Welcome to the Sims 2; not simply a strategy game but a world that is guaranteed to suck you in and really test your gaming skills. As the graphically superior sequel to Will Wright’s ‘The Sims’, this game was released in 2000 and has sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.
The Sims 2 is all about family life and getting your Sims to a place where they are happy, successful and fulfilling their wildest dreams. By customising your Sims right down to the tiniest details such as eyebrow colour and facial hair and placing them in a house (which can be refurbished) you assume control over every aspect of their lives. Using the navigation bar to buy and sell items, monitor their needs (e.g. the bladder bar which will turn red the more they need the toilet) and watch them grow, you can create whoever you choose. Simply click on an item or click within the environment to make them perform an action and interact with other Sims to form relationships. Sims are capable of falling in love, going insane, having children, feeling jealous and even death so watch your actions!
Maxis and EA Games have merged not only to bring you The Sims 1 and 2 but also an amalgam of expansion packs to add to each game. Expansion packs give the player new content (e.g. furniture and appliances), new neighbours and new game play goals. For instance, The Sims 2 Pets expansion pack allows your family to adopt a cat, dog, hamster or parrot which you may train, look after and even find a job for.
There are eight Sims 2 expansion packs to date, all of which can be used at once. So while you may get carried away with the possibilities, remember that each Sim is unique and their life could go anywhere. Their fate literally rests in your hands!