MySims Agents
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Games Developer: The Sims Studio Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Adventure/ Themed
Graphics & Sound: MySims Agents is the latest game in the MySims series. These "Sims Lite" games are geared more towards kids than their parent The Sims games. These titles are played quite a bit in my house. When I first saw this title, I was a little worried that only the boys would be interested in it. I was pleasantly surprised at how balanced it was for either gender and ultimately, it was never an issue. I hate to say that if you have seen one MySims game, then you have seen them all, but if the shoe fits. When I say this though, let me quickly ensure this only to mean that it still has the same beautiful, simple look as before. The one thing that has changed is the pseudo-static camera that you move around in. In previous titles, you were required to move your camera around in order to see what you were doing, and at times, this action was a little frustrating for younger players. Here, you have a static camera until it is necessary for it to pivot and move in order to follow action. I never felt like I was in a blind spot or cut off. Simlish is cute, but can get annoying after nearly a decade of listening to it. I did like the intro music. It reminded me of Men in Black. The music was not the only cameo. Besides seeing a suspicious federal couple who made me believe, there is plenty for an older player to dig out of the game.
Gameplay: In MySims Agents, you begin as a humble detective who has aspirations of becoming an agent. Your beginnings are so humble, you begin working out of a pizza place. Quickly, your prowess as a detective is put to the test as you solve several local mysteries. To do this, you will employ several basic tools and concepts. You will question witnesses, solve puzzles, and use tools to collect evidence. You will quickly leave the pizza shop where you began and gain your own agency building. From here, you will recruit new agents, launch side missions, and continue to solve mysteries. Like any real detective, you must question Sims and collect evidence to get to the bottom of the mystery. Your casebook keeps track of your clues and what you should be doing next in order to solve the mystery. Any time you get stuck, you can just head into your case book and see where to go next. Though you start out with simple tools like a magnifying glass and a crow bar, you will quickly graduate to more sophisticated tools. These new tools usually come with a mini-game that you will need to solve in order to discover the clue. The classic green Sims indicator will be a very vital tool. It is solid green when you can interact with an item, it will be transparent when you have already interacted with an item, and it turns blue if you are not looking at something with the proper tool. Once you have become an agent, you will be allowed to hire other agents to help you. There are several missions that you will need to build teams of other investigators to deal with. Every agent you recruit has a particular set of strengths. Every mission has a specific focus that your team of agents must be suited to. These strengths are things like athleticism, naturalist, science, and many others. Balancing the team for the best chance of success is all part of running a good agency.
Difficulty: MySims Agents is by far the simplest one we have played. The camera angles and handheld gameplay style makes this game one that you really can have everyone in the family playing with you. There are still some platforming issues for you to help out with younger players, and there are some mini-games they may need a hand with. After being shown once or twice, there weren't many games they couldn't do on their own. Even with the young ones, the cartoon style makes it interesting and entertaining to watch. Again, the homages to many geek and sci-fi movies make it an entertaining game for older players who are not challenged by the mini-games or the inherent game challenge.
Game Mechanics: MySims Agents is no different than any other Sims game in that there is a ton of customization to do. Besides your initial character, you will have control of the five floors of your building. As you play, you will unlock items for yourself and the building. Items that you place in your building will have an affect on the strengths or focuses in that area, such as science, nature, etc. Besides these items, you can affect the colors of your building by painting areas. For your Sim, there is plenty to collect and wear until you are the super agent you wish to be. Aside from the obvious inclusion of party games, this is one of the few games that I will say you can get the whole family around to play. You can sit and play the game with the younger kids and help them through some of the thicker reading portions of the game. Even for the older ones, just watching them and then trying to explain why you laughed at a reference is just as fun as well. Pull up some snacks, get comfortable, plug in the Wii and enjoy it as a family. Don't be ashamed if you find yourself picking this title up to play by yourself when the kids are not hogging the Wii. You know I do. I knew this would be a hit in my house, and MySims has not disappointed me so far. Enjoy it.
-WUMPUSJAGGER, GameVortex Communications AKA Bryon Lloyd
Related Links: MySims Agents Website
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