Common Sense Note
Parents need to know these games let players have their Sims do any number of things, be it fall in love, eat breakfast, get undressed down to underwear before slipping into bed, kissing with someone on a couch, or getting into bed to "woo-hoo" with other Sims (nothing graphic is seen, however). The game does not contain any nudity, bad language, or any major scenes of violence. The game's "Crude Humor" warning reflects the belching, whispering a dirty joke to another Sim, or seeing your Sims use the toilet (though the characters are pixilated at this point, which makes them fuzzy).
Families can talk about why these Sims games are fun. What do you like to control about the lives of these little simulated people? How is their world unrealistic? For kids who have played other versions of The Sims, do you like this story-format better or not? Why?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Marc Saltzman
After selling 70 million copies worldwide since it debuted in 2000, Electronic Arts' The Sims series is now reinventing itself with a new line of products, designed to be more focused, story-driven games rather than open-ended life simulations. Called The Sims Stories, these $40 digital diversions for Windows-based computers follow the paths of specific characters and challenge you to deal with the life-changing events thrown at them.
The first in the new series is THE SIMS LIFE STORIES, which lets you choose to play as a young woman, Riley Harlow, who finds herself caught between a new beau and an old flame; or as Vincent Moore, a successful tech entrepreneur in search of someone to share his comfortable life. Consider Life Stories a romantic comedy. Each story takes place over 12 chapters, plus you can also choose to "free play," which is more akin to the classic The Sims storyless game play.
In case you've never clicked through a game of The Sims, you must micromanage the lives of virtual people ("sims") by having them eat when hungry, sleep when tired, develop relationships, and take on a job to make money so you can buy items to customize their homes. The game is viewed from an angled top-down perspective, but you can zoom in or out, or rotate the camera to get a better view of the action. You can also change the appearance of your on-screen character by toying with the game's intuitive editor.
The game mechanics work more or less the same in Life Stories, except you follow a specific story. For example, in Riley's tale, she first falls for the handsome Mickey Smith, with whom she spends time with watching TV, playing darts, or enjoying a quiet dinner at the nearby Starlight Cafe and Market. But she soon finds out an old boyfriend is back in the neighborhood. At this point, it's up to you to decide how it all plays out. Each decision affects the story. For example, your advances on Mickey upsets a jealous friend, Agora, who chews you out for pursuing him, and storms out of your aunt's house, where you're staying. This isn't the end of her.
Similar to past Sims games, much of the humor lies in the gibberish language spoken by the sims, along with the cute animations, such as tickling someone, tossing out a stinky bag of trash, or the pixilated body parts when your sims need to use the toilet.
Life Stories offers a fun twist on the tried-and-true Sims gameplay, but the game isn't perfect.
For one, a number of artificial intelligence problems can disrupt the experience. In one scene, Vincent called a lady friend over to the house, and although she said she'd be right over, she never came. A pop-up window appeared five minutes later, however, which suggested you invite her over.
In another instance, Riley was just picked up in a car for work, but before it drove away, the carpool driver kept honking the horn for her to come out of the house.
Another problem is related to time, which sometimes seems out of sync in the different locations. It was after 2 a.m. at a nearby park, so Riley was instructed to go home and to bed because she had to work the next day, but when she arrived home it was only 10 p.m. Other odd behavior might also be fixed with a downloadable update from EA: Riley can serve drinks at a house party in her underwear, yet her guests don't say a thing. She can sweet talk with her new beau Mickey and give him romantic hugs, but when she tries to hold his hand, he freaks out and walks away.
Despite these shortcomings, Life Stories is a very fun game, whether you've played any of the past Sims games or not. In fact, you may find that you're more interested in what will happen to your sims than you are willing to admit. Electronic Arts may have another hit franchise on its hands. The Sims Pet Stories and The Sims Castaway Stories are ship in summer 2007 and winter 2007/8, respectively.
For a simpler people simulation that is more appropriate for younger children, check out Virtual Villagers.
Reviewed: 02/20/2007
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Sexual ContentWhile not graphic, Sims can get kisses, hugs, and end up in bed together. |
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ViolenceSims characters can push, shove, and slap other Sims, depending on the situation. |
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Social BehaviorSims characters vary greatly in personality, appearance, and social behavior. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoPlayers can purchase a bar for their home, have a party, and serve drinks. |
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