Those new to the series will probably want to choose Story, since it offers far more direction and guidance than freeplay. The Sims 2 splits between two main game modes, Story and Freeplay. The system actually works great and it's a load of fun balancing multiple sims by constantly swapping control methods. There are benefits to both options (more later), and a huge part of the strategy behind the game is balancing these two options. Or we can go with direct control and use the thumbstick to move our sims just like in a third-person action title. We can choose the classic option, which lets us use the analog stick like a mouse and "click" where we'd like our Sims to go and what we'd like them to interact with. One of the new features that attempts to pull in these elusive players is a dual control scheme.
Still, the Sims 2 tries to get everyone to love it. Of course, it's an experience rooted in classic Sims gameplay, so those that didn't like it before may still be a little off put by it. On consoles, the Sims 2 offers a deep, lengthy and very rewarding experience for fans or those just getting into it. And after playing through the game, we can say there's definitely room for both versions of the Sims 2.
In lieu of aging, death and child rearing, the console version of the Sims 2 boasts a new story mode and a host of exclusive items and features that weren't in the PC version. To help make the experience more console-friendly, aging, death and child rearing have been taken out of the mix.īut that doesn't mean console folk don't get anything in return. Not all of these new additions make into the console versions.
Each Sim actually remembered social interactions, for starters, plus it also introduced aging, death and the ability for a Sim to produce offspring. Back on the PC, the Sims 2 introduced a slew of gameplay additions that made it superior to the original. Having said all that, the Sims 2 for consoles tweaks the old formula enough to offer an experience that feels different and fresh. And while taking care of a Sim's needs would be enough, each game has also packed hundreds of items to outfit, remodel and decorate a Sim's virtual home. Not to mention bills, broken appliances and other things we in the real world face every day. Plus, there's a sim's career to think about. These include the basics such as eating, sleeping and going potty, but also include complex needs such as the desire for relationships and wealth.
We still need to satisfy a bunch of needs for each character. It's still very much focused on the control and manipulation of virtual beings. Originally, The Sims 2 shipped for PC in September 2004 but now, as is tradition, it's headed for console land.īeing a Sims title, The Sims 2 doesn't veer much from the established formula. Numerous releases and iterations later, the most recent of which was the Urbz: Sims in the City, EA is set to release the latest console-specific chapter in the series, The Sims 2. Until one day it finally hopped over to consoles. But for the longest time the Sims was a strictly PC affair. That's what makes the entire series fun, and as fate would have it, very profitable.
The Sims series has always teased us with the ability to play God.