The Sims 2 (2004)
Launched on September 14, 2004, The Sims 2 took the core of what labored so effectively about The Sims and expanded upon it. The Sims 2 was the primary sport within the sequence to be absolutely 3D, and deepened the variety of customization and interplay choices gamers had at their disposal whereas additionally slicing away a few of the sequence’ extra irritating qualities. Sims gained the flexibility to create recollections and have aspirations and lifelong desires, deepening the potential for emergent storytelling. Pearson believes “interconnectedness” is The Sims 2’s best energy.
“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 they’d lifetimes and household relationships…Introducing backstories and recollections, it was this entire new layer of The Sims universe, and I feel it modified the best way that we take into consideration The Sims’ world. Who’re these little people who reside there? Why? What are their motivations? What do they care about? What are they fearful about?”
The Sims 2 was as soon as once more a crucial and business success as a result of it gave gamers the instruments to ask and reply these questions. GameSpot’s overview of The Sims 2 highlights that it “efficiently took nearly the whole lot that was nice in regards to the first sport and introduced it up a notch.” From a growth perspective, it is also Pearson’s favourite within the sequence, because it was the primary The Sims sport she labored on from begin to end.
Between 2004 and 2008, The Sims 2 obtained eight expansions and 10 Stuff Packs. All that further content material made The Sims 2 a really strong, complete package deal, but additionally 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 sport as they rebuilt from a brand new base. Pearson recalled the stress of understanding that every new addition to The Sims 2 would increase expectations relating to the content material in potential sequels.
“Any time we transfer on, we’d like to have taken the whole lot that was there and introduced the whole lot over. However the actuality is that the core function adjustments in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 modified a lot about how the whole lot labored that we could not actually raise the whole lot one to at least one…Despite the fact that it is actually laborious to return to sq. one, it is a chance to look throughout the context of the engine, world, and conceits we have constructed and reenvision them.”