Immensely detailed simulation (The Sims (PC))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	The Sims (PC)
Date:	03/09/09 (4 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great visuals and gameplay

Disadvantages: A bit repetitive after a while

It's almost difficult to imagine a time without The Sims - the series has grown and grown, now on its third installment, but began as something of a sleeper hit that then evolved to the series we now know it as. The game pits the player as the controller of a neighbourhood of simulated characters, where you can control anything from the most banal of movements, such as their going to the toilet, to their loftier goals such as getting married and even having a child.

It's all about choice in The Sims - you can create a family, with attributes such as gender, skin tone, and size, and then move them into a starter home, with the hope being that you can get them a good job, and ultimately move them into a bigger, flusher house where they can live comfortably. From here, you have to direct their various meters and attribute bars - they will need to be entertained, to eat, to go to the toilet, and less basically, want to be trained in various activities such as the arts, and find personal fulfillment if you're simply controlling one Sim, by finding love with another Sim.

What impresses me is, for the starter title in the series, that everything is so meticulous - the sheer scale of the game is incredibly epic, and there's a wealth of things you can do, from tickling a friendly neighbour, to building that up to something a little more cheeky (although the game is intended for most audiences, so you don't see anything, you rude lot!)

There are also some random spanners thrown into the works to reflect the random nature of life - you'll be burgled if you're absent minded enough to forget to put in burglar alarms, and the same applies for cooking and fire alarms. Also, you might lose your job at a moment's notice.

There are also other delights, like being able to manipulate the game somewhat - many have revelled in being able to kill the Sims by either deliberately letting a kitchen fire burn the house to the ground, or simply locking them in a room or swimming pool and removing the door, causing their attributes to drop to zero and eventually, for them to die. What's more, if you're feeling cheeky, you can use cheat codes to make yourself rich, and mess around with as much property as your (fake) money can buy.

A revolution in the simulated game and an undeniably entertaining title, it may not have you playing it hours and hours a day, but it's a joyful diversion, and incredibly detailed.

Summary: Not always engaging but always well crafted