The Sims 2 [PSP]

First, a warning: those looking for a portable version of the PC title The Sims 2 won't find it here. The Sims 2 on PSP plays differently than the PC original and the console versions. Luckily, the differences don't make it a bad game at all. On the contrary, these tweaks streamline the experience and spice it up for a mobile audience. And, for those who may be worried, it's still very much a Sims game. Just different.

Most of these changes deal with narrative, namely, that the PSP version actually has one. Instead of just cultivating relationships and taking care of personal needs, you can actually participate in a story. Sure, you still need to worry about keeping your sim happy, but these basic needs almost take a backseat to uncovering mysteries, talking to characters and exploring the gameworld. And you know what, it's damn refreshing. After several Sims titles where personal management took most of your time, it's nice to do something different.

In a way, it almost feels like developers tried to make an adventure game set in the Sims universe, changing everything they could without spoiling the formula fans have come to expect. Now before you start thinking there's a grand, epic journey awaiting you, just know there isn't. The story in Sims 2 is as quirky and lighthearted as the series itself, so don't expect to save the universe in a galactic space battle. You won't find armies of Sims charging down a virtual battlefield or Sims overthrowing a tyrannical government. What you will find is a collection of mini-mysteries packed with more genuine humor and wit than you could possible hope for.

At the start of the game, you're driving down a desert road when your car breaks down. As the gods would have it, you stop right next to a gas station and convenience store. The gas station you leave your car in for repairs disappears soon afterward, taking your ride with it. After talking with the local sheriff, who just happened to be nearby, you hitch a ride into Strangetown, the nearest residence. Here, you're set up with a place to live. And that's about it. It's then up to you to talk with neighbors and start doing the whole "Sim" thing, namely surviving and making friends. In doing so, you end up knee-deep in murder mysteries, cult conspiracies, alien encounters and battles with the undead.

Before getting into that, it serves to note precisely how different this game is from both the PC and console versions. There's no child rearing, aging or death, for starters. You can't start a family or build a house from scratch, and instead of controlling your character with a cursor, you directly control your character like in a third-person action game. The interface has moved from the bottom of the screen to the left, and it shows far less information. The rest of the info (inventory, skills, relationships, goals) can be viewed by pressing start. Lastly, the PSP version is far more goals oriented.