The Sims 2

THE GOOD:
-The good real life situations.
-The graphics aren't too unrealistic and over the top.
-The fact you can use cheats.
-The way you have to earn skills.
-The children actually grow up unlike sims.
-Getting your sim promoted is really satisfactory.
-The expansion packs.
-You unlock new things so it doesn't get boring.

THE BAD:
-Slow loading.
-Expansion packs cost a lot.
-No online mode.
-The game doesn't always look that good on wider or smaller computer screens.

SUMMARY:
I think this game is really good for all ages. It doesn't get boring with the new expansion packs. Okay so I'm going to give you a tour and some tips.

You start off with three different neighborhoods which are: Veronalville, Strangetown and Pleasant View. Veronaville has a really entertaining Romeo and Juliet theme. With the two families Monty and Capp are biccoring over a broken promise. Obviously young Romeo and Juliet in love. Strangetown is well you can tell by the name strange they've got aliens and the works. Strange behavior goes on there. Pleasant View has includes the family of the Goths from the origional Sims accept Bella been abducted and you find her in Strange Town. Lots of love affairs going on in this town.

When it comes to houses you can either create your own house, buy one which is already in the town or you can get one and place it in the town area from the house button. You have furniture button when you move into a house which you can buy with different varieties you cab pick from. Some of it's cheap and some of it's expensive it deppends on how much money you have.

Cheats are very optional you can use them or you don't. Here are a few basic ones: kaching: which gets you $1,000, motherlode: it gets you $50,000, move_objects on: you can get anything when your on furniture mode to move even the sims themselves you can delete. But if you move to another house the sim you've deleted will be on the lot again. You can unlock more cheats when you get more expansion packs. To get the cheat bar up you need to press control+shift+C=the bar.


When you create a family you have button to press when your on a neighborhood. You have a wide variety of types of faces, colour of hair, different colours and types of eyes, different noses, colour of skin etc. Also you can have makeup, glasses, facepaint and all sorts of things you can unlock when you purchase new expansions. For example Bon Voyage: you unlock jewellery. You have a wide variety of outfits to start with you can also unlock more with expansion packs. When your choosing clothes there're many sections you have to choose for they are: Everyday, Formal, Swimming, Underwear and sport. When you pick an everyday outfit you can put two pieces of clothing together for an outfit or you can choose an already outfit.

Making a family you can either make your family when you create it or you can make the natural way! Generations are up to you can create a family and make it go on for generations.

Jobs and skills are crucial in the life of a sim you have a skill system you can build up point by point or you can just let your sim be skilless. You need skills for your job to get promoted. When you reach new levels of your job you get more money but you have to earn more skills.

Aspirations are important for a sim because when they grow up they need to have a good aspiration level so you grow up well. You have to get a good aspiration by granting your sims wants and avoid the sims fears. You have the apiration of earning money - this is where the sim aims to strive high in their job for more money and marry rich sims. There's the popularity aspiration where the sims want lots of friends and wants to be popular. Also there's a skillfull apiration where your sim likes to have a good range of skills and strive high with points. In addition there's the lovers aspiration where they like to have many love affairs at the same time. Last of all there is the Outgoing aspiration which you get with the Nightlife. This is the one where your sim is really outgoing and wants to do all sorts of fun!

The graphics of this game are definitel modern. They meet todays standards. They have payed attention perfectly to every detail. Nothing is pixellated. Accept the graphics don't always look perfect on other computer screens.

The plot is very simple. It fits well with the game. The characters are very self explanitary. You make your own characters; you do get some which are already supplied for you. Some are even from the origional Sims. In each neighborhood they have different characters with different personalities. With all sorts going on.

The audio is really clear. The characters sound real clear and life like. All animals sound literally life like too. The sound and the moving of the lips are synchronised with eachother.

The lasting value in my opinion is not huge! You do get a bit bored now and then. But that's because you're doing the same thing if you don't have an exciting family.

The game can get a bit repetitive. You do sometimes spend hours doing the same thing throughout the game.

There is a whole series tyed to this game they are called expansion packs. They all link well. And add more exciting things to the game.

This game does not have a online mode. Which is a shame because it would be so much better.

This game is yours to do whatever you want with it. Make your sims fly high with happiness or let them live rock bottom. It's your choice. I'd definitely recomend this game.