The Sims: Life Stories (PC Games, 2007)

I wish that EA had released a PC laptop friendly version of The Sims back when I owned a laptop. I actually did purchase a new computer system when I was able to so that I could get The Sims 2, as my old system only allowed me to play the original The Sims game and it's expansion packs.<br><br>

The best part of The Sims Life Stories release is that you can play the story mode without needing to have a console system. I have several The Sims games for PS2 and find that I don't play them as often as I'd like because going to the console takes me away from the computer.<br><br>

The Sims Life Stories also has unlockable items in story mode like the console games. It means having to play through what is not locked in order to gain access to the rest of the items and Vince's story. Like the console games this can sometimes be frustrating.<br><br&gt;

A huge bonus is that The Sims Life Stories automatically is windowed. You can run a windowed version of The Sims 2, however switching between programs is not nearly as smooth.<br><br>

The only minus I can see at all is that the product is standalone. I have all of the Expansion and Stuff packs from The Sims 2 and would love to be able to add some of those items. At the same time being standalone is good because it means not having to purchase many add ons to feel you are getting the complete game experience. Another reason this can be a plus is that sometimes having all the Expansion and Stuff packs can be distracting and/or overwhelming.<br><br&gt;

The controls are very similar to previous The Sims PC games. In this version there are several shortcuts for Needs such as Prepare meal, Shower, Clean, Go to bed, etc. I found these extremely handy once I got used to them. The only control I can see that has changed that may cause some confusion is the use of the P key for pause instead of the ~. I am used to using ~, 1, 2, 3 to control the game speed. P does make sense for new users however.<br><br>

Overall I feel that The Sims Life Stories holds it's own and is up to par with The Sims line. It's a great way to get new players involved (and addicted!) without them feeling they need to buy all the Expansion and Stuff packs. It's lower computer requirements allow more people access to the game as well. The price is generally comparable to the other releases.<br><br>

I cannot wait for other Stories titles to be released. The only problem is deciding which game to play!

The seller kept all levels of communication open. Gave great detail on how my order was handled and gave me an estimate date of arrival which was a few days earlier than what was given. Excellent.