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Seriously buggy product.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 15 / 21
Date: November 20, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I like that there are pets, but I do not feel that the expansion is as much fun as the Sims 1 "Unleashed" expansion. I miss the harvestable plants, lizards, and bunnies. The new pet genetics are pretty cool, although I dislike that I cannot make new coat markings or pet accessories.

My first serious complaint is a huge problem with the Create-a-Sim feature. If you make "human" Sims in CAS, then try to add pets to the same family, your Sims will revert to the hideous EA Games face templates. I have to make my Sims families and Pets families separately, then move them into the same lot.

I have also had to turn off aging on any household with a pet, since a Sim entering a new life stage will revert to a EA Games template.

As you may have gathered, I don't like the look of the EA Games Sims at all. I rely heavily on fan-created custom content (custom content is encouraged by EA Games - if you check the EA Games site, you will see that they host a file exchange forum).

Another problem I have encountered is that the game will delete custom content that isn't compatible with Pets, instead of merely letting items exist without the brand-new interactions. I have a medieval-themed neighborhood I can no longer play because I worry that the program will start deleting fan-created items from my lots.

There are further problems: EA glasses now look strange in the game, with serious perspective problems, and rear lenses appearing above forward lenses. I have had Sims randomly start flashing blue. Files have been corrupted, then when I restore them from backup, they appear to be fine.

Since the game is so buggy, I've focused on creating custom content while I wait for EA Games to release a patch. This leads me to my third and largest complaint: BodyShop items - even those cloned from base-game items - are not compatible with earlier versions of the game. I have had to manually edit the code on several files to make them compatible with Pets-free games. I can understand making brand-new items incompatible without the new expansion...but new eye colors? Base-game hair recolors? It's ridiculous, to put it mildly.

I do not recommend buying this expansion until it is fully patched by EA Games. If you use large amounts of fan-created content, you may want to wait for someone to make a batch item fixer.

Sims has too much foul language to be fun

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 62
Date: May 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Sims 2 Pets game has tooooo much foul language to be fun for anyone in the entire house within hearing range.
Yuck.

......Buy Open For Bussiness Instead

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 12
Date: April 25, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought it 2 days ago and reutrned it today for a full refund.I thought you could actually control the pet and make it do fun stuff.Actually you can't even command it to move.WHAT KIND OF PET IS THAT???!!!Only a small variety of breeds.The only lest bit fun of it is that you can custom design your pet.

THE UPSIDE

-You can open up a pet store if you have this

THE DOWNSIDE

-You also have to have business to do that

BIG DISSAPOINTMENT MAXIS YOU GET 2 THUMBS DOWN

:(

A sign of the death of quality?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 14
Date: November 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

While I have been a loyal fan of the Sims franchise since the release of the original I have noticed a growing trend with the latest generation, namely the increase of Stuff Packs and the decreasing amounts of content in the actual EP's.

From reading the forums I was quite surprised to learn that not only were we to get no new neighbourhood, the amount of objects had decreased, and finally absolutely no content regarding hair or clothing.

While I still feel that the game adds a fair amount of interactions and additional features, I feel as if we are now expected to pay a lot more for a lot less, as the EA franchise continues to squeeze more dollars out of their loyal fanbase to be able to add clothing and hairstyles. Something that is in a way expected with a major expansion pack.

Suffice it to say, if it wasn't for the copious amounts of Custom content available on the many fansites out there, the game would have become weary a long time ago.

Unless EA's plans are to run the Sims franchise into the ground by releasing more and more stuff packs I hate to say, I may not be a loyal purchaser of following expansions.

The Sims 2 Pets... To Buy, or Not to Buy?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: January 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The Sims 2... one of the most (if not the most) amazing game for the computer ever invented. The Sims 2 Pets... almost identical to the former, with the exception of doggies, kitties, birdies, and creatures that resemble hamters. Yes, the cat/dog life cycle is wonderfully realistic, the sim-animal relationship heart-warming, and the selection of breeds plethoric, but there are no real changes in the game. I personally find this game mildly amusing, but you can't DO anything but have pets. You buy a house, get a job, and raise some kids; the only difference between this expansion pack and the original Sims 2 is that there's an extra mouth to feed.
Teaching your pets right from wrong is a nice touch, though it can get a little annoying to have to drop everything to tell Fluffy not to scratch the furniture or Fido to take it outside. I found my sims not having enough time to themselves, slowly withering away until I finally just got rid of the damn pets.
The one thing that was really useful was the "destroy-all" button, the hammer-shaped tool that lets you dispose of anything without having to switch from wallpaper to lamps to fences. It helps when you've done something horribly wrong and can't delete an object by normal means.
There was also another new tool: octogonal walls. Hmmm... do I hear a voice that says, "totally, utterly, useless????" Yes, octogonal walls are nothing big when it comes to change.
Overall, it's an OK game, it's just a little boring. Maybe some more objects like cars, for instance (the sad truth is that you can only get cars in Sims 2 Nightlife). Funwise, the game is really exciting when you first get it, making breeds, having kittens, buying fun pet furniture, but once that's all done one feels like "OK, now what?", which is a bit disappointing.
I could go on for days complaining, but if you can't live life without screeching, messy pets, then this is the expansion pack for you.

