The Sims
- January 14, 2003 16:55 PM PST
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And you may tell yourself, "This is not my beautiful house! This is not my beautiful wife!"
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Let's Play House
Players control personalized characters in a suburban environment?you build your Sim, guide them through life, and try to make them successful and happy. As in real life, it's not always easy; you have to balance several elements at once, from the basics of keeping them clean and fed to managing their social circle and building their life skills. Get a Life, the single-player mission-based mode that PC Sims fans might think is heresy, actually winds up being an excellent tutorial as well as a fun, focused way to enjoy the game's charms (the PC's open-ended free environment is also here for those who want it). It's a tangible world, filled with high-resolution, realistic-looking objects, from bathtubs to backyard barbecues, and for the first time, they're all in gorgeous 3D. The game features several exclusive items as well as two-player mini-games and special objects?strip poker, for instance, is not to be missed.
World of Wonder
The 2D PC original featured easy point-and-click controls, and the Dual Shock is more than up to the task in the third dimension. Moving around, checking status bars, and interacting with the world is simple; only the building interface can be a pain. You may make walls at odd angles or accidentally delete a sofa or two before you get the hang of it.
While the controls and graphics both shine, the audio truly steals the show. The nonsensical Simlish language spoken by game characters may be just random syllables, but you'll swear you can understand it after you play for a few hours. And you will play for more than just a few?The Sims is one enormously addictive time sink. The world may never know what it is that makes lording over little digital constructs so amazingly interesting, but whatever it is, it's oozing out of The Sims.
Triangle, Square, X, and Circle of Life
With a powerful PC pedigree, the PS2 debut of The Sims had a lot to live up to?but the 3D upgrade captures the magic quite well, and console fans will finally understand what all the fuss is about.
