Review of The Sims 2: Free Time: Reticulating Splines in the Zone

For all those Sims fans out there EA/Maxis released the newest expansion pack, Free Time. This is one of the few games that I have been waiting patiently for. The others on that list are Spore and Lego Indiana Jones. I always get excited when there is the prospect that my Sims can do something new. This time around, they get hobbies complete with hobby magazines and they can share those interests with other Sims.

Hobbies include such things as ballet, playing the violin, pottery, sewing, football and basketball, jogging, stargazing (this will make for a very interesting game for those with the alien abduction hack in their game), bird watching and bug collecting, video games (the Sims can now play MySims), reading, watching movies, model trains (much to my husbands excitement who doesn't even play the game) and restoring cars. To make the hobbies even more interesting, after a Sim reaches a certain enthusiasm level for a hobby they will be invited to join a hobby group and visit hidden lots.

There are five new careers; Entertainer, Dancer, Architect, Intelligence (yes, the Sims now have their own CIA) and Oceanographer.

Sims can now also have secondary aspirations, making them more well rounded. In fact, there are two new aspirations. The first is career, which facilitates their career growth. The second is grilled cheese. Yes, you read that right, grilled cheese. Anyone familiar with the Sims know that the game designers are slightly twisted. I am pretty sure it comes from reticulating too many splines (this time around splines are being reticulated in the zone). It is only from that twisted genius can you get an aspiration of grilled cheese where the ultimate goal in life is to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. Hey, not everyone has lofty goals, not even in video game worlds.

Sim parents can now study parenting in an effort to make themselves better parents. This allows the parents to know what motive is the lowest in their infant. No more guess work in taking care of Sim babies. Too bad we can't use that on the nanny. There is one NPC that needs all the help she can get.

Speaking of NPCs, during age transitions you can take three of them with you. NPC's can now age without having to move them in to a household. The newest NPC is a gypsy who brings with her a genie lamp, allowing your Sim three wishes. Of course, you have to really work for this one and I can not wait to see that one in action. Remember how things occasionally went bad in the original Sims with the genie?

Wonder what is in store for us this time?

One huge game improvement that was made this time around is the ability to move between neighborhoods a lot easier with an advanced neighborhood option. You can now go from beach resort to checking into college without returning home first. Another game improvement is a cheat that allows you to change your terrain quickly and easily. That cheat is actually listed in the booklet that comes with the game. Since there hasn't been a Prima Guide released it's nice that it was given to us up front. Something else that I am looking forward to playing with is placing my own MP3s into the game. Yes, I know this option was possible before, but a slight programming change was done to make it possible to create custom radio stations. Just think, Sims can now flip from the all polka station to the all death metal station, or the all podcast station. Sim radio at its best.

Anyone who loves the Sims will be happy with this expansion pack. It's one of the better ideas that Maxis/EA has come up with for the game, in my opinion. There is a reason why there is a plum bob on front of the packaging saying "Celebrating 100 Million Sold." The Sims are just that fun.