Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack

Another Sims pack, but this one’s definitely worth the price!

Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack software game from Electronic Art. If there’s one thing that Electronic Art is good at, it’s churning out new stuff for the Sims software game. And while there are people who would argue that new Sims expansions probably IS the only thing that Electronic Art's good at, they’re definitely on to something with Sims 2 Seasons Extention Pack. They’ve packed much more than just new items and Christmas-themed stuff into this expansion, and whether or not you thought some of the previous expansions were worth picking up you should definitely give Sims 2 Seasons a look. There’s some really cool stuff in here.

The big thing, of course, is that they’ve added seasonal weather into the mix… now your Sims can get caught out in a hailstorm, or be snowed in after a winter snowstorm, or even be struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. The weather really adds a new level of play, and can be a fun new way to torture or torment your Sims (because everyone does that every now and then.)

Cool weather effects aren’t the only things that are new in Seasons, though. A number of new activities have been added, many of which play off of the seasonal weather in some way. You can get your Sims to build a snowman after you’ve had a snowstorm, or have them splash around and play in new ways in the pool when it’s sunny out in the summer. Gardening has even been added to take advantage of the seasonal theme, letting you plant and harvest your crops throughout the year. You can even use the fruits and vegetables that you grow to make your own drinks, potions, and various other health boosters and concoctions.

Your Sims 2 may also act differently depending on what the weather is like or what season it is… just as they show preferences to everything else, they’ll be happier during certain seasons and sadder during others as you play. It really can add a lot of depth to the characters that you didn’t even notice was missing before.

Of course, there’s the standard new stuff as well… new clothes, new careers, and a number of other new items and aspirations. Even without the seasonal aspects of the weather and the mood of your Sims, there would be enough here to make for a small “stuff” pack; I’m glad that Electronic Art decided to go the extra mile and give more than just the stuff in this one, though.

There are a number of Sims 2 expansion packs which are pretty much optional unless you just really want to have everything that you can for your Sims… Seasons isn’t one of them. If you’re a Sims 2 player to just about any degree, you really do need to pick up Seasons to get the most out of your play experience. There are just so many little things that tie in with the seasonal themes and the weather effects that you probably wouldn’t even have thought about before; luckily Electronic Art thought of them all and put them in the game for you to enjoy.

Review by Monica Prues