The Quadrangle

Issue date: 1/26/05 Section: Arts & Entertainment

The original Sims was an amazing development in recent gaming history. Not only was it the most popular PC game to date (not including the sales of its multiple expansion packs), but it was unlike any game seen before. Somehow, the developers at EA Games took the mundane activities of everyday life and created an incredibly entertaining piece of interactive media. For some reason balancing the tasks of going to work, cleaning the house, and changing diapers is fun only when done through a simulated reality. That little piece of gaming history came about in 2000, but its sequel hit the shelves just a few months ago.

The Sims 2 (EA Games, PC, $49.99) came out in the last quarter of 2004, and successfully improved upon its predecessor in every way. Every aspect of the game has been tweaked in some way, from the very detailed graphics to the neighborhood layout. But the biggest and best development seems deceptively simple: your Sims can age. What this does is allow for families to change and grow. Younger generations grow up and move out of the family home. They have their own children, who can still be visited and spoiled by grandma and grandpa. Eventually all Sims must die, unless of course, you know the cheat code.

As an inevitable part of the aging process, the Sims will transition from one age group to the next. Babies require constant parental attention in order to successfully grow into happy and healthy toddlers. This secondary crucial stage of life requires a different kind of attention, as parents need to teach their youngsters to walk, talk, and use the potty. After being taught these early life lessons comes childhood, teenage years, adulthood, and finally old age.

The second major change to the series is that each individual Sim now has lifelong aspirations. Fulfill a Sim's needs to create a happy and balanced individual. If your Sims fails to accomplish their dreams, particularly the more basic ones, they may potentially be driven to depression or even insanity. Depending on your choice, you Sim may yearn all their lives for material possessions. Others desire to get married and start a family. Certain aspiration types can be more challenging to manage than others. A typical family man, for example, can feel satisfied by helping his kids with homework. Others can be more difficult to keep happy. A Sim with a love-oriented aspiration meter will literally want to "woo hoo" with every other Sim they come in contact with. This is something much easier said than done. (And yes, "woo hoo" in Sim language means exactly what you think it means.)

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