Sims with Attitude - The Urbz!! (The Sims (PS2))

Member Name: angeelu

Product:	The Sims (PS2)
Date:	19/04/05 (638 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Addictive, Good graphics, Easy to control

Disadvantages: Repetitive?, Waiting times, Ending is bit of an anti-climax!

Firstly, apologies if you think this is in the wrong category. I requested a separate category for the Sims game, The Urbz ages ago, but still it's not here... by the time it appears I should imagine the game will be so old that noone will be interested in a review anyway, so I decided to post it in this category, for The Sims PS2 game as it's the PS2 game I'll be writing about. Plus, if you're interested in reading a review about Sims then this will be more than useful to you too!!

Onto the review...

It's all about Rep!
Sims have been around for what seems like forever... but it's only recently that they've ventured into the city "where action is 24/7 and reputation means everything..."

The Idea
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If you've never played a Sims game (where have you been?), the basic idea of them all is that you are in control of a Sim's life. A Sim is a simulated person. They have needs (to eat, to be clean/hygeinic, to be entertained, to sleep, and to go to the toilet!) and they get very lonely if they don't socialise. As the controller of a Sim you have to ensure they have what they need to live a happy life. In previous games that often involved taking them up their career ladder and improving their skills as well as ensuring they had plenty of friends to socialise with.

The Urbz takes all that a few steps forward. Doing the same thing day after day is no longer the aim of the game. The important thing in this game is to build a good reputation and become the Urb that everyone wants to be around.

The Urbz - Sims in the City
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First things first. When you start your first game you're gonna have to create yourself an Urb. You can personalise your Urb in a number of ways such as deciding whether it is male or female, the type of face shape and face features it has, the skin tone, the haircut, body shape, and clothes. You also give your Urb a name (first and surname). You can now use this Urb throughout the game, saving your progress as you go along so you can restart with the same Urb where you left off.

Once you've created your Urb you are taken to your first apartment. This is a basic building with little furniture in there to start with. Here you meet the coolest Urb, Darius, for the first time and an old friend called Will. Will wants you to show off to Darius straight away by using a Power Social to impress him.

Power Socials
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These are impressive moves that get those around you looking your way and suitably wowed by your style! You have limited numbers of these, but can collect extras throughout the game. Power Socials are also used to defeat villains in each district as they convince the villain either that the people of that district are all right, or they scare them off!

To the City!
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The first district you arrive in depends entirely on what style you clothed your Urb in when you began the game. There are 9 districts within the city that you can visit as well as two flats and a penthouse, though you have to unlock each area as you go through the game. Districts include:

Neon East - a high-tech, neon-influenced district.

Cozmo Street - the city's club district.

Diamond Heights - The glitzy posh district where all the beautiful people go.

South Side Bridge - Gambling and explosives dominate this area.

Skyline Beach - A rooftop 'beach' with plenty of chilling out and fun to be had.

Gasoline Row - Biker district - leather and rock music rule!

Central Station - The hub of the city, based at the train station - punk district.

Kicktail Park - Skater dudes and dudettes hang here.

The Foundry - The artsy district oozing with sophistication.

98th Ave, 3rd Floor - This is your first apartment.

Blankwood Towers - A more spacious apartment that you unlock as you go through the game.

Darius' Penthouse - One day this ultimate penthouse could be yours!

Playing the Game
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Within each district you have a number of goals to complete. These can be viewed by looking at your XAM - a personal data assistant for Urbz! The XAM also works as a mobile phone so you can call other Urbz or ring the fire station/get takeaway etc, lets you view text messages you've been sent, let you view your inventory, see a summary of your relationships, and customise your XAM's style.

The goals you are set within each district always include making friends with certain Urbz (which new moves), getting past the bouncer at the club within that district (which you can only do when your rep is high enough and you're wearing the right style of clothes), completing three levels of a job (each district has a job on offer - if you work through each of the three levels you can also unlock moves), as well as a few additional tasks within each district (which can be anything from mugging a certain person to kissing a certain person!).

Controlling your Urb is easy - it's pretty much point and click to move your Urb where you want them. Objects and people that you can interact with are highlighted when you move your pointer over them which makes it easier to select them. If you select another Urb you are presented with a list of options on how to interact with them which can include networking, being friendly, being mean, being romantic etc. The types of moves you can perform within each of these categories expands as you get further through the game and unlock new moves through completing jobs and making new buddies!

Once your rep is high enough in the district you are in you'll receive a call telling you you're welcome in whichever district you've just managed to unlock. You can then take the subway to that area. Just remember though - in each district it's important to fit in, therefore changing your clothes (by buying them from the local clothes store in the district or getting them from your wardrobe if you've already bought some) is vital.

