The Sims 2

If playing the divine hand to a house full of simulated people appeals to you, this is as good as it gets.

As fascinating as ever with new and improved possibilities. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Sims' lives tend to get more exciting and interesting than your own? [Nov 2005]

It may not be as deep as the PC version but compared to most console games, this one is a bottomless pit.

The best console rendition of the series yet.

It's a fun, funny and truly engrossing entry in the series.

A fun little game. It does a great job of keeping everything that made The Sims so interesting on the PC. However, the game isn’t as well suited for consoles as previous Sims games were. The removal of a real story mode is certainly a detriment. The actual gameplay is top-notch as always, though.

The Sims 2 might not be an incredible game, technically, but it's the stories that are written in your head and the situations that are thrown up as you play that make it a unique experience.

It's the ultimate in meta-gaming. Playing yourself playing yourself and it's worth the purchase, because it's different enough, even if you just spent the past year sitting in a computer chair playing a character sitting in his computer chair.

Die-hard fans will miss many of the features that have been omitted but with so many extras, options and new features this one will keep fans more than busy.

That's the thing about The Sims, if you want a gigantic, long term game that you can learn to love over many months and aren't fussed about a few flaws, this is approaching perfection. A great game for people who like tidying up and washing their hands 100 times a day. [PSW]

While many adherents of The Sims franchise will lament changes to the Story mode, The Sims 2 for the console market is a seriously strong entry in the series. It simply doesn't get better than this when it comes to playing god from a La-Z-boy.

Filled with neat innovations and bringing a real focus to its story-mode gameplay, The Sims 2 is the best console God sim yet. [Nov 2005, p.88]

Even with these new elements, the game isn't as dynamic or addictive as others in the series, but it does manage to find some identity amid its more familiar feature that Sims fans will certainly appreciate. [Nov 2005, p.150]

The dynamic gameplay, wealth of replay-value and solid presentation, make for a worthy experience.

For PC fans, the adapted control system feels awkward and the gameplay limited, and I suspect that console gamers who pick this up to “see what the fuss is about” will be confused as to why anyone could get addicted to a game with such boring A.I. and predictable gameplay.

You’ll notice such things removed from the game as the ability to create a child Sim, while new things like a partially locked catalogue and cooperative play were added.

The basic formula hasn't changed, and for some of you (including me), it's probably getting old. [Dec 2005, p.124]

The Sims 2 isn't the instant classic that the PC version became, but Maxis had to face a lot of issues when porting the game to the consoles, and aside from a lackluster story mode and less than ideal controls the game is still fairly enjoyable.

I'm ready for this series to advance its gameplay, rather than just continuing to add new objects and locations to interact with.

The replay in any of these titles is much less than what you would find with the PC version. The linear storyline, and structured game flow really cut down on the nearly limitless options that are at your disposal in the computer version of the Sims games.

There's still something addictive about this game once you get past the initially slow start. There are dozens and dozens of things to unlock, and charting your progress through the title really sucks you in.

The type of player who will enjoy this game is the one who plays to unlock things. This is your type of game, because there are hundreds of items to unlock and use, which you will have to work for.

Controlling other peoples' lives can get quite boring, as this sim doesn't give you a reason or motivation to do so. Lackluster effort, but good for a rental.

PC players shouldn't give up that version of the game for this one, that's for sure, but if you have a hankering to control the lives of fake people in front of your TV, then The Sims 2 for PS2 should fulfill that need.

It’s a marked improvement over the original Sims port, and "Urbz: Sims in the City," and you might find it to be right up your alley.

The Sims 2 loses something in translation from PC to consoles. Namely, its addictive, entertaining gameplay.

Sims 2 for consoles is definitely not on par with the depth and ingenuity that its PC sibling offers but it's refreshing to play a relaxed version of the game that doesn't require as much surveying and emotional input.

But the underlying gameplay and A.I. that made the PC version such a cohesive package is lost on this new generation of sexless sims, who care only for new rugs, expensive coffee tables, and balanced meals. They’re perfect yuppies, and perfectly boring.

Choose to ignore these (and other) oversights, persevere with the drudgery of the maintenance aspect (the bit where, in a more conventional RPG/god game, you'd actually get to do stuff, like solve puzzles or kill things), and there's a lengthy itinerary of tasks to discover and perform - something that still appeals to my completist urges.