Ubernerd
09-12-2009, 11:56 PM
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/5057/sims3boxpng.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/i/sims3boxpng.jpg/)
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Developer:
EA Redwood Shores
Genre:
Virtual Life
Release Date:
Jun 2, 2009
ESRB:
TEEN
The third installment of the famous Sims series, can it live up to the high expectations? Read on for the full written review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right from the start, you get a clear idea of the level of customization available. Everything can be tailored to your specific tastes, from your Sim's hair to their clothes and even how fat or muscular they are.
You can have a fat and shy Sim, who spends his time alone in his home writing poetry and chatting online. Or, if you prefer, you can have an athletic and outgoing Sim who jogs around town all day and is always the center of attention. Not interested?
How about a strictly professional woman, whose only dreams are to climb to the top of the corporate ladder? A self-centered egomaniac who wants to be a scientist? A bum who stands on the street corner begging for change?
If you can imagine it, you can create it. The best part is...it's really, really easy to do.
With a few clicks you can make a new outfit for your Sim. Say you want them to look sexier, or more intimidating. Easy, just scroll through the large amount of clothing available and pick out your favorites.
Once you have the basics picked out, you can tweak the color and pattern to your heart's content, or simply leave it at the default. Your Sim can look as realistic or ridiculous as you choose. Here are a few random Sims I made:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8668/screenshot17qk.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/screenshot17qk.jpg/)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5954/screenshot18h.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/screenshot18h.jpg/)
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6790/screenshot19l.jpg (http://img38.imageshack.us/i/screenshot19l.jpg/)
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6546/screenshot21nc.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/i/screenshot21nc.jpg/)
OK, so now you've got yourself a Sim that's styling. Or maybe they look like a complete dunce, whatever. Now comes the real fun; choosing the underlying personality traits that will affect your entire game.
This is a list of all possible traits:
Absent-Minded
Ambitious
Angler
Artistic
Athletic
Bookworm
Brave
Can't Stand Art
Charismatic
Childish
Clumsy
Commitment Issues
Computer Whiz
Couch Potato
Coward
Daredevil
Dislikes Children
Easily Impressed
Evil
Excitable
Family-Oriented
Flirty
Friendly
Frugal
Genius
Good
Good Sense of Humor
Great Kisser
Green Thumb
Grumpy
Handy
Hates the Outdoors
Heavy Sleeper
Hopeless romantic
Hot-Headed
Hydrophobic
Inappropriate
Insane
Kleptomaniac
Light Sleeper
Loner
Loser
Loves the Outdoors
Lucky
Mean Spirited
Mooch
Natural Cook
Neat
Neurotic
Never Nude
No Sense of Humor
Over-Emotional
Party Animal
Perfectionist
Schmoozer
Slob
Snob
Technophobe
Unflirty
Unlucky
Vegetarian
Virtuoso
Workaholic
You can choose any five of the above to define your Sim, as long as they don't directly clash. For example, a Sim can't be both "Good" and "Evil".
Once you've got your Sim all set to go, you can give him or her housemates, and then even set up their relationships with each other (housemates, spouse, child etc.)
The game then lets you move them in to one of several homes, as long as they can afford it. Once moved in, you get to see the Sims up close and personal, and start to get an idea of the graphics.
This is where the game merely treads water. The visuals are at times very nice, and at other times, pretty average. Effects and character models are beautifully rendered and detailed, but little details on household objects really lack any real effort. This is most evident when your Sims are cooking - their meals look slightly less than appetizing.
After you get used to the controls, it's time to start living. One of the first "wants" your Sim will have will be to get a job in one of several fields such as medicine, sports, science, music, or even crime. The job they want depends on their personality (athletic Sims want to join the sports career, evil Sims want to be criminals, etc). You can get a job by going to the actual place of business and applying or looking through the newspaper. You can also look online, if for some reason you buy an expensive computer early in the game.
After you get a job, you start to get into a loose routine. Your Sim will get sleepy about the same time every day, they'll get hungry at roughly the same times, and they'll need to shower at the same time. This might sound boring, but TS3 manages to take mundane tasks and make them thoroughly enjoyable. It's worth not speeding through some activities just to watch your Sims do what they do. When you have free time though, there are a lot of things you can do to keep your spirits up or keep relationships strong.
