A good simulation of garbage

Game : Garbage Truck Simulator
Platform : PC
Reviewer : Strawbz

Ever wondered what happens to all that garbage you put out on the pavement every week? With the new Garbage Truck Simulator from Astragon and Excalibur Publishing you can now turn all those bags and bins into cold, hard cash as you carefully build up your own Garbage Truck Empire.

Start your business by buying a shiny new garbage truck with either a manual or automatic transmission in the colour of your choice. To make things easier you only have one depot to report to at first and your initial routes are short, with only a few pick ups. However, be sure to check your job instructions carefully before you set off so you don’t end up driving round and round the city looking for your bins.

There is no in-game tutorial to help ease you into this game, but there is a detailed manual available on the disc that you can print out for easy reference. Waiting for this game to start up is a true exercise in patience, there is plenty of time to go make a cup of coffee - and maybe even a three-course meal.

The driving simulation is pretty spot on, however beware the maniac drivers on the road who are forever driving into your truck every time you turn a corner, forcing you to constantly pay for repairs. Also, keep a sharp eye on traffic signs and rules of the road as fines can quickly eat into your profit margins.

In one job I had to drive my truck out to a not-so-nearby dumpsite, halfway there I found myself looking for a non-existing fast forward button. Some of the routes are long and repetitive with multiple pauses as the game loads the next area of the map.

There are plenty of games that don’t sound very exciting and then turn out to be surprisingly addictive and fun; unfortunately this is not one of those games. Somehow trying to play a very realistic game where your main aim is to pick up and deliver garbage all day gets repetitive and mind-numbingly boring very quickly.

When you are tired of the garbage pick ups you can drive your truck around the city on your own time in free-play mode but with the amount of stop signs and traffic lights you end up spending more time standing still than actually driving.

The only redeeming feature of this game is the business side of managing a fleet of trucks and balancing the work load - but even that is too little too late to save this game.

I would not spend my own money to buy this game but since it’s now part of my collection I might dust it off and give it another go, one day, when I’m really, really bored.

Medieval Madness

Game : The Sims Medieval
Platform : PC
Reviewer : Strawbz


The eagerly anticipated Sims Medieval is a brand new base game from EA Games the makers of the highly successful Sims franchise.

When I started up the new Sims Medieval game for the first time, I was excited and captivated by what promised to be a new adventure filled with battles, beasts and heroes.

I soon felt all fingers and thumbs, as there is quite a difference in the game-play between The Sims 3 and Medieval. The first character I created was a queen to rule over my new world. I was happy to be back in the familiar CAS (Create-a-Sim) application and pleasantly surprised to see how much the facial features have improved since Sims 3, however I was a bit disappointed at the very limited amount of outfits available to dress my new royal lady.

The game is quest based and with each quest you complete you get quest points, you can then use these point to buy new buildings for your kingdom, which will also allow you to create new potential hero characters and unlock new quests.

With the help of the short tutorial I soon found my way around the new controls and started out on the first quest. The story lines are fun and easy to follow while the views of the kingdom are spectacular with lots of places to discover and characters to meet.

Each new character you make will have two Traits, like Dedicate, Jokester, Earthy, Chivalrous or Friendly and one Fatal Flaw which could be Drunkard, Coward, Cruel, Insecure or Cursed, to name but a few. These Traits and Flaws add an extra dimension of fun to the quests and there is always the possibility that if your Sims completes his or her quest on a high enough level they could get the chance to swap their Fatal Flaw for a new Hero Trait.

Although there is no build mode and you only get a limited ‘doll house’ view inside the existing building you can still decorate the available rooms with some fun medieval content to personalise your kingdom. The old stone buildings, traditional cooking methods and fun new interactions, like the sword fighting and market stalls, all help to draw the player back to the medieval times of chivalry and magic. You can accompany your Knight, Sorcerer, King, Merchant, Priest, Blacksmith or other Hero on an adventure that could change their destinies.

