ESRB Rating - T for Teen (13+) My Rating - T for Teen (13+) Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, and Violence

Graphics - A+

The Sims 2 has completely redefined the graphics in The Sims genre. The Sims are now in 3D! Every object within your Sims world is completely in 3D and fluently in place. To describe the look of The Sims 2?s new graphics engine, hmmm, stunningly amazing. There?s no more pixilated arms, houses, or objects. With the new 3D engine comes a new character customization interface. The many different ways you can create a unique look for your Sims is endless, infinite customization on facial features and body looks are just a few of the new features. With the new looks comes new gameplay options which look a million times more fluent then in the original Sims. For a die-hard Sims fan, The Sims 2 will rock your world when you see its 3D greatness.

Sound - A+

Now we get to the masterpiece in coalition with the graphics. Every single object in The Sims 2 has a sound that it makes, unique to its specific function. The shower waters just like a normal shower and steam floats out of the bathroom. Doors close with a slight knock, and older doors creak shut. A loud clap rings off as you cannon bomb into the pool, and the microwave rings off when your instant dinner is ready. The burglar alarm, along with the fire alarm goes crazy when something is happening in your house that corresponds with their uses. Start a fire and hear crackling and burning as whatever you lit up starts burning down. The sound portion of The Sims 2 is WELL developed and reigns as the best part of the package, aside from the gameplay of course.

Story - A-

There are 3 neighborhoods in The Sims 2, and each neighborhood comes with its own past and present story. Depending on the neighborhood you choose to live in you can either play along with the beginning story or wreak havoc on it, and screw up everything. You can also create your own neighborhood which will harbor your own story for the neighborhood. The 3 neighborhoods are Pleasantview, Strangetown, and Veronaville. After the beginning story you read from clicking on the neighborhoods, the rest you will make up on your own.

Game play - A+

The game play in The Sims 2 is what makes this game, along with its predecessors, so addictive. You create your family, set your aspirations, build or buy your own house, and control their lives. The sims still speak in their own gibberish language, creatively named Simish. If your sim has to go to the bathroom, you?d best get him or her there in time or else bad things happen on your newly decorated kitchen floor. The same goes with the other needs that your sim has daily. Hygiene, hunger, social, bladder, fun, and comfort are some of the needs your sim has. Added onto these selections your sims now have Wants and Fears. The more that you make your sim face his or her fears the closer you drive them to insanity, also by realizing your sims fears you decrease their mood. The same goes for their wants, when a want is satisfied your sim?s mood will rise and he or she will gain aspiration points they can use to buy things from the catalog. Your sims have aspira! tions that range from building a family, earning money, seeking knowledge, experiencing romance, or being popular. Fulfill these and your Sims will achieve 3 different moods; green, gold, and platinum. Buying items out of the aspiration catalog is really cool, and the items rock, but using these items if your sim is not in gold mood could be hazardous to your sim?s health. Some of the items include a money tree that continuously grows money for you, granted that you keep it watered, a thinking cap to help you learn faster, and a sensual hot-tub where other sims can?t resist your charm. Control your sims, fulfill their wants, needs, fears, and dreams, watch them grow, and keep them out of trouble (or in it) and The Sims 2 will prove it addictiveness yet again with this amazing sequel.

Appropriateness - C

The Sims 2 is a great game for mostly all ages, but there are a few rough edges. If you decide to choose the Romance aspiration then your life goal will be to ?woo hoo? with 3 different sims. You can fill in the blanks here on your own. When this act is started, a cutscene ensues showing two sims together in compromising circumstances. Nothing is actually shown, but noises are made. When a sim has to use the bathroom or take a shower, they are naked during the process but a VERY pixilated block covers their body sections which is good. While swimming or sitting in the hot tub, women and men wear their swimming trunks/bikinis which can be revealing on certain sims. Passionate kissing and making out is a selection that can be chosen during a relationship with another sim. Also, sims can be unfaithful to each other. I know this sounds a bit picky to speak of, but in case parents are letting their kids play this game they need to know that sims can cheat on each other with bad results. Sims will smack each other around if caught cheating, and they will also rumble if they are angry enough with each other. A burglar can rob your house if you have no alarms installed, and the police will rumble with the burglar if they get there in time. You can also kill your sims, but this is usually out of pure accident. You don?t clean the shower then try to fix the broken radio. When your sim dies, the Grim Reaper will show up to remove the dead sim. He will whip out a pink cell phone, call God, they talk a bit, and a bright light will shine down and take the sim to Heaven. If that?s not hilarious, then I don?t know what is. ESRB put violence in the T for Teen rating which I don?t agree with, because all of so called violence is comic mischief, but some parents might like it stated what the violence actually is. Well there you go, that is all of the violence and sexual themes within The Sims 2. Other than these points, mature kids 14-15+ should be able to play this game fine.

Overall - A+

The Sims 2 is an insanely addictive work of art. You will find yourself up at 3 in the morning still following your sim through his or her virtual life, its that addictive. The graphics are so well done, and a completely amazing improvement over the original graphics of The Sims. Sound and gameplay both correlate with each other in perfect harmony, and the gameplay is just so darn fun to play. Already nominated for PC Game of The Year, The Sims 2 will continue to reign just like its previous game, over and over again.