Sunday, July 09, 2000
Vanquish | 9.0
Well there are plenty of reviews here already so not to rehash what everyone else has said, I will keep my review short and to the point. Overall, I personally love this game as there is nothing else on the market that covers the action genre so much as this game does. The graphics are excellent, no slow-down, detail is amazing etc. The cons are as everyone else has said regarding forgetful story, bad voice-acting, short, etc. I will say if you're looking for a deep adventure, look elsewhere. This game is all action. With that said, most of time the reason I read reviews is if it is worth spending the hard-earned funds to purchase the product. The game is short. I completed the game in a week on normal (about 7 hours). Now here is where the meat is, re-playability. If you are the type of person that likes to complete games over on higher difficulties than you are in the right place. I am attempting "godly hard" mode and am not able to pass the first section of the first level. There is some real difficulty here and it is something I have not experienced since the days of 2-D gaming. Beating this mode will give anyone serious bragging rights. Also, after beating the game the first time, there are 6 challenge modes to complete that are fun and difficult at the same time (challenge 6....yikes!!). This game should be played by everyone, no doubt about that. Should this game be purchased at full price by everyone? That's for you to decide. Just know what you are getting is a great action game that bets on replaying. No more, no less. If you need an idea of what you are getting into action wise, think Bayonetta and Mad World (same great developer). Now, how do I increase my gaming skill for this game on "godly-hard"....
Friday, July 07, 2000
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune 9.0
Nathan Drake is not typical of characters you see in videogames much lately. Nate doesn't look like he pumps iron, he won't win any sexiest man alive awards, and his unassuming ways make him enjoyable. Of course you may recognize the name Drake for the famous explorer Sir Francis Drake. Yes Nate is related to the famous explorer and now he is off to find the mysterious El Dorado(City of Gold). To say the least the journey will be unforgettable to most.
The story starts off more like a movie. On this quest you are accompanied by an attractive documentarian Elena and of course your comrade Sullie. What sets Uncharted apart from some many games is the cinematic approach is so seemless it makes it hard to seperate gameplay from movie watching. As your journey progresses you begin to realize you have many enemies. It seems Sullie doesn't live the cleanest life and borrowing money from a bad guy doesn't help. So now the bad guys are out to collect the debt by finding El Dorado. Although it becomes apparent that El Dorado is not a city of gold but a man of gold.
Without getting too much into the story it will definately leave you filling your aderaline need. The gameplay is incredible in this game. The enemy A.I. starts off slow and quickly progresses as you get further into this game. Enemies will actually out manuever you. If you don't plan out your attacks well you will find yourself dead. Although the battles are not the only thing you face in this game there are a number of puzzles that are not overlly difficult. What I do enjoy about this game is that it has a hint option. You can use it to help you in confusing spots. Although if you are more hardcore you will probably leave this option off. There are four difficulty levels and the toughest option is locked until you beat the game on hard. What is a first for a PS3 game is the reward system that is being used. There are 60 treasures that can be found througout your journey. On top of that there are objectives that you can try to complete. Some are simple like killing a certain amount of enemies with one of your weapons and others are more complex like getting a certain amount of stealth kills.
The visuals in this game are stunning and some of the best I have ever seen. What is good to watch is the incredible amount of detail put into everything. The jungle environments are lush and beautiful and the water effects are some of the best ever. Sometimes it is enjoyable just to stand and enjoy the beauty of the environment. Tree branches sway, clouds move, and leaves fly all over the place. This is as close to reality as I have seen.
If you own a PS3 this game is a must buy. To say the least it is one of the best games available on any console. The storyline is enjoyable and reminiscent of many great adventure movies. Uncharted sets a new bar on next gen games and hopefully others will follow with this excellent quality. If you like action and adventure and don't mind being the star of a playable movie then Uncharted should be on your list.
The story starts off more like a movie. On this quest you are accompanied by an attractive documentarian Elena and of course your comrade Sullie. What sets Uncharted apart from some many games is the cinematic approach is so seemless it makes it hard to seperate gameplay from movie watching. As your journey progresses you begin to realize you have many enemies. It seems Sullie doesn't live the cleanest life and borrowing money from a bad guy doesn't help. So now the bad guys are out to collect the debt by finding El Dorado. Although it becomes apparent that El Dorado is not a city of gold but a man of gold.
