The first two Sims games for the PS2 were focused on the Sims life in Suburbia. The Sims third installment on the PS2 sees a shift. Sims fans should be pleased to know that the Urbz takes the series in a new and good direction, placing more of an emphasis on personal reputation or “Rep” and less on career goals.

Your reputation is based on things such as interacting with peers which can increase your popularity. To keep track of your personal life, your character is given an XAM ((“eXchange.access.message.”), which acts as a cell phone and pager. The XAM comes in quite useful throughout the game, since you can check the best spots in the city to hangout and gain a better reputation.

Character customization is fairly deep in the Urbz. While reputation plays an extremely important role in the game, you can only go so far with a reputation. Certain areas in the city such as night clubs won’t let you in, regardless of your reputation, unless you have the right dress. Each district in the city has a store where you can upgrade your fashion collection and get into certain hot spots. You can also add cool little things like earrings and tattoos to your character as well.  The visuals in the Urbz are certainly a major upgrade over the past Sims games. The game has more of a colorful and cartoony vibe to it. The character models look good all around and the environments feature a nice amount of detail.

scattered throughout the game’s different districts. Most of these jobs play out the same way, they are more reminiscent of a mini-game. You can take up being a chef at a Japanese restaurant or serving drinks at a club.

The Urbz takes the Sims series in a new and good direction and should appeal to a broad audience. While the game lacks some components such as online play, it’s still a good game that should keep you busy and interested for a while.

- Siddharth Masand