The Sims 2 Apartment Life Review
Final Sims2 Expansion Pack Adds Game Play
The Maxis-designed wildly popular video game The Sims 2 was released in 2004 by Electronic Arts, and eight expansion packs have been released from 2005 until 2008.
Die-hard The Sims 2 junkies will naturally add Apartment Life, the eighth and final expansion pack, to their collection while awaiting the release of The Sims 3 in 2009, but is this new expansion pack worth it?
The Sims 2 Apartment Life
Apartment Life is most similar to The Sims 2’s first expansion pack, University. In University, Sim teens can add an extra phase of life – young adult – by attending college. Living in an apartment building in Apartment Life is a lot like living in the dormitories in University – only as an adult, with the ability to have children.
Just like non-playing character (NPC) dormmates in University, each Sim family may have up to three other families living on the same lot in inaccessible portions of the building. How does this benefit the player in any way?
Firstly, instead of randomly generated NPCs, the apartment building can be populated with playable families. Furthermore, if these player-owned Sims are concerned with popularity, having other Sims around for interaction really helps a decaying social meter. With the new reputation meter in Apartment Life, however, social interaction matters to everyone – not just socially minded Popularity Sims.
Along with concerns for reputation comes distinct social groups and new social interactions. Socialites, for example, are fond of greeting each other with “kiss kiss darling,” two affected air cheek kisses, while Bohemians give each other “earthy hugs.”
In addition to the self-interaction “Practice Yoga,” Sims can now also “Jump Rope,” a healthy boost to fitness. The best and most adorable new interaction, however, is playing “Peek a Boo” with toddlers.
New options for business with The Sims 2
Players with the third expansion pack, Open for Business, can operate a for-pay playground with new items that include a playground slide, jungle gym, merry-go-round, and monkey bars. Add this to the expandable swingset that comes with the basic game, and Sim children from all over the neighborhood will flock to the Apartment Life-enabled playground.
The best new item for business owners – and any community lot – are the vending machines. Second only to the coffee barista in overall functionality, these quick-to-use, inexpensive items start fewer fires and make fewer messes than outdoor grills. Snack and soda vending machines allow Sims to satisfy their hunger, without requiring extra furniture or cleanup staff that adds to the business owner’s overhead cost.
Magical Sims : The Sims Makin' Magic
Makin’ Magic, the seventh and final expansion pack for The Sims, allowed Sims to cast spells and forge charms. In Apartment Life for The Sims 2, the concept of magic is introduced again, with spells in two directions: good and evil. Many basic neutral spells are also available to both types of witches.
If player's Sims want to pursue the path of magic, they can start by meeting an existing practitioner. A quick dive into magic can happen by playing the additional neighborhood added, Belladonna Cove. Two of the pregenerated characters are sisters with witchy friends – one sister is friends with an evil witch, and one is friends with a good witch.
Apartment Life: Turn off the ringer!
The telephone has always been a source of annoyance, both to napping Sims, babies, and players alike, but after the seventh expansion pack FreeTime, it got out of control.
Sims increasing in any of eight hobbies received regular phone calls and visits from NPCs associated with that hobby – and the phone never stopped ringing. Hands down, the best thing about The Sims 2 Apartment Life expansion pack is the “silent mode” on Sims’ home phone.
Apartment building
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