Without getting too much into the story it will definately leave you filling your aderaline need. The gameplay is incredible in this game. The enemy A.I. starts off slow and quickly progresses as you get further into this game. Enemies will actually out manuever you. If you don't plan out your attacks well you will find yourself dead. Although the battles are not the only thing you face in this game there are a number of puzzles that are not overlly difficult. What I do enjoy about this game is that it has a hint option. You can use it to help you in confusing spots. Although if you are more hardcore you will probably leave this option off. There are four difficulty levels and the toughest option is locked until you beat the game on hard. What is a first for a PS3 game is the reward system that is being used. There are 60 treasures that can be found througout your journey. On top of that there are objectives that you can try to complete. Some are simple like killing a certain amount of enemies with one of your weapons and others are more complex like getting a certain amount of stealth kills.
The visuals in this game are stunning and some of the best I have ever seen. What is good to watch is the incredible amount of detail put into everything. The jungle environments are lush and beautiful and the water effects are some of the best ever. Sometimes it is enjoyable just to stand and enjoy the beauty of the environment. Tree branches sway, clouds move, and leaves fly all over the place. This is as close to reality as I have seen.
If you own a PS3 this game is a must buy. To say the least it is one of the best games available on any console. The storyline is enjoyable and reminiscent of many great adventure movies. Uncharted sets a new bar on next gen games and hopefully others will follow with this excellent quality. If you like action and adventure and don't mind being the star of a playable movie then Uncharted should be on your list.
Thursday, July 06, 2000
Playstation 3 inFamous review 9.5
Difficulty:
Just Right
Time Spent:
10 to 20 Hours
The Bottom Line:
"Highly addictive"
inFamous has a rather unfortunate start, the town where Cole McGrath works as a courier is struck by an explosion that almost apocalyptic forms. The best man does his job perfectly normal on a beautiful day. He must deliver a package and once it gets to destination is a phone call with the message that he should open the package. In retrospect he had better not do, because there is a huge explosion that half the city lays in ruins. Fortunately this Cole just to survive, but here it is but one. He is no longer the man as before, no, he has special powers to him in his upcoming adventure very good stead.
The town where Cole lives, Empire City, gets no help from the government, instead, put in quarantine the whole city and everyone who tries to flee the city is gunned. A city without government, which provides a guaranteed mess up. Let it just be that the town itself is a mess by the explosion. So a big chaos. The only people in the city a little bit organized, that are the enemies. Empire City consists of three islands and each island has its own way and shoot all odds they encounter. The pathetic people who remained behind can no longer live safely without the risk that they excluded from the market.
Cole McGrath ... but fortunately there with him and you get a lot of adventures and this brings with it a lot. This mainly due to the fact that you have super powers, that makes you do a lot more sophisticated than the ordinary well-meaning citizens and soon you're tenderloin. The population is influenced by some bloke who can hack on the television signal, that person will find it necessary to massively tell you're a terrorist and therefore are a danger to public order. Time to clear your name is, though, would you really? That is entirely up to you. Nice time to plug the back inFamous look further to explain.
inFamous is a game that, as you now know, all the hero Cole runs. The developer told us that she just wanted to create a game that is not already an existing hero had everything and simply does what has previously been established. It has at the time of development always held that Cole is similar to yourself. The game shall continue the question to the player: "What would you do if you have these super powers would have, at a good or bad way?". Of course this is not literally in the game, but it is a representation of the whole idea. And indeed, you must choose what you think best in the game and this is tracked through the karma system.
The karma system consists of six boxes: three of these are the "bad guy" and the other three are the "good guy". At the start of the game is the arrow that indicates your current status and to zero if you have any good things that slowly rises in the blue part up. But above all you do bad things, then the meter slowly sinks into the red part. Pretty simple, but it works and has the necessary consequences. First you fear people like you bad hero, once they see you they run away or throw stones so. In addition to brand you have another aspect that you are bad, because the city expires at that time continues until the end seems more like a ghost town.
