The Sims – XB – Review

The Sims debuted on the PC
about three years ago and was met with great sales.  People – even folks who
don’t normally play games – dug it for its non-linear gameplay and all of the
neat things you can do.  Granted, the game had its share of problems, but the
game continued to sell amazingly.  Seeing this, the developers set to work on a
number of expansions; there are at least four available currently.  There’s even
an online version of the game!  Needless to say, the game is hugely popular.
Now Electronics Arts is releasing the game on consoles, with quite a few
differences.  How does it compare to the PC version?  And more importantly, is
it worth your hard-earned cash?

When you initially start up
the game, the only feature available is the console-exclusive ‘Get a Life’
mode.  In this mode, you create a character, then take him or her through a
goal-oriented storyline.  Instead of just going day to day with no real aim,
‘Get a Life’ actually gives you a list of tasks to complete.  When those are
done, your character will move on to the next scenario.  One level might have
you living with your mother, fixing things for her, building up a little money,
and finding a job.  When you find the job, you move out of that house and go on
to the next area – a house of your own!  Well, not exactly – there’s a messy
roommate to deal with.  The levels go on, putting you in some pretty interesting
situations.

If you just want to build a
house and see what might happen next, you can check out the other mode
(creatively titled ‘Play The Sims’).  This is basically a streamlined version of
the PC title. Everything’s intact, and some things introduced in the expansions
are here, as well, but the control is simplified and the menus are compacted.
For the first time, The Sims has a camera that can move all over – previously,
you could only select from a few different set angles.  The new camera is
certainly welcome, but it’s not perfect.  There are still times where you wish
you could zoom in a little closer, pan out a little more, or you can’t nudge it
quite into the position you want.  You can move it around with the right
thumbstick.  The left thumbstick moves the cursor around, allowing you to select
things.  Once you do, a small options list pops up, where you can pick what you
want to do.  The digital pad, when held in different directions, shows
information about your Sims – things like their motives, skills, and who they’re
friends with.  The X and Y buttons allow you to cycle through your whole family
instantly, and also (quite pleasantly) snaps the camera to whoever is chosen.
The right trigger allows you to speed time up, for those times when nothing
important is happening.  The left trigger, when pulled, pauses the game.  All in
all, not a bad setup.

The actual gameplay can be
exciting and interesting at first, but might go to being frustrating and
troublesome after a little while.  When you’ve got everything down pat, the game
can be downright boring and tedious.  There’s no real ending in ‘Play the Sims’,
so some might say that there’s no real point in playing.  Maybe so, but it can
still be a fun experience.  The first thing you get to do is create your home –
you can set up the walls, paint them, insert doorways and windows, add flooring,
and more.  You could even add a fireplace.  Creating your home is half the fun,
really!  There are so many options and possibilities that you might find
yourself starting new games just to see what kind of neat homes you can build.
Once your structure is complete, you can go about adding objects.

There are tons of objects
that you can place in (and outside) your house.  There’s a wide range of
furniture, from simple kitchen chairs, to futons, to deluxe leather recliners.
You’ll need plumbing, too – sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtubs all come in a
variety of styles.  You’ll need appliances, too.  Refrigerators, ovens, coffee
makers, food processors, and other handy inventions will keep your Sims happy.
Recreation is important, too, and there are lots of items that the Sims can
interact with; televisions, radios, computers, basketball hoops and exercise
equipment, just to name a few.

It’s really important that
you have these items to keep your Sims happy.  They each have eight different
motives – things such as comfort, hygiene, fun, bladder, and hunger all affect
their behavior and attitude.  A Sim who is unhappy isn’t going to want to find a
job (or show up for work!), help around the house, or be very nice company when
people come to visit.  As long as you keep the little guys happy, they’ll more
than likely do what you want them to.  If they’re in a bad mood, chances are
they will just ignore your commands.

