Seasons is easily the best Sims 2 expansion since Nightlife
One of the things I always do when I get a new EP is to go through the catalogue looking for new objects. This is usually a good indicator of how good the pack is. Seasons should not disappoint. Obviously there are the new tables, chairs, lamps etc that come with any expansion, but there are quite a number of totally new objects - the best ones being the ice skating and rollerblading rinks. These come in two sizes, and you'd be pretty hard pressed to fit the big one on any but the largest lots. It appears that a Sim's skating skill is linked to their body skill, but once they're ranked high enough they can do all sorts of tricks. One notable addition is the new toilet (finally!), which will please all of those fans who are sick of just having two johns for their Sims to choose from. Also, Sims can now place objects on their roof, so there's a weather vane and lightning rod (but no satellite dish or antenna). A pleasant surprise was the new fountain, which is placed in a pond to create a pretty cool effect. The gardening aspect looks pretty good, it's simple enough to set up but should provide quite a bit of gameplay. Like the toy/robot/flower making in Open For Business, what you can grow is directly related to your gardening skill. Your Sims start off being able to produce tomatoes in their vegetable patch, and then strawberries, beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and so on, as they gain gardening badges. Like all other badges, these take absolutely forever to acquire, and there is no meter to show you how your Sim is progressing, so you don't know how long until they reach the new level. Sims are also able to grow oranges, apples and lemons from trees. The quality of your produce depends on how well you care for it. You can add quality by fertilizing the soil, spraying for bugs, watering and weeding regularly, as well as planting inside a greenhouse. Produce can be sold, eaten, juiced or composted to return as something else. Be wary though, gardening will take up a lot of time, depending on how much you want to grow.
Related to the gardening is the fishing aspect. Your Sims can now cast a line into any pond and try to catch something. Fishing also uses the badge system with its painfully slow progress, and the higher your badge the better bait you have access to (and thus the better chance you have of catching a good fish).
The time management is one aspect which is really coming into play now that we have Open For Business, Pets and Seasons. You really do have to choose what your Sim is going to do - they just don't have enough time to run a business, take care of plants, have a career, look after pets and make a family. While in the base game you could pretty much do everything, that's no longer the case unless you turn aging off.
The visuals and mechanics of the seasons are fantastic. This is the first real graphical update that The Sims 2 has had since it was released. I started my game in Winter and got a little worried when no snow appeared after two days, but it came on the third. The upgraded swimming pools look great, as do the different lighting effects of each season. There is something magical about seeing the snow in-game, and the summer thunderstorms are exciting - just don't let your Sims outside or they could get hit by lightning! I remember this being in the original trailer for the game, and it's great they can finally add it in.
I'm also pleased to see the new careers in the pack, the old ones were getting a bit stale. Teens and elders can also access their own versions of these, which again is a nice touch. There are a few new hairstyles, and plenty of new clothes for your Sims (indeed, a whole new category in Outerwear). It's also great that you can now select a hairstyle to go with each outfit, so your Sim doesn't have to wear that mohawk to bed, for example.
Once again the game sounds fantastic, with weather adding a lot. I recently upgraded my audio to 5.1 surround, and having the weather come through the rear speakers is fantastic! I believe also that some more Simlish versions of contemporary songs have appeared (although to be honest these might have been part of Pets, I wasn't paying as much attention to that game). I laughed really hard the first time I heard the Simlish 'Don't Cha' by The Pussycat Dolls, as well as The Veronicas' 'When It All Falls Apart' (go Aussie girls!!!).
My only criticism of Seasons (and this, I suppose, is of the way EA is handling the game in general) is that there is nowhere near the quantity of what I suppose you would call 'exciting' content that we saw in University and Nightlife. I presume that this is because they want us to buy the stuff packs, but to be honest I'd love to see some more 'big' objects (like the bowling lane, karaoke machine, drum kit, poker table etc.) rather than just yet more tables and chairs - our Sims have enough of those!!!
Seasons appears to be the sort of pack that, like University and Open For Business, will get better as you get deeper into it. I actually lost a lot of interest in the game after Pets, and I think Seasons will have me playing it a lot more. This pack, I believe, will redeem the franchise after two fairly ordinary expansions and three unnecessary stuff packs (except for the fireworks in Holiday Stuff, those are cool...).
Whether you're a hardcore Simmer or someone who plays casually, this expansion should invigorate your play and bring a whole new level of entertainment to the game. The key success point for Sims expansions seems to be how much they impact the base game in a positive way, and Seasons certainly adds a lot of welcome and exciting new features.