The Sims 2: Pets

December 1,2006 -

As franchises go, The Sims sometimes plays the part of Mega Man, introducing new add-ons and semi-sequels every few months without a substantial change. Yet in this spirit of “try until we succeed again,” EA has actually hit one out of the dog park with the new Sims 2: Pets.

The premise is actually very SIM-ple for anyone who has played the best-selling franchise at any time on any platform. As usual, the player controls one or several characters picked to live in a house to find out what happens when people playing fictional science-fiction characters and start playing real. The general daily activities of any Sim range from making a roast to telling a joke to the neighbor to working all day as a teacher or B-movie actor. As the Sim-master, the player can design the house of the Sim and fill it with furniture and activities, which the Sim residents will use to fulfill their desires and needs. It is the balancing of these needs that makes up the true mission of the Sims; keeping everyone happy. Between watching TV, socializing, eating, using the bathroom and sleeping, the player has a true balancing act to keep things going smoothly to prevent a move-out or break-up. Typical Sims fare. 

But Sims 2: Pets adds a fuzzy and loveable aspect to the game. By adding a dog or cat to the family, Sims may now interact in a whole new … well, a reasonably new way. Pets, which are designed in the same creation system as Sims, have personalities and traits which make them more and less inclined to love their family and friends. Acting more like a neighbor than a housemate, pets meander about the house using their litter box or playing with strays who wander into the homestead. Instead of controlling the actions of the pet, the pet gains happiness and skills through interaction with the main Sims. Every time Joe Sim wiggles his finger at Mitsy, or Molly Sim throws a ball to Fido, the pet's happiness increases. Teaching pets tricks and increasing their happiness unlocks pet points and new pet toys and accessories to purchase in the Build Mode. The game also has a pet park where players can bring their favorite dog or cat to play. 

For those who haven’t seen a Sims game in a few years, surprises await. Though designed originally for the PC, EA has done an amazing job of adapting the complex menus systems and control options to the console. Interfaces are surprisingly intuitive and graphic-based, which makes surfing for new products or choosing new outfits a breeze. The actions of the Sims are easily controlled, and camera controls are surprisingly smooth even without a mouse. More to the heart of things, the humor of the franchise is intact and as wonderful as ever. 

Graphically, the Sims has nary an impressive moment. To be fair, the animals actually look surprisingly life-like in their motions, and the customizations are well-rounded. However, the game suffers for its use of small thumbnails of products and designs, forcing players to access each product individually to see how it will actually look. Loading these skins causes the only true delay in the game, which often leads to players giving up on their search for the perfect hat for their pet. On the other hand, the shopping and character creation menu soundtrack is wonderfully upbeat and never gets monotonous, and the Sims still maintain their loveable gibberish speech and life-like sound effects, including every meow and scratch a real life cat could handle. 

It’s harder to dislike the Sims 2: Pets than it is to refrain from making animal sound puns throughout a review of the game. The Sims has remained a powerful franchise for one reason alone – pure and simple fun. The console version of this franchise remains tight and good-looking, and the years have been kind to players as unnecessary bits and pieces have become simplified and naturally meshed into the fabric of the gameplay. Sims 2: Pets provides all the cuteness and gimmick of Nintendogs with the added bonus of cats and quality Sims gameplay. Ultimately, there’s something completely satisfying and entertaining in creating a real-life house in a Sims world and finding out what truly does happen when pets stop being polite and start getting real.

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