Customer Reviews

The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition

5 star:		(121)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Well, after two days of owning Sims 2 I think that I have gotten enough play time in to write a comprehensive review. (...)

Alright, on to the review. I have both positive and negative things to say about Sims 2. Sorry, this is probably going to be a long review.

POSITIVE:

*Maxis has thrown a bit of Sim City into the mix. You can either play one of the pre-created neighborhoods or you can start from scratch. This option is fantastic! You can choose the layout, build houses or place houses already built onto the lots. No more wondering if you already have a house at lot #5 before downlaoding because you can place the house ANYWHERE you want!

*While playing the game you can connect to Maxis (if you have internet connection) and dowload new Maxis created items directly into the game.

*The Wants and Fears addition to Sims 2 is alot of fun. Even if they tend to get repetitive.

*It's alot easier for your Sims to Socialize in Sims 2. Now they will receive telephone calls from people who just want to talk, they can chat online and send and receive e-mails. Plus your Sims will sometimes bring people home with them from work or school. AND you can now socialize with (and even marry) what were previously non-interactive character like cashiers, the maid, and the paper deliverer.

*The Sims now have days off from work and vacation days. Needless to say, this creates alot more free time for your Sims to concentrate on other things.

*You can distinguish between family members and roommates. So no more awkward "Flowers in the Attic" moments.

*I haven't actually built a house but I love having the option of building more than 2 floors. Plus you can now shape the roof for more realistic and more luxurious houses.

*You can choose from a whole outfit or you can mix and match tops and bottoms. And with a mirror you can change the color and cut of your Sims hair and add and remove make-up and facial hair.

*Some reviewers were discussing the load time of Sims 2. I am running it on a Compaq Presario X1000 Notebook computer and so far the game has not crashed on me once. Furthermore, I haven't had any problems (crosses fingers) with the load times. I suppose the true test will be after I begin adding more objects, clothing, and genetics to the game.

*I was happy to see that you can still create community lots. Right now it's limited to basically parks, grocery stores, and clothing botiques but I'm sure restaurants and such will be coming with an expansion pack.

*Having your Sims age is a great addition to the game. Plus children now have alot more functions. They won't just stand around all day with their stupid "Ha-ha Who-who" and annoy the crap out of you (experienced Simmers know what I'm talking about). Ah yes, and teenagers can now get jobs! No free rides for for anyone anymore!

*The Sims act alot more natural in Sims 2. Like if one Sims is reading a book, they will look up if someone sits next to them, sometimes even talk to them. Their actions are much more fluid and natural and less robotic. In general, the Sims act alot more like real people than in the original Sims (it's especially noticable with the children).

*There are now little multiple choice scenarios that your Sims will experience. Your Sim will be given two or three choices and depending on which option you choose the outcome can be positive or negative. You could, for instance, be promoted for the choice you make or lose an entire day's worth of pay (These are just a couple I have personally experienced).

NEGATIVE:

*Creating family relationships isn't as liberal as I was expecting it to be. For instance, if you have an Adult Sim and a Teenage Sim living in a household, the Teenage Sim HAS to be the child of the Adult Sim. This was a problem for a family I was trying to create where a Teenage Sim lived with her Aunt. I haven't tested it yet, but it might be possible to do this the long way (create two sisters and a teenage child and whack the mother). I suppose it would just be easier if you could create them from the start. Same thing I noticed with an elderly couple whom I wanted to have an adult son and a teenage son. The only way to make the family possible was to make the teenager the son of the adult son :( But still, I'm thankful you can distinguish whether your Sims are roomies or siblings. It spares those awkward moments when your Sibling Sims start flirting with or making out with each other (Eww)

*The Sims age really fast! Luckily there's a cheat code you can use to turn off the aging process.

*Furnishings available in the game seem really limited and eventhough you can pick and choose from a variety of colors, nothing seems to match. Same thing with clothing. It seems like there's just like 10 outfits in 10 different colors. I'm sure Maxis is leaving this open for downloadables and expansion packs.

*Not all the modifying options available in Sims 2 Body Shop are actually available in the game when creating families. So I would suggest creating the faces for your families in Body Shop before playing the game and then they will be automatically added as a head choice in the game.

*For the most part, I am enjoying the 3D graphics. It took me awhile to get adjusted to the zoom, but now it's alot easier. The only problem I have is that some household items (like refridgerators and windows) don't go invisible while zooming past them and they can sometimes block your view. It's not really a big issue though.

