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> Results: Sims, The
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A unique game for those that can't get enough real life If you haven't heard of The Sims yet, you're definitely not a steady gamer. The Sims is a phenomenal software toy from the mind of Will Wright, the creator of the long-lived and acclaimed Sim City. Wright and crew leave the world of cities for the dynamics of the home in The Sims. Players in The Sims can create simulated humans that live in virtual neighborhoods and must achieve certain goals to function and attain happiness. Once you've created a "sim" however, you can choose to simply observe them operate as they pursue their natural goals, or take active control and direct them. A sim's desires can be as mundane as going to the bathroom to relieve themselves, or as complex as advancing in a career or developing a relationship. The Sims polarized audiences, as could be expected of a real-time strategy that asks its users to have the sims spend a lot of time in the bathroom. The time scale of The Sims can be unkind to those that dislike repetitive tasks or the hurried pace of trying to fit in many activities into a sim's day. But isn't this like real life, after all, where everyone must prioritize needs and where everyone seems to be asking, "Where does the time go?" The Sims also seems to have a supporter for every detractor, and picked up a huge following for it's open-ended gameplay that lets players take their sim families wherever they want.  As a family game there's much to enjoy in The Sims, and there's perhaps even social commentary buried in the game's mechanics. In the course of a game, you may recognize the need for material items in a sim's life as a reflection on your own, along with the need to pursue a job and friendship. The Sims seems to tell us that humans are complicated but their needs and desires are simple. Developer Maxis Publisher Electronic Arts Ages: 12+ ESRB Rating: Teen 
The Sims can provide a lot of non-violent entertainment, and even teach children about basic goal setting and planning. But some of the unintended comedic potential of the game has macabre twist. Youths playing the game have had fun playing pranks on their Sims, letting them run around in a house without a bathroom or swim in a pool with no exit ladder. Obviously, these can be harmless shenanigans for players of an appropriate maturity level. There are some mature themes in the game, hence its Teen ESRB rating. But The Sims keeps things tasteful from a graphical perspective, blurring out the scenes where a sim must take a shower or go to the bathroom. The game's extensibility provides a good playground for active minds, and an abundance of available add-on packs offer tremendous content.GamerDad's Take Parents: Beware the various "Nude" patches. Your kids will probably find them (they remove the discreet blurring--and add other bits--when a Sim takes a shower or goes to the bathroom). The PS2 version is newer, more polished, and has 3D graphics. It also has some innovative multiplayer and game modes, but no downloadable/mod content and lacks the goodies the expansions bring. Check the archive for a review of the Superstar expansion pack. Kid Factor by Bernie Dy Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Sims, The |
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