The Sims 2

THE BAD:
-Need more advanced video card, RAM upgrade etc.
-Big house + Lots of sims = Lag with lower end computers

SUMMARY:
Overall this is a good game for those who love to play simulation games and is a major improvement on the original sims games. Better graphics and better in game features and gameplay makes this a good game but be warned you need to have a computer that has high settings to deal with the new higher graphics.

The extra details such as the aging process and the ability to talk and have relationships with household staff, and other details as reflections in mirrors make the game just that little more realistic.

The create-a-sim options have increased as you can change almost every detail of your sim to make them more interesting and in this game you can make a sim more like yourself. Unlike the original sims you can now choose to wear a whole outfit or choose a different top and bottom. You can choose your sims make-up, give them glasses, face make-up. All the new details you can give to your sims make each sim more unique.

The new building tools that are added make your house more unique. You can choose new roof styles and colours. There are more styles from country themes to modern themes. You make the ideal dream mansion or a tiny little house.

The communtity lots are a good place to meet new sims and buy those all essentials such as new clothes and groceries. The base game allows you to visit these community lots unlike the original sims as you needed hot date to go to a communtiy lot.

The new camera tools are great as you can look at your sims from pretty much any angle you wish, unlike the original 4-point rotation. You can tilt the camera up or down and zoom in as close as you want and soak in every detail of your sim. If you enjoy making stories with the sims then you will find that you can get some great pictures from different angles and zoom distances, so you can get that perfect picture and capture those emotions.

The aging process is one of the key feature that many people look at in this game as it and a lot more realitity. Your sims can now age from a baby to a toddler to a child to a teen and then to adult followed by elder. In each stage there are special memories which your sims can gain. As your sims age they will have memories of certain events such as brithdays and getting that job they wanted and retiring.

Overall this game is a good buy and when combined with the new expansion packs or just on its own this makes a great game.

THE BAD:
-Higher graphics means a better computer.
-Unable to minimize, to do other tasks.
-Even with a good computer, big house, lots of items, lots of Sims, really eats away at your computer's performance.

SUMMARY:
The base game, by itself, is by its on right a fantastic game. There are so many new features, that simply bring the game to life.
You can now become a friend, or a best friend. Have a crush, or fall in love. Also if you choose to get married, you won't suddenly get dressed in clothes and do it right there and then. If you propose you'll be engaged and have the opportunity to plan your wedding with a wedding cake and audience.
Also pregnancy has changed. It won't ask "Do you want a baby? Yes or No?" You will actually go through a whole stage of pregnancy, with morning sickness and maternity leave. And the graphics add to this realism.
Also you'll go through a whole lifetime. From baby, to toddler, to child, teen, to young adult (with Sims 2 University), to adult, to elder. The realism is really to be applauded.
And to keep you occupied even further, there are now aspirations! These are things that your Sims craves for in life. Whether it is fortune, knowledge, romance, family or popularity. And depending on what your aspiration is, determines what job your Sim wants.
There are so many improvements, from the first Sims, and it doesn't just stop at the game play. There are also improvements, in the building options. You can now build foundations, change the terrain and much more. With over 2500 building options, your architectural ideas, will come true.
And if you get bored, then there are many expansion packs which will keep you occupied even further. They give you items and extra feature which will keep you occupied even longer.
There is so much detail, that will keep you entertained for hours on end, and even more after that. Truly and fantastic game. The only real problem is the high graphics, slowing down your computer. But if you have settings on low, it can still run pretty well.
This game defines what Sims is. The intricate game play and details, that make the whole experience, like your life within a computer.

THE BAD:
~Harder to generate relationships.
~Harder to build.
~I think you need to have a graphics card on your PC to play this.
~If you have an old, slow computer ,it takes about 5 minutes to load.
~Can get boring if you don't have any expansion packs.

SUMMARY:
Overall, this is a VERY good game .It is best played with Windows XP or Vista. If you liked the first Sims, you should definitely buy this. It is far more realistic than the Sims 1.There is something included in the game called Sims 2 bodyshop, where you can create your own clothes, skin colours ,and other genetics.

You can generate more realistic relationships between Sims. You can now become best friends with another sim, and marriage is more fun, as you can throw a wedding party with a wedding arch, bottles of wine and even a cake.

There are ways you can create funny, weird or cool glitches, but some may harm your computer, and maybe even your game. There is one certain cheat that you can do just about anything with, but it is rumoured to be dangerous. It has never harmed by computer, though some items in my game sometimes need to be deleted because of 'error' messages. This may have something to do with the cheat.

With the new movie-making tool, There are ways you can create extremely professional looking music videos, and the only thing you need is Windows Movie Maker, but the quality can be quite bad with this. There are lots of videos on video sites where you could get ideas.

There are ways that you can listen to your own music on the Sim characters CD players, watch your own video clips on their televisions, and put your pictures/photos on their walls! These are very effective for creating families of your dreams.