So these are a few of my first impressions of The Sims 2. Perhaps I will write another review when I have gotten more play time in, but so far I am not disappointed one bit with my purchase. So, if you are a fan of the Sims or have just been wanting to check out what the buzz was all about, I would highly recommend adding Sims 2 to your collection.

The Sims dynasty continues with the release of Sims 2, the first real overhaul of the popular series in a long time. There are so many improvements, it's hard to know where to begin!

First, the graphics have been enhanced greatly. You begin by making your family, including all ages. You can tweak every aspect of your sim's appearance, from hairstyles to tattoos to a huge range of clothing. You can have your sims in love with each other, married, have kids and more.

The Sim world is no longer four-angled - you can do full rotation around in circles. The graphics are extremely impressive. The starting selection of items and decorations is extensive, but you know that in short order there will be millions of add-ons coming down the road :) So this is only the beginning.

I am THRILLED to find that they finally give you days off from work, and even let you earn vacation days, so that you can rest and relax in between your hard working day hours. The entire pace is much more balanced than the original game - you feel like you have plenty of time to enjoy your house and throw parties, as well as putting in the required hours at work.

Your computer in the game is far more useful now, letting you chat with friends, send email, order groceries, and even play SSX.

For hard core sims fans, the real glory comes in the fact that your characters actually go through a life cycle. They age (very slowly) and as they have kids, you watch the kids grow up and age, too. The kids even have the traits of the parents! So you can literally go through generations of sims, raising each one up.

In addition, each sim has one of five "lifestyle goals". Maybe your sim is after knowledge - or maybe they want the happy family life. Your sim could covet money or romantic encounters. Whatever it is that makes your sim happy, by hitting goals in that area the sim earns bonus points. So those sims who aren't happy with the 'career track' can still achieve kudos by working towards other aims.

Highly highly recommended for any Sims fan. It's just as good as the original Sims in playability - and far improved in many ways!

BTW: Check your PC against the game requirements before buying. Newer PCs should have no problem - in fact I'm playing it on my laptop - but ancient PCs might be unhappy.

This is in response to the person asking whether to buy the DVD or the CD version. First of all, make sure that you have a DVD ROM on your computer before you buy the DVD! I know that this seems obvious, but some people seem unsure. If you can watch DVDs on your computer, you can use this game.

There are two major differences between the DVD and CD version. The first one is that the DVD only needs one DVD to install, but if you buy the CD version, the game is spread over FOUR different disks. That's going to be a lot of changing disks when you install, but since they hold considerably less data than a DVD, that's how many are needed for the game. The second major difference is that there will be an extra CD included with the DVD that will have material not included with the CD version. There will be interviews from the creators and hints about building houses, creating sims, things like that. Nothing that you couldn't do without, but it would be nice to have.

Overall, I recommend getting the DVD version of The Sims 2, as long as your computer can read DVDs. They're the same price, and i imagine it will speed up loading the game (which judging by how long it takes to load the original and the expansions, could be awhile). Apparently they're only going to sell the DVD version as a limited edition available only as a preorder, so make sure that you order it before it's released!

The Sims 2 is another great Sims games. I rated Fun 5 stars & Overall 4 stars. I became addictied to the Sims when the first game came out & bought the first 4 expansion packs & then I kind of laid back & haven't played for a while. I had tons of fun & played for hundreds of hours but I just felt like it needed something a bit more & I had always wished to be able to build more levels. When I saw that they were coming out with The Sims 2 I was very excited. I played enought now to say that I'm thrilled with this game & I can see that I'm going to be addicted again. My wish came true & you can build multi-levels & there are many more options. I'll list some of the pros, cons & neutral feelings that I have below:

Pros:

* The multi-level homes.
* The fact that you can hire a nanny.
* The fact that your Sims go through different stages of life.
* The aspriations, wants & fears.
* More detail choices when creating the sims.
* Ability to make houses without moving in a family in first.
* Bigger Neighborhoods with more options.
* The fact that you can identify the relationship between sims.
* The eyedropper tool. If you already have something in your house & you want to add another you click the eyedropper & click the object & it automatically grabs the item for you rather then having to look through all the items again to find the same one.
* The fact that you get days off of work & school & vacation days can be earned as well.
* When they are at work now there bladders empty & the hunger is fulfilled. They finally realized they were entitled to a breaks. :)
* The family Tree.
* Career Chance Card. Example- My ambulance driver got stuck behind traffice & I had to pick for him to either drive on the sidewalk or carry the person. Depending on your choice it will either help you or hurt you.
* Rewards.
* Sims can get sick. 1 of mine had the flu & the wife got it as well.
* Some or all of your sims can move out.
* Your sims inhert money from others when they die.
* Ability to change clothes & appearances.


