The Sims 3: Ambitions Review

Does the latest The Sims 3 expansion do enough to warrant a look?

New The Sims expansions have become a bi-yearly tradition. Because it’s such an ever expanding universe, new additions to gameplay can always be created, but are they always needed? The newest release, The Sims 3: Ambitions, attempts to prove its worth.

The first new change noticed right off the bat is the addition of a new neighborhood, Twinbrook. Possiby the most diverse neighborhood yet, Twinbrook is built all around a large lake and has a variety of houses littering its streets. From small dockside homes in the swamps to large mansions, the given architecture is much more interesting than the original neighborhoods. It also introduces new hang out spots which include, laundromats, junkyards, fire stations, bars and consignment shops. These lots are not rabbit holes but instead place you can actually be in control of your Sim. It's a refreshing addition to veterans who were used to the open communities of the The Sims 2.

Twinbrook looks great, even with the same engine the Sims 3 has been running on for the past year. The game stil looks crisp and smooth, but you won't find any sort of graphically enhancements. There are, however, plenty of newly integrated interactions, like Sims jumping on a trampoline or blowing things up, and they look fantastic as well as hold the carm and humor the game offers.

Since the dawn of "simming", players have asked for certain mechanics, one of the most popular requests was to be able to follow your Sims to work. The Ambitions expansion finally gives that option in the form of new professions. To some this might sound like a dull idea; Ambitions seems to hit a fine line between monotony and excitement.

The new professions and hobbies introduced span all kinds of careers; fireman, investigator, ghost hunter, inventor, tattoo/salon artist, sculptor and architect designer. Sims can also register to be self-employed with older hobbies like painting, writing, and growing produce. There are also new additions to the doctor career, in which Sims can make house calls.

For the investigator, fireman, ghost hunter or tattoo artist, there are set work hours which the player can choose to spend the way they want. Popups will appear on the map to guide you to gigs and the more work experience you get, the quicker you progress. The beginning levels of some professions are slow, like the ghost hunter. While the music and animations are top notch, the actual vanquishing of ghosts is repetitive. In fact, if you don’t send your Sim after specific ghosts, they will eventually do it themselves giving the player the feeling that they are not needed.

The investigator is one of the most involving, although it directly copies the mechanics of the World Adventures missions. You get cases, talk to Sims or search for clues in public lots, report back to said Sims, collect your cash and go on your way. Unfortunately, it also suffers from some of the issues World Adventures has, like sending your Sim to speak with another only to have them canceling the action multiple times on their own. The cases themselves are repetitive, sometimes giving you the same case but interacting with different Sims.

The firefighter is another very active profession, with your Sim having to both keep the fire truck upgraded and maintained and respond to fires in the area. It feels as though this career seems to really hit the nail on the head as far as what is expected. The player becomes pretty involved with what is going on both at the firehouse and at the scenes of fires and there’s a lot of excitement running to deal with a disaster. Not taking care of fires adversely effects your experience and it seems to be the only career that really penalizes you for missing an opportunity. This adds a new layer of challenge which isn’t present with the professions.