The Sims 3 - Generations Expansion Pack (PC/Mac DVD)

The Sims 3 Generations is probably the best expansion pack for the Sims 3 yet, possibly with the exception of World Adventures. As previous reviewers have mentioned, it is mainly beneficial if you like to play with families as opposed to only adults, but there are some new aspects for the adults and it certainly makes having children a bit more interesting.

You can now have an adult sim read toddlers and children to sleep, and sometimes this will be one of their wishes, which is nice. You can only do this if you have certain suitable books. For children and teenagers there are a few more options at school. They can go on field trips from which they can pick up skills and moodlets and they can also sign up for after school activities from which they also pick up skills. Alternatively you can send them to boarding school where they will remain until they reach their next age up or until you remove them. If you leave them there they will pick up certain skills and personality traits. There was some kind of glitch in my game as I sent my teenager to a boarding school and for some reason she was delivered back to the house having not graduated. She received negative personality traits for her 'indifferent' attitude to school and also was unable to get a job! The option to join the ___ career was simply not there when you click on the buildings, although she could still get a vocational profession. Slightly unfair as I did not ask for her to be returned early from school, as I said, I think it was a glitch.

The fact that children can be punished is a bit annoying as the parents will punish the children without you telling them to do so. They can be sent to time out, be grounded or banned from using certain household objects. Fortunately you can just 'let off the hook' if you want to.

There are a few new toys which can be used by children and adults alike. There are rocking toys for toddlers, see saws, water slides and dressing up boxes. Dressing up boxes are good fun and have quite a few options such as dinosaur, princess etc. Furthermore you can even choose they type of dinosaur / princess you want your sim to dress up as. Children can now have imaginary friends, which is amusing, and they can pull pranks such as hairdye in the shower, whoopie cushions and making the toilet overflow. Teenage pranks are slightly more thuggish and involve throwing eggs at neighbours houses and leaving flaming bags of poo (gross). That's a fun aspect and I appreciate that.

Both teenagers and the menopausal (male as well as female!) are subject to hormonal changes. Teenagers on certain days wake up feeling rebellious and you will have the option to select wishes such as snub another sim, skip school, stop being friends with their mother etc etc! Sims having a midlife crisis have a similar thing and have wishes such as breaking up with their partner, flirting with somebody else, changing jobs or moving house.

There is a new day care profession for adults. It's ok, but a bit boring as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure some people would really enjoy it. You get to look after other sims' toddlers and children in your own home.

There a few new cosmetic features. There are a few new hairstyles and clothes and you can now give your sims body hair on their chests. Babies and toddlers can have buggies and elders can have walking sticks. This really doesn't make much difference to gameplay but is nice all the same.

Adult interactions are a bit more fun. You can woo hoo in a few new places including in the shower which I like because they get clean at the same time! They can also star gaze together which is really sweet and gives them a positive moodlet after they've done it. Weddings are a bit more fun with generations. The hen and stag parties are very good, with the options to spray sims with fizzy nectar or ask sims to make a toast. You also get a sexy dancer turn up. Weddings are a bit more organised with the reappearance of the marriage arch.

Sims can now store memories, which I find to be a pointless feature because the memories don't really have any kind of effect on the game. It would be better if sims recalled them occasionally or if they had an effect on their mood like in the sims 2.

There are a few new rewards up for purchase with the lifetime reward points; Hover Bed, Young Again, Clone Voucher, Age Freeze, Inheritance, Super Nanny, Above Reproach, Clean Slate. They all pretty much do what they say on the tin. As for the clean slate and above reproach ones, I find the whole reputation thing a bit annoying as it goes. There are only so many times I need to be reminded that my sims are 'eternally faithful' etc. Oh, and it also tells you that your sim remembers woo hooing with another sim practically every time you do it which is a bit annoying. Maybe they'll iron that kind of thing out later.

All in all it's a pretty good game with some slightly annoying features. If you're a sims addict it will definitely keep you entertained for quite a while. Every time the sims has a new expansion pack the game just becomes a little more 'deep'. It is a ridiculously complex game in terms of the multitude of options and interactions available to you and generations vastly increases that.

If you're a Simmer - then this is a must buy! Ok, there is no new World/Town included. There are no major apparent improvements. But...but...but...but! It makes the game so much more fun and realistic than before! You now have baby prams and walking canes for old people. You also have better interactions with kids when they do naughty things. My fav is the Pillow-fighting command; its just so funny when you first play it. I wasn't that bothered at first, but I think this makes the game more rounded; all that's needed is the Pets, and a Weather EP - if they do that... It will be perfect!

What can I say? - Basically enjoyment of this pack will depend on what you enjoy most whilst your playing sims.
For instance, spiral stair cases just made it for me, I am so pleased with them.
I also really like the child-minding option because it saves actually having to HAVE kids :)
I love all the new items really, and there are new interactions, especially games for kids which are really fun. There is also Prom which although in uncontrollable, is still a fun event.
There's the wedding, which above all Sims will sit down for (which is fantastic) and the cake can also be cut.
(and before this, bachelor and bachelorette parties are really fun, dancers, spraying champange etc)
Even kids parties are way better, either the ability to throw them whilst the adults are away, or sleepovers being so much better done.

Still, if this isn't the one for you, Sims 3 PETS will come out in the autumn, and that's bound to be AMAZING.