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The Sims
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Graphics & Sound:
I don't get it, I really don't. When I first read about The Sims a few years ago, I was skeptical. Think about it, why would anyone want to play a game built around the daily rigors of life? It's not like other 'Sim' games where you can do things like build cities or manage entire ecosystems, in short - things the normal person can't usually do in their day-to-day life. But getting a job, taking baths, paying bills? Who would want to play a game like that? As it turns out, most of you do. The Sims has taken off like no one, even Will Wright, could have ever envisioned. A million or so copies and five expansion packs later, The Sims are finally making their way to the PS2 - but can lighting strike twice? In terms of looks, The Sims is sparse and utilitarian. There's no glitzy lighting effects or flashy, realistic details - The Sims just gets things done. Perhaps the most noticeable difference between the PC and PS2 versions is that, unlike the PC, the PS2 version is completely 3D, meaning that you can rotate around and zoom in on your house. This solves many of the problems of the PC version since you can always see what your Sim is doing. However, The Sims is not without its fair share of problems. For a game that features very little in terms of graphical glitz, there's a noticeable amount slowdown in a few areas. This isn't anything game breaking, but it's still there. What can be a game breaker, however, are the images that appear in your Sim's thought balloons. The images are very small and blurry, making them hard to see, even with the zoom feature. This makes it hard to tell what your Sim is complaining about at times. You'll eventually learn what each of these blurry symbols means, but it makes things hard when you first begin. Sound is just as functional as the looks, however they can get annoying at times. Background music is limited to menus and the title screen, while most of the in game stuff is handled by the everyday noises of the radio or TV playing in the background. The Sims have their own language which sounds like little more than sophisticated mumbling. It's amusing for the first few minutes, but I swear if I have to here 'Breshudo' (the Sim-speak equivalent to 'Hi') or 'Num na nah' (I've no clue what that means, but they say it a lot), I'm going to go nuts. There's nothing here that's particularly bad, but at the same time it's nothing to get excited over either. |
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Gameplay:
The Sims isn't so much a game as it is an interesting social experiment. When on the outside looking in, the game looks boring. Again, playing a game built around life's daily rituals certainly seems like a snore waiting to happen. Once you pick up a controller and try to play the game, it's a totally different experience. Unlike the PC version, the PS2 version features three different play modes: 'Get a Life', 'Play the Sims', and Multiplayer. 'Get a Life' is the 'game' mode of The Sims and introduces the idea of winning the game to The Sims. After creating your Sim, you start as a jobless shlub still living with mom. After completing a set of objectives for each scenario, such as fixing up your house, obtaining a certain job level, or 'hooking up' with another Sim, you'll be able to move on to different stages of life. As you progress through this mode you'll also be able to unlock things such as new outfits/styles to use when creating your Sim and new pieces of furniture. 'Play the Sims' is the same sandbox mode offered in the PC version. You choose a house, or family, and play through (and manage) their daily lives. Unlike the 'Get a Life' mode, you don't complete objectives or progress through levels. Multiplayer is another new addition to The Sims universe. Not to be confused with The Sims Online, the multiplayer modes allow you and a friend to compete (or work together) in different play modes such as seeing how many Sims you can dance with in a given time. I see what the thought balloon above your head is saying, 'How is this game any fun?'. That's the strange thing, as much as I've played of this game, I can't for the life of me explain why it's fun. Maybe it's something that appeals to the nosey person in all of us? Maybe it's the opportunity that it offers to people to live their dream life? Maybe the mystery of what makes it fun, is what ultimately makes it fun?
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Difficulty:
It's all about how well you manage your time. The Sims isn't hard, but then again it isn't easy either. After all, it's about how well you run your life, isn't it? Some things may come easy to one person, while others may get hung up on a point or two. You have to get and keep a job, learn new skills, keep your friends happy, sleep, eat, go to the bathroom, take care of the kids...arrrg! But it's still fun - I just don't get it! Perhaps the only thing going against you is time itself, which seems to run a little too fast. I mean, at times there's not enough time in the day to even run a normal, no-frills life. This makes keeping your Sim happy a real hassle at times. But, again - it's all about how you learn to plan your time, isn't it?
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Game Mechanics:
Again, when it comes to control, The Sims takes the vanilla, workman like approach. As usual, mapping keyboard controls to the PS2 is rather difficult, but it's been done. The left stick controls your massive pillar of light cursor, while the right stick rotates the camera. 'X' is your all purpose 'do it' key. Pressing R1 speeds up time (great for those with little patience), and L1 stops time (which, in my opinion, serves no purpose). The D-pad is what you use to check on your Sim's status. Each direction is mapped to bring up certain aspects, such as relationships, work, and personal (fun, hunger, energy...etc.). Overall, it's really easy to learn and shouldn't take more than a few minutes to figure out what everything does. So, that's it - that's The Sims. What it comes down to, I have no idea. Even as I read my description of the game, it sounds amazingly dull and boorish - yet I know I'll more than likely start playing it tonight and will probably lose 4 or 5 hours of sleep. If you enjoyed the PC version, the new play modes, as well as some of the new abilities (such as being about to change your Sim's clothes/hair style whenever you want) make this a worthy purchase. Those who are curious about what The Sims are all about should probably label this a 'rent first', but I can pretty much guarantee you'll either run up the mother of all late fees at Blockbuster, or end up buying it. But you know, I still don't get it. |
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-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker |
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