Game Details :
Along with a full version of the main game, thepackage include ... more than 40 previously unreleased, holiday themedobjects, such as wreaths, mistletoe, colored lights, Santa Clauscostumes, fireworks, and lawn decorations. Also included are previouslyavailable objects of Easter, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Halloween themes.
The Sims 2, the first full sequel to Maxis bestselling original,updates nearly every aspect of the Sims experience, from openingpresentations to deepdown gameplay. The sequel features full 3Dgraphics, extensive new building and decorating options, and characterswho are far more realistically complex than those of the first game.The original Sims earned unprecedented success by encouraging playersto be creative and set their own goals, instead of asking them tofollow a script or work towards some ultimate conquest.
Most Sims fanseventually created entire neighborhoods full of unique little virtualpeople not to "win" the game, but simply for the fun in doing so. Aboveall else, this sequel is designed to encourage players to create theircharacters, houses, and neighborhoods with even more imagination, andin greater detail than ever before.Characters in Sims 2 lead fuller, more complicated lives, and they arenot immortal; they grow up, grow old, and eventually die (though gamerswho would prefer their characters did not age can enter a code to turnthis feature off). Sims have an average lifespan of about 20 hours ofplaying time, though characters who lead especially happy, successfullives may live to be older. For many, this mortality makes familieseven more important, since in a sense, characters can live on throughtheir offspring. Sim children inherit some of their parents' physicaland emotional traits, so a notable characteristic in an aging Sim mayreappear later, in his or her children or grandchildren. Inheritancegoes beyond mere genetics, however, and characters can share specialinterests and encourage positive traits in their children.
Of course,homes and other material possessions are also passed down and kept inthe family.Since Sims now have a lifespan, perhaps it is fitting that they alsohave life goals. Concerns such as empty stomachs, full bladders, or alack of entertainment still influence daytoday activities, but each Simis now more fundamentally motivated by one of five overall, lifelongAspirations: Family, Fortune, Knowledge, Popularity, or Romance. ASim's particular Aspiration is chosen when the character is created.Success is determined by a running tally of important moments andevents that move the character towards (or against) his or herparticular goal. Fortune seeking Sims may get points for earning apromotion at work, for example, while Family oriented Sims might scorefor spending some quality time with their children. If a Fortune aspiredSim is fired from his or her job, however, points are subtracted, justas if a Familymotivated Sim were to catch his or her spouse having anaffair.
Successful Sims enjoy long, fulfilled lives, while those wholose too many points may spiral into nervous breakdowns.Although it is likely that new expansion packages were being plannedbefore The Sims 2 even hit store shelves, certain favorite featuresintroduced in addons for the previous game are reprised in the sequel'smain game. Since different Sims players have different contentpreferences, three separate starting neighborhoods are included, toaccommodate different themes. Pleasantville presents the height ofsuburban living, where Americana ambles along at a comfortable pace.Eerie extraterrestrials still watch over the neighborhood ofStrangeville, however, and they may interact with its playercontrolledinhabitants, abducting stargazing Sims or even joining with them toproduce hybrid offspring characters. Meanwhile, in the soapoperaesqueneighborhood of Veronaville, the "Cap" and "Monty" families areconstantly feuding, even as their children secretly fall in love withone another. As always, players are free to step right into the middleof any of these impending melodramas, or create entirely new stories oftheir own imagination.
GameSpot Rating : 8.9