Do your good things, then people gradually increasing until you join them stabbing their thumb, waving or making a picture. Also want some help, of course not the case when you hang the villain. The city is also a lot less gray and ghostly. Both options are at least fun to play, because it brings with it slightly different gameplay. While playing you can switch between the good and bad hero based on what your actions are. If you people are going to die gives a shock, making them revive, then this course helps you with good reputation as a good hero. Withdraw your energy from them, then ... oh you understand him.
Much more important are the crucial things that you get during missions. There was a time when the city water tanks that provide clean drinking water were polluted by tar pumps. The choice that you get during the mission is to blow these tanks with the result that the city has less water to use, the advantage is that you at least not in the tar will be as a result, that you vote in your head and hear that you have fewer containers Fri (I come back later). Shoot only the pump off then you're completely under the tar as the aforementioned disadvantages effect. In contrast or back that you've helped people, all contributing to a good karma. This is of course vice versa.
Choices, choices and choices again. That is what your hero to make a good or bad and this game is well developed. Moreover, a lot of playing time. You're in the game quickly or twenty one hours working, then I talk about the missions and all zijmissies narrative. You can play the game again with a different karma, this provides another attack and other zijmissies. To have a scoop on top to do the necessary things are there to collect and we can conclude that Sucker Punch is passed with flying colors to to make a game just for playing all worth the full amount.
The gameplay is also good at stabbing each other at all if someone wants to invest much time in this game and that is well managed. The karma system is well conceived, it works well and the missions are fairly varied, at least the idea behind it. In reality it is somewhat a bit repetitive, but if it alongside the combat and the potential is laid, then a lot of offset. Before we go into the combat, it is important to the potential of Cole to explain. The unique thing about this game is that Cole is very nimble and that everything in the city or simply climbing falls. Cole scrambles without any effort on a flat and narrow runs with ease on all cables.
The gameplay is both the ground and in the air and the question you might soon would establish a free-roaming game or vehicles in it. This is not the case. The city itself is large relative to the side and you move you can do only with yourself. May sound strange, but Cole is his own vehicle and that's because they have different powers. Not every super power is to the enemy to kill, some are primarily designed to move. If Cole can fly, he does so by moving his arms back and the power to activate. You see the tracks of the subway? Jump on it and make contact Cole and gravel as it were, in no time from one to the other side of town.
The buildings are nearly all connected to each other, or by cables and antennas by knocking you can shoot. To summarize: you can move through the air by flying, walking on cables and antennas, you can walk and grind on the rail, and plenty of opportunities throughout the game so I have no time when I experienced a car or missed something similar. The developer has clearly succeeded in this respect and to be right to continue honoring the direction Sucker Punch: The battle system also works well. Top of your screen you see a number of spheres, these containers to make electricity and if you're a (serious) attack uses, then you add your or more of these containers.
That you can actually have anywhere to recharge an energy source, so much irritation you really have not because you lack energy or something like it. The attacks that have energy or eat again very effective and are also very cool to see. Al playful you unlock new powers that you can upgrade again if you have accumulated enough experience points to quickly already very strong and effective force protection. What about electrical sticky grenades, or a kind of round ball that explodes on contact. Or an option to slow down and everything with a kind of laser-like power pop shot to knock someone (a wonderful alternative to the sniper way). Many possibilities for Cole and the controller are all logically placed.
A logical placement is important given the fact that you very often attacked by many different enemies and you must quickly anticipate the action. During this action you have to charge once more. If you also kick the bucket, you'll never have too much to redo the pace is so good in it, in this already rather long game, in contrast to other games. Is there more to say about the gameplay? I think a long time I'm working full throttle to explain all aspects. On several levels, this game is very interesting and important of all is that it really works well. Climbing and scrambling is fantastic: Altaïr beat that! Cole was great and the fights are very tough and on and on.
We can conclude with the rather simple points which still provide for any offense. So the collision detection is not optimal and was really unusual for the Cole was left somewhere in the street stabbing. This is still incalculable, but also high on top of a building which happened all over again you must climb up, that's a bit unfortunate. In addition we also got a little bit the idea that the story at times a bit pushed to the background was different missions for some extra life to stretch. In itself a pity, because the story is in fact quite interesting and this is mainly because it is something different than normal.
