The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection

In The Sims 2, your Sims are more lifelike, responsive, and complex than ever. The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection includes the base game The Sims 2 along with all additional discs and expansion kits. This edition was not sold commercially; it was released alongside the end of technical support for The Sims 2 on July 22, 2014. Players who owned a digital version of any The Sims 2 game in their Origin library received the Ultimate Collection automatically.

In The Sims 2, you can control your Sims across their entire lifetimes—from their first steps to their golden years. Guide them through “Life’s Big Moments” and build their “Life Score” with every decision. Each Sim also has unique DNA, and their appearance and personality traits can be passed down through generations. With a completely new 3D engine, life in The Sims 2 takes on a new dimension. The game begins at the neighborhood level. You can create a housing development from scratch or choose one of three pre-made neighborhoods, each with its own theme. From there, you pick a home and a household of Sims to control. Sims now have aspirations, wants, and fears. Wants and fears are the everyday thoughts that drive them—wanting to see friends or get married, or fearing death or rejection after a kiss. Fulfill their wants and they become more effective at completing tasks you assign. Trigger their fears and they may become lethargic, cranky, and less responsive. Aspirations represent longer-term goals such as raising a family, becoming wealthy, or gaining knowledge. Progressing in aspirations lets you purchase unusual rewards to improve a Sim’s life, including items like a money tree that pays dividends or a “fountain of youth” water cooler. Managing all of this is helped by the improved “Free Will” option, which makes it easier for Sims to handle basic needs on their own. The game’s AI is noticeably improved: Sims are less likely to do things like turn on a radio right as someone is going to bed, though they may still occasionally place dishes on the floor. A major addition is the lifespan system. Sims are born with traits inherited from their parents, families grow, and Sims age into old age. This ties directly into aspirations (for example, a baby Sim’s first aspiration is to grow up) and creates a limited window for achieving goals. Pre-made households also come with backstories that spoof soap-opera plots, featuring schemes, romance, ghosts, and family conflict.