This game is rated as a 7+ (Well, It is in the UK, I'm not entirely sure in the US). If you want my personal opinion, this is unsuitable for anyone under twelve, as you can "Try for baby" in a bed and hot tub, and the bed/hot tub shakes ,etc. There is some comic violence.

THE BAD:
The bad is that your computer needs to be a super computer to play it at top performance.

SUMMARY:
Well, firstly it takes a super compuiter to play this game at full, but even my crumy laptop can keep it going smoothly at a lower mode! So don't be thrown off by that!

Secondly, the aging, many say it's to short, well guess what, with the game, they provide a cheat and instructions on how to use it so you can stop aging, thus, keeping your sims alive, or as many do, turning aging off for all days apart from 1 day, thus making an adult around for 25 days before it becomes an elder!

The growing up is also better! You can use any bed, and then "Try for a baby", and there is a chance you will get the women pregnant, but since this is like real life, there is a chance you get nothing, but anyway, there is morning sickness, and a different walk for the mother-to-be and also the need bars go down faster! Soon you will have a baby, who will need constant supervision then a todler who, if you buy them toys, can look after themselves, but still need to be washed and feed and put to sleep by someone else, then you have a child, then a teenager going through puberty, then an adult, or if you have the university expansion pack you get something else between teenage years and adult years, then after adult years you get elders who then live for a differing amount of time! There are also many more features, but I won't spoil them for you, because you will want to got get it....

If you:
Like sims 1: buy it
Sims 1 = ok: buy it
Didn't like sims 1: buy it
Hate simulation: buy it
Really hate sims: think about it!

THE BAD:
It keeeps you playing for too long.Like Years and Years and Years.You need to have a very powerful computer to play this at its best.The Loading screen takes too long and yu are left waiting for ten minutes.

SUMMARY:
You can make yourself and see what you might look like in like forty years or twenty years.This is actually quite a good game but i dunno its too addictive.Well at least it is better than the Sims 1,except you cant get any expansion packs for it.


Overall this is quite a good game but it takes too long to load.

THE BAD:
There is only one thing...you know,I wish there were more age groups.You can make toodlers,then kids.But what if I want to make a kid about 7 years and other about 12 years?So there isn't option like that.That's the only thing.

SUMMARY:
This is the best game!You can really enjoy while playing game.Make your own neighborhood,your own Sim,everything!This is one of the most perfect games ever!And I really like because you can now meet mail-man,maid and other people.I think this the one of the game that will probably stay on the top.This was really a good step to victory for people who made Sims 2 because it's really better than Sims 1.

THE BAD:
I don't know about others, but sometimes it runs kind of slow and it take for ever to get to the community lots. I also don't like how if you want to change your Sims clothes you have to go buy them which means for me I have to wait forever to load the communtiy lot that I choose to go to. My computer did meet and even go pass the system min requirement, My friend says he has the same problems as me although he does have nearly the same computer as me. So I dont know..

SUMMARY:
Over all it is a really great game. I loved the Sims so it was a given I would love this. The aspirations add a little more variations to the game. Also the generational thing is great. The transfer of DNA is really cool too, but sometime the kids turn out really weird looking(LOL). I think the was I great improvement for the Sims1 because now the Sims know who there family is.
Sorry if I rambled on too much about my comp. problems above, sometimes I get carried away...

THE BAD:
~3D is really hard to control
~ Slow

SUMMARY:
Ok, this game is soooo cool. There are more goals to accomplish, you can create big family trees, and a lot more.

*~*:*~*FAMILY*~*:*~*
~ Make family trees and connect people by marrage, siblinghood( is that a word?), or parents.
~ Tons of new ways to alter faces, cloths, and hair.
~Have a baby! Or adopt!
~ you can now... "woohoo" in bed
~Teens can go steady
~Wanna move out of your parents house? You can!

*~*:*~*Jobs*~*:*~*
~you can be promoted or demoted depending on choices you make
~Maternity leave
~ Vacation Days
~you don't work every day!!!!

*~*:*~*New Features*~*:*~*
~ Aspirations, wants and fears!( tasks to accomplish to get points and buy special items.Example: Invite someone over)
~you pick a formal outfit, bathing suit, underware, everyday and work out cloths, If you want more choices you can go to the store and buy cloths.
~Buy magazines, video games and grocerys.

Any questions???? PM me!

THE BAD:
*that Stupid underbeat in that stupid song in buy mode....grrrrr
*There are limited lots downtown which you CAN build more of but that wastes time in my opinion.
AND
*I cant bring myself to dis my favourite PC game any further! There ARE no other bad things.. this game RULES

SUMMARY:
The good in this game heavily outweighs the bad. There is not enough room in any review to write about the pure genius of this game. Sadly, there ARE not enough copies of the SIMs2 on the planet for everyone, so be quick!! go out and get one now! It will be a decision you will not regret. Unlike most racing or adventure games, there is NO END to the Sims2. Each sim is unique. Each GAME is unique! and even your own uniqueness is shown in the hours and hours and hours and HOURS of gameplay. Once bitten, there is no vaccine for the Sims2 bug. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!!