Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! (The Sims 2: Seasons (PC))

Member Name: cherub23

Product:	The Sims 2: Seasons (PC)
Date:	29/01/08 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Introduces a touch of realism, your sims can be self sufficient, there is snow!

Disadvantages: Seasonal graphics can slow down older pcs, may find the gardening tedious

The Sims 2: Seasons is by far my favourite expansion for the Sims 2, not least because it brings the snow!

The various weather changes add a touch of realism to your gaming because the sims react to the change in climate. If you send them outside in the snow without appropriate clothing they can get ill, likewise in the summer they can get sunburned. Lightening can strike your sim, setting them on fire, which a sick part of me finds rather amusing! Along with this there is hail and perpetual rain (must be based in England then!) to contend with.

Your sims react to the weather, the first snowfall will incite excitement and ongoing rain will cause them to stand at the window grumbling. There are lots of new interactions to play around with too, your sims can build snowmen, have snowball fights, rake leaves and splash around in puddles depending on the current season.

The seasons last for around 6 sim days and the weather is usually typical of the current season. This is not always the case though and it's not unknown of to have a sudden blizzard fall in the middle of the summer!

Another benefit to the seasons are the boost in a certain area, in winter your sims will find it easier to bond with family members, in summer it's easier to bond with friends, spring is the season of love and in autumn it's much quicker to study any of the skills.

The new sim skin for this expansion is the 'Plant People', these sims have green skin but no real side effects. You can 'breed' them with your normal sims and end up with some kind of hybrid plant/human baby if you're really bored! If you do too much gardening with your sim you may find that they turn into one of the plant people by themselves!

My favourite part of Sims 2 seasons (aside from the snow) is gardening, you can plant vegetable beds or place greenhouses in your sims garden and use them to grow food for your sims. If you have a pond in your yard the sims can also go fishing to fill the fridge. Any food you catch or grow can be safely stored in the fridge for your sim to cook and serve to the family.

Gardening is very time consuming as you must keep watering, tending, weeding and harvesting the plants. Although if you also have the 'Open for Business' expansion your sim could make a living by selling their wares!

If your computer is capable of running The Sims 2 without any problems then you should be able to run The Sims 2: Seasons ok. However, you may find that the snow especially can cause your machine to slow down a little when trying to move the camera. So bear this in mind if you only have the minimum requirements for the game.

The Sims 2: Seasons roughly costs around £30 brand new which is alot for an expansion but I feel it's well worth its money as it added a whole new level to the game for me.

Summary: If you have the spare cash and it piques your interest then buy it!