So, the latest MySims game. It’s part adventure, part platformer, part puzzler and part Sim-tastic create-’em-up. There’s variety in spades, a great story with an amusing script and snazzy visuals to boot.
Of the three main MySims games, this is easily the most story-orientated. Although you can potter about the levels as you please, providing you’ve unlocked them, the story itself is fairly linear. You start out as a no-name private dick before you’re recruited to the S.P.A., given a massive HQ to populate with fellow agents and asked to solve a big mystery concerning nefarious type Morcubus and an object called the Crown Of Nightmares. Each level takes place in a different part of the game world – there’s a beach, a mansion in the bayou and an industrial area to name but a few – and involves solving a number of mini mysteries, which in turn will help you crack the bigger mystery.
There are three key areas to the detective work. First, you’ll need to chat to everyone. Not all utterances will be relevant but you’ll get the majority of your clues (which are stored in your notebook for later perusal) from nattering to the locals. Then there’s the platforming. Often you’ll be given clues that lead you to lofty places, so there’ll be much jumping and high-wire balancing. The platforming is none too tricky and you can’t die.
Finally there are the minigames, which are played using your detective tools. Among other tasks you’ll need to hack computers, pick locks and repair stuff. There’s a nice variety in the different objectives and the game never gets tedious despite some repetition. There’s plenty of DIY Sim-ness too, from the HQ that you decorate to the character customization. We suggest you ditch any cynicism and go and investigate this.
Oct 1, 2009