I was very surprised though when my monarch set off on her first big bear hunt, I followed her to the edge of the wood but then had to wait around while she disappeared from view to go hunting and all I got was a little pop up message explaining her success. The same thing happened when my queen sailed off to explore a new country, I could follow her to the docks where she boarded the magnificent ship but then got left behind as she sailed off on a new adventure without me. This so called ‘rabbit hole’ effect where the characters perform tasks unseen, happens in a few locations in the game and as one of my long time Sims friends pointed out; “most of the exciting stuff supposedly happening to our characters we never get to see”.

I think as a long time Sims player I had different expectations of the new Medieval and took it for granted that we would still have the same amount of freedom when it came to controlling our characters day to day lives.

If you are new to The Sims and enjoy outcome-based games then you should love the new Sims Medieval, whether you are visiting the market stalls or fighting off the pit monster the characters are fun and the quests should keep you busy for quite some time.

Hardcore Sims addicts however might get frustrated with the lack of free play and open-ended gaming that we have come to love from the original Sims series. But don’t give up on Medieval to quickly, if you approach it as a completely new game and not another chapter in the Sims evolution it can offer you hours of entertainment and adventure and who knows maybe EA will bring out an expansion to give us more freedom in the future.



iafrica.com

Sims-sational summer fun

Game : The Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff
Platform : PC
Reviewer : Strawbz

Its summer time and your Sims deserve a beautiful outside area where they can sit back relax and soak up some sun.

As a Sims-addict myself I know that Sims players fall into many varied categories, you get your content designers, legacy players, story writers, movie makers, casual players, etc.

Me? I’m a builder; I can spend hours and even days designing, building and decorating the perfect house for my Sims and then uploading that lot for other players to enjoy in their games. After playing Sims for close on ten years now I have become pretty good at it except, and it really pains me to admit this, when it comes to the garden. I always leave that till the very end and usually end up following the same basic garden layout, a pool, a table and chairs and a bunch of trees, then I leave it up to the players who download my houses to ‘customise’ the gardens themselves. Its not that I have not tried to make the gardens spectacular its just that for some reason it never turns out the way I saw it in my mind.

This week I was handed the new Sims 3 Outdoor Living Stuff pack, which adds over 50 new outdoor items, a range of casual outfits and two new hairstyles to your game.

There are two distinct outdoor styles to choose from, the ‘Sunstet Veranda’ set has a warm, casual outdoor feel while the ‘Garden Terrace’ set adds elegance and style with beautiful ornate wrought-iron pieces.

For the Sims that enjoys cooking outside you can now design an entire outdoor kitchen complete with build-in countertop grills, fridges and matching counters. Entertain your friends with the large screen outdoor television and fire pit or cuddle up to your favorite Sim on the stylish wrought iron loveseat.

I had a great time tinkering around with all the new content and in no time at all I managed to build my Sims the back yard of their dreams. Where they can now entertain their friends, hang out under the stars or soak up the bubbles in one of the new bigger, stylish hot tubs.

If your Sims love to live the al fresco life style treat them to the Outdoor Living Stuff pack and make their summer last forever.


iafrica.com

Sims get Fords for free

US car maker Ford and EA's highly popular Sims franchise have once again added to their long-standing partnership.

It all started back when Ford released their classic Mustang GT as a free download to The Sims 2 gamers in May, 2007. It proved to be a very popular addition to the game and The Sims 2 fans rushed to get this official, authentic looking car with over one million downloads to date from the official Sims 2 site.

Ford followed this up later in the same year with the release of the Ford Focus in August and the Fusion in November. Both cars were released online in the colours available when buying them from a 'real life' dealership, which only added to the fun and excitement of player's Sims - as the game characters are known - owning one in the game.

Going green

In 2008 Ford decided it was time to go green so they released the Escape Hybrid to help the Sims clean up the environment without compromising on looks. The sporty Ford Edge soon followed; complete with the ever-popular 'panoramic moonroof', this stylish SUV was a great addition to the Sims' car fleet.

