The Sims 2: Nightlife

Much has been written on why Sims games appeal to people, even when mundane tasks like showering and going to the bathroom take center stage. Satisfying those needs has never been the fun part��what��s fun is acquiring cool toys like hot tubs. Nightlife, EA��s latest Sims 2 expansion, wisely focuses on humankind��s hedonistic tendencies, with less emphasis on acquisition and more on enjoying life outside the house.

The World Is Your Oyster

Friends are important to have in Sims games, but it gets tiresome hosting house parties all the time��not to mention looking at the same place day after day. Nightlife addresses the issue by letting you go on dates and group outings. This ain��t New York City, but with museums, restaurants, nightclubs, bowling alleys, parks, boutiques, and spas, Nightlife��s downtown provides plenty of ways to stave off boredom while improving your relationships. Here, you enjoy the accoutrements and ambiance of places you could never dream of affording on your Sims�� paltry salaries. Head to P.U.R.E. for a dip in the hot tub, go for a spin in the Electro Dance Sphere, or try Lucky Shack Cards for karaoke and poker. One of the best new items: the photo booth, which not only allows you to take photos commemorating your dates, but also serves as a convenient place for some quality (ahem) woohoo. You can also buy your own car, park outside a venue, and woohoo there.

Woohoo is just one way to achieve popularity, of course, but dating is key in Nightlife. If you have an especially successful dream date, your companion may show up the next day to reward you with a 12th-century Song dynasty sculpted vase or a Groove Layer 9000 professional DJ booth. Performing well during a date is probably a bit too easy because you can always ask your date what he or she wants. You can also check turn-offs and turn-ons, but these can be ignored with little effect; if the Sim didn��t like you enough, he wouldn��t have agreed to go on the date in the first place. Of course, dating also has its hazards: If your Sim has slutty tendencies, she��ll definitely get caught sooner or later by a jealous lover, forcing her to suffer tipped-over garbage cans, public fistfights between her lovers, or worse.

You Can��t Always Get What You Want��

But Nightlife isn��t all about dates and outings��ultimately, you want to work toward your Sims�� aspirations. With another nod to hedonism, Nightlife adds a Pleasure aspiration to the mix. You also get a new Wants and Fears panel, listing actions that will ratchet up or deplete your Aspiration meter. This addition works well, bringing concrete goals to gameplay that might otherwise seem too open-ended.

None of this stuff revolutionizes the gameplay model, but it does twist things up enough to keep fans interested. If you��re going stir-crazy with The Sims 2, then Nightlife just might be the perfect cure.

Finally, a Sims expansion that caters to hedonism.

Verdict: 4 Stars

Publisher: EA Games Developer: Maxis genre: Simulation esrb rating: M Required: 1GHz CPU, 256MB RAM, 1.5GB hard drive space, The Sims 2_Recommended: None Multiplayer: None

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.