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Sincerely Interested

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 15
Date: October 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Maxis is doing a wonderful job at expanding The Sims empire! I've always looked forward to playing my sims in a large city filled with colorful characters, and it's awesome we'll be able to have our sims live in apartments! Normally, I don't tend to get over-excited over Sims console games. I normally stick to the PC versions, yet, I think Maxis has done a clever job at giving The Urbz their own unique style and pace. So, I'm definately going to pre-order the game, and I would recommend others to do so, as well. ;-)

One game that ROCKS!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 14
Date: October 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

In the urbz for the frist time you and your sim may walk around the city going into millions kinds of stores to shop are browse. Then you can meet up with your friends at the basketball court are chil at the VIP Club. You can have a job from BARTENTER to a FASHON phototarcarpher. Like the sims 1&2 you can your big house on the little hill but in the urbz you can take over the big city and mabey then you can live big in the CITY LIVEING

The Urbz On PS2

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 13
Date: November 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game takes place in the city instead of the normal sunurban setting of the sims. In the game you create Sims, called Urbz. The object is to make your sim into the biggest "playa" in the city. There are totally new places where your sim can work in the game like the Sushi Bar, Chop Shop, or Bootleg Fireworks, Inc. As in previous games you get promotions and as a reward you get to go to socialite gatherings typical of the inner city as you reach the top. The object is to make friends in order to increase your sim's rep, and gain access to city districts, jobs, and lifestyles. Being able to live anywhere, do anything and be the biggest "playa" in the city is the object of the game. This sims game is much, much better then the previous sims release for PS2 which I paid 50 bucks for and got tired of playing in less then a week :( What I most enjoyed doing was building and designing my sims's home in the last game. In The Urbz, your sims social life and job become much more interesting and fun to explore.

Fun at First, But a Tad Repetitive

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: November 13, 2004
Author: Amazon User

After devoting a couple of days to The Urbz, I think I can finally write a decent review on how I feel about it.

This game is alright...playable...but doesn't fall anywhere near my category of favorite games of all time (an honor which both the Original Sims and Sims 2 have achieved). And with The Urbz I was especially careful not to get sucked into all of the hype so I know it wasn't the hype that killed it for me. If you have played the Sims before, I think you might be disappointed by this installment. If you only have experience with the console versions of the (Sims and Bustin' Out) and enjoyed those, then you will probably enjoy The Urbz.

Here's a break down of Pros and Cons.

PROS:

*Finally an city setting...and it's magnificent! The different areas are beautifully rendered with a gritty urban feel to them.

*Your sim come equipped with a XAM, kind of like a palm pilot. Here is where the menu is located. You have the option to call Urbs, check out your inventory (where everything you purchase is located), looks at your list of goals for each city, etc. It's a nice addition to the game.

*Each area has it's own set of objects available to purchase, usually related to the theme of that particular city. For instance, in the biker area you can purchase a roadhouse jukebox that will be placed in your inventory, thus allowing you to place them in your apartment.

*You start off with one apartment that you have to pay rent on. As you progress through the game and earn more respect, you will gain access to other living quarters. All of which you can decorate :)

*Building up skill levels is alot easier in The Urbz (this is both a blessing and a disappointment.

*Tweaking your style so you blend into each area is pretty fun. Each are has about 3 hairstyles or hats (on top of the 4 basic hairstyles available), 4 tops, 4 pants/skirts, 3 pairs of shoes to choose from, distinct to the particular style of tha area. For example, in the biker area you'll find lots of leather and in Diamond Heights, the hangout for all the models you'll see lots of glitter. Tattoos and piercings are available in some areas. You have to first pick the location of the body you want the tattoo/piercing and then choose your purchase. Furthermore, clothing can be purchased in a variety of colors and when you purchase one color, all colors will be available to you when you select that outfit from your wardrobe. This saves alot of hassle and stress of deciding what particular colors flatter your Urb the most (haha). If you don't like the color, you can always change it.

*The soundtrack it pretty cool. Each area has music specific to that genre. Like the punk area is playing some trippy goth metal music and the biker roadhouse is playing good old fashined headbanging music, not to mention sims renditions of the some of the Black-eyed Peas' songs. So, thumbs-up for the soundtrack.

CONS:

*This has been a growing trend with video games in general, but the instruction booklet for The Urbz is completely useless. So don't expect help from it, you're pretty much on your own. Plus there's no little basic tutorials like in the previous Sims games. I guess they just figure their target audience is people who are familair with the series.

*This game seems a little shaky on my PS2. There's alot of thinking going on and the game has actually frozen up on me a couple of times. So make sure to save often. But that being said, load time is pretty slow and saving takes quite a long time.

