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The Sims 2: More Realism Than Ever Before


The Sims 2 is more realistic than ever, but is all this realism a good thing? In this graphically detailed game, players create characters by defining every one of their attributes, from their hair color to personality. They then "play god" over them by controlling their surroundings and even interactions with other people, meeting their physical needs while manipulating their computer-generated emotions. They can even be given aspirations, such as romance, fortune or family, each with its corresponding wants and fears.

In The Sims 2 you can build and decorate a home to your liking for a family or group of people. Starting with the layout of the house, you decide on one or two floors, and then design the entire inside and outside of the house from the floor tiling and siding to the paintings and plants for decoration.

Your Sims (the name for the people in the game) can get jobs to support themselves as well as build relationships with other Sims. A Sim can throw parties, call up a neighbor, or socialize with housemates to meet their computerized desire for affection.

They also come with everyday needs such as eating, sleeping, bathing, fun, love, education and much more. The Sims have a set of scales that will tell a player what they need and when. If a Sim needs to use the restroom he will often jump around to alert the need, and with a couple clicks on the bathroom the job will be done. Sims even leave messes around the house and need to be told to clean up and take out the trash. The player controls it all, but occasionally the Sim will figure it out on its own.

Most family review sites of The Sims 2 marked it "bad" or "iffy" due to the sexual content and social behavior. The game permits sex outside of marriage and same sex relationships, rape, divorce, physical and emotional abuse, cheating, drinking and more. Players can even manipulate two Sims to have sex and then watch them climb in to bed (while a computerized blur covers up the rest). Check out this story about what one Sims family.

A wife lusted after her husband's brother [and the player decided,] what the heck, I'll let it happen. For a while it seemed to work. One brother would be off in the office while Nina was woo-hooing the other one. Inevitably they got caught.

Screaming! Slapping! Crying! You'd think you were watching an evening soap opera. It all seemed kinda funny until we noticed what effect it was having on their young son. He was totally messed up! It was all bad.

With the ability to duplicate everyday life in your own fantasy world, people everywhere are getting themselves wrapped up in this game. Living life through a computer screen might be some people's way of escape, but it may be influencing them more than they know. Some are even addicted, spending hours with their virtual family and seeing just what they can make them do.

Be sure to take a closer look at what's really going on in The Sims 2 before plunging into this digital world.