The Sims 2: Seasons

On February 27, 2007, the latest expansion pack in the Sims 2 series hit store shelves. Sims 2: Seasons offers a slew of new features for the Sims gamer. New objects, clothing, interactions, and careers are sure to appeal to some but the most prominent new feature of Sims 2: Seasons is the addition of weather and seasons. Sims can now be assaulted with rain, snow, and, even, the dreaded hailstorm. Watch your sims if they're outside playing in the rain and they may be lucky(?) enough to be hit by a random thunderbolt.

The different seasons affect your sims in various way. In the summer, it becomes easier to make friends. Spring is the time for romance and you'll find it's easier to woo prospective love partners. Fall is the time to buckle down and bone up on those skills. Less study time makes it easier to get that last logic point needed for that promotion. And, in the winter, you'll have an easier time building up those family relationships as your sim families gather around the fireplace trying to warm themselves up.

Your sims will also now be affected by the weather if they venture outside. Summer can leave you with a wretched sunburn or suffering from a nasty heat stroke. In the winter, don't stay outdoors too long or you'll find a new way to die: Freezing to death!

A number of new interactions have been added to the game. Your sims can now play catch and marco polo, build snowmen, catch fireflies and butterflies, fish, and garden. Fishing and gardening are the most involved of these new activities. If your sim fishes at a pond, they can now feed themselves by catching bass, trout, catfish, and, possibly, a boot! Well, eating the boot isn't a very good idea. Gardening can be a bit complex at first but, once you get the hang of it, your sims can grow apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, and more.

Every expansion pack adds more items, clothing, and hairstyles to the game and Seasons doesn't skimp on this. Many of the new clothing items revolve around weather and a new category of clothing: Outerwear. In the winter, sims who don't dress in jackets and hats will find themselves succumbing to the elements. New items include a country kitchen set, a racing-themed kid's bedroom, and roller skating and ice skating rinks.

Finally, your sims can now choose from six new careers in Seasons. In addition to the careers already included with the base game, your sims can now become an adventurer, gamer, journalist, lawyer, teacher, or rock star .

In my opinion, Seasons truly is the best expansion pack of the Sims 2 series so far.