These shortcomings are unfortunate, but the game offers enough to regard them as meaningless. Once you are past, then you do not agree to speak more about it and that's probably a good advantage for what makes a good score! Audiovisual is a neat game, graphics, everything is nicely landscaped and there are precious little to note, also the audio is also good to mention. The voice-acting in Dutch I personally think a bit over the top sound, at least, it feels more committed than that it is feeling really spoken. Fortunately the language patch is now available!
inFamous, a game that expectations pretty well know to solve. Sucker Punch is a good developer who has taken the time to make a game where you'll be really busy hours. There are downsides necessary, but many aspects such as the super powers, so the climbing and climbing, these evils more than good. inFamous is a game that many of you will buy or perhaps already bought and all I can say is there, especially doing! People who have not been convinced, by this, inFamous is a very entertaining and above all, become a good game. Killzone 2 again after a first party game from Sony that deserves a good score.
Just Right
Time Spent:
10 to 20 Hours
The Bottom Line:
"Highly addictive"
inFamous has a rather unfortunate start, the town where Cole McGrath works as a courier is struck by an explosion that almost apocalyptic forms. The best man does his job perfectly normal on a beautiful day. He must deliver a package and once it gets to destination is a phone call with the message that he should open the package. In retrospect he had better not do, because there is a huge explosion that half the city lays in ruins. Fortunately this Cole just to survive, but here it is but one. He is no longer the man as before, no, he has special powers to him in his upcoming adventure very good stead.
The town where Cole lives, Empire City, gets no help from the government, instead, put in quarantine the whole city and everyone who tries to flee the city is gunned. A city without government, which provides a guaranteed mess up. Let it just be that the town itself is a mess by the explosion. So a big chaos. The only people in the city a little bit organized, that are the enemies. Empire City consists of three islands and each island has its own way and shoot all odds they encounter. The pathetic people who remained behind can no longer live safely without the risk that they excluded from the market.
Cole McGrath ... but fortunately there with him and you get a lot of adventures and this brings with it a lot. This mainly due to the fact that you have super powers, that makes you do a lot more sophisticated than the ordinary well-meaning citizens and soon you're tenderloin. The population is influenced by some bloke who can hack on the television signal, that person will find it necessary to massively tell you're a terrorist and therefore are a danger to public order. Time to clear your name is, though, would you really? That is entirely up to you. Nice time to plug the back inFamous look further to explain.
inFamous is a game that, as you now know, all the hero Cole runs. The developer told us that she just wanted to create a game that is not already an existing hero had everything and simply does what has previously been established. It has at the time of development always held that Cole is similar to yourself. The game shall continue the question to the player: "What would you do if you have these super powers would have, at a good or bad way?". Of course this is not literally in the game, but it is a representation of the whole idea. And indeed, you must choose what you think best in the game and this is tracked through the karma system.
The karma system consists of six boxes: three of these are the "bad guy" and the other three are the "good guy". At the start of the game is the arrow that indicates your current status and to zero if you have any good things that slowly rises in the blue part up. But above all you do bad things, then the meter slowly sinks into the red part. Pretty simple, but it works and has the necessary consequences. First you fear people like you bad hero, once they see you they run away or throw stones so. In addition to brand you have another aspect that you are bad, because the city expires at that time continues until the end seems more like a ghost town.
Do your good things, then people gradually increasing until you join them stabbing their thumb, waving or making a picture. Also want some help, of course not the case when you hang the villain. The city is also a lot less gray and ghostly. Both options are at least fun to play, because it brings with it slightly different gameplay. While playing you can switch between the good and bad hero based on what your actions are. If you people are going to die gives a shock, making them revive, then this course helps you with good reputation as a good hero. Withdraw your energy from them, then ... oh you understand him.
Much more important are the crucial things that you get during missions. There was a time when the city water tanks that provide clean drinking water were polluted by tar pumps. The choice that you get during the mission is to blow these tanks with the result that the city has less water to use, the advantage is that you at least not in the tar will be as a result, that you vote in your head and hear that you have fewer containers Fri (I come back later). Shoot only the pump off then you're completely under the tar as the aforementioned disadvantages effect. In contrast or back that you've helped people, all contributing to a good karma. This is of course vice versa.
