The Sims 2 (Mac) Review
The Sims 2 is a vast improvement from the Sims 1, which was already quite good in its own right. A lot of things have been added, revised and improved upon. Mostly little things that people probably take for granted, but I don't. A few little things I love are the weekends in S2 now. Now, the Sims go through a five day work or school week and actually get Saturday and Sunday off (unless they have to work) so that they can not only rest, but have a chance to interact with family and friends like regular people (and you also get vacation days). Sims can lounge in bed or on furniture and read a book or daydream and it's it's much more realistic. I also like that on sofas Sims can sit and talk and interact with each other without having to keep standing up which they seemed to do for some reason on the Sims 1.
Also, I like couple interactions like cuddle, make out or kiss on sofas as well, much more realistic. Some of the best improvements are for people who like to play the game in a more 'family style'. I know a lot of people probably don't and that's just fine, but for those who like having families, it is wonderful to have children in the family and they actually grow up. So now you don't have to keep kids as kids all the time as you did in the Sims 1. If you get a baby, it becomes a toddler who you can play with and teach to walk, talk, etc. but just when you're tired of the toddler it becomes a more independent child. Wonderful! I enjoy having a couple have a baby together and raise it from infant up through adult where they can then move out of the house and have kids of their own. You can have a family go through generations if you play long enough.
AI is wonderful and the Sims actually pretty good in making their own decision without you Lording over them. The only big problems I noticed is with the baby. Some Sims will just lay the baby on the floor and leave it if they want to go to the bathroom or watch TV!!! it may seem funny but it's not really. I was appalled to notice the baby just laying on the kitchen floor.
I even enjoy a lot of interactions for the teens like 'sneak out of house' to be with a boyfriend or girlfriend 'use acne cream' I just found that funny and use computer to email or chat with friends, though this does not seem to have any impact on friend levels.
Also, the Pregnant Sims function is cool too, in that the pregnant Sim will get bigger and bigger, walk different and even go through morning sickness.
I also like food choices, in that instead of putting in patches in the game, the more cooking skills you acquire you can cook more meals, like very realistic looking meals like pancakes, steak, bacon and eggs and grilled cheese. Yum!
the 'create a sim' screen is extremely customizable and I love it. You can fix Sims from their eyebrows, eye color, chin, hair, nose, etc. It's almost too much. You can create a total freak Sim if you wish and that's pretty scary. I love that you can even have make up. Also, if you create a baby with a couple you have an option to create a baby that resembles the couple, however, and it's usually pretty accurate. You can also relate the Sims on that screen as family or roommates or siblings. Thumbs up to the changes on this screen.
Overall, I think this was a big step up from Sims 1. Play is smooth, visuals are great, Sims look even better and so does furniture and clothes.
There are however some cons.
WARDROBE-->
What I'm not to fond of is the wardrobe function. Now, in order for your Sim to change clothes they have to go downtown to a clothing store and 'buy' them, which means if you had hundreds of skins you have to pay for them and buy them ALL in order for them to appear as an option to wear. Tedious, expensive and tiresome when all they had to do was appear in the closet like the first game.
ASPIRATIONS -->
I don't mind the aspirations, however, they are limiting in if you have a couple and one has a knowledge aspiration and one has a romance aspiration, they don't falter. The Romance Sim only wants to make out and couple up with as many sims as possible and the Knowledge Sim only wants to get more skill points. And for example, if you want them to have a baby the Romance Sim may have a fear of having a baby, so if they do then one of their fears have been realized which could make them have a shorter life. It's annoying to say the least. To me, any Romance sims can't be in a couple, they have to all be single and loving it. The Aspirations are very tight in their demands.
BUILDING-->
Building houses is a little complicated. You actually have to lay foundation in order to build a room, and it gets more involved to build decks and stairs. Building up gets tricky as you can't go to high because you hit the ceiling and staircases take up so much room you have to have a HUGE space for them, the same with fireplaces. Furniture in S2 are giant sized (to me) and you need bigger rooms. Beds take up the whole room. Lots don't accommodate you, in my opinion and give you enough building space.
As usual, the expansions are great and add a lot, however, I would not buy any of the 'glamorous life' type expansions because user creations are just as good, or better and are FREE. I think this runs great on a Mac, but unfortunately you do need a good one. I happened to have just bought a brand new G5 with a terabyte HD and 4 gigs of memory and finally decided to buy S2. It is unfair the specs you need, but if you have the requirements it is fun to play. Otherwise, you're fine with Sims 1 which is still very good.
I recommend Sims 2 and I recommend a couple expansions like University. Unfortunately Mac users can't get "Apartment Life" which has a lot of user creations and you need that one to use them. You need a few expansion in order to take advantage of the user creations online, but for the most part you can do okay with just the base game. I love it and have not had any tech problems yet.
