The Sims

Wake up. Pee. Shower. Eat. Clean up. Go to work.

Somehow, Maxis has managed to incorporate the very same tasks you perform every day in real life into an oddly compelling national obsession. Unless you've been living in a cave, you know that Will Wright's concept of human-controlled virtual people has entranced so many humans that it has set the record as the best-selling PC game of all time.

A large part of The Sims' success is undoubtedly due to its accessibility. Since the concept is immediately familiar and you can't win, even non-gamers can pick up and play without fear of failure. Never ending experimentation is also available: Build an outlandish home with a swimming pool in the living room. Create a houseful of members of the opposite sex for your Sim to live with. Lock two Sims in two respective towers with nothing but a window and a VR device and see what happens.

And then there's the experimental torture: Wall your Sim in a doorless room with no food or toilet facilities, and watch her whiz on the floor! The best part of creating these situations is witnessing the sometimes surprising scenarios that ensue. It's an ever-changing soap opera as same-sex characters fall in love with your Sim, as your virtual child helps himself to cocktail after cocktail from your poolside bar, and as your Sim loses his job and all his money…all while your real life—the one you really don't want to muck up—remains predictably, boringly intact.

The Xbox version of The Sims lacks the downloadable content of its PC brother, but it adds twice the gameplay with a level-based mode and even some two-player options. Essentially, you progress from living with mom to eventually getting a spouse and kids, a yacht, and, with luck, even a monkey butler. Every level has specific goals, and it's necessary to keep your Sims in tip-top condition to achieve them. Yes, that means making them eat, urinate, shower, and keeping them in a good mood—which can be tedious but strategic. If your Sim is pissed off because she's living in a giant sty, she'll be too depressed to do the things you need her to do to move along. You must learn what skills your Sim must work on for career success, how to make friends, and which things are the most efficient to own. Some actions can kill several birds with one stone; getting in the hot tub, for example, can improve your Sim's Hygiene, Fun, Social, and Comfort levels all at once.

And, most significantly, figuring all this out is gratifying—even for those players of a more competitive nature.

Copyright © 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.