*Customizing your Sims is very limited. There are only 4 things to choose from for everything: body type, face shape, eye shape, noses, lips, and hair. You cannot choose your hair color in the beginning nor can you choose your clothes or your eye color.

*Remember how you wished you could go to work with your Sims? Well now you can, with your Urbz. They work their way up the career ladder by taking starter jobs at one of the 8 or so locations (one in each city). These jobs can range from anything to amatuer model to bike stripper. As build up your mental, logic, etc. skills you can try the more skilled (and better paying) jobs. The only problem is that all the jobs are basically them same. You press the square, triangle, X, and circle button in a sequence to complete the task. After awhile it gets repetitive and it feels more like button mashing than anything that requires much skill.

*Learning skills is pretty lame since you have to mash the X button repeatedly. I felt like it was taking a toll on my joystick and it was easier before when your sims would just sit down and play chess without any encouragement from the X button.

*You unlock pets in this game, which sounds like it would be a good thing. Unfortunately they pee all over the apartment every 5 seconds (no joke, I think it's a glitch).

*Your Sims only have 4 needs now: Hunger, Sleep, Hygiene, and Fun. Fortunately, they only sleep in like 4 hour increments at a time. Unfortunately, their need bars are alot shorter and seem to go in the red in an insanely quick amount of time. What?! Stupid Urb, you just SHOWERED! How can you possibly be stinky again?! And even if your Sim just showered, just watched TV, just slept, what have ya, it seems like their need bar never reaches full green. So sad.

*I have no clue as to why they did this, but the creators of the Urbz have completely dumbed down the gameplay. Everything seems alot easier to handle and when you are socializing with an Urb it will tell you if the outcome of an interaction you choose with another Urb will be positive (green) or negative (red). this takes all the fun out of experimenting. Especially now that Urbs in different areas each have their own unique was of interacting with one another.

So overall, I think that The Urbz is an interesting addition to the Sims family. It does tend to get kind of repetitive after awhile, as each city pretty much has the same goals that your sim must accomplish. As for overall value, I don't really see where this game has a high replay value. It seems like once you beat the goals, it would be boring to play it again. Anyways, that's just my humble opinion. I think it's one of those games you just have to test out for yourself :)

Enjoy!

Not quite what I thought it was going to be be....

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 108 / 123
Date: November 18, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Although the Urbz is a good game, speaking as a fan of the Sims, this is not what I had expected. In the Sims Bustin' Out, the creators added the element of achieving goals through different environments and people to obtain social skill and items to buy, but there was still an option for free play where you could just develop your Sim. In the Urbz, you pretty much move from city to city, buy different clothes to fit with the style of the other Sims there, and work jobs to obtain money.

Some of the major criticisms I have about the Urbz are:

* Like another reviewer stated, the instruction booklet is totally useless. Don't even bother with it.

* You get an apartment, but you don't really need it. I used mine mostly for building up skills, but sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom could all be done in the different cities.

* The game is too easy! I am more than 3/4 of the way done and I have had it for 2 days! And honestly, once you have gotten the goals and the challenges, I don't really see myself coming back to this game and playing it for hours like the other Sims.

Some of the good things about the Urbz:

* The cities and clothes and people in the game are visually awesome. The creators definitely boosted the look of the Sims game, and the soundtrack is good also. Gotta love the Black Eyed Peas.

* Working at the different jobs is pretty cool. Instead of just having to wait for your Sim to get back home, you can now help them complete their job, and you get way more money than you did in the other Sims games.

* The new interations with Sims and objects are pretty cool. You can impress your friends with stunts like smoke rings, skate tricks, and my personal favorite, bustin' a move. Objects wise, you can play in fire hydrants, grind fountains, swallow swords, and fight in a cage match.

All in all, a good game and worth buying.

not as good as the PC games

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

As a huge Sims fan, I'll admit I've never been as crazy about the console games as I have the PC games. For one, I hate the screwy navigation on the controller, the shoddy graphics - and not to mention the console versions aren't as open-ended as the PC ones are.

But the Urbz is my favorite of the console games so far. Finally, your Sims live in the city (!!) instead of tired, suburban Simsville. This time, instead of what can be a somewhat monotonous game, your Urb is destined to become the most popular citizen in Sim City: sort of like a Playstation 2 version of Paris Hilton.

One thing I really like about this is how you can help your Urb at work or to build skills. I absolutely hated sitting waiting around for my Sims to build skills or come home from work - this time, Maxis gives you a hand in achieving your Urb's goal, making it not as boring to sit around and watch your Sims do all of the menial tasks you assign them to do.

