Believe it or not, The Sims 3 is already here, getting ready to suck up all your time all over again. Why are fake lives so much more fun than real ones?
After tons and tons of expansion packs for The Sims 2 comes The Sims 3, almost out of nowhere! This sequel looks similar to The Sims 2, but plays much differently. See what I mean in this review!
What's The Sims? I Live Under a Rock, So...
The Sims is a series of life simulation games, with an emphasis on making friends and advancing your career. You create a family (or lone character) and basically do whatever you want. I like writing novels while working a part-time job on the side, but you may try to become Mayor, and your friend may want to build a mansion. You can do anything and make your sim your own.
Some Big Changes
Moving right along, what does The Sims 3 change? Some big stuff: First, we can finally go between houses, stores, and work without any loading bars. You live a seamless town in which you can go anywhere! That means that all the sims that you aren't playing as are constantly growing and getting jobs and everything, making for a more dynamic town. Jobs are much more detailed now, with raises possible, and outside stuff you can do, like reviewing restaurants or working from home. The Young Adult stage of life (added to The Sims 2 in the College expansion) is here to stay, as are cars and bikes, which weren't in the regular Sims 2 game.
Final Word
The formula is still as addictive as ever, and the town is so much more alive now. You can go to chess tournaments or sporting events, or even the cemetery, which has some interesting secrets to it. The skills system is cooler now as well, having different skills for painting, writing, and guitar, instead of making them all better through the "artistic" skill. This is the sort of game that The Sims should be, with all the fixes that basically everybody wanted. Doubtless, we'll see a bunch of expansions now, to add shop ownership, pets, and what-have-you back into the game, but this on its own is a solid, balanced, fun game to play.
Rating:
Price: $49.99
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
