F.R.E.A.K.

If there is anything - anything I say - in this world that has successfully owned a part of my pathetic human brain, it is the ever expanding game(s) of the Sims! Well, that, and a very particular guy...of which I know won't be leaving his spot in my head/heart anytime sooner or later :P

Right from the first series I have been an avid fan of the game (all hail Will Wright!!). Back then when the Sims were in 2D, I bought every expansion packs they had in stores. Those were the days when downloading wasn't an option for a little kid...Come the second generation of the Sims, the Sims 2 was a much improved version of its predecessor, now in 3D. Again, I bought the originals and *cough cough* actually started to download a few of its latest expansions - and yes, I have them all.

What was it about the game that hooked me up? I'm not really sure because frankly, if you played it with the typical routine (create a Sim, *cheat, maximize skills, *cheat, get married, have babies, etc. yadayadayada...) it will get boring in like, 30 minutes. Still, I'm addicted (a goody confession!) to it. Of course, I don't always cheat in the game - I only do that when I'm daydreaming of my dream house.

It's a good game because:-
1 - You get to play God :D at least on the poor creatures called Sims, which is actually fun
2 - You get to pretend you're an infamous architect cum interior/exterior designer, armed with a super-advanced technology to satisfy your customers and to help you bag the cash
3 - You get to pretend you're a 5-star movie/video clip director
4 - You get to test that script stashed away for ages
5 - You get to live your own life the way YOU want it
6 - It's all about creativity!

On a personal basis however, the game gives a good peek on life. Looking from above (the PC screen), we get to see how those poor, demented creatures have to work hard to get to the top and when they do, it's about time they should retire. Time really flows. Education alone won't get you nowhere without the proper skills and vice versa. Thieves get caught. Adulterers suffer. Neighbours complain of loud music and wild parties. And there is the possibility of extraterritorial beings somewhere else in the universe...

...and then there's the Grim Reaper to take it all away.

Unless you cheated on the game.

Speaking of which, the upcoming successor, the Sims 3 will be out on June 5th 2009 and yours truly is very excited about it!