It’s
rainy, it’s pouring, the old Sim is snoring … but give it a few hours and it may
be snowing.
The
Sims 2 launched in 2004 and Seasons is the fifth expansion (there are been three
custom content releases in Family Fun Stuff, Glamour Life Stuff and Holiday
Edition – the latter doubled as a re-release of the game with Holiday content
thrown in to sweeten the deal) in the franchise. There was University,
Nightlife, Open for Business and Pets preceding this latest release.
Seasons
brings what the title implies – the four seasons – to the mix. There is actual
weather, which can be a bit of a pain at times, but can create a different
flavor within the game. It does snow and there are items you can use to build
snowmen. You also get outdoor wear. And farming is a big addition. Sims (the
inhabitants of the world) can cultivate gardens and trees for fresh produce.
While the
various expansions added new elements, like the aforementioned university areas,
a downtown and shopping district, the ability to open a business and added pets
to the mix, not one of the previous four added a new neighborhood – the zones in
which the Sims live … well, that is until now. Players could create (using Sim
City 4) or download a new neighborhood, but to show off the content of the game
better, the neighborhood of Riverblossom Hills has joined the Maxis-created
neighborhoods.
But that
is not all – there are new coifs, clothes and careers.
Breaking
it down, though, one of the main driving points is the Garden Club and tending
to your plants. Different plants can be planted, depending on the season, and
the Garden Club will actually reward you for tending to your plants well
(another pun, though less obvious). Should your garden thrive, and you call in
the Garden Club for an inspection, you can be rewarded with Simoleans (the money
of the land) and a wishing well – the latter can randomly grant you Simoleans or
you can even wish for romance.
Fishing is
also now part of the game. Click a pond, and if stocked, you can select the Fish
option. Talent badges can be collected for fishing.
The
inventories have been opened up a bit to allow Sims to give gifts to one another
as well.
There are
additions to the building menu as well. Pools can now have rounded corners and
you can decorate the bottom rather easily. Sims looking for some water fun can
put in a slide poolside for added entertainment.
There are
some downsides, of course, to the launch of the new expansion, but they mostly
apply to the diehards that take their Sim 2 experience beyond the box. Those who
use some hacks or mods may find them no longer working. SimPE, the program that
players can use to manipulate their Sims out of the game, is a marginal call.
Sometimes it works, other times it has a fit – but each time it does forewarn
that the current version is not guaranteed to work with the new expansion.
Also
expect a patch to follow in the future as there are other glitches that occur
with this expansion. For example, pets get stuck in the environment and won’t
move until they are almost dead. And then, they won’t track to food to sate
their starving attitude. The whole water-ballooning prank scheme is way out of
control. Everyone who can walk does it to the point of being ridiculous. The
environment becomes a puddle-fest. The weather effects can also have some
“what?!?” moments. A storm rolls through the neighborhood and brings thunder and
lightning. So far so good, but on a couple of occasions, lightning strikes lit
water on fire. Yep, water. A fountain (stone and water) was actually ablaze for
a bit. Another time it was a patch of dirt.
But
counter that with the coolness (pun intended) of watching it snow, or having to
rake leaves in the autumn. The seasons themselves move along a path akin (but
faster) than the life clocks of the Sims.
Seasons
certainly takes the title in an entertaining direction, and does what any good
expansion should – it builds on the experience. While not without a few errant
cloudbursts, the expansion still manages to soak up the sun and provide a bright
gaming experience.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The
seasons produce some nice effects and there are solid gameplay elements put into
place with this expansion.
Graphics: 7.7
Nothing
new here when it comes to the animations of the Sims, but the weather effects,
while they can white out the screen with some of the effects (lightning for
one), are well done, though not entirely interactive, and they don’t have a lot
of consequence.
Sound:
7.0
A few
new songs that are in the same vein as the old songs.
Difficulty: Easy/Med
Concept: 8.0
Adding
farming elements, fishing, and seasonal effects is a nice touch.
Overall: 8.0
The
Seasons expansion brings the world more to life, and adds some elements that are
guaranteed to create more things for your Sims to do as they move through their
short lifespans. There are a few bumps in terms of compatibility with past games
(Pets and environmental pathing), and the game had a problem (upon first launch)
of recognizing custom content, but seemed to correct that itself upon subsequent
launches. Still Seasons does what an expansion should – it adds to the existing
world and builds on the foundation of the franchise.
