Platform:
Xbox Genre: Living Simulation Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer:
Maxis ESRB: T (Teen) Released: Q4 2003
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The
Sims Bustin' Out
Score:
8.4 / 10
Pros:
- Console-style Bustin’ Out mode gives players goals to achieve
- Two-player gameplay option
- Easy-to-navigate controls
Cons:
- Why let Sims get in the driver’s seat of vehicles without allowing
the player the ability to actually drive those vehicles wherever they
want?
- “Sim” time moves a bit too frantic compared to “real” time
needed to do everyday Sim activities
"Bustin’ Out adds nothing but
positive reinforcement to the Sims legacy."
The Sims, the best selling PC game ever, successfully made the
sometimes-difficult jump from the PC to the console spectrum last year
in the multiplatform The Sims. Even though the game remained true to its PC roots of an everyday living simulation with a twist, it
converted well to the console market due to clever conversion of the
keyboard & mouse controls to the decidedly different console
controllers and adapting a more console-oriented 3-D visual
presentation.
The second Sims title for the console market, The Sims Bustin’ Out,
discussed here in its Xbox incarnation, traces the endearing path of the
first console version and achieves an even greater amount of
console-style flavor with the Bustin’ Out mode that gives console
players the goal-oriented story mode they’re more accustomed to while
still nodding toward fans of the freestyle openness of the PC game
that may even convert the most hardened Sims naysayer.
What Bustin’ Out does extremely well is take the winning PC Sims
formula, add a dash of what the development team learned from the first
console title, and blend in enough new features and the usual Teen-rated
sexually-charged naughtiness to create another Will Wright recipe for
tasty gaming goodness. You can still play the old fashioned Sims way of
Free Play where you choose what to do in your Sims existence and when.
Hardcore Sims fanatics will enjoy the collection of items to build your
Sims domicile, outfit them in the latest Sims fashions, go to bizarrely
interesting jobs, and interact with plenty of Sims neighbors. And for
most Sims fans, this is the style of game that will have them playing
for hours.
But for the console gamer, the appeal of a goal-oriented game is what
will draw them to Bustin’ Out. There is even the return of two-player
gameplay for the most competitive of Sims players. After using the
Create-a-Sim mode to customize your Sim, it all begins in mom’s house,
where after completing some of the required goals (clean up house, learn
new skill points) you’re now able to move out into the Sims world on
your very own. There’s greed afoot, however, as your recently-divorced
mom’s ex-husband, Malcolm Landgrabb, a rich S.O.B. that is
“reacquiring” all the items he gave to your mom and his two kids,
Mimi and the king of Sim slackers, Dudley. It’s your goal to thwart
Malcolm’s plans and eventually take over Malcolm’s empire and his
mansion.
Playing the Bustin’ Out mode requires meeting specific goals to
advance. And with the game paced by “Sim” time instead of “real”
time, it can become a frantically paced adventure that takes some of the
fun out of the game. You become so obsessed with doing certain Sim
functions within the quickly-moving time of a Sims day to unlock hidden
items and move closer to the mansion’s doorstep, you’ll miss out on
the slower-paced easygoing nature of the Free Play mode that allows you
to play at your own leisurely rate. Still, once you adjust to the speedy
timeframe required to meet your goals sufficiently, gamers will be able
to thoroughly appreciate Bustin’ Out’s gameplay.
The Sims world of Bustin’ Out doesn’t have the total number of
goodies and new environments that are available through the many, many
expansion packs for the PC Sims. But Maxis has done a respectable job
making sure the console Sims fans haven’t been shortchanged. There are
16 locations that your Sims can explore and work in including a nudist
colony, mad scientist lab, a military base, night club, and movie
studio, each with their own distinctly Sims humor-filled touches.
Getting from location to location gives the Sims their first chance to
“drive” the roads connecting the Sims universe. But unfortunately
it’s not as interactive as it should be because by “drive” I mean
sitting in a vehicle (such as a motor scooter or dune buggy) and sit
back for two minutes until you arrive at your selected destination. At
no time will you actually have any control over the vehicle, so it’s
puzzling why they even included it in the game.
Controlling all the Sims proceedings is set up really nicely as it was
in the first console Sims title. Whether it’s zooming in for a closer
look, adding new décor to your house, or checking out your Sims
essential statistics (like hunger, friendship, and happiness)
on-the-fly, it’s an easy task with your Xbox controller. Along with
the solid control setup is a sensually colorful and well-rendered
graphical presentation (which seems to be closer in clarity and detail to the upcoming Sims 2 PC game
than the original Sims franchise) in tandem with the wonderful music and
patented Simlish language interaction between Sims that creates a great
overall gaming package.
While Bustin’ Out won’t give Maxis and Will Wright the same vice-grip on the console marketplace as it does on the PC,
the game does add another successful chapter in the franchise’s
history, especially with the game’s story mode. Bustin’ Out adds nothing but
positive reinforcement to the Sims legacy.
