Perks with other people via the Multiplayer option. But the bottom line is, the game has horrible loading and the replay factor is zero. There is no reason to pick this game up again after you beat it. No side quests, no freeplay, nada. My advice, rent it and have your fun with it (because it is fun) then return it and save your money for a more fulfilling game.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/06