The Urbz: Sims in the City

Additional Screenshots

So you have the style, you’ve got the attitude…but do you have the rep to make it on the streets? Urbz: Sims in the City is the ultimate test. From urban chic to skater gear, the clothes you wear and how well you can woo the city determines whether you’re in or out of the hottest hang outs.

Ok, so sounds simple enough. Well, whether you like it or not, it is. Now this is great for those mindless nights where you’ve got nothing better to do and are just burned out from all the work you’ve been doing. But for all those hardcore gamers looking to show off their skillz, this is not a game that you can “pwn” at and still keep some dignity.

Characters

There is certainly not a lack of characters in this game or options when you’re creating your own Sim. I gave mine the awesome name of Chris Dorell to match her awesome fashion sense and amazing personality. You can fall in love with Will.i.am from Black Eyed Peas or get into a cat fight with group member Fergie. Schmooze with the filthy rich or hang loose with the skater boys. In this game, you’ll never run out of friends…or enemies if you so choose.

Getting a Little Action

Now it’s time to take the reins and live your Sim’s life for him or her. Interactions have reached new heights as you can step up your game and step up the intensity of gameplay. You can greet, do icebreakers, network, be friendly, mean, or romantic, or do power socials (cool tricks that just blow people away). The interactions that will be most welcomed by the receiver are highlighted green, least welcomed are red, and yellow’s in between. While the green ones are safest, the higher the risk, the more rep points are available (don’t ask about the green actions under be mean). Now this color key in itself makes gameplay more interesting, but there’s also another aspect to this part of the game. You can learn new actions from the new people you meet (if you’re nice enough of course) and they all come with cool names, from the Snippy Snap to the Pub Song. Or if you’re feeling a little naughty, try out the Striptease or the Suck Face. With all these different interactions, you are opened up to a whole new world of possibilities.

Show Me the Money!

With this game, at the ripe old age of seventeen, you can have a lucrative career in bartending, modeling, sculpting, and skateboarding, all at once! Each district in the games holds new career opportunities, all with the possibilities of promotion. Mix drinks, get rich, and live the good life.

Movin’ On Up

The purpose of this game is to rise to the top from relatively nothing. Each level is a new district with its own goals. You can always go to all the districts you’ve already unlocked, but the new locations definitely mix it up a bit as you get to explore your new surroundings. As you move up in levels, you also start to improve your lifestyle, upgrading from a mediocre apartment to a penthouse that, is actually not all that different, but since you have more money, you get to put cooler items into it.

Sound Check

When you first start playing, you may notice a certain theme. As I mentioned earlier, the Black Eyed Peas make a cameo appearance, but that’s not all they do. The Black Eyed Peas can also take credit for the one song that is on the Urbz soundtrack…the one that plays over and over and over and…well you get the picture. So now I’m sure you’ve already heard “Let’s Get it Started,” but in this game, you get to hear the remix. No, not the kind with disc scratching and techno beats, the kind only the Sims can do: dubbing over the singing with the Sims gibberish we all know and…tolerate. Personally, I prefer to turn down the sound and turn up the classic rock in my stereo, but hey, that’s just me.

Overall

While it’s not a bad game to play if you’re bored, Urbz: Sims in the City, like most other games without a real challenge, is not a game for constant play. While you may be sucked in to playing for hours on end, it takes a certain kind of mood to play. So all in all, it’s definitely a good, stress-free way to have fun.