All is finally cold in Pleasantview (The Sims 2: Seasons (PC))

Member Name: speedtouching

Product:	The Sims 2: Seasons (PC)
Date:	28/03/07 (799 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Dramatic and realistic weather effects with some well-needed activities and social interactions

Disadvantages: Gameplay doesn't actually advance much more beyond the new gardening activity

Ok, so I'm sure by now you have all played or at least heard of the phenomenon that is The Sims; if you haven’t you’ve probably been living in a cave in the middle of the desert, been stranded on a raft fighting man-eating sharks and eating fish and seabirds to survive or been cryogenically frozen for the last 7 years.



After the successful launch of The Sims in 2000, in which it soon became the most popular and best selling gaming franchise on the PC, there have been many expansion packs that take the game-playing experience to a new level. And, after the release of Sims 2 in 2004, there have been 4 expansion packs including, University, Nightlife, Open for Business and Pets. The 5th? Sims 2: Seasons.



Now Sims 2 Seasons, despite being the latest expansion pack, probably adds the least number of new features to the game than any of the previous expansion packs. That might sound bad, but you have to remember that ever since the first Sims game in 2000, there have been the added abilities to go shopping, go to university, buy a pet and open a business but never before in the Sims franchise have the Sims had weather.



From now on I am going to presume that you know a little bit about the Sims as I can’t, as much as I’s like to, go into detail about the previous Sims 2 history and so I will just concentrate on Season’s good and bad points.




WHAT DOES SEASONS ADD TO THE GAME?

Seasons will not drastically change the way in which you play the Sims 2, there is not as much that you, the player, will have to bother with this time around. Seasons does not heavily demand the player to carry out a series of tasks like running a business, going to university, and scolding your new dog Rex who has just eaten your new sofa that has taken a Dream Date with Malcolm Landgrabb to be able afford it. You play your Sims’ lives, pretty much as normal, and the seasons and weather change in the background complete with breathtaking new special effects and weather conditions.




What would a seasons game be without gardening? Your Sims can now plant a whole host of vegetables and tend fruit trees in order to sell as a business, eat or juice using the new juicer machine with different juices having different benefits such as increasing your Sims’ mood, helping children to study better etc. There is also a new Weather Channel on the television but I have found that it isn’t too reliable!



The different seasons will change themselves every 4 days and you can set the sequence you want them to occur in; you do not have to have SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN, WINTER, you can have SUMMER, SUMMER, WINTER,WINTER or even WINTER, WINTER,WINTER, WINTER. This can be changed at the neighbourhood view and affects the whole neighbourhood not just one Sim household. If it is winter in your neighbourhood, the neighbourhood screen will also be covered in a light dusting to heavy snow also. When you are out on a community lot, the weather also changes depending what the weather was like in your home lot; for example, if it is Winter in your Sim’s home it will be winter when your Sim leaves the house and goes to another lot. Also, on community lots; the other visiting sims also change according on the weather/temperature.



Make sure you keep a check on the new Sim thermometer that tells you how hot or cold your Sim is in different environments. You need to also buy ‘Outerwear’ to wear outside when it is cold/snowing/raining.



Of course, there are many new features the weather offers. You can now have a water balloon/ snowball fight as a large group- (especially funny on a community lot when you get everyone joining in!) Each season has different benefits, for example love is in the air in Spring and skills increase faster in Autumn.


New items include ice-skating rink, rollerblading rink and my favourite a Hot Chocolate machine for those cold winter nights in!


You will have to use your common sense when playing. For example; don’t go out in the snow with your shorts on and don’t go out in summer wearing your long wooly coat, three layers and that ugly hat auntie Dorris gave your for Christmas- you can get sunburn, heatstroke or “frost bite”.


You can now also give gifts, if you have something in your inventory that you want to pass on just select the new social interaction.


There are also several new careers including education, journalism, law and more.


Basically, Seasons does not deepen the game that much but if you’re a fan of The Sims 2 and yearn for some realistic weather with new features; buy it!. Even just for that new reward item: the Wishing Well. (Similar to the genie in Sims 1- my favourite!)

Thanks for reading,



Speedtouching.

Minimum SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• 1300 MHz processor
• 256 MB RAM (512 MB RAM is recommended for Windows Vista or if you are running with a few expansion packs installed)
• Windows(R) Vista, Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 Operating System.
• 8x or faster CD/DVD drive
• At least 1.5 GB of additional hard drive space (5.0 GB total is required if installing both The Sims 2 and The Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack at the same time.)
• A T&L-capable video card with at least 32 MB of video RAM.

NOTE: If you have a non-T&L capable video card, such as Intel Extreme Graphics, then you need at least a 2.4 GHz processor.

Summary: A must have for any Sims fan; just to finally get Weather in The Sims 2!