At the end of a
grueling day, there’s nothing like relaxing by playing some video games to
unwind. EA Games and Maxis studios invite you to take a load off from a long
day of work, socializing, and completing routine tasks such as showering,
eating, and tidying up by playing a video game… that has gamers’ video
counterparts going to work, socializing, showering, eating, and tidying up.
Sound odd? It isn’t odd, it’s the latest edition of the Sims for home consoles,
and for the two of you out there who don’t know about the Sims phenomenon, the
Sims is all about doing what we all do in our day to day grind.
A mega-hit on the
PC, The Sims moved to home consoles last year with moderate success. While the
PC versions focused on building a family of Sims and letting them loose with no
goals other than their creators’ ambitions, the console versions feature a
goal-oriented mode that dictate a single Sim’s life (Proponents of free-will
need not worry – it takes merely a few minutes of game play to unlock Free Play
mode, which mirrors the PC versions). It’s this mode, called Bustin’ Out, that
really separates Bustin’ Out from its PC counterparts.
If you’ve never
had the joy of playing the Sims, it’s truly an original idea from the makers of
such classics as SimCity, SimFarm, and SimAnt. The Sims is like those little
Japanese Tomagatchi pets on anabolic steroids, but instead of playing with
litter-box filling pixilated critters, Sims players work with digital dudes and
dudettes, adjusting their personalities like Prozac, choosing their career paths
like a smelly high school guidance counselor, and buying items for their house
like an interior decorator with some freakish Ikea catalogs. There are no real
bad guys, no high scores, no levels to unlock, no intelligible dialogue. Gamers
simply make their Sim (or Sims) and guide them through their existence. Though
they have minds of their own, gamers must constantly issue them commands to do
the most routine activities such as eating, relaxing, and even using the
toilet. The reward for satisfying a Sim’s needs is a happy Sim, and a happy Sim
gets promoted at work giving him or her more moolah to buy more things. It’s
the American dream on a television screen. That’s it. Nothing more. It’s a
simple idea, but it is as incredibly addictive as its
top-of-the-PC-charts-for-years reputation leads it to be.
The Bustin’ Out
mode, as stated before, is a goal-oriented social and career ladder structured
game, in which different features, from new duds and items to social
interactions, are unlocked. The goals may be as simple as finding a job or more
complex such as throwing a successful opening art gallery party. Most of the
fun of the original Sims game, building and outfitting a house, has been taken
away in Bustin’ Out mode, but improvements can be made to existing houses at
your own will. Just as most of you fastidious gamers probably do, your Sim
begins the game living with its mother. Once a few initial goals are completed
(Mom’s house serves as a tutorial/starting point) it’s time to move on out.
Depending on your Sim’s career choice, different abodes will be available.
Fashion Moguls may find artsy studios or hoppin’ clubs as possible domiciles,
whereas Mad Scientists may be living in sterile labs. These living spaces are
already furnished and already have inhabitants. It’s up to the player to make
sure their Sim gets along with their surroundings and roommates. Sims can get
married, have children, even die, but they do not age, get sick, or pass on
their genes. These improvements are expected in the Sims 2, which most people
are waiting on pins and needles for.
The Bustin’ Out
goes further than just moving from place to place. “All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy” they say, so why not hit the scene and make sure your Sim has a
little fun instead of grinding away in the Rat Race? Let your little fella’
bust some maneuvers at the local club, go visit a friend, or get them rock hard
abs you’ve always wanted (whether they be on your body or a local hottie’s) at
the local gym. These other locales have clear advantages to helping out your
Sim’s mood, particularly the social aspect, but there often isn’t anything that
can’t be accomplished at home with a few thousand simoleons, and staying out all
night may leave your little guy tired for work the next day. A vehicle takes
your Sim from locale to locale, and they’re upgradeable (though I didn’t get any
more booty in the sports car than the little scooter).
Being more of an
expansion pack than the Sims 2 (wait for that one – it should be sharp), the
graphics and audio have been upgraded, but not substantially. The look of the
game is a bit clearer, but even on its 720i graphics support it wasn’t much
better than the past edition. Of course, being an expansion, the biggest
addition to the graphics is the inclusion of many, many more animations and new
items. It’s all superficial and material, but the die-hard Sims fans clearly
cannot get enough lamps or chairs for their mansions.
The sound of The
Sims Bustin’ Out is a wash. Nothing glaringly new, just a lot more of the
same. The wah-wah ala Charlie Brown’s parents speak is back, of course, and the
typical sounds of the TV or jukebox provide ample ambience.
The Sims Bustin’
Out will not make believers out of cynics who have tried the other versions, as
it is basically the same game with a few extras, but for those of you who have
admitted your Sim as part of your family (freak!), The Sims Bustin’ Out is worth
your while.
Gameplay: 8.5
A brilliant idea
rehashed and designed to make even more money for EA games. The gameplay is
still fantastic, but Bustin’ Out just doesn’t add enough for casual Sims fans.
Graphics: 8.0
Better than
previous versions, but the console versions will never be as good as the PC
versions. The new animations are the best addition to the game and look
fantastic, however.
Sound: 7.0
Pretty standard
stuff here. I don’t think I heard anything that I hadn’t heard before.
Difficulty: Easy
It’s easy enough
for anyone to get into. If you know anything about the basic human needs, you
can play the game.
Concept: 7.5
I know I’ve touted
the Sims as being one of the best game ideas ever, but until they really add
depth from the original version, it remains conceptually stale.
Multiplayer: 7.0
No Xbox Live
support (it IS an EA game, after all), but they do allow for simultaneous
control, which wears thin after a while.
Overall: 7.8
Lacking the
user-friendly controls of the computer versions (though the controls on the Xbox
were surprisingly manageable) and anything groundbreaking, The Sims Bustin’ Out
is nothing more than a slight improvement over the other console edition.
Having said that, if you’ve always wanted to give the Sims a try and haven’t
played the older version, this is definitely the version to pick up. Now if
you’ll excuse me, I need to replenish my green bar under the toilet icon.