The artificial intelligence,
though, sometimes seems more like stupidity.  There have been times when guests
have been standing in a narrow path, and there’s no way for a Sim to get
through.  This can be a real pain when I absolutely have to get through, like to
get to a schoolbus.  The people will just continue to stand still and talk,
completely ignoring me.  It’s not always the guests that are stupid, though;
Sims often do considerably stupid things against your command, even when in a
good mood.  One time I told a man to go out and play basketball.  When he got
outside, he simply stood there.  For the whole day.  He’d ignore me when I told
him to stop playing, and he got hungry, tired, mad, and ended up draining his
radiator, so to speak, right on the cement.  Eventually, he just fell over
asleep, and came inside the next day, in a terrible mood.  I figured it was just
a fluke.  But the next day, another member of the family went and did the exact
same thing!  It’s certainly not a good thing.  Usually things aren’t that
drastic, though – it’s generally just stupid little mistakes they make, like
walking into the bathroom when someone is on the toilet.

The graphics in the game are
a little bit muddy, but they look okay – about the graphical quality of your
average Playstation2 title.  Things are cleaned up a little from the PS2 version
of The Sims, with less jaggies and some smoothing around rough edges, but the
two look very similar.  Animation is usually fairly lifelike and works well.
Character models are good from a distance, but if you manage to get the camera
in close, it doesn’t look so hot.  You’re usually a fair distance away from
everything, though, so it all looks pretty decent.

The sound is actually pretty
good, even if just about all of it was ripped straight from the PC version.  It
will sound very familiar if you’ve played it on the PC before.  But if you
haven’t, you’re in for a nice surprise – wonderful musical scores grace the game
during the paused moments, such as when you’re building your house.  The Sims
themselves speak in a sort of gibberish, which is actually kind of funny to
listen to.  Sound effects are all nice, from doorbells, to the faint sound of a
television, to the crackling of a fire when an inexperienced Sim attempts to
cook a dinner.  It’s certainly easy on the ears.

Overall, The Sims is a solid
game – but it isn’t for everyone.  If you are a fan of the PC title, you won’t
find much new in terms of gameplay – but you might enjoy it for its ‘Get a Life’
mode.  Folks who’ve never played the game (all five of you!)  should give it a
rent before picking it up.  There’s a good chance you’ll fall in love with the
free gameplay, but there’s also a good chance you’ll become tired of it all
before you even take the disc back.  Yes, the game has some problems, but it can
provide hours upon hours of entertainment if you find yourself liking it.  Check
it out if you’re interested.

Gameplay: 7.5

The goal-based mode
certainly helps, but there’s no denying that The Sims is more or less a video
game based on playing ‘house’.  For some, that’s great – they’ll love the
freedom and power to do just about anything.  Others might not find the game
particularly exciting, though.  It all boils down to preference, in the end.

Graphics: 7.0

Not mind-blowing, but fairly
good.  Animation is fine, texturing’s good enough, and character models look
good from a distance (which you’ll be at, most of the time).

Sound: 8.5

If you’ve listened to the PC
title for any amount of time, you know what to expect.  The musical tracks are
very good and the sound effects are nicely done.  The language in which the Sims
talk is pretty amusing, too. 

Difficulty: Medium

The game starts off simple
enough, but can easily be tough, the more ambitious you become.  Progressing
takes time and patience, and managing large families can be very, very hard.
Managing one person, though, is fairly easy for just about anyone.

Concept: 7.0

There’s still nothing quite
like The Sims on the market, but to be frank, the basic formula is several years
old.  Thankfully, the new mode spices things up a bit, keeping a fresh
experience, even if the gameplay hasn’t really evolved.

Multiplayer: 7.5

There are some multiplayer
modes included that have you competing for a goal of some sort, whether it be
trying to butter people up to borrow the most money, or something simple.  They
really aren’t all that fun.  The co-op mode, however, finally gives folks the
ability to play together.

Overall: 7.5

The Sims is a solid title
with a lot to do.  If you find yourself liking the game, you’ll be hooked for
weeks.  It isn’t for everyone, though, so those looking for action and
excitement are better off looking elsewhere.  Give it a rent if you’re unsure.