I woke up this morning and headed for the bathroom. After finishing my business I jumped into the shower to get cleaned up. I got dressed and went on an interview in hopes of finding a new job. When I got home, I washed the dishes and then cooked some dinner. With a full stomach, I sat down to read for a while before watching a little TV. Isn’t my life thrilling?

You’re right. It’s not. In fact it can be quite boring and tedious at times. It’s these times when I turn to the wonderful world of videogames. I can slay dragons, command armies, build an amusement park, blow up aliens, play an NFL game, or pilot a huge mech all in the privacy of my home. The possibilities are endless. Videogames give me the ability to go on all the adventures I never got to experience in real life. They are my escape from reality.

So here comes The Sims, a game that not only reminds me of my daily existence but forces me to focus on every tedious nonsensical detail. You’re in charge of micro-managing your created character through every step of his boring life. You better get your Sim to the bathroom on time or he’ll pee his pants. Make sure you clean up the garbage and wash those dishes. Oh joy of joys, my Sim has a virtual mother to yell at him whenever the mood strikes her. Fix that TV, take a bath, study, go to sleep, you have to do it all. After several hours of play I began to wonder if I was a gamer or a babysitter. More importantly, I wondered why I wasn’t having any fun.

Don’t get me wrong; I like simulations. Take a game like Animal Crossing, which focuses on the fun parts of life. Fishing, collecting, playing videogames, digging for fossils, growing fruit; these are things that I enjoy. On the other hand, The Sims cherishes the downright trivial. I don’t enjoy cleaning the toilet in real life so why would I ever enjoy cleaning a virtual toilet several times a day? Not only that but if my little virtual pal isn’t in a good mood he won’t do what I say anyways. This is fun? I think not.

If you can’t get enough of the trivial details of life and therefore feel compelled to take care of them for others, The Sims is the game for you. In that case, you’ll find a worthy game with better than average graphics and plenty to keep you busy. The new Get a Life mode takes the standard PC Sims experience into the more console friendly mission-based realm. You’ll learn new life skills, buy new gadgets for your apartment, get a job, and even fall in love. After you’ve successfully built you’re dream home you can jump into the classic open-ended mode for extended replay value. Rest assured, if this sounds enjoyable to you, there’s a lot here for you to like.

As for me, I’d rather be in Hyrule. Playing The Sims seemed more like work than it did entertainment. Your results will vary.

· · · PBMax