The Sims 2

In The Sims 2, your Sims feel more lifelike, responsive, and complex than ever. Control them across their entire lifetimes, from their first steps to their golden years. Shape “Life’s Big Moments” and build their “Life Score” with every decision you make. With unique DNA for every Sim, appearance and personality can be passed down through generations. Powered by a brand-new 3D engine, life in The Sims 2 takes on a whole new dimension.

The Sims 2 begins at the neighborhood level, where you can build a housing development from scratch or choose from three pre-made neighborhoods, each with its own theme. From there, you pick a house and a family of Sims to control. Sims now have aspirations, wants, and fears. Wants and fears cover everyday concerns—like wanting to see friends or get married, and fearing death or rejection after a kiss. Fulfilling wants makes Sims more efficient at the tasks you assign, while triggering fears can make them lethargic, cranky, and unresponsive. Aspirations represent long-term goals such as raising a family, becoming wealthy, or gaining knowledge. Succeeding lets you buy unusual rewards that improve a Sim’s life, including a money tree that pays dividends and a “fountain of youth” water cooler. Managing all of this is helped by an improved Free Will option that makes it easier for Sims to handle basic needs. The game’s artificial intelligence is noticeably better—they avoid some ill-timed behavior (like turning on radios when someone is going to bed), though they will still occasionally do odd things, such as putting dishes on the floor. A major series change is the lifespan system. Sims inherit traits from their parents, families grow, and Sims age into old age. This ties into aspirations (a baby Sim’s first aspiration is to grow up) while also limiting the time available to achieve goals. Pre-made households include backstories that spoof soap-opera plots, featuring scheming, romance, ghosts, and family conflict.