The Sims (PC CD)

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
The idea behind The Sims is this: the ultimate goal of life is to achieve happiness, and the way to achieve happiness is to satisfy your Sims' needs. That's right, The Sims allows you to create, direct and manage the lives of SimCity's residents. Each need (eg: Hunger, Comfort, Hygiene) can be met by interacting with other Sims or objects--throw a party with the help of a rocking stereo system, and watch your Sims' Social and Fun ratings improve.

Mismanage your new, simulated family, and you'll be faced with the worst of MTV's The Real World: jealousies will ignite, fights will break out, jobs will be lost and the house will fall apart.

One gameplay goal is to improve your Sim so he or she can climb the career ladder, which nets him or her more money, which allows the purchase of higher quality stuff. Eventually, your Sim will have a mate, kids and a mansion with an indoor pool.

Triumph or tragedy, each significant event in a Sim's life is captured in a snapshot and saved in a photo album for later viewing. Players can also take photos any time they wish and the best part is that you can upload the album to www.thesims.com and share your Sims' sagas with the world. Entire families can also be uploaded and downloaded, as can houses. Want to re-create and manage your own version of Friends? Download the free face and body editor and make Sim clones of Ross, Rachel, and the rest. With The Sims, you can create whatever--and whomever--you desire.

Toying with the lives, successes and emotional states of dozens of little Sims is undeniably fun--limitless gameplay, endless variety, cool Internet features, and the ability to play matchmaker/landlord/counsellor The Sims a great way to increase your own Fun score. --Mike Fehlauer, Amazon.com

Pros:

• Unique, addictive, fun gameplay
• Included photo album feature records triumphs and tragedies
• Free uploads and downloads expand the game and allow swapping with other players
• Sims are smart--it's sometimes best to just let them act on their own

Cons:

• Addictive gameplay may cause loss of sleep, job
• Complex behavioural modelling program--requires serious computing power
• No pets other than fish

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Customer reviews

review by: Always Smile! date: 2007-05-14 rating:
Fun does not cover it....
Not many would think of the Sims as a strategy game--maybe it is just a game to muck around on, running or ruining peoples' lives.
However, there is a strategic element to helping your Sims bring in the right money to run their household successfully, make friends and advance in the job ladder.

The game is fun for all ages; you create a Sim, or a family of Sims, move them into a house and decorate. Then the game seems to take over your life; keeping the family safe from fire, keeping them happy, answering the telephone when it rings in case it is a reward....

However, some material in the game may be inappropriate for children; especially when the game is combined with Hot Date (one of the many expansion packs). Some of it is slightly sexually explicit.

I would definitely recommend this game as it is addictively fun, and a great distraction!

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review by: date: 2007-04-30 rating:
Just The Introduction
I think that this game is brilliant and nearly everyone would love it. But I think that the Sims 2 is better. This is really good fun but the Sims 2 has features that don't occur in this one. So I think that Sims 2 is probably better, but if you like the sound of this one, you may as well get it.
In this, you basically create a family, move them into a house and control their lives. You can buy things for the house and also build extra bits onto the house. You can build swimming pools and things and you can buy over 150 objects such as TVs, hot tubs, beds, and so on.
This game is very fun.

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review by: Fluffy date: 2006-07-25 rating:
Only really good as an introduction now
I used to love The Sims (TS, for future reference) - it was the first PC game I ever bought, to be honest. But, let's face it, TS is now only good for one thing: as an introduction to it's new and improved (and I truly mean it) sequel, The Sims 2 (TS2, for future reference.)

Don't get me wrong - TS is a great game. There's something strangely satisfying in playing a simulated person for hours on end, getting them more friends, higher careers and more money. There's something strangely serene in simply watching them fall in love, marry if you're lucky and have a baby simply by kissing each other. There's something strangely pure in only ever being one age - adult or child - and they combine to make TS strangely good ... and I feel absolutely horrible for saying that a game that gave me nearly 2 years fun and happiness is only good as an introduction now, but there you go.

After the honeymoon period has worn off, you'll find yourself longing for more realism - you'll find yourself wanting your sims to grow up from being a child and have families of their own, you'll find yourself wanting to see generations of the Sim family, you'll find yourself wanting 3-D elements. These are provided ... in TS's sequel, TS2.

TS provides a solid foundation for TS2 - and, seeing as it's only £5 now, I'd recommend buying it simply to get this foundation and upgrade in time - but that's all it is now: an introduction. It used to be a great game in it's own right, but my recommendation for purchase now is purely to get to grips with The Sims Universe (it's got that advantage - simplicity) before playing the better version.

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review by: Cheese anyone? date: 2006-06-24 rating:
The game that started a new craze
After being voted counteless times during the late 90's as the best, the most popular, and recently the biggest selling video game of all time, its no wonder it gets so much praise. The Sims, quite simply, enables you to control and watch a group of 'sim'ulated characters in an environment you create. And thats why its become so popualar - its your creation. Unlike other Sims games, 'The Sims' can capture a variety of moods, from making you laugh when they do something silly, to even becoming frustrated when a baby just won't stop crying, the Sims has it all.
I would say I've pretty much grown out of the game now, as well as not having the time for it - it requires a lot of time and patience to eventually build up your Sims lives (without the popular money cheat) but you feel that in the end, it was all worth it, when you see what you created. You'll find that the times flies when playing the game, and the hours simply slide away - most common when you first start playing!
With expansion packs available, its quick and easy to give your sims over 100 new items with every pack you add, as well as new social options and much more. At first, you may be getting to grips with the 'many' items available, but in time, I guarantee the surroundings will start to become a little dull and bland, which is where expansion packs come in handy. But I'd say only go for them if you think yout going to be playing the game regularly.
While the game is mainly known for players using the money cheat to build mansions and muck around, its a descent game to play when your serious about it. But I've found now that even on a wet, rainy day, I find myself going back to it - it just never loses its spark! It was the game that started the a new craze, and its quality is still hanging on.


review by: itstim1234 date: 2004-02-24 rating:
The sim? The sims !
I have got a lot of pc games. Many are old and again many new. But i have had the sims from the day it came out and i still love it. The caritors are fun, graphics great and game play amazing. To begin with do not buy a exstention pack it is good on its own but i would get one after a few mouths as only being able to build 10 house is anoying and there are only so many items. all in all i sugest anyone with a pc should buy this its worth every penny.

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Similar products

The Sims: Hot Date Expansion Pack (PC CD)
The Sims: Unleashed Expansion Pack (PC CD)
The Sims: Makin' Magic Expansion Pack (PC CD)
The Sims: On Holiday Expansion Pack (PC CD)
The Sims: Superstar Expansion Pack (PC CD)

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Similar categories

PC & Video Games . Categories . Games . Simulation . Life
PC & Video Games . Substores . Content Stores . Brand Stores . Electronic Arts Games . PC Games . Strategy & Simulation
PC & Video Games . Substores . Custom Stores . Promotion Tree . PC & Macintosh . Games . Simulation
PC & Video Games . Refinements . PEGI Rating (age_range) . 12 years and over
PC & Video Games . Refinements . Platform (feature_browse-bin) . PC & Macintosh . Windows

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Accessories

The Sims: Hot Date Expansion Pack (PC CD)
The Sims: On Holiday Expansion Pack (PC CD)

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