Macintosh

The Sims: Life Stories

So The Sims Life Stories tailors the game engine and some functionality a bit to run better on lower-end hardware. Still, the game offers an authentic Sims 2-style interface and really impressive graphics, even if you can’t have quite as many Sims on screen as before, or quite as huge a house, or, for that matter, as big a neighborhood. You’ll hear the same styles of music and the same nonsense “Simlish” language that you’ve heard in other games.

For those of you that have never played a Sims title before and are curious to see what the fuss is about, I can recommend TSLS. For those veterans out there who can't stand to leave home without their Sims and have laptops, I can recommend TSLS. However, for those veterans out there looking for more, TSLS doesn't have what you need. Better to wait for the next inevitable expansion pack to present your Sims with more ways to build houses, make babies, and leave messes.

Though the plotlines are a bit corny, it's nice to see a little variety infused into the Sims gameplay. With its friendlier system requirements, The Sims Life Stories is the perfect counterpoint to plugging away on a dull proposal or mind-numbing spreadsheet.