Choices, choices and choices again. That is what your hero to make a good or bad and this game is well developed. Moreover, a lot of playing time. You're in the game quickly or twenty one hours working, then I talk about the missions and all zijmissies narrative. You can play the game again with a different karma, this provides another attack and other zijmissies. To have a scoop on top to do the necessary things are there to collect and we can conclude that Sucker Punch is passed with flying colors to to make a game just for playing all worth the full amount.
The gameplay is also good at stabbing each other at all if someone wants to invest much time in this game and that is well managed. The karma system is well conceived, it works well and the missions are fairly varied, at least the idea behind it. In reality it is somewhat a bit repetitive, but if it alongside the combat and the potential is laid, then a lot of offset. Before we go into the combat, it is important to the potential of Cole to explain. The unique thing about this game is that Cole is very nimble and that everything in the city or simply climbing falls. Cole scrambles without any effort on a flat and narrow runs with ease on all cables.
The gameplay is both the ground and in the air and the question you might soon would establish a free-roaming game or vehicles in it. This is not the case. The city itself is large relative to the side and you move you can do only with yourself. May sound strange, but Cole is his own vehicle and that's because they have different powers. Not every super power is to the enemy to kill, some are primarily designed to move. If Cole can fly, he does so by moving his arms back and the power to activate. You see the tracks of the subway? Jump on it and make contact Cole and gravel as it were, in no time from one to the other side of town.
The buildings are nearly all connected to each other, or by cables and antennas by knocking you can shoot. To summarize: you can move through the air by flying, walking on cables and antennas, you can walk and grind on the rail, and plenty of opportunities throughout the game so I have no time when I experienced a car or missed something similar. The developer has clearly succeeded in this respect and to be right to continue honoring the direction Sucker Punch: The battle system also works well. Top of your screen you see a number of spheres, these containers to make electricity and if you're a (serious) attack uses, then you add your or more of these containers.
That you can actually have anywhere to recharge an energy source, so much irritation you really have not because you lack energy or something like it. The attacks that have energy or eat again very effective and are also very cool to see. Al playful you unlock new powers that you can upgrade again if you have accumulated enough experience points to quickly already very strong and effective force protection. What about electrical sticky grenades, or a kind of round ball that explodes on contact. Or an option to slow down and everything with a kind of laser-like power pop shot to knock someone (a wonderful alternative to the sniper way). Many possibilities for Cole and the controller are all logically placed.
A logical placement is important given the fact that you very often attacked by many different enemies and you must quickly anticipate the action. During this action you have to charge once more. If you also kick the bucket, you'll never have too much to redo the pace is so good in it, in this already rather long game, in contrast to other games. Is there more to say about the gameplay? I think a long time I'm working full throttle to explain all aspects. On several levels, this game is very interesting and important of all is that it really works well. Climbing and scrambling is fantastic: Altaïr beat that! Cole was great and the fights are very tough and on and on.
We can conclude with the rather simple points which still provide for any offense. So the collision detection is not optimal and was really unusual for the Cole was left somewhere in the street stabbing. This is still incalculable, but also high on top of a building which happened all over again you must climb up, that's a bit unfortunate. In addition we also got a little bit the idea that the story at times a bit pushed to the background was different missions for some extra life to stretch. In itself a pity, because the story is in fact quite interesting and this is mainly because it is something different than normal.
These shortcomings are unfortunate, but the game offers enough to regard them as meaningless. Once you are past, then you do not agree to speak more about it and that's probably a good advantage for what makes a good score! Audiovisual is a neat game, graphics, everything is nicely landscaped and there are precious little to note, also the audio is also good to mention. The voice-acting in Dutch I personally think a bit over the top sound, at least, it feels more committed than that it is feeling really spoken. Fortunately the language patch is now available!
inFamous, a game that expectations pretty well know to solve. Sucker Punch is a good developer who has taken the time to make a game where you'll be really busy hours. There are downsides necessary, but many aspects such as the super powers, so the climbing and climbing, these evils more than good. inFamous is a game that many of you will buy or perhaps already bought and all I can say is there, especially doing! People who have not been convinced, by this, inFamous is a very entertaining and above all, become a good game. Killzone 2 again after a first party game from Sony that deserves a good score.
