7 Deadly Sims

It is no secret that I quite adore The Sims. Yes, I groan every time a new expansion is released, but I have to keep up the appearance of a serious games reviewer. And The Sims just does not bode well for a gamer of my caliber.

But the problem with that is the fact that The Sims are simply too addictive to overlook. And if you look at the sales figures for The Sims I can take comfort in knowing I am most certainly not alone in this!

The Sims turns 12 this week, and now that it is heading into its teens you can expect a few changes to happen. Besides hair starting to grow in places where it did not even know it had places, you can expect a lot of new things starting to appear. Luckily for the secret Sims fan in all of us these new things have been arriving long before puberty.

Yes, expansions go hand in hand with The Sims franchise and we have had some crackers up to now. So without further ado, let me present you with the 7 Deadly Sims expansions. The 7 that really have changed the game from being a doll house simulator to being a life simulator.

1.) The Sims 3 – This not an expansion in its own right, but is the root of all evil. As a base game you obviously need it to enjoy the expansions, but it also has a great marketplace where buying new items and buildings are as easy as entering a credit card number. This lays the foundation for all bad things to come!

2.) The Sims 3: World Adventures – Your Sim might enjoy his little hometown, but going on holiday is as much fun to them as a real one is for you. So save your cash, go to Paris, Egypt or the Far East and enjoy new tasks and adventures! Take photos to show your friends!

3.) The Sims 3: Pets – Companionship is a massive part of The Sims franchise, and a dog is man’s best friend. So is a horse, or a cat, or a snake, rat, or turtle. Yes, pets bring out the best and the worst in your Sim’s behavior. Now try to explain to your Sim children that their pooch went to heaven.

4.) The Sims 3: Generations – The biggest thing missing from The Sims up to this point was a good upbringing. Generations fixes that by giving your children schools, libraries and play areas to get up to their usual no good activities. Not only is this a nice way to be more involved with your children, it also molds them into their adult selves. Be careful how much you let them get up to!

5.) The Sims 3: Night Life – Your Sims need an escape at night, somewhere to hang out and meet new people. Night Life adds clubs and bars, as well as vampires that thankfully do not glitter in the sun, but actually start to burn. But beware, being a vampire may let you live off other Sim’s blood, but there is no turning back!

6.) The Sims 3: Ambitions – As if real life is not hard enough, you now have the chance to get more involved in your Sim’s fictitious life. And where would we do this? At his place of work, of course! Now your Sim not only have more jobs to choose from, but each job gives tasks to perform and more reward for completing them successfully. Hey, why is real life not like this?

7.) The Sims 3: Stuff Packs (The Sims 3: Fast Lane Stuff, The Sims 3: Outdoor Living Stuff and The Sims 3: High-End Loft Stuff) – Just as in real life you can never have too much stuff. If you need a new sofa or a new car, don’t sell the old one, just build a new room for the new one. Stuff packs only add furniture, clothing and accessories, but you can never have too much of them. So start collecting now!

The Sims 3 have come a very long way from its release, and with new expansions you get to experience new things with your Sim friends all the time. Just like real life I guess.

The only thing it really needs is an online mode, where your Sim can meet other real life Sims from across the world. EA, if you are reading this, please make it happen! My Sim needs REAL interaction!

You can also read over Oltman’s reviews of the expansions for The Sims 3 not listed above, below:

- The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff

- The Sims Medieval: Pirates and Nobles

- The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff

- The Sims: Medieval