| Product: |
The Sims 2 (PSP) |
| Date: |
29.03.08 (70 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Interesting concept
Disadvantages: Very slow in loading, not very deep
I remember back in 2000 getting the first Sims game for the PC when it came out. I had been a fan of Maxis's games such as Sim City and wanted to try this new genre. I enjoyed it for a while, but judging by the sales over recent years and the tens of add-ons Maxis have produced, thousands of other computer gamers have also enjoyed the game.
So I thought that eight years later I'd try Sims 2 for the PSP. It follows the basic Sims principle of controlling a character around an environment in which you can inter-act with other people, objects and try to ensure that you build relationships, earn money and then decorate your house if you wish.
The plot for the game is a little far-fetched and strange, there are ghosts and mysterious happenings all over the game, from garages and cars disappearing to ghosts being present in your house, which you have to remove.
The game play is very structured for a game such as this. There is no free-play option in the game, or at least not until you complete the whole game and this option is unlocked. You have to meet a series of tasks, which come thick and fast, and the game-playing is quite linear and laid out. Although you can explore your environment as you wish, areas are unlocked in sequence and after completing tasks, and it reminded me of early text adventure games for platforms such as the Amiga.
I must admit that I plodded along with the game structure rather than really enjoying it. The game isn't that long and it is rarely challenging. It is just a hunt of going around, having conversations, finding new objects, whilst remembering to eat, sleep, visit the toilet and keep clean. It does get repetitive quite quickly.
There is some humour in the game in the dialogue which you have with the other characters, but this is quite limited. The conversations you can have with other characters is again, like the main game, fairly orchestrated and you end up having what is really a pre-determined conversation.
You are given a house in which you live, although unlike the version of The Sims which I played many years ago, you can't lay the house out structurally or make changes of that sort. You can though buy items of furniture for your house and then place them around the house as you want. These range from paintings to furniture, from showers to vases. It does all feel to met at least as a little unfulfilling.
The biggest problem this game has is the horrendous loading speed. Every single action requires the PSP to whir into loading something, so every line of every conversation can take a few seconds. It doesn't sound much, but it's frustrating trying to press the x button to confirm a line of conversation and the PSP is still whirring away trying to catch up. It's actually a major flaw in my view, it makes actions such as eating, showering, etc, which are repetitive enough anyway, even longer and more frustrating.
Overall, the game is interesting enough to play along with, but it's doubtful that many people would continue after 15 or 20 hours of gameplay, as the game is relatively easy to beat, and even if you play that long without completing it, you're quite likely to get frustrated with some of the game's short-comings.
I do though like the basis of the game, and if they could maybe resolve some of the game's speed problems, make the game a little deeper with more free-play options, then it could well be a really deep and meaningful game. At the moment, as it is, it's an interesting diversion, and in my view, nothing more.
Summary: Interesting idea, limited long-term interest
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