Wednesday, July 05, 2000
Mass Effect PC review 9.5
One of the best RPGs of the year. This game is incredibly imersive. There is a long deep main story line that really keeps the game moving along and tons of side quests to bring the universe to life. With any RPG its the details that kill games. Not Mass Effect. The developers focused on every aspect of the game play and really polished it to a high shine. The biggest downfall is that it was developed for the Xbox and so the graphics aren't as good as you would expect from a game this incredible well put together.
Battle Scenes:
Overall the scenes are a lot of fun. there are so many different ways to approach battle that its hard to get bored too quickly. The two problems I had were first in all the side quests the building layouts are incredibly repetitive. Its almost exactly the same except that furniture has been moved around. Second the AI can be a bit annoying and aggressive. The easiest tactic to win any battle is to sit back and wait for them to come to you. That's fine and all but i expect more out of my battles then sniper frag fests.
Side Quests:
there are tons of side quests and tons of places to explore. the side quests even intermingle among one another and some of the moral choices are very ambiguous making the decisions you make much much more interesting. The only problem is that unless your physically writing down where you have explored you often get confused and end up revisiting the same planets over and over again.
Main Story:
The funny thing is for the most part I completely ignored the main story line and just had fun traveling the universe and doing side quests but when you get bored its always fun to go back and continue along the main story line
Unit Selection:
This has got to be the most annoying thing about the game. I tend to choose two people for every single mission. I wish it was somehow more interactive and more were each member is needed for different kinds of missions.
Graphics:
My biggest sore point with the game. There are some very pretty scenes but for the most part things can get a little bland and blocky.
Copyright protection:
Beware this game is highly encrypted and requires a internet connection to work. Also i have heard endless horror stories about EA's customer support.
Battle Scenes:
Overall the scenes are a lot of fun. there are so many different ways to approach battle that its hard to get bored too quickly. The two problems I had were first in all the side quests the building layouts are incredibly repetitive. Its almost exactly the same except that furniture has been moved around. Second the AI can be a bit annoying and aggressive. The easiest tactic to win any battle is to sit back and wait for them to come to you. That's fine and all but i expect more out of my battles then sniper frag fests.
Side Quests:
there are tons of side quests and tons of places to explore. the side quests even intermingle among one another and some of the moral choices are very ambiguous making the decisions you make much much more interesting. The only problem is that unless your physically writing down where you have explored you often get confused and end up revisiting the same planets over and over again.
Main Story:
The funny thing is for the most part I completely ignored the main story line and just had fun traveling the universe and doing side quests but when you get bored its always fun to go back and continue along the main story line
Unit Selection:
This has got to be the most annoying thing about the game. I tend to choose two people for every single mission. I wish it was somehow more interactive and more were each member is needed for different kinds of missions.
Graphics:
My biggest sore point with the game. There are some very pretty scenes but for the most part things can get a little bland and blocky.
Copyright protection:
Beware this game is highly encrypted and requires a internet connection to work. Also i have heard endless horror stories about EA's customer support.
Sims 3 | 8.0
here are many different Sims players out there buying this game from years of playing The Sims 2, and I think some of them will be impressed with The Sims 3, while others disappointed.
Note: This review is for the base game only, and does not include any of the expansion packs.
Create-A-Sim Players: 4/5
If you have an juiced up computer, the graphics are amazing. The customization you can give a sim is also very rewarding; you can now color customize the different parts of a sim's outfit with virtually any color, and the pattern system they've created only increases the amount of customization you can give a sim's clothing. A sim's hair coloration is now broken up into four parts, all of which can be set to any color you wish. The only disadvantage I found is that there doesn't seem to be as many ways to customize the face as there had been in Sims 2; there are some new, different ways though.
