GamePro.com Review

GamePro.com gave The Sims a 5 out of 5, stating " ... The game is so unique, so simple to understand, so easy to play and utterly enjoyable. It's destined to be a massive hit."

GamePro.com Review

The Sims

by Jason Samuel

Finally The Sims has been released. Questioning whether you should spend the money and get the game everyone is talking about? Ponder no more, we've played enough of The Sims to give you the scoop.

I finally got to sit down and play The Sims a few weeks ago and it has made me a true believer. The uniqueness of the game, the sound, graphics and the ability to control a little Sim life hooked me almost immediately. I found myself playing The Sims to the exclusion of any other game. I knew I had a Sims addiction when I told my girlfriend that my "hunger" need was low and that she should serve dinner.

Without a doubt The Sims is something unique. Even if you look at it as a sophisticated resource management simulator, it's the most original version of that model ever created. Not only original but also ingenious because of the simplicity behind it's concept. The resource players manage isn't gold pieces or Tiberium, the biggest resource is something we deal with everyday, time.

Time is the biggest challenge in controlling a Sim, there is just never enough of it to get things done. You'll want your Sims to make friends so they increase their relationship rating, but that means they have to call a friend and then spend time interacting, and that is time that could be spent studying for a job promotion, not to mention going to the bathroom, taking showers, eating, working and sleeping -- it's enough to wear a Sim out.

The learning process for the player is figuring out which activities can satisfy a need with minimal amount of time or satisfies two needs at the same time. And let's not forget money because that is one way to meet the time challenge. More expensive items usually satisfy needs faster, which gives you more time to engage Sims in other activities.

While graphics are a key component of the game, the sound often overshadows it. The Sims speak in this gibberish language that is extremely catchy. Some sounds instantly stick in your mind, like the jingles from TV commercials. I found myself at work singing along with a fake commercial in a language no one understands.

That's not to say the game doesn't have problems. The biggest of which is pathfinding, sometimes a Sim will waste valuable minutes trying to get past another Sim because the pathfinding code gets bogged down. Annoying when time is critical but otherwise not that bad. I would have liked more prefabricated houses because I didn't especially like building new ones, but I know some folks will really enjoy that part and new ones are going to be downloadable from The Sims website.

The overall fun of the game takes care of any of the bugs. The game is so unique, so simple to understand, so easy to play and utterly enjoyable it's destined to be a massive hit. Who hasn't wanted to be an astronaut or superstar, own a mansion, have a maid and live the life of luxury? Well if you haven't, you could always chose the life of crime path, live in your own filth and get into fights with the neighbors. In The Sims, you'll be able to live the life you chose.

For a lot of great tips on how to play The Sims, check out our ProTip Guide, with tips from Jason Samuel, Dan Amrich of GamePro and the Maxis development team, including Will Wright himself.