It's vital to keep track of your Sims needs throughout the game as well as trying to complete your goals. If you don't get your Urb to the loo when they need it they'll wet themselves, which will do nothing for their self-esteem or their hygeine! If you don't keep your Urb clean they'll also start to feel bad about themselves, similarly if you don't let them have any fun. An Urb in a bad mood has a lot of trouble socialising as other Urbz pick up on their bad mood and don't want to be near them. Sleep is also vital. If the Urb gets too tired they'll start walking slower and dragging their feet. They won't be able to do much, and may even fall asleep stood up!

In each district you'll always find a toilet and wash basin therefore you can keep on top of your Urb's toilet needs. Wash basins are also handy for keeping on top of the Urb's hygeine - washing your hands a few time can help them feel freshened up. You can also use fire hydrants to wash in if you come across one, or water fountains, or even a hot tub! If you want your Urb to have a proper shower you'll have to go back to your flat. In each district you always have a room somewhere too - this room is basic, but has a bed in it where you can get your Urb's head down, as well as a wardrobe that contains all the clothes you've purchased no matter where you go!

The Verdict
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If you like strategy / Sim style games you'll love this. I've always loved this type of game (Theme Hospital and The Sims rank highly in my list of favourite PC games) therefore my expectations were high when I first got the game. I was also unsure about how it would transfer to PS2 as I've only ever played this kind of game on the PC, but it works well. Navigating around a district and controlling the Urb is all more than easy enough.

Graphics in the game are great - fairly life like, and the attention to detail is fantastic. Sound is also great - the Urbz all talk their own language, but it's clear and not jumpy or anything. In each district the music changes according to the style of that district - it's always clear and adds to the enjoyment of the game. There are plenty of tracks provided by Black Eyed Peas custom mixed for the game (i.e. changed into Urbz language!) but still recognisable.

The game is also Eye-Toy compatible. If you take your photo with your Eye-Toy (if you have one), then as you progress through the game and your rep improves you'll start to see pictures of yourself up in the town.

According to the packaging the game is suitable for ages 12+ as it has bad language and violence warnings on it. The language warning is hardly required as the Urbz speak their own language, although you can kind of pick out some English-ish words, and you may see the Urbz 'giving signs' with their hands that may be unsuitable for younger children (though even these gestures are blurred). There isn't really too much violence either - the mugging for example is all done in a clown mask in a cartoon style whirl of dust and punches therefore you don't really see more than you would on kids TV. However, I guess the age rating is there for a guideline, and if you have a sensitive child or one that's likely to start trying to mug people if they see it on a game then perhaps they should avoid it! Otherwise I'd say the game is suitable for a big age range. I'm 25 and love it, though I'd guess that anyone older in to this kind of game would love it too. It's not particularly difficult, but I guess some people may find it a bit on the repetitive side (i.e. going around socialising, completing jobs, improving rep, doing tasks etc) - if you like this style of game though that's not going to be an issue.

There's hours and hours of gameplay so value for money wise that's got to be good. I bought my game off eBay therefore didn't pay full price (I'd definitely recommend eBay for buying PS2 games as you can get some bargains, though make sure you check sites such as play.com or amazon.co.uk first to compare what you can buy a game new for compared to what they're going on eBay for, as you'll often find them cheaper on other websites than people are paying for them on eBay - pays to do your homework!). At the time of writing this, this game is £31.99 at play.com or £29.99 at amazon.co.uk. I paid £23 (inc P&P) on eBay in January, so you'll probably get it for less than that now.

I've probably been playing it for a few hours each weekend since I bought it so it's lasted well though I've recently completed it. I don't particularly think it's a game I'm likely to start over from the beginning again straight away though I probably would have another go at it at some point... Undecided at the moment as to whether I'll keep hold of it for a play in the future or stick it back on eBay.

Downsides?
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Loading times! As you go from one district to another it has to load. This probably takes a matter of seconds, but it feels like it takes ages! Once you're in a district there are no real time lags, other than if you want to change the style of your Urb (chage clothes). Other than the loading time niggle I've got no other gripes with the game itself, though as I've mentioned, once completed (as with many games) it's unlikely I'll be jumping to start from the beginning again. I was also kind of disappointed with the ending... I don't want to spoil it for you but I expected more after completing all those tasks!

Final Rating
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This game is so immense and full of detail there are bits I have purposely missed out about the game, though nothing that would particularly influence a buying decision... plus, if you're really interested in getting the game you'll want to find some things out for yourself!

Final rating - 5 out of 5 from me! * * * * *

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