The Sims 2 (Mac) Feature
- Lifestyle simulation where you manage your Sim's dreams and fears over a lifetime
- Mix Sim genes and see physical and personality traits through the generations
- Control the camera and capture the action into mini movies
- Generate unique Sims with the new Create-A-Sim feature
- Build dream homes and design neighborhoods with new building options
The Sims 2 (Mac) Overview
Important Product Note
A DVDROM is required to install and play this game.
The Sims Evolve
With the introduction of genetics, you can control your sims over a lifetime and pass their sims' DNA down from one generation to the next.
The sims evolve by genetically passing on physical and personality traits. Create and play your own virtual sitcom by choosing one of five different aspirations... Popularity, Fortune, Family, Knowledge, and Romance.
These aspirations in life cause your sims to have wants and fears. Will you give them a long successful existence or leave their life in shambles?
The Sims 2 also opens up endless new creative possibilities. Make your own sim films with the new movie-making feature.
Create the cast, set the stage, take control of the camera and capture your own screenplay in action. Zoom in close with the new camera to see every last detail.
Mix Genes
Take your sims through an infinite number of generations as you evolve their family tree.
Fulfill Dreams
Your sims now have a purpose in life. Do they aspire to a life of fame, fortune, family, knowledge, or romance?
Push the Extremes
Will your sims be left at the altar and need a shrink, or inherit a fortune and become filthy rich?
Unlimited Creativity
Generate unique sims with the new Create-A-Sim, packed with a vast selection of facial features, hairstyles, and outfits. Build dream homes and design neighborhoods with new building, design, and home furnishing options.
Revolutionary Movie-making
Make your own sim films with the all-new movie-making feature. Create the cast, set the stage, take control of the camera, and capture your own screenplay in action.
The Sims 2 (Mac) Specifications
The Sims was one of the most popular games ever made. In it, players micromanage the lives of a family of virtual people, or Sims, and influence their paths toward success or something akin to a nervous breakdown. Its open-ended blend of cartoonish behavior and everyday living is unique in an art form otherwise obsessed with carnage and sports. With
The Sims 2, longtime fans now have a deeper game with lots of ways to customize and share their experiences. The game will also attract first-timers because the goal-oriented gameplay and the luridly fun starter families make it easier to get into the action right out of the box.
Now Sims are born with the traits of their parents, families grow, and Sims grow old.
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The People in Your Neighborhood The game starts at the neighborhood level. Here you can create a housing development from scratch or start with one of three premade neighborhoods, each with its own theme. From there, you'll settle on a house and a family of Sims to control.
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| Create your own Sim (above) or your own house (below) from scratch with advanced tools. |
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Aside from the basic needs carried over from the previous game, Sims now have aspirations, wants, and fears. The wants and fears are the day-to-day things that occupy their minds, like wanting to see friends or get married and fearing death or being rejected for a kiss. Satisfy their wants, and they become more efficient at completing tasks you assign them. Realize their fears, and Sims become lethargic, cranky, and unresponsive to your commands. Aspirations are the big-picture things, like raising a family, becoming wealthy, and gaining knowledge. Succeed here and you'll be able to buy odd gifts for your Sim to improve his or her life, like a money tree that pays dividends or a "fountain of youth" water cooler.
What Else Is New?
Of course, you wouldn't be able to juggle all that if it weren't for the improved "Free Will" option, which makes it easier for Sims to fulfill their basic needs. The artificial intelligence of the game is noticeably improved; they won't turn on radios just as a family member is going to bed but, strangely, they do occasionally put their dishes on the floor.
Another big change in the series is the concept of the lifespan. Now Sims are born with the traits of their parents, families grow, and Sims grow old. Not only does this go hand in hand with aspirations (growing up is the first aspiration that a baby Sim will have), it provides a limited time with which your Sims can achieve their goals.
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| The Universal Control Panel helps you manage your Sim family. |
A Family AffairThe Sims 2 not only lets you create just about any type of Sim in any type of family, build elaborate houses, and even create a neighborhood from scratch, but it also allows you to start the game
in medias res, with premade households. These families all have backstories that are smart spoofs of soap-opera plots--lots of scheming, romance, ghosts, and family fighting. Parents of teens shouldn't worry, though, because nudity is tastefully blurred out and "woo-hoo" between Sims takes place completely under the covers. The ESRB has given this a Teen rating. If
The Sims 2 were a film, it would likely land between PG and PG-13.
The makers have included some nice tools to help share the universe you've created. For example, you can capture in-game stills and video to show friends the private moments, family interactions, and house parties of your Sims. You can even package a household to share as a blog or an album on a special Web site.
The Sims 2 is for patient gamers. Like life itself, the game is filled with mundane details, like getting ready for work and doing dishes. The game also demands a level of creativity from its players that the run-and-gun game genres wouldn't know what to do with. But those who stick with it will be rewarded with an absorbing, amusing diversion and a virtual family history that they've created themselves. --Porter B. Hall
Set Up a Sims 2 Machinima Studio
Amazon.com contributor Porter Hall reveals how you can make movies using the Sims as your actors. See his guide to setting up a Sims 2 Machinima Studio.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jun 13, 2010 20:22:05
