The Sims 2

The Sims has been quite a hit on the PC, having constantly evolved the series through various expansion packs as well as sequels that fans of the gibberish-speaking beings we create and unleash in created environment. The consoles have seen three The Sims titles so far and each strayed from the award-winning formula of the PC versions in good (The Sims: Bustin’ Out) and so-so ways (The Urbz: Sims in the City). The Sims 2 is here and, much like the other games, it too deviates from its PC original to offer a game with plenty to do.

The beauty of The Sims is the complete freedom you have over the creation of your own characters and the control you have over them in a house you create (or purchase). Some of this freedom, I’m afraid, is taken away in both the Story and Freeplay mode. For one thing, there’s a character generator that creates a character for you instead of creating one completely from scratch. You still have the plenty of options that allow you to tweak facial features and there’s hair and plenty of clothing options.

Strangely enough the game doesn’t save Freeplay and Story Mode separately so you’ll be forced to play one before tackling the other. There’s not much of a story in Story Mode either so don’t expect a plot or a theme that has you attempting to move out of your mother’s house like in Bustin’ Out or try to fit into a clique like in Urbz. You create and name your character and have him or her interact with other Sims in any of the four neighborhoods (in areas like Strangetown, Melbourne or Pleasantview). Sounds simple enough but this time around there are aspirations to meet and fears to avoid. Your Sim might aspire to live a creative life or attempt to woo as many people as possible so there are various wants you’ll have to fulfill.

You’ll still have to be mindful of your Sim’s basic needs only this time if you ignore their hunger pangs or need to sleep they’ll show it in physical ways. If your Sim becomes too tired they will stop what they’re doing and move sluggishly to their bedroom. Neglect to feed them and they’ll wince with pain and hold their bellies until you feed them. Speaking of food you can feed already prepared meals but then again you can create your own meals by picking out an assortment of ingredients that range from meats, vegetables, oils and fruits. Half the fun is coming up with your own meal and presenting them to your household to see how they react to it. Like the PC game they can even become sick from what they eat. It’s a nice touch, really.

Like Urbz, you can change where you live and meet new people to befriend or fall in love with, and thanks to the new activities you’ll be able to do everything from watch for aliens to learn how to surf. Sadly babies are taken out of the equation and you’ll never have to worry about growing old or watching a child go from infancy to his or her teen years. It’s these little things that you’ll miss if you own the PC game but at least EA makes up for it with two-player split-screen fun. Also, there is exclusive content for PS2 owners such as extra items and you can even hook up your Eye Toy to place your face on your created Sim. The likeness won’t be exact but at least your character will slightly resemble you.
The Sims 2 also marks the beginning of fresh new visuals and better character models and flashy new effects not found in the PC version. The camera closes in during conversations and your character’s body language is great at conveying emotion. The character models move a bit more naturally this time around but it’s the facial expressions that are welcome addition. Unfortunately the PS2 sees some jaggies but at least the environments are colorful and the animation is smooth.
Some things do remain the same, such as the fact that your Sims will still speak that funny gibberish talk throughout the game along with the usual wacky sound effects. The soundtrack, this time, around is a lot better than past games. Not only does the radio station provide a variety of different musical genres, many of which have vocals that are true to said Sims-like gibberish. It’s good stuff, alright, and it hardly gets annoying even after you heard the same song again and again.

it might not be as exceptional as the PC version but The Sims 2 for the PS2 is still a very fun game with a lot to offer returning fans. While it has lost some of the more charming aspects of the game when it was ported to consoles, it still manages to cram in a delightful amount of juicy extras worth checking out. If you’re looking for a whole new type of Sims game you won’t find it here but at least its downright fun.