Over-rated, but fun while it lasted.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: October 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've waited months for this game to come out. I got it the first day and was SO excited. But, this game takes up SO much memory on my computer and i have to sit there and wait soo long for all the menus to load....loading a game, create a pet, create a family...it's just not so fun anymore due to extreme lag and constant loading. Obviously, its not JUST the pets game, if you have every other Expansion Pack before it then you would have problems. I don't know why EA keeps creating more and more expansion packs to fill up your WHOLE drive, its fun, but its getting more insane with the lag!

But other than that, it is a real let-down. This game was very over-rated. It is a ton of a lot better than Unleashed for regular Sims, but there is nothing to do once you have a pet. My experience was:

"Yay! I got a pet!"
"All right! I taught it some tricks!"
"Cool...it had ONE puppy/kitten"
"Ok, it has a job"
"Umm...NOW what?"

I don't even get any more pets because it makes the house SO hectic! Every pet gets in the way of the house AND the gameplay. I'd have to stop what I'm doing and go tell it NOT to rip up furniture? *sigh*

Pets Is Great...Minus the Word "Expansion"

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 21 / 24
Date: October 30, 2006
Author: Amazon User

When Maxis came out with the original expansion pack of a similar nature to this one with The Sims 1 "Unleashed" I was less than thrilled, which is funny because I do genuinely love animals. I actually only *bought* the game then because Maxis, likely sensing some potential uneasiness in their cult-like consumer base, included five new career paths.

When Pets came out I had a similar reaction. Although I'm sure the integration of adding an entire new species to the game is tough, it lacks in adding actual gameplay for the user. Unlike Unleashed, there is no expansion of the neighborhood (mostly because it's unnecessary), there is no vegetable gardens to plant, there are no career paths for Sims, and the theme included is not nearly as nice as the French Quarter theme included in Unleashed.

What you DO get however, is access to a wide variety of pets - about 24 styles of cats, and at least double or triple that of small and large dogs. It kind of felt like the game was meant for dog lovers since many of the pet houses/decor etc. felt geared towards dogs, but then again, there are more breeds. When it comes to getting a pet, you can create them in the Create-A-Family mode, which gives you several customization options such as ear height, fur style, eye colour, leg thickness and so on, but it's not nearly as detailed as I had hoped. The other ways of adopting pets involve visiting a pet shop (several are included in the game) or adopting one.

There are new jobs in the game, but for pets. Yes now you can pimp out your beloved kitty or puppy to bring home a few hundred bucks per day, in fact a new lifetime aspiration for your sim could be based on this very task. I believe there are five new jobs with about three to five levels of difficulty and pay increases. With each promotion you have to train your pet to learn a trick - which can be done by your sim or by hiring a trainer (who isn't nearly as cool as the safari-esque guy from UL). With each promotion you also unlock a new type of fur such as star-pattern or green to decorate your pup or cat.

For those of you that want kittens or puppies (who are extremely small) you can adopt them (and change their appearance slightly by using a mirror) or breed your pets - which is more difficult than it sounds since you have to make your *uncontrollable* pets build relationships with one another, as well as build your relationship with each pet.

In terms of sim-pet content, there are a number of interactions you can take part in. Whether scolding or praising your pet for their behaviour (including scratching up the furniture or sleeping on your bed), playing with them, or taking them for walks, the animations are really good and the pets are adorable, in particular some of the larger dogs. Be warned though, you can't control your pets. You also will likely get sick of the short range of interactions that actually exist - there are only 2-3 ways to play, and show love to your pet. Also be warned, you CANNOT take your pet to University, unless you buy a bird or wormrat (ie: gerbil).

Finally the issue I've had with most of the Maxis expansions to date is the lack of actual content beyond the new interactions or neighborhoods. If you were hoping for oodles of pet stuff, don't. There are only a couple of toys, several GIGANTIC houses that only let one pet sleep in them at a time, a few pet bowls, and the bird cage or wormrat cage. I did fill a fairly big pet store (using the OFB expansion) but it was mostly due to the sheer size of the pet beds. For decor there is one new silghtly bizarro (as in unrelated to animals) theme - "Space" which includes everything from new bed sheets to lamps to doors and windows, plus a big schwack of pet-themed art.

