The Sims 2: Pets – PSP – Review

Much like the
original The Sims game on the PC, expansion packs for The Sims 2
are introducing new elements that add more life to the popular life simulator.
We’ve seen Sim characters go off to college, get nightlife, open their own
business and now adopt a pet to keep them company. The Sims 2: Pets
includes both canine and feline companions to your family roster and now pet
lovers can do the same on their portable handheld. The surprising thing is that
The Sims 2: Pets for the PSP plays a lot like the PC game but then again
this one contains far too many flaws as well.

You’ll start, of
course, by creating your Sim family but this time including dogs and cats. Your
family can have both but and you’ll find a number of breeds for each one of
them. The dog breeds range from Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Dalmatians
and Chow Chows, just to name a few. Meanwhile, cat lovers will have breeds like
the American Shorthair, Persian, Siamese and even Manx to name just a few
breeds. From there you can move your created family into the strangely cramped
neighborhood. Like The Sims 2 for the PSP, you’re given a list of
objectives to complete throughout the game whether it’s getting your first job
or refurnishing your house but this time they added objectives that revolve
around pets like training your pet to roll over or teaching them not to “potty”
inside the house.

As I mentioned
above, you continue to perform all the usual duties of taking control of your
Sims’ every needs from going to the bathroom to eating, only this time the game
includes pets. Naturally, your pets require all the essential necessities to
live such as food and affection. This time around, the computer-controlled
characters are actually smart and your pets actually learn. Your dog, for
instance, might like digging holes in your backyard. Scold your pup enough times
and he or she will learn not to dig more holes in the yard. The same goes for
cats that pee on the rug. You can scold them and teach them not to go on the rub
but actually do it in designated places. Your pets also respond to rewards,
learning that doing certain things that please their master will result in a
treat such as food or squeaky toys you can purchase via Pet points you earn for
completing objectives.

The real treat
here is that your pets never react the same way. Depending on how you created
them, pets have their own personality that actually shines through. You might
have a friendly dog that gets along nicely with your neighbor’s pets while you
might have a cat that isn’t afraid of fighting with other cats and dogs that
cross its path. Of course, much like the infants in the original The Sims,
you’ll often be stopping whatever it is you were doing to tend to your pet. This
is actually frustrating at times since you want to complete certain goals
without having to drop what you’re doing just to scold or praise your pet.

The Sims 2:
Pets offers
enough things to do with your pets throughout the game and it’s fun interacting
with other pet lovers out in the neighborhood park in Town Square as well.
Unfortunately, the game is far from perfect and it doesn’t even come close to
the PS2 version in terms of the framerate and load times. There are load times
for everything in this game, whether you’re picking what hairstyle to put on
your character or opening a menu screen. When you’re playing with your pet,
oftentimes the drop in framerate makes it seem like playtime lasts forever. These
might seem like little problems but believe me, they just hold this game back
considerably to the point that some less patient gamers will want to stop
playing entirely.

As far as the
graphics are concerned, Pets does manage to look Ok on the PSP but then
again it also manages to contain more glitches than, say, the PS2 version. There
are certainly more jaggies in the PSP version, a bit like the first The Sims
game on the PSP. Still, the game does manage to cram in some eye-catching
environments and characters that go about their business. The animation, when
the framerate doesn’t drop, is fluid and it’s fun to watch your Sim and their
pet play. Plus, have if you’ve ever dreamed of walking your dog around in a top
hat your wish has finally come true.

The sound is
nothing new if you’ve been playing The Sims 2 on any platform and it’s no
surprise to hear the usual dreamy music as well as your characters speaking
their usual nonsensical language (called “Sim-lish“ by loyal fans). This time,
however, there are dog and cat sounds added to the mix. It’d good stuff that
comes out nicely through the PSP speakers.

Despite the
lengthy load times and the constant drop in framerate, The Sims 2: Pets
for the PSP delivers a true port of the PC version and fun game for pet lovers.
Whether you’re a dog or cat person, this game gives you plenty of options to
create and raise a dog or cat Sims-style. If you’re a huge The Sims
fan, you might want to consider buying this but be warned that the game’s
flaws might just turn you off to the game completely.

Gameplay: 6.5
Creating your
own Sims and their pets is neat but going through dog or cat training and taking
care of their needs make for a perfect pet lover’s sim. The improvement in the
AI is a major plus and the reason this game is actually very fun but be prepared
to be frustrated by the long load times.

Graphics: 7.5
Nicely
colorful and filled with environmental and character details, the PSP version
gets the short end of the stick graphically speaking. The jaggies are
inexcusable and it’s far worse than the PS2 version of the game. Still, it’s fun
watching your Sim interact with his or her pet.

Sound: 7.5
The sound is
nothing new if you’ve played any game featuring The Sims but this time
there’s some cute dog and cat sounds. You’ll even find the same Sim gibberish
and funny music.

Difficulty:
Medium/Hard
Do you
remember how tiring it was to tend to a baby Sim in the first game? Well, your
pets are just as demanding and you’ll have a hard time keeping them happy. There
are even some troublemaker pets you have to deal with so expect some realistic
scenarios.

Concept: 7.0
Your pets have
plenty of personality and you can even earn points to dress them up or own a lot
of cats like that one wacky old lady in The Simpsons. The pet creation options
are nice so you can create a pet that suits your Sim’s personality. Sadly,
there’s no multiplayer.

Overall: 6.8
Pets
is an impressive The Sims 2 expansion pack transferred nicely to the PSP
but really long load times and its repetitive nature might not sit well with
everyone even true fans. Still, if you’re willing to put up with these weak
spots, Pets is a nice distraction with a lot to offer.