You can:
Play video games (deja vu)
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/647/screenshot3gt.jpg (http://img38.imageshack.us/i/screenshot3gt.jpg/)
Or share some juicy gossip
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9403/screenshot10yh.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/i/screenshot10yh.jpg/)
Or anything else you want.
Jobs and routine covered, your Sim will definitely have wants that don't involve working, unless they have the Workaholic trait. These wants could be simple things like eating a favorite meal or chatting with a loved one, or more life changing wants like having a baby. You can promise them a want, and when it's fulfilled, they'll get a mood boost (through the "moodlet" system, explained in the next paragraph) and earn Lifetime Achievement points. These can go towards special bonuses like being a great party host, never boring a conversational partner, being able to slack off at work without anyone caring or larger ones such as hardly ever needing to eat, shower or pee. The more worthwhile the reward, the more points you need, with little ones being 5,000 and the largest being 30K if I remember correctly.
One last important thing I should cover is moodlets. Moodlets are your Sim's perception of events, and how it makes them feel. If your Sim is complimented, they'll be happy and receive a small mood boost for a few hours. If the boyfriend they've been dating since high school breaks up with them, they'll probably break down into tears and be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
That's about all I can reasonably cover in a single review. There are many, many things I left out about the game, but this review covers the basics and some slightly more in depth stuff.
The bottom line
Storyline: N/A
You create the story, so it's as good or bad as you make it.
Graphics: 8/10
Good at times, mediocre at others.
Sound: 9/10
The Sim's language of Simlish is charming, music is entertaining and sound effects are clear and realistic.
Replay value: 10/10
Complete open ended gameplay means you'll never have the same experience twice.
Innovation: 9/10
Breaks some new ground while retaining the parts that have been proven to work.
Overall: 9/10
If you have any questions, please ask and I'll add them to a Q&A section at the bottom of this post.
Q&A!
Q: Can you walk freely, like in 3rd person.
Or....
Do you have to clikc the ground to make your character move there?
A: You have to click the ground, although you're giving the option of whether they walk, run or jog there.
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
Developer:
EA Redwood Shores
Genre:
Virtual Life
Release Date:
Jun 2, 2009
ESRB:
TEEN
The third installment of the famous Sims series, can it live up to the high expectations? Read on for the full written review.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Right from the start, you get a clear idea of the level of customization available. Everything can be tailored to your specific tastes, from your Sim's hair to their clothes and even how fat or muscular they are.
You can have a fat and shy Sim, who spends his time alone in his home writing poetry and chatting online. Or, if you prefer, you can have an athletic and outgoing Sim who jogs around town all day and is always the center of attention. Not interested?
How about a strictly professional woman, whose only dreams are to climb to the top of the corporate ladder? A self-centered egomaniac who wants to be a scientist? A bum who stands on the street corner begging for change?
If you can imagine it, you can create it. The best part is...it's really, really easy to do.
With a few clicks you can make a new outfit for your Sim. Say you want them to look sexier, or more intimidating. Easy, just scroll through the large amount of clothing available and pick out your favorites.
Once you have the basics picked out, you can tweak the color and pattern to your heart's content, or simply leave it at the default. Your Sim can look as realistic or ridiculous as you choose. Here are a few random Sims I made:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/8668/screenshot17qk.jpg (http://img27.imageshack.us/i/screenshot17qk.jpg/)
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5954/screenshot18h.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/screenshot18h.jpg/)
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/6790/screenshot19l.jpg (http://img38.imageshack.us/i/screenshot19l.jpg/)
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/6546/screenshot21nc.jpg (http://img32.imageshack.us/i/screenshot21nc.jpg/)
OK, so now you've got yourself a Sim that's styling. Or maybe they look like a complete dunce, whatever. Now comes the real fun; choosing the underlying personality traits that will affect your entire game.
