Developer: Maxis
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Strategy
Region: NTSC
Format:
Release Date: 07 Dec 05

User Rating
8.4 (19 votes)

Score 10 (Best) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (Worst)

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Overview

It was not long ago the very popular Maxis who had released games like Sim City, came out with a game that was considered a "people simulation". I don't think in anyone's wildest dreams did they think this series would be one of the biggest gaming franchises of all time. Now in its second full game, Maxis has brought its game over to the consoles and handhelds to try and capitalize on this global success that is The Sims franchise. So how does The Sims 2 measure up on the PSP? Read our full review to find out!

Gameplay

Thus far the porting of The Sims to the consoles and handhelds has been nothing short of a complete mess. What usually happened is that the developers have been unable to make the control scheme and the gameplay as accessible on the consoles/handhelds like it was for the PC. One thing you have to remember was this idea was originally developed for the PC, and thus far it has not been very well developed for the consoles. So will times change with The Sims 2 for the PSP?

One of the big obstacles Maxis had to overcome when making The Sims 2 was the screen size. They had to fit a game that used a very wide viewing angle and bring it to the previous screen, an obstacle that many games have had to overcome as well. In The Sims 2 case however that wasn't the only obstacle - the control scheme was also another point of concern as well. So what Maxis did was create a toned-down and simplified version of The Sims 2 with a lot missing features that made the original great. What this means is that the game works off of goals, something that the PC version really never had.

This goal system is basically there to give you a reason for your actions. One thing I never understood when Maxis brought these Sim games over the consoles/handhelds is that why they had to throw in goals and missions to waste our time. Luckily in the case of The Sims 2, you are never really forced to do these, although they do help progress the game along. The core gameplay is relatively intact in The Sims 2, you are missing the new "memory" feature, which I thought was a huge upgrade to the Sim universe.

The gameplay itself feels very Sim-like, but one that I had a tough time handling was the control scheme. I knew this was going to be a difficult task for the developers to handle, and unfortunately the controls does take a long time to get the hang of. I felt throughout my experience that the control scheme was working against me, as opposed to with me. Another grudge I had against The Sims 2 was that it just didn't play nearly as well as the console or the PC versions. Everything takes a lot of time in the PSP version, and nothing seems as satisfying.

In the end The Sims 2 for the PSP has a lot of the great Sim elements, but playing it on the PSP is just not something that worked for me. The game had constant control issues, and the pacing of the game was a good deal slower than on any other platform. It was nice to see some new ideas thrown into this PSP version, but unfortunately it didn't seem to help matters all that much.

Graphics

Visually The Sims 2 on all the different platforms has looked very appealing, and it continues to impress on the PSP. The character models in the game look like what we have been accustomed to, which means good variety, not the greatest shape, but still very nicely done. The environments did seem a little scratchy on the PSP version and nowhere near as crisp as it was on the PC. I can't say the visuals of The Sims 2 are perfect, but they do get the job done well enough throughout.

Fun Factor

The Sims 2 for the PSP ends up being me trying to have fun while battling the controls and some of the nagging problems of this version of the game. I mentioned before that I liked some of the new ideas and really didn't care too much for the goals that feel just thrown into the mix. The game feels like a slower, less complex version of The Sims 2. And although this may not sound like a very bad thing, when playing this game you will find that it is also nowhere near as satisfying.

Overall

In the end I was sad to say that The Sims 2 did not have a very positive outing on the PSP. Sure it had pretty visuals, and a lot of the decent Sims 2 elements, but the slow flow of the game and the fact that the controls are just so dang frustrating it makes this game a hard one to recommend as a purchase. If you do own a PSP and are a massive fan of the series, it may be worth a rent but for everyone else, the other versions of the game are much, much better.

Gameplay
6.0

Graphics
7.0

Fun Factor
6.0

Overall
6.0

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