Like most huge Sims fans, I've been chomping at the bit and cursing each push-back on the release date since Electronic Arts first announced the new version. Well, it's here in my house, it's been running since I got all FOUR! discs installed, and I think I'm ready to review it, reserving the right to update as I discover hidden features.

::: Installation :::

I can't talk about the game without talking about the great time I had installing it first. Seriously, four discs is no tiny install, and The Sims has never been a quick install with all the graphics and rendering engines. You need an 8X or faster CD or DVD drive and a minimum of 3.5 GB of hard drive space for an install that takes well over 20 minutes to get through. If you are planning on playing The Sims 2 for Windows on an older machine, think again, because the install alone might take you well into the following week.

::: The Basics :::

If you are new to The Sims in general, The Sims 2 for Windows follows the same basic premise: using either pre-fabricated families in pre-built houses, people you create in houses partially furnished, or started right from the ground-up, you control a virtual universe, keeping your Sims happy, healthy, and alive. From making them eat to telling them to sleep, to marrying them off and having babies, everything in a Sim's life is within your control, so if you've been nursing a God complex, this game will be your thing!

The Sims 2 for Windows takes the original The Sims and many of its subsequent expansion packs (the hottest selling PC games ever), and takes them to a new level with three-dimensional graphics, more powerful zooming capabilities, more things to keep track of including hopes, fears, and personal as well as professional aspirations. You are also able to build houses of more than two levels, have a town area and parties without adding expansion packs, and are able to select furnishings in more than one color option, once available only by downloading from fan sites.

::: What's Different? :::

Most fans of The Sims are wanting to know what's so different about the game that it took EA 8000 years to release it. The first thing I noticed was the zoom and panning features. You can get right up close and personal with your Sims, as well as swoop back to take a look at the entire neighborhood. An option is available to switch the camera angles back to The Sims if you long for a familiar look, but after an hour or so you get used to the new way of doing things.

Speaking of neighborhoods, there are three to choose from plus the ability to add more. Each neighborhood has a story about the residents already created there (for example, in Veronaville there is an updated version of the story of Romeo & Juliet and many, if not most, of the characters have Shakespearean names. Pleasantview contains characters from the original game along with some new characters, and is supposed to be taking place 25 years after the original game. Strangetown is just that, very strange, and probably more like the version of the original game once expansion packs like Makin' Magic were added.

One of the best additions is the ability to create houses and decorate the neighborhoods without using a family's money to do it. Want to spend a lot of time building and decorating? No problem. Build a dream house that your Sims can move into later when they've made their fortunes (although the money cheats are still out there).

The Sims in The Sims 2 for Windows have much more complex personalities and features. You can choose makeup, hair color, shape faces, and other features, as well as choose their personalities with more facets. You can select their aspirations (romance, family, knowledge, popularity, fortune or "grow up" for toddlers and children). Your Sim also has wants and fears, and points on their aspiration meter rise and fall based on these events happening. The game has gotten a great deal more complicated than just making sure that your Sim showers and uses the toilet, although those meters are still around as well, as are skill points.

New to your Sim is a fitness level. Sims who don't keep up their level of fitness will actually gain weight! The realism in the game is much more detailed. Babies are born, look like combinations of their parents, and grow into adults. Adults age, and you can end up with multi-generational families. Sims can get sick and pass their illness on to other Sims. Children who reach adulthood even have an option to "move out" along with an increase in options for just about every personal interaction. The time until an adult reaches "elder" status is tracked on yet another meter, all of which can be accessed with simple mouse clicks. You can, of course, freeze the aging process with a simple cheat.

Another new feature is the addition of career and aspiration rewards. When your Sims have reached a certain point in their lives, they are eligible for these awards, which can be added to their lot. I actually have one Sim currently working toward a money tree, which must be a great thing to have around the house.

I could cry with the beauty of the objects and design tools included with The Sims 2 for Windows. You can toggle between night and day views to check your interior decorating at different times of the day. A design tool allows you to access different options for build objects. A folder tool allows you to group objects in collections (say a whole group of downloads with an Asian theme), and an eyedropper allows you to quickly find a dresser and nightstand that match a bed, or a coffee table to match a couch. I could go on and on for DAYS about how much easier and more addictive build and buy modes are with the new version.

::: Sound & Graphics :::

Sound in The Sims 2 for Windows is Direct X 9.0 compatible, although you may find yourself having to upgrade to 9.0c to get everything running. Video has more options that you can shake a stick at, including shadows, refresh rate, reflections, and texture and object detail. I'm still trying to find a way to give me the option to have screen resolution greater than 800 x 600, but even at that low resolution, the graphics are crisp and clean and so much more detailed than the first version of the game.

Sound options are also plentiful, and allow you to remove music choices in buy and build modes, change options for stereo music, and adjust volumes and tones.

I'm running The Sims 2 for Windows with an NVIDIA GeForce 4 MX on a machine with an Athlon XP 2800 processor (2.08GHz) with 512 MB RAM. EA recommends a minimum of 32 MB of memory for your video card, and requires an ATI Radeon 7200 or greater, or an NVIDIA GeForce 2 or greater. I can tell you that on my system, it is hammering the living heck out of it, taking a long time for the game to load and even longer for the game to come back after it's hibernating while I'm actually doing something other than Simming.

::: Add-Ons :::

Fan downloads are still a big part of EA's plans for The Sims 2 for Windows but it will take a little while for most fan sites to start building for this new three-dimensional environment. EA's own site already has some additions available, as do some of the for-pay sites, but I've had so much fun just playing the game that I haven't even gone out looking.to see what all I can find. The nice thing is that with the color choices available for a lot of the objects, you don't feel as much of a need to find more items that go together for a cohesive decor. I'm also sure that since there aren't any pets or vacations included in the game that I can find, expansion packs for The Sims 2 for Windows can't be far behind.

::: Overall :::

My first impression is that The Sims 2 for Windows has met and exceeded all my expectations for the game. It was well worth the long wait, although I'm going to have a hard time convincing my husband that we need to upgrade the computer so it's not being hammered by my new favorite past-time.

Go out and get it. Then I'll have someone to talk to about it.

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Other Sims reviews:

The Sims Deluxe Edition
The Sims House Party (Import)


Recommended: Yes