Ultimately I think most people will buy Pets, and probably enjoy it, but I don't think it added enough to constitute a full expansion. UL actually ended up being one of the best expansions with the original Sims, but Pets' content is limited and repetitive. If you are a diehard for either animals or The Sims, then get it, otherwise, wait till it hits the bargain bins in a year or two.

It's good- but not great.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: November 19, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I own all The Sims 2 expansion packs so far, and I own all the Sims 1 expansion packs. Overall, I just think that The Sims 2: Pets wasn't as exciting as it looked.
You cannot control your pets(which is understandable), and there are new interactions between them and your sims comparing to the Unleashed expansion. But, with that said, there are also interactions that were not in The Sims 2: Pets- but were in Unleashed. For instance, your sims can't tell their dog to attack a disliked neighbor anymore. You can't have a dogshow, either.

I think that it is great that you get to create your own animal rather than just picking a breed. Doing such is definitely the best feature of the game. Having pets for your sims is a great thing, but I believe there's really not as much excitement to it as it looks. It wasn't living up to the expectation I had set it to- but perhaps that was my fault. If you had to chose between this and Open For Business- I recommend Open For Business.

The Sims 2 pets is for younger children, in my opinion. Not as enriching for adults or mature figures.

Pros:
+Great variety of pets
+Easy to create/customize pets
+Can rename pets
+Nice objects that come along with it
+Pets keep your sims social
+Pets can do many things; wreck your furniture, sleep on your bed, etc.
+Wolves
+Interesting tricks

Cons:
-No more animal shows
-No attacking neighbors
-Limited interactions, it seems.
-Other sims interact with your pets and it gets annoying
-Pets don't always follow out commands

A Minor Disapointment In An Otherwise Great Series

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: November 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Admittedly, I was not exactly thrilled at the concept of this EP. I hated Unleased, and was not sure how I would feel about Pets. Of course, like any true Simmer, I bought it. Here is an early review:

Basic Game Play: 3/5
Pets themselves seem to be fine, you are not able to control them, but you can see their needs. The stray walk-bys no longer leave puddles on your lot. The Toddler/pet interaction is probably one of the best features in the game. The Sims Wants and Fears constantly revolving around their pets grows old quickly, as does their obsession with the pet itself. The Commands that can be taught to the pet are also worth a few laughs.

Objects: 4/5
There are quite a few new objects in this game. Obviously, most concern your pets. However, I think they were a little skimpy on the pets' stuff. I do like to Atomic Collection and the new kids room as well.

CAS: 1/5
No new hair, clothes, make-up, etc. They could have at least added some of the Pet Eye Genetics to the Sim Genetic list. This is one of the biggest disapointments in the game. The Pets aspect of CAS is pretty good. You can customize just about every part of their body and layer each item for an even more customized look. This is the lone factor that gets a star in this category.

Build: 5/5
The building objects in this game are the best so far. The only drawback is the octoganal wall. They can only be built as ix1x1x1x1x1x1x1 and cannot be drawn further. The Walls, Floors, Fireplaces, etc are a much needed and welcome addition. Also new, are floor lines, or room dividers. These are simple lines drawn on the floor that allow a large room to be broken up. This is usefull when using multiple walls in floors in a large area.

My overall opinion is that this is the lowest rated of the EP's, but is a welcome additon. For those who liked Unleashed, you'll find this to be your favorite. If you disliked Unleased, you won't be as fond of this games as the others, but it is still enjoyable.

Mediocre, convoluted... WTF!!!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: January 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It's a Sims 2 expansion pack that adds pets...

There are only a few things worth noting:

1.) You must be a patient Sim-overlord if you are going to tolerate pets in your Sim home. You have no direct control over the pets, and depending on the pet's personality, you may go through a lot of furniture until you can have your Sims convince their pets not to destroy your hard-earned furniture.

2.) You must be willing to suspend some disbelief. Otherwise, you will find yourself cursing profusely at your monitor as your sim-cat refuses to leave its litter-box, slowly starving until the Sim City SPCA comes to the rescue of the poor neglected animal. Why wouldn't the cat move from its litter-box? The little squeaky mouse blocked the cat's egress.

3.) Did I mention patience? The Pets expansion fits in well with the micro-management style of Sims play. However, it soon breaks down into frustration and annoyance the more hands-off you become. Sims are all too happy to play with their pets. However, even one pet can keep the whole family busy cleaning up after it until bedtime and beyond.

This expansion is a novelty at best.

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