Cons:

* Still very slow to load.
* Slow rotations.
* The fact that you can't place object diagonally. Windows is a great example of something I would like to be able to do that with.
* Pools can only be square or rectangle.


Neutral:

* The fact that you have to call & order groceries
* Aging is too short for the the adult sims but a code can turn that off of you can get an item that slows down the aging process.


I have Windows XP & a pretty fast & current computer but the game is still very slow too load & a little choppy at times. We meet all the requirements so I'm not really sure if this will be a problem for everyone but I'm not going to complain too much because the game is very detailed & has tons of stuff to load so I'll just have to be patient for the loading. Other then that the game is very enjoyable & there are many, many more options. I highly recommend this game to fans of the sims or any newcomers. Can't wait for some expansions but in the meantime I'm still going to have lots of fun.

I ended up sharing in everyone's frustration and I didn't receive my game on time. (I ordered from another website, and I bought it in the store when I called and found out that they had 18 copies of the DVD version waiting on people to buy). Fortunately, I paid more for the preorder than I did when I bought it at the store, and I can return the other copy when it's shipped to me.

I haven't had a problem with loading times at all. I have a 1.8 GHz processor, with an ATI Radion 9800, 512 Megs of RAM and Windows XP Home Edition. I upgraded to XP Service Pack 2 and updated my ATI drivers beforehand (there's a version of the ATI drivers that says that .NET Framework 1.1 needs to be installed, and that's what I did). The game loads up in about 30-45 seconds on my system, compared with 3-4 minutes, if not longer, for the Original Sims. The only thing I had a problem with is a choppy video sequence with the EA logo and the initial SIMS2 title, but have not experienced any choppy video with sims moving around and changing the camera angles at the same time.

The only thing I would advise is...make sure you have the minimum requirements (there ARE some video cards where the game states that you need a 1.6 GHz minimum processor). Being several months ago when I learned about this game and I was upgrading my video card for other reasons, I made sure my video card was the one recommended for Sims2.

Overall, I like the graphics and the playability of this game (much smoother than the original and much better looking). I can't wait for expansion packs to come out of this game as well and will buy every one of them.

Here's a tip for those who didn't know... after the "EA logo", press escape and then you'll skip past the opening title sequence. That's how I got the 30-second load time.

I have been a fan of the Sims for a very long time. I have the orignal Sims game, and most of the expansion packs for it. I thought that the original Sims was incredible, intricately thought out, and deep gameplay.

When I heard about the Sims 2, I was excited. One the one hand, I have learned the hard way (a la Matrix) that sequels aren't always a good thing for a sucessful idea. But I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next generation in the Sims franchise.

I got the game, and I must say that I am not disappointed. In fact, I am amazed at how well thought out this game is. Maxis really out-did themelves on this game. They really sat down and thought about how to make this game better, not just change it or make it different. They took into account what players would like to see from the last version of the Sims, and incorporated that into this game.

What to I mean? Well, for starters, the game focuses more on social interactions between Sims. This means that the gameplay is more goal oriented than in the original Sims (in which the only goal is not to die). The new Sims now have wants and fears, and also aspirations. This also means that fulfilling the Sims basic needs do not consume the gameplay. You don't have to worry that just as you are about to propose to someone, your Sim stops and does the "bathroom dance" because nature is calling.

The Sim creation tools are far more advanced. You can really control, to a great deal of precision, how you Sim looks. The tools for picking facial features are really detailed. The clothes are much better in this game. Building houses has been further developed in the Sims 2 also. You can have decks, and build on foundations. The roof tool allows for more complex designs. The best feature of the building tools is that now you can build above two floors. Your imagination can run completely wild with this change in their rules of architecture.