House Building Players: 5/5
Because of the new pattern system in the game, building houses now has a new level of customization, making it easier to customize a house's color and texture to your liking. Another nice thing is that furniture can now be placed at angles, so you no longer have to worry about awkward placement of objects near angled walls. Just keep in mind that since this is the first game, with no expansions made yet, there is a limited amount of furniture you can use. Also, if you're only interested in building houses, its not as easy as simply clicking on the lot you wish to build, once the game starts; you actually need to be playing your saved household and then exit your household for "Edit Town," where you can then select a lot to build on.
Neighborhood Building Players: 1/5
If you were big on building neighborhoods in Sims 2, you're going to very, very disappointed. You can no longer make your own neighborhoods; you are stuck with customizing Sunset Valley (the only neighborhood that comes with the game) or downloading another neighborhood from The Sims 3 website. There are no pre-made empty neighborhoods you can create and then customize and populate. Needless to say, there is no compatibility with SimCity 4 neighborhoods either. You're stuck with Sunset Valley, and that's that.
Note: There is now a "Create a World Tool" (in beta form and only for PCs) on the official website, but it's a very difficult to use if you don't know what you're doing.
Movie/Story Players: 5/5
If you're into making movies or stories there doesn't seem to be big difference between Sims 2. Photo capture now seems to be similar to what the "Print Screen" button does on your keyboard. The quality is exactly what you see on the screen, and the size of the image is as big as your resolution for the game. Video capture options seem almost identical to Sims 2. And like Sims 2, the controls are still difficult to deal with if you're trying to make smooth transitions. Also, there is no in-game Storytelling option anymore, storytelling is mostly focused online at The Sims 3 website, where there are some neat tools you can use for editing.
Single Family Players: 4/5
If you liked only playing one household in Sims 2 (like if you were into the Legacy Challenge) Sims 3 makes it even more interesting and more realistic with the fact that the entire neighborhood ages around your sim; no more childhood friends always being children, even when your sims have become adults; no more grandchildren out-aging their grandparents because they happen to be on different lots. And not only that, but you can now explore the rest of the world, expanding the possibilities for your sims.
Multi-Family/God Players: 2/5
If you liked jumping between many different houses and creating a complex story between many different households, you may be in for a big disappointment with Sims 3. You've ultimately been demoted from being god. You can no longer save individual households for later. Once you leave a household the sims there become NPCs (characters for the computer to control) and continue on their own lives and own story without your help. This may sound odd but Sims 3 is more of a game, and less of a device to tell a huge complex story.
The Sims 2 Console Players: 5/5
For people who loved The Sims 2 for PlayStation 2, X-Box, and GameCube, The Sims 3 plays very similar to those. In fact, The Sims 3 seems like a souped up version of the console Sims 2. For people who hated The Sims 2 console games, well . . . you may not like how The Sims 3 plays.
You're liking of The Sims 3 is really going to depend on what you did and enjoyed in The Sims 2. And sadly, I have to say this game isn't for everyone who loved The Sims 2.
New Players: 3/5 - 5/5
For players who haven't played the Sims games before, from my experience, Sims has either been a hit or miss deal. You either like it or you don't. And it's hard to say whether or not you'll like it until you give it a try. Sims can be a very repetitive game, yet a very addicting game. It all depends on what entertains you. As I've said above, Sims is a very creative game, and that alone can be entertaining for hours. The customization in the game is probably one of the game's greatest assets. As far as game-play is concerned, part of the game is about making your own story, but there are also objectives ("opportunities" and "wishes") that help make the game challenging and entertaining if you're more goal-oriented. But keep in mind, if you're looking for a game with a solid plot and an ending, this isn't the game for you. Sims is a game that never ends. It's a simulation game of life, and The Sims is never short on life; even if you kill off everyone in your neighborhood, you can simply create more.
[This part wasn't originally in the review, but I figured since I was focusing on people who were familiar with The Sims 2, I decided to add this.]
Note: This review is for the base game only, and does not include any of the expansion packs.
Create-A-Sim Players: 4/5
If you have an juiced up computer, the graphics are amazing. The customization you can give a sim is also very rewarding; you can now color customize the different parts of a sim's outfit with virtually any color, and the pattern system they've created only increases the amount of customization you can give a sim's clothing. A sim's hair coloration is now broken up into four parts, all of which can be set to any color you wish. The only disadvantage I found is that there doesn't seem to be as many ways to customize the face as there had been in Sims 2; there are some new, different ways though.
