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Amazon Maximum Age: 20 years Amazon Minimum Age: 144 months Binding: Video Game Brand: Aspyr EAN: 0618870115900 ESRB Age Rating: Teen Label: Aspyr Media Manufacturer: Aspyr Media Model: 11590 Platform: Macintosh Publisher: Aspyr Media Release Date: March 19, 2007 Sales Rank: 2084 Studio: Aspyr Media
Features:
Direct Their Lives in Two Complete Stories
In all-new Story Mode play through the life story of Riley as she returns home to start a new life with new friends, new experiences, and unexpected surprises. A bonus second story lets you sort out the love life of Vince, a love-struck high-tech whiz who'
"User friendly gameplay design, with easy shortcuts and a brand new Auto Pause Feature -- stopping the game each time you close your laptop
Create Your Sims' Own Stories - In Open-Ended Classic Mode you create your Sims, design their dream homes, fulfill their desires (or dash their hopes), and tell their stories as they experience life's biggest moments.
Over the years the world of The Sims has gotten bigger and bigger; they've busted out and gone to school, opened businesses, gotten pets, partied all night long, and celebrated the seasons. While fans welcome the near-endless supply of Sims 2 expansion packs, EA has stepped back and is creating a new line of Sims titles that trims the excess fat and puts you in control of other people's lives--The Sims Stories.
First to arrive is The Sims: Life Stories, which has set-aside the free-form nature of previous Sims games and opted instead for a bit more structure with the primary "Story Mode." You'll first take control of Riley, an attractive but unlucky-in-life woman seeking her place in a new town, Four Corners. The game eases you into the (now familiar to many) Sims play mechanics with an in-line tutorial that gets the story rolling. Soon enough you'll find yourself with a job, wooed by the local men, and building a new family. The game is helpful in guiding you along the way, explicitly telling your how to get to the next goal.
Once you've finished Riley's story, it's on to the title's male co-star, wealthy Vince, and his lady troubles. Rounding out the game is a free-form play mode like you'll find in Sims 2, albeit stripped down in terms of items and housing options.
The graphics in Sims Life Stories are bright and clean, following what the franchise has established. Humor abounds in the stories, and you'll still hear the bubbly "Simlish" language and relevant sounds spewing from all corners of the game, backed by a simple but pleasant soundtrack.
Sims Life Stories might not have the breadth and depth of Sims 2 and its many expansion packs, but it does offer up a solid and fun Sims experience, especially for gamers on the go or with older systems.
~ Garaphin, Amazon Video Games
Pros:
Two involved storylines featuring likeable characters and a free-form play mode offer plenty of hours of gaming.
Optimized code and new keyboard commands allows you to play on laptop computers and older systems.
Cons:
Although marketed as laptop-friendly, my new MacBook still ran into some choppiness and the fan has to run on full blast to keep the system cool. Older systems will likely need to run reduced resolutions for smooth game play.
Long-time Sims 2 players might not find much new here.
Product Description: In The Sims: Life Stories, you'll get to lead your Sim through a new set of life adventures. Meet Riley, a Sim living in Four Corners who's looking for love. She returns home to begin a new life -- along the way she'll have new experiences and deal with surprises. Give your Sim the perfect life in this exciting new adventure!
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Slightly different, but limited
I bought this because I wanted something I could play on my Mac without having to switch to Windows mode. I've played Sims games since SimFarm, SimTower, and SimCity were new to the PC game world. I've spent countless hours with The Sims, Sims 2, and most of the expansion packs.
I like Life Stories for what it is. I like the story line, though in some ways it is almost limiting. The biggest problem I have with Life Stories is that so much is taken away! No cars, not nearly as many objects or build items. If you've been playing Sims for awhile, it can be frustrating to have something in mind for decorating or objects only to find they aren't there!
Other than that, it's the same game as all of the other Sims. It's addictive, fun, a huge time-waster, and I will continue to play it over and over again.