The DVD version of this game includes extra features about the game, tips on movie making and general game play, and background stories. I really enjoyed watching the developers talk about what they've done to this game. They seem to be really passionate about the Sims, and dedicated to making a great game even better. One important fact--the DVD version of this game only works in computers that have DVD-ROMs. If you don't have a DVD-ROM, then buy the regular PC version.

Make sure that your computer is compatible with this game. It is wonderful, but it does require a lot of souped-up hardware to run. Extra RAM is necessary for good gameplay. 256 MB of ram is the minimum needed to make the game run, but having 512 MB will make it run more smoothly. Among my peer group, I am one of only a few whose computers are advanced enough to run this game. The Sims webpage lists the system requirements for this game. Check them once, and twice, and then three times squared to make sure that you can play.

I love this game, and as my skills at it improve, I enjoy it even more. I would definately recommend this game to anyone.

With the release of the complete sequel to the Sims (not another expansion pack). Maxis company has created a Special DVD Edtion of the Sims 2. In the DVD version, you get only one cd that carries all of the game, plus some useful interviews and bits of advise from the creaters. The creaters have advise on filming your sims, mixing genes, and much more. Besides the interviews, only one CD you have to download with, unlike the regular version, whihch has 4 CDs, and will probably take a lot of time switching CDs, you have only 1 CD and 1/4 the hastle, maybe less. Another great thing about the DVD Edition is that its a limited time offer, so it will be worth a lot in a few years because it is only accessable if you preorder the DVD Edition (which is first come, first get).
The Sims 2 looks like a complete sequel of the orginal. They have gone back to the basics, and from there improved all of the game, from things like toilets, and chairs to floor numbers, roofing, and ghosts. The game has been become greatly more realistic with the new aging process, and the new process of conception. In the new version, you will able to choose the color of furnature, so that gives you tons more options with decorating your sims' houses. Also, there are more furnature pieces, and new carpets, and wallpapers, so that means that rooms could take hours to do from all of the new options. Overall, the game is a great sequel to the orginal and the expansion packs because it has taken the best of these and improved from there.
The Sims 2 DVD Edition is a great buy. Even if you've never played the sims. The orginal game was such a huge hit and so addictive that people talked for ages non-stop about their sims and what crazy things he/she did. You don't want to be left out of the loop again, do you?

What an experience!!! After spending years playing the original Sims and all of the expansion packs, I really wondered what could be such the big deal. This game is simply amazing.

I really worried reading some of the other reviews from those who couldn't get the game to run right because my computer is almost two years old. But I checked the specs and I was okay. The game runs seamless, completely perfect.

To those of you whose games do not work properly because your PCs aren't quite up to it, I just want to say that I don't blame you for being totally bummed. I'm really sorry you aren't able to enjoy the game. But the game itself doesn't deserve terrible reviews. The game is just cutting edge, as it needs to be. The game is a technological upgrade and, therefore, has to be run on an equally cutting edge machine. I thought, perhaps, the game wouldn't run on my machine, but it did. However, I was preparing myself for the worst. I did, however, check out the specs before I bought the game and knew what the requirements were.

The graphics are fabulous and I was delighted by the intricate detail of everything from objects to facial expressions.

You can really get up close and personal with your people and this makes it a lot of fun. The aspiration goals are fun and its cool that they are constantly changing. I like how, after you fulfill a goal, the aspiration goal bar turns into a slot machine and spins out new goals. Very cool.

I didn't mind so much that there weren't a vast and endless array of stuff to buy. There is more than enough for now and downloads are available every day. I was checking out some really cool clothing on a download site today. Wallpapers, floors and objects will start surfacing and expansion packs will come out. There is more than plenty available in this game for endless creativity.

I am just beginning. I spent several hours on character creation and house furnishings, getting the house just right. After about two hours of actual gameplay, I'm totally hooked. There is endless stuff to do. I'm already up too late. . .

First, let me address my own system specs - Pentium 4 (2 ghz), 512MB of RAM, nvidia Geforce 5200FX video card. I upgraded my PC from 256 RAM and Intel Integrated video card specifically for this game. I paid $47 for memory from the Crucial Technology website and $67.50 for the video card from Newegg website. That was $110 well spent because I had no problems installing or running the game. However the one thing I will note is that at times the game will run a little slow and I will just exit the game and then restart it and it's fine. I'm not sure what causes that.

