Review HiSpace 3/5 · Sep 12, 2023
An original Sims Spin-Off
The PlayStation 2 had six Sims games:
- The Sims: The original one ported to PS2
- The Sims: Bustin' Out: The Sims with a silly "story mode"
- The Urbz: Sims in the City: The Sims with a silly "story mode" meets the Black Eyed Peas
- The Sims 2: A port of the PC game excluding things such as children or aging …
The PlayStation 2 had six Sims games:
- The Sims: The original one ported to PS2
- The Sims: Bustin' Out: The Sims with a silly "story mode"
- The Urbz: Sims in the City: The Sims with a silly "story mode" meets the Black Eyed Peas
- The Sims 2: A port of the PC game excluding things such as children or aging and just less content in general.
- The Sims 2: Pets: Basically The Sims 2 again but with dogs and cats.
And, finally, The Sims 2: Castaway, the only game that truly felt as a game and not as an incomplete port or an overpriced expansion.
The premise is as simple as it can get: You create various sims, they shipwreck and you start playing with one of them, getting to meet with the rest as you advance before you can finally leave the island.
The gameplay combines classical Sims interaction (not only with Sims but monkeys too) with exploring and crafting, being this last feature quite fascinating for 2007. The game has a bizarre environmental storytelling (take that, Dark Souls) and details such as the hair and beard growing if you don't take care of yourself (Red Dead Redemption 2 who?)
Still, the game feels more like a first try on the Castaway idea and get repetitive soon. Sadly, making hundres of DLC adding a few wardrobes proved to be a better bussiness and standalone experiences like this were quickly forgotten.
