It's Friday and I'm in love – with the Sims 2. Will Wright's opus is finally released today. The sequel to the biggest selling PC game ever takes the basic concept of the Sims – guiding the lives of virtual people – to the next level, with genes, desire and death all included. But it's not all romance over the washing up, Silent Hill 4 and Final Fantasy XI are also out today…
Sims 2PC, £39.99
There's not a lot more that can be said that I didn't already say here. And that's especially true when you consider what a personal experience the Sims 2 offers. Everyone who plays it will create characters that have different stories – although adultery, rather worryingly, kept creeping up in mine. Just play it.
Final Fantasy XI PC, £29.99 (plus monthly fee)
The latest in the long-running Japanese role playing series is finally out in Europe, but this time round the action is online only. Players used to the weighty, and increasingly ludicrous, storylines of previous titles may be disappointed here. FFXI is a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) which means players have to kill monsters to level up, to kill more monsters with a bigger sword. Yes, this is the classic Everquest template, albeit with enough Final Fantasy touches to satisfy the fans. And like most games in this genre the action is initially very addictive, especially when grouping with like-minded players. The emphasis is very much on teamwork though, so solo players be warned, FFXI forces you to group up. A nice touch is the universal language choice, which allows players to choose from a stock set of phrases. This allows Japanese and Western players to communicate with each other and brings back happy memories of Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast.
Silent Hill 4: The Room PS2, Xbox, £39.99
The latest in the long-running horror series, Silent Hill 4: The Room is slightly disappointing. The emphasis has shifted away from puzzles towards action, dulling the psychological edge of the previous games. The Room is solid enough, but won't be remembered as fondly as its predecessors.
Resident Evil: Outbreak PS2, Xbox, £39.99
Another disappointment is Resident Evil: Outbreak, the online version of the classic series that isn't actually online in Europe. Without this capability Outbreak is a bit of a mess, with the horrible controls feeling even worse than they used to. Blasting zombies is still enjoyable, but the lack of online grates, and contributes to an underwhelming release.
Madden NFL 2005PS2, £39.99
WWE: Day of ReckoningGC, £39.99
Finally this week - two US-centric sports titles, Madden 2005 and WWE: Day of Reckoning. Both demand an appreciation of the sport concerned – of course, wrestling is anything but – but it's likely that the latter will be of more interest in the UK. That's unfair to Madden, which is a highly polished and typically slick EA Sports game.
Next week sees the return of the Force as Star Wars Battlefront gets ready for duty.
