The Sims 3 Pets 3DS preview

Being a pet owner has its ups and downs. The upside: being the beneficiary of a pet’s unwavering companionship, loyalty, and love. The downside is being on the receiving end of a pet’s fecal evacuations over its lifetime. But now gamers have the chance to have others deal with their crap (or love, whatever). The Sims 3 Pets isn’t just attempting to replicate the pet owner experience by allowing human Sims to have pets. The game will also allow players to have the pet be the Sim. So, the power to pee on the carpet and chew on the couch cushions can all be yours!

In a recent demo on the 3DS version with EA, we were shown many of the new features Sims 3 Pets adds to the series. The game starts out with the Sim creator, where the player has the option to choose between a human, cat, or dog Sim. The creator allows players to choose between a variety of breeds, fur colors, patterns, and accessories. So, creating a blinged-out pink Akita wearing a top hat and steam punk goggles is something that is not unattainable. Looks aren’t everything though. Unique to pet Sims, personality traits, life goals (called wishes), and relationship dynamics with Sims living in the same household are also chosen.

Personality traits range from aggressive to friendly, with some traits that change up the gameplay in new ways. For instance, the hunter trait allows the pet Sim to dig up special items which can then be used or sold, with more valuable items being found at higher skill levels. Wishes range from building relationships with other Sims to being a revered crime fighting pet.

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Once dropped into the Sims world, gameplay works as usual, but with a few changes and new features. Players will be able to participate in new activities with their pet Sims, such as traversing pet park obstacle courses, visiting veterinarians, and playing games like fetch. For the 3DS, the control method for selecting objects in the world has turned away from the stylus in favor of the 3DS’s new slide pad, allowing for greater system stability while using the 3DS’s 3D effects. The slide pad now controls a cursor that is used to highlight objects. Other options such as managing inventory, customizing Sims, and using Karma powers is handled using the touch screen menus. Sims 3 Pets also works with the 3DS Street Pass system which allows Sims to be downloaded via the Sims Exchange.

Sims 3 Pets adds a new perspective to play from with the addition of the pet Sims. There are a plenty of new activities and features for those who always wanted to have a pet or be a pet. Sims fans will be able to get their hands on Sims 3 Pets when it hits stores on October 18 for the 3DS – look for our full review then.

Oct 3, 2011