Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

OPEN FOR BUSINESS EP
REVIEW

 

*****


-- Please note that this review may contain spoilers --

This is without a doubt my favourite Sims 2 Expansion Pack. It contains so infinite possibilities, and while the actual game engine is not perfect, I believe that the goals were achieved successfully. I have had hours of fun with this game, and rarely does a day go by without making use of one of this pack's many features.

The sims 2 open for business allows your sims to enter the business world for a chance to hit it big, or squander their riches. Sims are able to set up and run a variety of businesses such as:

> Retail stores (allowing you to sell almost any object in the game)
> Galleries and museums
> Hairdressers
> Restaurants
> Coffee shops
> Bakeries
> Nightclubs
> Bars
> Real estate, and more.


Although some of the business models can seem restrictive, they can be adapted with a little imagination. The types of businesses available are:

> Pay per item
> Pay per hour
> Pay to eat (at a restaurant)


The first two categories are wide and highly adaptable. Virtually any object in the game can be sold, with just a few exceptions such as phones and the business items themselves. If you want to make a toilet shop, go for it!

Along with the regular 'skills', a system of 'skill badges' has been introduced which allow your sims to perform their jobs more effectively. The badges range from bronze, to silver, to gold, and are available for:

> Flower arranging
> Toy crafting
> Using the cash register
> Restocking items
> Experienced salesperson
> Hairdressing

As the business proficiency of your sim increases, you can unlock 'Business Perks' such as grants, wholesale discounts for any objects you wish to sell, new networking interactions to help your business tycoons make new friends in high places, new sales interactions to get the punters spending their hard earned cash, and staff encouragement interactions to get the lazy teen summer workers out of the break room.

If your business becomes too much to deal with on your own, you can hire employees. Employees cannot be controlled for the most part, but they can be given certain commands such as which job to do, and when to take a break, etc. My only gripe about employees is that their high wage demands (which depend on the skills of the sim, starting at $15 per hour) can be quite difficult to meet with small businesses.

Also, an annoying little bug is that when you are controlling a sim who visits a shop owned by another sim, they will not be able to buy anything unless there is an employee assigned to be a cashier. I have no idea why the shop owners refuse to use the cash register, and it is a bug that has remained unfixed even to this day.
.
Your sims (or their employees) can use the new crafting benches to create their own items to sell, spending money on crafting materials, then selling their finished products for a profit (hopefully). The crafting benches available allow your sims to make:

> Toys
> Flower Arrangements
> Robots


Each bench can be used to create several different items, depending on the skill level of your sim. However, crafting items can be time consuming and difficult for even the most talented of sims, and keeping craft items in stock can be a real challenge.

This is a very original addition to the sims 2 world. Opening a business adds a whole new level to the gameplay, as well as a whole host of new challenges. Your sims can choose between opening a home business (which is free) or they can purchase a community lot and set up shop (but which can be very expensive).

Businesses can be very profitable and they are a fantastic way for sims to make money, and involving the player every step of the way, which can be a welcome change to the average 'sim-vanishes-for-hours' job. Game play can become slightly repetitive, and the sims 2 learning curve has seen a slight increase, providing a new challenge to experienced players, but perhaps too complex for a new simmer as a starting point.