Second, creating a sim. I spent a good 30 minutes at least on this and I only designed 3 sims. You have the opportunity to create the EXACT look you want your sim to have. That is what takes up so much time, but I love it.

Third, game play. There are oodles of interactions your sims can have with other sims. The community in Veronaville is quite large. Strangetown didn't seem that big to me and I have played the first town - Pleasantsomething or another. TIP: If you play in Strangetown with Olive and Ophelia beware the 20 or so ghosts in the yard. At least 3 of them come out around 7 pm or so and walk around possessing different items in the house. They also scare your sims causing them to lose mood points. One time Ophelia even peed on herself. They also woke her up at different times during the night. Olive will die in two days, which is exactly when Ophelia becomes an adult. Actually, the grim reaper came to get Olive during the party and Olive's son Nervous was there and all but had a breakdown. He kind of wrecked my party score but then I sent Ophelia to talk to him and he kind of mellowed out. WARNING: If you build a pool or buy a hot tub the ghosts will trek through them and leave these horrible little puddles outside which DESTROYS the environment rating. Thank goodness for the MoveObjects on cheat to get rid of them. Or you could just have your sim clean them up but we're talking at least 60 or so puddles by morning.

Your Sims will encounter different situations at their job and you will be asked to make a decision for the Sim. If you pick right they may get a promotion or will get some simoleons. Pick wrong and you'll get the boot.

You can make friends much easier. Depending on how well your sims get along it may only take 2-3 face or phone conversations. If you don't speak to them for a while they'll call you and ask you what's going on. Sometimes they just call you to chat. You can get a crush fairly quickly as well by flirting enough times.

The 3-D view RULES. You can see everything on the lot. Everything is incredibly realistic.

The furniture can finally match. I'm not a huge fan of the wallpaper or paint though. I'm sure that will be helped with some expansion packs.

Your sim can email or instant message other sims. This is very helpful when you only have 1 sim.

Fourth, simology. Sims will throw horrific tantrums if they're not happy or if one particular need is not being addressed accordingly. I liked that Maxis made them so real. Sometimes it's almost scary to see how realistic they are but after all that's why it's called The Sims. You can see all of their memories good and bad as well as their body type. Even their family tree is available.

Overall I'm having a good time with the realism of the game i.e. buying groceries, filling aspirations. However I am ready for an expansion pack so I can get more objects. It does take some getting used to because you really have an objective now and a time frame to do it in. This is an upgrade from the original Sims game - and I do mean the original without any expansion packs. I understand people are not enjoying themselves, but if you're comparing the Sims 2 to the Sims with all the expansion packs it's an unfair comparison to make.

What I don't like are the existing community lots. They're not enough of them and they kind of suck. I usually just invite other sims to my house where it's fun. The only other issue I have is the phone rings a little too much at my sims houses. It drives me nuts sometimes.

The original Sims was the biggest selling game of all time, and from the looks of it, Sims 2 will be as equally successful. At its heart, the sequel is a bigger, better version of its much loved predecessor. The graphics have been updated, although it does require a faster PC, so the updated visual look doesn't come without a cost. The control interface is almost exactly the same as the old game, so Sims veterans won't have any trouble diving straight into the game. The user interface is incredibly intuitive, and cleverly designed. There is a much wider variety of music available in the new game, and it adds a whole new dimension to the environment that wasn't there before.

Due to the new graphics engine, houses look more beautiful than ever. One subtle example is lighting - when installing windows into your house, it's amazing to see how rooms can be perfectly lit. It's also much easier to create multiple storey houses than it was in the original game. So if you love designing the perfect abode, the Sims 2 is definitely for you.

The biggest improvment for the Sims 2 is how the new Sims interact with the environment around them. There's no more need for the user to micromanage every single aspect of their lives. If a Sim has an urgent need (eg. relieving your bladder, showering, etc...), they will do this without any user intervention. This frees up more time to focus on the fun part - seeing how Sims interact with each other. These new Sims have a much wider range of facial reactions and body language, so seeing them play patty-cake with one another can be quite amusing.

The new aspirations system is a new innovation that is well implemented into the game. I didn't find it at all annoying - it was actually an advantage for me to have goals that my Sim could aspire to.

All-in-all, the Sims 2 is an excellent game, that is a humongous improvement over its predecessor. If you're looking for an enjoyable open-ended game that the kids can play, as well as adults, then get the Sims 2 - you won't regret it.