nice just nice
The Sims Rejuvenated
The Sims 2's vibrant new 3D engine delivers a spectacular amount of detail. Zoom in to find ticking clocks, zits on teenagers' mugs, and even a realistic portrayal of SSX 3 on the TV (which even goes into split screen mode when two Sims play). But it's the Sims themselves that are truly the stars of the show. The Sim creation tool offers a remarkable level of detail, from eye shape to hair color to clothing, for a variety of occasions. Your characters' emotions and disposition play out on their expressive faces and even their physical appearance. If you don't keep your sim in shape, they'll develop a beer belly. Keep them spiritually cleansed through yoga and meditation, and they'll hold onto their youth longer. Tease their innermost desires and they'll snap: One lady, unlucky in love and childless, started carrying around a flour sack as a surrogate baby.
Completing the fantastic audio video package, The Sims 2's charming sound effects expand the characters' "Simlish" outbursts that convey their personality, while the chipper, relaxing music sets the scene for a classic family sitcom.
Come Sim Away
The interface is the only stumbling block. Despite intuitive camera controls and user-friendly expanding windows, some commands and features are inexplicably hidden in arcane locations, like buying a baby's crib or asking parents for help with homework. Still, this is a fantastically complex game and, with a multi-tiered tutorial, the learning curve is virtually nonexistent.
A strategic challenge, a living soap opera, and an interior designer's dream sandbox, The Sims 2 elaborates upon the original and many of its expansions (although there's still room for improvement, since there are no pets yet). Far more than the original, this truly is a game that can be enjoyed by anyone, and should be tried by everyone.