The Sims (PS2)

The bestselling PC game of all time is finally making its console debut: The Sims allows console gamers to create and control their own little computer people with new level-based gameplay and swankier 3-D graphics.

Many would have assumed that The Sims could never work on a console, but one look at this version proves them wrong. In fact, with the temptation to fall back on a mountain of confusing mouse-operated icons and online patches removed, this could well be the definitive version. For starters, the graphics now look much better than before, being in full 3-D instead of just isometric 2-D. This not only looks better but also allows you to zoom in and out on the action and feels a lot less sterile than the original. Things are still as customisable as ever too, especially via the Create-a-Sim option.

Perhaps the biggest change to how the game plays on consoles is in the new level-based missions. The PC original had no real goal; you just designed a family and let them get on with it, interfering with their virtual life as much or as little as you wanted. The console version adds some goals and rewards to the gameplay, which should help to attract the more attention-deficient among console owners. There's even a rather odd two-player mode, which, even if it seems a little pointless, is yet more proof that EA are really trying to make this a proper worthwhile console experience and not just the cheap cash-in many would've expected. --David Jenkins

"An innovative, engrossing and life-affirming game. 8/10."

The bestselling PC game of all time makes its console debut. Create and control your Sims on the PlayStation 2 with new level-based gameplay and 3D graphics. Customize your Sims' personality and appearance, then move into the neighbourhood. Get a job, make friends and advance through your career and life's big moments. Unlock new objects and bigger houses along the way. Meet, flirt and fight with a neighbourhood full of wild characters. You can also load your Sims into a friend's game and play two-player games.

For the first time ever, two people can now play The Sims together. Play the game with or against your friends as you challenge them for popularity points and bragging rights. You can now save your houses and Sims on a memory card and play them on a friend's system. Customising the appearance of your Sims reaches a whole new level of detail on the PlayStation 2. Like never before, players can now create and tailor their Sims with accessories such as stylish hats, trendy glasses, cool hairstyles and an enormous variety of clothing options. Your Sims will now have a multitude of new features. Just like in the original PC version of The Sims, players will be able to create the perfect Sim home, customise the Sims who live there and control their lives. But now in this version of the game, players can explore an entirely new 3D world that harnesses the full power of the PlayStation 2 console. There is also a cast of wacky neighbours to interact with that can! 't be found in any other Sims game. The new controller-base game interface makes manipulating the Sims through the triumphs and tribulations of their daily lives both easy and amusing. Whether it's level-based fun, two-player challenges, or classic Sim-style open-ended game play, the Sims are new for the PlayStation 2 console.

The Sims (PS2).