It all started with a game called Sim City or did it start with the Sims, or maybe it started with the variants of the Sims. Well, now they're at it again with Sims 2.

This time they've advanced more than one element. First of all, the game play is visually stunning. At times, you're not watching a game, you're watching a movie. This alone keeps the stalker in you quite satisfied.

Regarding game play, they've basically given you two different major changes.

The first is that these Sims age and develop, which can be as all encompassing as exciting. Imagine it, you can raise a child and eventually control the Sim when he's ready to retire. For the truly obsessive, you can have generations upon generations of Sims.

The second major aspect is that they have what I call "Mission Focused" scenarios. Now you can help the Caps and Montys (Romeo and Juliet) get together. Maybe you'd like to deal with the strange worlds of aliens. Or maybe you'd like to play a latin lover. At times it gets a bit risqu? where you can make out and "make woo hoo" with people so I wouldn't recommend this for pre-teens.

Overall, it's one of those games that you can truly play for hours.