Released by EA Games, May 2004
Cost: The Sims 2, $39.99; The Sims 2: University, $34.99
Review by Steven Thompson, 15
Dear Kristin,
How would you like to buy a house, create a new college, and control your own family? What if you could do all of this while playing a video game in the popular Sims’ series? You could even play it with your devoted little brother: me!
I know that you are off to college this fall and I thought that you’d be interested in this game. It’s called The Sims 2. I would also recommend that you buy the expansion pack, The Sims 2: University. The list price for each one is about $40, but you can get discounts at some places, such as EB Games. If you buy the games used, you save a lot.
Like other games, The Sims 2 is a role-playing game and sequel to The Sims, which started a revolution when it was released in 2000. Six years ago, it managed to appeal to an immense audience of non-gamers which helped it to become the top selling PC game of all time. Within two years, 6.3 mllion copies were sold.Here’s how you play the new version: For Sims 2: University, you get to use a college that already exists or design your own. Next, you create or select a student whose destination is college. The next choice is the dorm to live in, and then the game begins.
The simulation involves everyday activities, including studying. There’s a study meter that logs your study time, which determines your grade, and whether you pass to the next class. By sophomore year, you can select a major.
Your education timetable depends on your playing time. If you’re on the computer every day, for an average of two hours, you could probably graduate in about two to three weeks. But it mostly depends on your motivation to complete the game.
I know that you’re thinking: ‘What’s the point to play, if I already go to college in real life?’ But you can play to see how you manage yourself in a computer game in college versus your real-life college experience. Or, you could pick a major that you would never select in real life, and this is a chance for you to see what it is like.There are some disadvantages with The Sims 2: University. It’s slow when loading unless you have a computer for gaming, and it’s not always fast when loading to get to another area of the game. However, the plusses outweigh the negatives.
This new version of The Sims allows for new facial expressions and body gestures. For example, the characters’ lips actually move when they talk, and when the Sims are playing video games, you see the action on the screen. The detail is so exact when the Sims are playing a two-player video game that their TV screen splits as it would in real life.
Perhaps the biggest change for the Sims’ series is the addition of DNA (computerized DNA based on how you create your male and female adults), which means you can create one male and one female adult, and make a child with both of their characteristics or DNA.
While the game looks simple, it can be as complicated as you want it to be. While not competitive, it allows players to gain knowledge of the Sims 2: University and elaborate on what they’ve learned. For example, when you first create a Sim player he or she has no skills. So if you want your character to be able to cook elaborate meals, then you have to focus on getting skill points in the area of cooking. If you don’t, you might end up with a fire in the kitchen.
After four-cyber years of study and a degree in hand, Sims graduate and leave campus life forever. They return to their original neighborhoods and get to start their journeys through adulthood. Earning a degree also unlocks new career paths in such areas as medicine and accounting, which are only accessible to players who take their Sims through college.Well, thanks for listening, I’m running short on time, but I certainly encourage you to buy The Sims 2 with The Sims 2: University. If I were to rate this game on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 9.5 because this game is fun and relates to real life. This is a game that I think you will enjoy playing with me or other people!
Your brother,
Steven
Posted 8-19-06
Copyright 2006 Y-Press
