The Sims 2 (PC)

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Now your Sims want what you and I would want. A Plasma TV for example

The most significant addition to the Sims' complexity as personalities comes in the form of their Aspirations - as well as the usual wants and needs of daily life, the Sims now have more idealistic desires, such as buying a nice TV, getting married, teaching their children to talk or simply a quick game of SSX 3 (which, yes, you can buy for them along with SimCity and - Schrödinger would have a field day - their OWN copy of the Sims). They have one general aspiration in life - family, romance, popularity, wealth or knowledge - and from this one general aim spring hundreds of varied individual desires which really help define the Sims as individuals. Satisfying these desires will help them to become happy, balanced individuals, and also of course lets you buy them rewards.

We also have a variety of other complications to get to grips with - many new mannerisms (some of them slouch, some of them like to read newspapers in the bath, some of them scratch themselves inappropriately), more complex Sim-to-Sim interactions, closer family relationships and, most importantly, several different stages of Sim-life. From Sim-babies they become Sim-toddlers, at which point they have to learn to walk and talk and potty train to become children, who later become hormone-addled spotty Teens and, eventually, progress into boring old adulthood before retiring to Elder status. Sadly, this also means that Sims can die - and an addict like me would say that it's often before their time. Keep your Sims extremely happy, however, and you can buy them an Elixir of Life that'll keep them going for as long as you can keep supplying it...

Genetics, too, play a larger part in the game than one would have expected

Genetics, too, play a larger part in the game than one would have expected. Sims can now look quite literally any way you want them to, with significant appearance and personality traits being passed down from generation to generation. Sims will know when they've become grandparents and will pop over to have a chat with their grandchildren; aunts will randomly pick their baby nieces or nephews out of cots and feed them. There are also differences in Sims' interactions with items - typically, though, EA has left plenty of room for expansion packs by halving the number of items that Sims can buy for their delectation.

Enough of this description, though. A lot is new, and we can see that now; but what hasn't changed? Is The Sims as addictive as it used to be? Has Maxis made a mistake and over-complicated things? I've already said that the Sims' original appeal was an obsessive but finite thing, and though that still holds true, I can confidently say that the obsession here will last a lot longer. There's so much more to play with, so many new needs to satisfy, so much more to love about your new Sims that it takes physical effort to tear oneself away from the game, and by the time you do get bored of it there'll undoubtedly be an expansion pack waiting in the wings - we already have Sims University on the way, which will add a whole new time-zone to Sims' lives (that's Young Adult, folks, for those not up-to-speed).

Relationships are much more complex this time around

Just about the best thing that I can say about this game in relation to its predecessor is that The Sims 2 never degenerates into the obligatory wake-eat-shower-gotowork-sleep-wake-eat-shower process that the original Sims' addicts eventually ended up experiencing. Sims simply want more this time around. You'll like them more, they'll engage you more, and they'll continue to frequently surprise you hours and hours in. The wonderful thing about the Sims is that those who genuinely get into it really, truly care about their little peoples' welfare. It's near-impossible for a Sim-addict not to get unreasonably excited about a new Sim-baby or a new Sim-TV or a new Maxis download. Playing the Sims is quite a personal experience and you can always take solace in the knowledge that you're not the only person who feels deeply afflicted by the death of a much-loved Sim, with the Maxis boards brimming as they are with fans and questions and user-created scenery, skins and buildings.

I cannot recommend this game enough. It remains uniquely personal, terrifyingly addictive and great fun to play. Despite EA's cruelty in charging us £40 for the privilege (and the abuse their staff may or may not have gone through in making it), it's worth getting ahold of under any circumstances - though it's far more likely to get ahold of you somehow. And I warn you: it won't let go.

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