The Sims 2: Pets Critic Reviews

Ultimately, there’s something completely satisfying and entertaining in creating a real-life house in a Sims world and finding out what truly does happen when pets stop being polite and start getting real.

For an expansion pack, there is plenty to do and see and it adds a completely new level of variety to your Sims' already busy life.

Whatever EA says, this feels like an expansion pack. It's a welcome one though, and it'll make your little Sim home all the more complete.

As for the rest of the game, the structure is still the same as before, but for Sims fans, the pet aspect will add plenty of new entertainment to make this worth picking up.

Rarely does an expansion (or companion, in the case of the PS2 and GameCube) see content integrated so well into an existing game. After a few minutes playing Pets, you'll feel as if the animals have always been a part of your gaming life.

The addition of pets is a logical transition in The Sims franchise that ends up working very well with the core game. Aside from this, the game manages to improve the AI to be more spontaneous and more closely resemble the PC version of the game.

Improves upon its console predecessors in every way imaginable. The formula is definitely getting old, though, so long time fans will have limited interest. As far as newcomers go, there's plenty to see and do.

It’s cool, entertaining, and strangely addictive.

The expansion only changes the game on a strictly superficial level, although it does this extremely well.

If you’re a console gamer intrigued by the Sims games but don’t own a PC, Sims 2 Pets for PS2 may be fun for you to try, especially if you also enjoy virtual pets. Otherwise, the PC version is definitely your better bet.

The Sims 2: Pets adds some moderately interesting animal companions but offers a surprisingly strong Sims 2 experience.

The Sims 2 Pets isn't anything more than The Sims 2 on consoles with pets. It feels like an expansion pack, and if that's what you want, you won't be disappointed.

I'm disappointed at the lack of defining complexities that grace every Sim game that appears on the PC platform. It's almost insulting - console users aren't dumb, we can handle some dimension!

Pets comes across as a very well-bred animal--desirable traits are sharp. but there are some inbreeding issues.

Maxis milks the Sims franchise even further with the debut of pets, but misses the chance to add anything significant to the successful formula.

Maxis hasn't changed the game drastically and shouldn't have to for an expansion pack that is adding a new (and cute!) perspective to an already solid game.

If you can play the PC version, it is a much smarter investment to purchase The Sims 2: Pets as an expansion pack rather than this stand alone PS2 version.

If you’ve never played The Sims 2 before, this is the latest console version and the one you should use. For anyone else, it’s simply not enough new content to merit a full-priced purchase.

It's boring enough feeding real pets.

Apart from the animal stuff, the core game has also undergone some tweaks, like a greater sense of ownership of your surroundings. It doesn’t make Pets more fun, though; the lack of sufficient rewards and direction neuters the whole experience and makes it a chore to play.