House Building Players: 5/5
Because of the new pattern system in the game, building houses now has a new level of customization, making it easier to customize a house's color and texture to your liking. Another nice thing is that furniture can now be placed at angles, so you no longer have to worry about awkward placement of objects near angled walls. Just keep in mind that since this is the first game, with no expansions made yet, there is a limited amount of furniture you can use. Also, if you're only interested in building houses, its not as easy as simply clicking on the lot you wish to build, once the game starts; you actually need to be playing your saved household and then exit your household for "Edit Town," where you can then select a lot to build on.
Neighborhood Building Players: 1/5
If you were big on building neighborhoods in Sims 2, you're going to very, very disappointed. You can no longer make your own neighborhoods; you are stuck with customizing Sunset Valley (the only neighborhood that comes with the game) or downloading another neighborhood from The Sims 3 website. There are no pre-made empty neighborhoods you can create and then customize and populate. Needless to say, there is no compatibility with SimCity 4 neighborhoods either. You're stuck with Sunset Valley, and that's that.
Note: There is now a "Create a World Tool" (in beta form and only for PCs) on the official website, but it's a very difficult to use if you don't know what you're doing.
Movie/Story Players: 5/5
If you're into making movies or stories there doesn't seem to be big difference between Sims 2. Photo capture now seems to be similar to what the "Print Screen" button does on your keyboard. The quality is exactly what you see on the screen, and the size of the image is as big as your resolution for the game. Video capture options seem almost identical to Sims 2. And like Sims 2, the controls are still difficult to deal with if you're trying to make smooth transitions. Also, there is no in-game Storytelling option anymore, storytelling is mostly focused online at The Sims 3 website, where there are some neat tools you can use for editing.
Single Family Players: 4/5
If you liked only playing one household in Sims 2 (like if you were into the Legacy Challenge) Sims 3 makes it even more interesting and more realistic with the fact that the entire neighborhood ages around your sim; no more childhood friends always being children, even when your sims have become adults; no more grandchildren out-aging their grandparents because they happen to be on different lots. And not only that, but you can now explore the rest of the world, expanding the possibilities for your sims.
Multi-Family/God Players: 2/5
If you liked jumping between many different houses and creating a complex story between many different households, you may be in for a big disappointment with Sims 3. You've ultimately been demoted from being god. You can no longer save individual households for later. Once you leave a household the sims there become NPCs (characters for the computer to control) and continue on their own lives and own story without your help. This may sound odd but Sims 3 is more of a game, and less of a device to tell a huge complex story.
The Sims 2 Console Players: 5/5
For people who loved The Sims 2 for PlayStation 2, X-Box, and GameCube, The Sims 3 plays very similar to those. In fact, The Sims 3 seems like a souped up version of the console Sims 2. For people who hated The Sims 2 console games, well . . . you may not like how The Sims 3 plays.
You're liking of The Sims 3 is really going to depend on what you did and enjoyed in The Sims 2. And sadly, I have to say this game isn't for everyone who loved The Sims 2.
New Players: 3/5 - 5/5
For players who haven't played the Sims games before, from my experience, Sims has either been a hit or miss deal. You either like it or you don't. And it's hard to say whether or not you'll like it until you give it a try. Sims can be a very repetitive game, yet a very addicting game. It all depends on what entertains you. As I've said above, Sims is a very creative game, and that alone can be entertaining for hours. The customization in the game is probably one of the game's greatest assets. As far as game-play is concerned, part of the game is about making your own story, but there are also objectives ("opportunities" and "wishes") that help make the game challenging and entertaining if you're more goal-oriented. But keep in mind, if you're looking for a game with a solid plot and an ending, this isn't the game for you. Sims is a game that never ends. It's a simulation game of life, and The Sims is never short on life; even if you kill off everyone in your neighborhood, you can simply create more.
[This part wasn't originally in the review, but I figured since I was focusing on people who were familiar with The Sims 2, I decided to add this.]
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