This is a list of all possible traits:
Absent-Minded
Ambitious
Angler
Artistic
Athletic
Bookworm
Brave
Can't Stand Art
Charismatic
Childish
Clumsy
Commitment Issues
Computer Whiz
Couch Potato
Coward
Daredevil
Dislikes Children
Easily Impressed
Evil
Excitable
Family-Oriented
Flirty
Friendly
Frugal
Genius
Good
Good Sense of Humor
Great Kisser
Green Thumb
Grumpy
Handy
Hates the Outdoors
Heavy Sleeper
Hopeless romantic
Hot-Headed
Hydrophobic
Inappropriate
Insane
Kleptomaniac
Light Sleeper
Loner
Loser
Loves the Outdoors
Lucky
Mean Spirited
Mooch
Natural Cook
Neat
Neurotic
Never Nude
No Sense of Humor
Over-Emotional
Party Animal
Perfectionist
Schmoozer
Slob
Snob
Technophobe
Unflirty
Unlucky
Vegetarian
Virtuoso
Workaholic
You can choose any five of the above to define your Sim, as long as they don't directly clash. For example, a Sim can't be both "Good" and "Evil".
Once you've got your Sim all set to go, you can give him or her housemates, and then even set up their relationships with each other (housemates, spouse, child etc.)
The game then lets you move them in to one of several homes, as long as they can afford it. Once moved in, you get to see the Sims up close and personal, and start to get an idea of the graphics.
This is where the game merely treads water. The visuals are at times very nice, and at other times, pretty average. Effects and character models are beautifully rendered and detailed, but little details on household objects really lack any real effort. This is most evident when your Sims are cooking - their meals look slightly less than appetizing.
After you get used to the controls, it's time to start living. One of the first "wants" your Sim will have will be to get a job in one of several fields such as medicine, sports, science, music, or even crime. The job they want depends on their personality (athletic Sims want to join the sports career, evil Sims want to be criminals, etc). You can get a job by going to the actual place of business and applying or looking through the newspaper. You can also look online, if for some reason you buy an expensive computer early in the game.
After you get a job, you start to get into a loose routine. Your Sim will get sleepy about the same time every day, they'll get hungry at roughly the same times, and they'll need to shower at the same time. This might sound boring, but TS3 manages to take mundane tasks and make them thoroughly enjoyable. It's worth not speeding through some activities just to watch your Sims do what they do. When you have free time though, there are a lot of things you can do to keep your spirits up or keep relationships strong.
You can:
Play video games (deja vu)
http://img38.imageshack.us/img38/647/screenshot3gt.jpg (http://img38.imageshack.us/i/screenshot3gt.jpg/)
Or share some juicy gossip
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/9403/screenshot10yh.jpg (http://img7.imageshack.us/i/screenshot10yh.jpg/)
Or anything else you want.
Jobs and routine covered, your Sim will definitely have wants that don't involve working, unless they have the Workaholic trait. These wants could be simple things like eating a favorite meal or chatting with a loved one, or more life changing wants like having a baby. You can promise them a want, and when it's fulfilled, they'll get a mood boost (through the "moodlet" system, explained in the next paragraph) and earn Lifetime Achievement points. These can go towards special bonuses like being a great party host, never boring a conversational partner, being able to slack off at work without anyone caring or larger ones such as hardly ever needing to eat, shower or pee. The more worthwhile the reward, the more points you need, with little ones being 5,000 and the largest being 30K if I remember correctly.
One last important thing I should cover is moodlets. Moodlets are your Sim's perception of events, and how it makes them feel. If your Sim is complimented, they'll be happy and receive a small mood boost for a few hours. If the boyfriend they've been dating since high school breaks up with them, they'll probably break down into tears and be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
That's about all I can reasonably cover in a single review. There are many, many things I left out about the game, but this review covers the basics and some slightly more in depth stuff.
The bottom line
Storyline: N/A
You create the story, so it's as good or bad as you make it.
Graphics: 8/10
Good at times, mediocre at others.
Sound: 9/10
The Sim's language of Simlish is charming, music is entertaining and sound effects are clear and realistic.
Replay value: 10/10
Complete open ended gameplay means you'll never have the same experience twice.
Innovation: 9/10
Breaks some new ground while retaining the parts that have been proven to work.
Overall: 9/10
If you have any questions, please ask and I'll add them to a Q&A section at the bottom of this post.
Q&A!
Q: Can you walk freely, like in 3rd person.
Or....
Do you have to clikc the ground to make your character move there?
A: You have to click the ground, although you're giving the option of whether they walk, run or jog there.