The Sims 2

When asked what the best game I saw was after the first day of E3, I surprised even myself by saying Battlefield 2 AND Sims 2.  Sims 2?  How is this game of home economics supposed to compete with the big boys?  Quite easily, it turns out.  Just as the original brought new life to reality games, Sims 2 brings new life to artificial intelligence.  Ever see the flick The Thirteenth Floor?  In it, a scientist creates a societal simulation where everyone in its existence is the result of a computer program.  They walk around, talk to each other, form friendships, marry and have kids, even murder each other.  The developers of The Sims 2 have done something remarkably similar.  Eerily similar. 

Lucy Bradshaw of Electronic arts took me on a tour of her Sim life, and it began with a movie.  Sims 2 features a full movie making system that allows gamers to piece together vignettes from their Sim’s life, put it together in a short video presentation, and add text and icons for flavor.  It’s a recipe that will be extremely popular among Sim fanatics everywhere.  In her video, Don, her amorous Don Juan, was shown getting his hands and lips on just about every girl in the neighborhood.  He would go back to old flames, make new flames, and have some make-out sessions that would make Gene Simmons jealous.  The guy was a stud, and it was all packaged together nicely in the film. 

At the end of the film, she resumed her Sim’s life at an important point – he was stopped motionless above a pool in the middle of executing a swan dive.  Since we last saw him in his film, he settled down, got married, and had a son.  It was his son’s first birthday party, and all of his Sarah’s, his wife, family was present.  As she scanned the crowd, many things became obvious.  First, the graphics in the Sims 2 are unbelievable.  They maintain a cartoonish quality, but it works… VERY well.  It’s like watching live-action animation.  The second thing I noticed is the camera system.  Gone is the rotating ninety degrees and zooming in and out at stages.  This camera is fully rotatable and fully zoomable.  Everything renders spectacularly. 

Sarah, the red-headed green-eyed bombshell, was playing with her son while the other guests mingled.  As Lucy gave me a better view of the guests, it became quite obvious, from sight alone, that they were part of her family.  She had her dad’s nose and her mom’s eyes.  Her sister, also red-headed and green-eyed, had a different style, but there was no doubting they were sisters.  This is another fantastic addition to the Sims 2 – the idea of a family.  A second look at the son revealed traits from both Sarah and Don, who were both created by Lucy.  The Sims 2 passes on genetics to offspring, both physical and personality traits. 

A major problem Sims users complained about was the constant upkeep of their Sim.  They had to make sure they went to the bathroom, took showers, weren’t late for work because it took thirty minutes to do the dishes.  This time around, the Sims are much better at automating themselves.  EA wants Sims to spend less time with the day-to-day tasks, and more time enjoying themselves and their possessions.  The object of The Sims 2 is to help the Sims by “satisfying their life goals, dreams, and inspirations.”  Hence, the addition of the aspiration bar which (sort of) replaces the needs menu from the old Sims.  The bar is contains four of a Sims “wants”.  Depending on your Sim’s style (Don was a romantic), they will want different things.  Don yearned for chatting with female friends even they he had tied the knot with Sarah.  Once a dog, always a dog.  Sarah, on the other hand, had a familial style.  She longed to strengthen the bonds of her family by needing attention from her son, Don, and other family members. 

Aspirations are nothing without fears, and EA put these in as well.  One of Sarah’s biggest fears was the fear of being cheated on.  Meanwhile, in the other room, Don was seducing an old girlfriend and laid one on her.  Sarah’s sister entered the room, clasped her hands over her mouth, and ran off to tell Sarah.  Sarah was shocked (you could even see it in her face), and Don immediately ran to apologize.  Don’s old girlfriend gives him a kiss in front of Sarah and Sarah immediately collapses to the ground in tears.  Her greatest fear has been realized, and her emotions got the best of her.  Sarah’s sister starts a fight with the old girlfriend, and all hell breaks loose.  Sound like a soap opera?  It is, and The Sims 2 has captured it spectacularly.  Between the facial animations and complex bonds, The Sims 2 IS life.  Just as it was in The Thirteenth Floor.  But be cautious – at the end of the movie, the scientist who created the simulation realizes that he too is part of a greater computer simulation.  You’d better pinch yourself just to make sure.

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