My favorite addition to the game is the Black Eyed Peas - what other game allows you to hang out with Fergie backstage and pub songs? Rock.

I hope Maxis tweaks this up and puts out a version for the PC as well - hopefully one that's a bit more challenging. Save your money and buy the Urbz in a few months, when it's down to $20.

Loading, Please Wait...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 46 / 56
Date: November 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Rather than call this Urbz: Sims in the City, they could have called it Sims: Loading, Please Wait. Literally, if you change clothes or locations often, you will be looking at that screen for at least ten minutes out of every hour. And you will change locations quite often since you can't install a shower in your crash pad at many locations and will have to go back to your apartment.

That said, this game is very fun and very addictive. I'd say it's more addictive than fun though. This, however, is not the Sims, but a variation which has elements which may or may not work for everyone.

I personally like the concept of buying clothes. Though this game again suffers from having crappy clothes for the guys. I don't like having a pet that I didn't ask for peeing on the floor of my apartment and getting in the way when I want to go through a door. Also, at first all the genre changing rubbed me wrong as my character just seemed so phony. But, after a while, you realize that character isn't "of" these groups, but some infiltrator who's working the masses.

There is the ability to have more than one Sim under your control by having them join your posse, or whatever they call it, but there really is no reason for it.

I'd recommend to anyone who liked the Sims versions on the PS2 earlier, but bear in mind, this isn't the same. You won't build a house, but you will furnish an apartment. The character models are better, though the morph function is pretty useless unless you want to make a freak of nature.

It seemed quite easy to me. I'm about 1/2 through. I started in the Skateboard area, and my favorite places are there, Neon East, and Diamond Heights. I'm still not sure exactly why my Xam rings at me when there is no new message, and when someone tells you, say, who to Stink Bomb, jot it down on some paper as there is no way to see that info later.

Good, but don't expect the classic Sims experience

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: November 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game, but I would not call it a true Sims game. Perhaps a good way to describe it is how it is in the game. They are not Sims, they are Urbz. The two are different, as are the two games.

While clearly of the same genere and series and all that good stuff, its also different. It uses Busin' Out's goals system, but takes it a step further. There is little potential to play this game as a true Sims game. You cannot buy anything that does not already exist somewhere in the world you are in. You are given an apartment, but i found myself rarely there. The only time you really use it is for skill building. Your fewer motives can be easily and quickly filled by items found in any of the i believe its about 8 areas.

It is also a very easy game. You know which social options will work on other urbz by color coding them green yellow and red. The goals are simple enough to fufill as well. all in all it makes it a very short game. VERY short. I have had it about 2 days now and am very close to completing every goal.

But it is still a good game. It is just not the conventional Sims game that has become famous.

Amazing

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: November 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I loved this game everything in it was amazing!

System: The loading takes forever and when you get out of the subway you can't move for like 30 seconds. If you aren't a patient person this could get annoying

Graphics: These were especially good. Much better than the computer games i must say. You can change the angle to see small details like posters and such.

Gameplay: IMO this sims is much better than the others. You can help your sim in his/her job. Also the objectives you have to complete make it difficult and fun. You can earn a lot more money than you did in other sims games. You can use that money for plenty of things including furniture, clothing, and accesories.

Sound: Amazing. listening to the black eyed peas in simlish is very cool. also in neon city you can hear the asian dance music from anywhere. This is one of the best aspects of the game

Pro:
Great music
Better usage of your sim
A lot of customization options

Cons:
Long load times
Tends to be "stuck" at times with commands

My opinion on this game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: December 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

First off, let me say, if you are looking for a TRADITIONAL Sims game, this isn't it. Now, with that said, the game is actually my favorte of the Sims PS2 games.

Good points:
1) Sleeping, eating etc take a lot less time, so you aren't spending all your time fixing your sims needs.

2) You actually get to WORK, rather than staying at home waiting for your sim to get home.

3) Skill building is a bit easier, perhaps a little too easy, but again you aren't spending hours and hours trying to up your sim.

4) You don't have to have X amount of friends to advance, you instead have reputation... so you don't have to worry about socializing with the SAME people all the time to keep friendship alive.

5) The clothing options, facial options etc are really cool... the graphics are rather good and the interactions give a lot more options.

Bad points:

1) The game loads rather slowly on my PS2.

2) Furniture is a bit large and you get several apartments, but need none of them for the most part.

3) The janitor IMO is useless.

4) It is a bit too easy... but still very fun... though I would like more options in customizing my sims personality.

5) You have to jump around from city to city, which wouldn't be as big a problem, except the slow loading.

All in all, I like this game, I rented it to try it out ... but I intend to buy it now. I would suggest for those that are uncertain, rent before you buy.

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