The Sims 2

As a committed fan of the original Sims games I was obviously looking forward to this game, the reason it took me so long to write this review is a tribute to how much I'd rather be playing it.

As well as the usual 'needs' you need to meet for your Sim, such as bladder and hunger, this time you have to meet their 'wants' and try and avoid their 'fears' (unless you're feeling sadistic). Typical wants include skill increases, relationship interaction with certain Sims and the acquirement of certain objects. Fears include rejection by certain Sims, wetting themselves and death of a 'loved' one. Each want/fear has a positive or negative points affect on the Sims aspiration meter which makes your Sim a lot happier. For each Sim you get to choose from one of Aspiration - Romance, Family, Knowledge, popularity or Fortune, which dictates most of their wants. Successful aspiration scores mean access to aspiration rewards such as money trees and other quirky things.

The main difference between the games (apart from much improved graphics) is that your Sim can age and has several life spans of baby/toddler/child/teen/adult and elder after which they die. They can also die through illness or lack of food or neglect. Sims also become pregnant and it can be hard work keeping pregnant Sims happy as well as meeting the needs of new babies. New interactions include 'Woo Hoo' (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) and 'Try For A Baby' and it is a lot easier to get your Sims to marry than in the original.

There are ten careers paths in this game and it needs some more. The premise is as before - the Sim needs certain skills and/or a certain number of friends to be promoted. You occasionally get to make work based decisions on behalf of your Sim which can result in a skill increase or an emotion. There are also career rewards accessible once certain criteria have been met.

The wardrobe is limited at the moment in my opinion, but I expect that will increase with expansion packs. There is a lot of scope with facial features and Sims now carry DNA that means that their children can have a resemblance. They can also have twins!

There is also scope for Community Lots though they will seem limited to those who had all the original expansion packs in the original. For example, there are no restaurants or bars. There are however ready built (or the facilities to build) parks, grocery shops (the fridge no longer stocks itself) as well as clothing and gadgetry shops (Sims can 'Woo Hoo' in changing rooms) and swimming pools. Sim houses have much more flexibility now and can be as many floors as you would like, and have basements and patios too.

As usual there are quirky things that are available such as alien abduction. Male Sims will come back pregnant and give birth to a cute green baby which will grow up in your town as a regular Sim. You can get Logic skills from newspaper crosswords, hire a nanny, learn cooking skills from the TV, complete assault courses etc etc.