One has to
wonder what role The Sims Life Stories is playing in terms of the franchise that
is known as The Sims. The game is not quite Sims 2 in caliber, but it is
definitely a step up from the original Sims title (and its myriad expansions).
Perhaps EA
Games is looking to use this title as a catalyst to draw more players into the
phenomenally successful franchise by offering a taste of what the Sims 2 holds,
while catering to those who want a bit more directed experience. Then there is
the crowd that might not have a machine capable of running the Sims 2 title with
all the expansions, and assorted other downloads without the game slowing and
even occasionally crashing. After all, The Sims 2 is a bit of a system hog.
Life Stories,
on the other hand, could be viewed as the friendlier title. It is laptop
compatible. It may not have all the bells and whistles of its bigger kin, but
this is still The Sims, and that means you are in charge of micro-managing
someone else’s life. As a further testament that this title was built for
lower-end machines, it actually launches in windowed mode as the default
setting. Go into options and blow it up and you will see a game that mimics the
graphical look of The Sims 2, but seems to run easily as though it was the
original title built for older machines.
Those S2 (Sims
2) fans looking for an experience that adds to the franchise will likely be a
bit disappointed in this title.
There is only
one neighborhood in Life Stories – Four Corners. There is no option to add to
that, so if you hop into the sandbox version of the game, Free Play, you will
have to build on the one neighborhood. But if you opt to not play in this
particular sandbox, you can play one of two story-driven games. The first
involves Riley, a down-on-her-luck woman who has returned to her hometown for a
fresh start. The second is Vince, a high-tech wizard who is looking for love.
Each of these modes has objectives that you must try to accomplish, all while
directing every breath taken by your characters.
While both
offer a decent experience, these seem to be little more than guided tours of
Sims 2’s play style. The stories may sound a bit open, but actually they are
not. You have to accomplish the objectives as stated. Sure, get a job is a bit
open-ended, but regardless of how you play (unless you play sandbox and have the
cheat codes – and nope, not giving them out in this review), these are
fundamental mechanics of the entire franchise. The story mode is a little more
insistent that you take steps in that direction quicker.
As stated, Life
Stories seems like a watered-down version of Sims 2. The build mode has fewer
options, as does the buy mode. You can’t lay down foundation, overlay it with
floor tiles, then undercut the foundation and put in a pond, or stream, for
example.
Other
differences from playing Life Stories over Sims 2 are that the lot sizes are
smaller and, consequently, so are the allowable family sizes. Instead of eight
family members on the same lot, Life Stories only will allow four.
The game was
built on the Sims 2 engine, so the look is fairly similar. The same can be said
for the sound elements. If you have played The Sims 2, you have heard all this
before. Aside from a few missing features, the game’s interface is the same as
S2.
While all of
this may sound like it is detracting from the game, actually Life Stories is
entertaining and a great intro for those who may not have The Sims 2, but have
wondered what it is about. Obviously the big draw here is the lower-system
requirements that will allow gamers to play the game in a windowed mode but not
overwhelm their machines so they can do other things as well. The graphics are
familiar, as is the sound and the game is rated Teen for crude humor, sexual
themes and violence.
Think of Life
Stories as the game that paves the way for Sims 2 and its expansions. Think of
LS as the game that caters to those who just can’t get enough of a Sims fix and
so have to take the game with the laptops on the road. Give credit to EA Games
for putting together a S2-type experience but for those who are looking to avoid
the system hog that is Sims 2.
Life Stories,
as mentioned, bridges the gap between The Sims and The Sims 2. While it may not
have the fevered following of S2, it still adds something to the franchise
itself.
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Gameplay:
7.5
The options package
is considerably less than Sims 2, and you will find yourself challenged to get
creative with what you are given. The control scheme, though, is lifted straight
from S2, so those that are experienced with that title will have no problems
leaping into the soap opera that comprises Riley and Vince’s lives.
Graphics:
7.8
Fewer build
capabilities equal a sameness graphically. Otherwise this game serves up what we
have seen before.
Sound: 7.0
Been there, heard
that before.
Difficulty:
Medium
Concept: 7.0
Few options but
lower system specs. Not that original, but it works for this game.
Overall: 7.5
A nice tutorial for
people who have yet to play a Sims game, Life Stories’ draw is the directed
experience of Riley and Vince. But those who have played before may find the
limits of this game rather restrictive. For those that like the creation process
of Sims 2, Life Stories limits are revealed rather quickly. Still, EA has done a
nice job in creating a game for lower-end systems.