The Sims gaming platform has proved vital for the car maker to test public approval and acceptance of its models and market their brands in a unique, interactive space. The dynamic, online nature of the gaming software also means that the car maker has nearly instant access to market data about its products.

With the release of The Sims 3 in 2009, many players missed seeing their favorite cars in the 'buy objects' menu. Renault came to the rescue with the release of their snazzy, electric Twizy concept car. This cute, single-seater looks great in a virtual driveway; but it was disappointing to find that the environmentally-friendly Sims view them as a hazard.

First ride - online

EA is rolling out more motoring goodies in the next addition to The Sims 3 - appropriately named Fast Lane Stuff. To celebrate the upcoming stuff pack Ford has released its new sporty 2011 Ford Fiesta free for download from The Sims 3 official site.

This zippy and fun urban run-around comes in Lime Squeeze, Blue Flame, Yellow Blaze or Red Candy Metallic. But why stress about the color when you can just buy your Sim one for each day of the week? Now that's something few people could afford to do in reality.


Posted by : Strawbz

iafrica.com

EA's 2010 line-up

The Sims 3 for console

The head of EA Play label, Rob Humble, said he hopes that the upcoming high definition release of the popular Sims 3 for console will take it "out of the study, and into the living room". He went on to say that this would be the first full life simulator for console with integrated online exchange that will allow players to upload and download creations to share with other players around the world.

As an added bonus the new Karma Powers will allow players to not only change the fate of a single Sim but also that of the entire town. With the click of a button you can change the path their lives are taking or even shake things up with an earthquake. Humble said he wants Sims 3 for console to be like the best reality show or drama on television with everyone getting involved and watching or playing the game.

The Sims 3 expansion pack

Humble also announced the release of the next expansion pack for The Sims 3 PC franchise; Late Night. Now your Sims will have better things to do than just sleeping once the sun goes down. This expansion pack includes new late night jobs, activities and hangout spots. For all the builders in the Sims community there are new building tools, including roof top lofts, which will give your Sims a great view over the city.

Sim fans who love the supernatural touches in Sims 2 will be happy to hear that there is a full Vampire Simulator in Late Night with family bloodlines and special hangout spots for your Vampires to explore.

Humble also said that there would be hot tubs and a few new ways for your Sim to woohoo all over town. No word yet on when this expansion will be available but while we wait there is still the Fast Lane stuff pack that will be released later this year to keep up busy.

Darkspore

Maxis General Manager, Lucy Bradshaw, surprised everyone with the first peak at their new PC action RPG game; Darkspore due for release early in 2011. Bradshaw said that this new game was partly inspired by the original Spore and uses some of the same technology and game play but it is not an extension of Spore rather a whole new experience.

Executive Producer, Mike Perry explained that although you can play Darkspore on your own it is really designed to be a co-op game that comes to life when played online as part of a community. You get to use the award winning Creature Editor to create your own genetic heroes, each of which has its own unique abilities to use in combat and battle. You can collect parts and DNA to upgrade and enhance your heroes and even switch between any of the heroes in your squad on the fly while playing a level.

Dead Space Ignition

At E3 there was a lot of talk about Dead Space 2 now EA has announced a fully downloadable prelude to Dead Space 2 for the Playstation Network and Xbox Live. Dead Space Ignition will combine interactive comic story telling with arcade game play, and is set to take this well known franchise to the next level.

During the game you can choose your own adventure as there are four different paths each with its own ending which will reward you with a unique unlockable for Dead Space 2, including a new suit for Isaac Clark, which promises to give you the edge once you get your hands on the full game.

Alice, Madness Returns

American McGee, co-founder of Spicy House Games and creator of the original American McGee's Alice has partnered up with EA to create the new Alice, Madness Returns. McGee said the new game would once again focus heavily on amazing artwork and a captivating story line, with interesting puzzle and action game play.

As with the original game this new version of Alice will be available for the PC but also now for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The new Alice promises to be a dark and intriguing game that not only takes place in Wonderland but also in London with plenty of twists and some of the most sinister baddies around.

