The Sims 2 (2004)
Launched on September 14, 2004, The Sims 2 took the core of what labored so nicely about The Sims and expanded upon it. The Sims 2 was the primary recreation within the sequence to be totally 3D, and deepened the variety of customization and interplay choices gamers had at their disposal whereas additionally slicing away among the sequence’ extra irritating qualities. Sims gained the power to create reminiscences and have aspirations and lifelong needs, deepening the potential for emergent storytelling. Pearson believes “interconnectedness” is The Sims 2’s biggest power.
“The Sims 1 was very a lot a simulation, however The Sims 2 took it to a special degree. You launched lots of interconnectedness with the households as a result of now that they had lifetimes and household relationships…Introducing backstories and reminiscences, it was this complete new layer of The Sims universe, and I feel it modified the way in which that we take into consideration The Sims’ world. Who’re these little those who reside there? Why? What are their motivations? What do they care about? What are they apprehensive about?”
The Sims 2 was as soon as once more a important and business success as a result of it gave gamers the instruments to ask and reply these questions. GameSpot’s assessment of The Sims 2 highlights that it “efficiently took nearly every part that was nice in regards to the first recreation and introduced it up a notch.” From a improvement perspective, it is also Pearson’s favourite within the sequence, because it was the primary The Sims recreation she labored on from begin to end.
Between 2004 and 2008, The Sims 2 acquired eight expansions and 10 Stuff Packs. All that further content material made The Sims 2 a really strong, complete bundle, but in addition made the bounce from The Sims 2 to The Sims 3 all of the extra daunting for the builders. Maxis grappled with stripping again options with the intial model of every new recreation as they rebuilt from a brand new base. Pearson recalled the stress of understanding that every new addition to The Sims 2 would elevate expectations concerning the content material in potential sequels.
“Any time we transfer on, we might like to have taken every part that was there and introduced every part over. However the actuality is that the core characteristic modifications in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 modified a lot about how every part labored that we could not actually raise every part one to at least one…Regardless that it is actually exhausting to return to sq. one, it is a possibility to look throughout the context of the engine, world, and conceits we have constructed and reenvision them.”