Rock Band 3

Another of EA's partners, Harmonics, will be releasing Rock Band 3 later this year complete with new songs, modes and instruments. You can now have up to 6 friends joining you in your band using all the instruments from the previous games as well as the new keyboard peripheral. The game will feature an improved Music Library that will allow you to create and save setlists that can be shared online with friends.

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)

EA Sports unveiled the new MMA Career Mode, where you can create a fighter in your own image. Set him up with the basic skills and compete in amateur fights to win money that you can then use to travel to well known gyms around the world to train with legendary MMA trainers, like Bas Rutten. Once you feel you have the necessary skills and experience go online and fight against other players in online leagues complete with live commentary and spectators.

EA Sports will also be releasing Fight Night Champion next year for all the boxing fans out there, with full spectrum punch control it promises to bring a greater sense of realism and emotion to the game.

Not forgetting those American Football fans, Madden NFL 11 will be out soon for PS3, X-Box 360, iPad and Nintendo 3DS, with new locomotion and dual stick controls to deliver a more authentic feel to the way the players turn, swerve, accelerate and decelerate in the game.

If you want to get even more hands on, EA Sport Active has the answer with the new NFL Training Camp game for Nintendo Wii. Put on your training shoes, strap on the heart monitor and join the fun as you go through all the actions of a real training camp, this game is sure to get you off the couch and jumping around in no time.


Posted by : Strawbz

iafrica.com

Take your Sims to new heights

Game : The Sims 3 Ambitions XP
Platform : PC
Reviewer : Strawbz


As an avid Sims fan the one thing that has always irritated me is having to wait around for my Sim while they go off to work. Apart from the occasional pop-up message I had no idea what they were getting up to and had very little control over what decisions they made there.

With the new Ambitions expansion pack that is all a thing of the past. Now you not only get to pick their new professions but you also have to follow them to work and control all their actions and decisions.

Choose from Doctor, Stylist, Tattoo Artist, Ghost Hunter, Private Investigator, Firefighter and Architect or register to be self-employed and make your mark as an Inventor, Nectar Maker, Photographer or Sculptor.

Your decisions will shape their careers and determine if your Stylist Sim will turn out to be a fashion icon or a fashion dud. Will your Fireman be a life saving hero or a cowardly chicken as he has to deal with house fires, malfunctioning simbots and crumbling basements.

To help your Sim achieve their life goals there are a few new personality traits, they can be a Born Salesman, Dramatic, Eccentric, Eco-friendly, Perceptive or a Savvy Sculptor.

Eco-friendly Sims will only eat organic food and take quick, water saving showers. They hate waste and will rather carpool or cycle to work. Dramatic Sims on the other hand can fake passing out and will slap any Sim that insult them, they are very emotional and imaginative. Choose your traits wisely as they can be a big help or giant stumbling block to your Sims chosen profession.

There are also some extra fun features included with this ep, your tinkering Sim can now upgrade certain objects to be more efficient or even self cleaning, which can be a real time saver.

Sims no longer get to just wear their outfits day in and day out, they now have to do laundry and can either do this at home or at the local Laundromat, which is just one of the four new hangout spots around town.

Your Sim can also go for a makeover at the salon, visit the junkyard to collect some scrap for their inventions or go sell anything they have made or collected at the consignment store.

Fireman Sims get to hang out at the fire station where they can bond with their coworkers, respond to emergencies, slide down the emergency pole and drive around in a big, red, shiny fire truck.

This expansion pack also gives you a new neighborhood, Twinbrook, to explore and if you register your game at the official Sims3.com site you will be able to download a free careers bundle with 13 exclusive items.

There are also a few changes to the pop up messages that use to clutter up the right hand side of the screen, you now have a neat little message window with tabs that you can view or hide.

This expansion pack is a must have for any Sims fan, it brings a new level of control and fun to this amazing game and is sure to keep you up way past your bed time.