Archive for October 2011

The latest The Sims 3 Pets review wasn’t written by a human — GamesRadar’s resident horse has rated it an “awesome” nine out of 10:

There’s really no other way to put it. The Sims 3: Pets is the best expansion released since the series first launched in 2009. Trust me. I’m a horse and I know what I’m talking about. Even non-horses will enjoy hearing their steed’s gentle clip-clops as you trot through Appaloosa Plains and explore it from the perspective of a pet.

The review contains three new screenshots which you can also view on the game page if you prefer.
> “The Sims 3: Pets review” at GamesRadar
> The Sims 3 Pets screenshots

The Metascore at Metacritic remains unchanged at 78 based on six reviews.
> “The Sims 3: Pets” at Metacritic

I’m not just interested in what the critics think though — I also want to know what you think. If you’ve already played Pets and have an opinion on it, why not share it with the world? Click below, sign in with your Google, Yahoo!, Twitter, AIM, Netlog or OpenID account then type away, not forgetting to specify a star rating. In the off-chance you don’t have any of those accounts, why not create a Google account? You only need to specify your country, email address and date of birth.
> Your The Sims 3 Pets reviews

Today’s The Sims 3 Pets review comes from The Gamer Access, who have given it a rating of 8.0 out of 10:

My overall experience with Pets was outstanding. A week straight of it and I’m still going to be playing it avidly. Having played every expansion since the very first release in 2000, I am quite the addict. There are very few things I would change if I could; adding more items and clothing for the actual Sims is one, and maybe pet clothing? If you are a fan of the Sims, or ever wanted to digitally sniff someone, I do encourage you to pick up this expansion and start making your pet masterpieces today!

The review contains five new screenshots, which you can also view on the game page if you prefer (when they appear shortly).
> “The Sims Rains Cats, Dogs…and Unicorns with The Sims 3 Pets (Review)” at The Gamer Access
> The Sims 3 Pets screenshots

The Metascore at Metacritic remains at 78 based on six reviews.
> “The Sims 3: Pets” at Metacritic

New York Post brings us today’s The Sims 3 Pets review, grading it A-:

That aside, Sims 3 Pets offers a plethora of new addictions to the already awesome Sims franchise. If you’re a Sims geek, I strongly suggest you ditch your friends, grab a copy of Sims 3 Pets and kiss the outdoors goodbye. You’ll be gone for a while.

> “Sims 3 Pets: barking up the right tree” at New York Post

The Metascore at Metacritic has gone down a point to 78 (“Generally favorable reviews”) based on six reviews.
> “The Sims 3: Pets” at Metacritic

Digital Spy brings us the latest The Sims 3 Pets review, giving it four stars out of five:

In summary, The Sims 3: Pets is proof that EA hasn’t run out of ideas for new creative content just yet. There was a very real danger that this expansion could have been a stale offering since it’s the third of its kind, but the addition of horses is a game-changer, and the option to take full control of your pets breathes new life into the experience. It’s questionable how much mileage we’re going to get from The Sims 3 from here on in, but this one will keep the fans happy for some time.

> “‘The Sims 3: Pets’ review (PC)” at Digital Spy

There’s now a Metascore at Metacritic, giving a weighted average score based on five reviews of 79 out of 100 (“Generally favorable reviews”).
> “The Sims 3: Pets” at Metacritic

DualShockers has posted a video interview with The Sims 3 Pets producer Graham Nardone focusing on horses and unicorns:

A couple of The Sims 3 Pets producer blogs have been posted on TheSims3.com. In part one the direct control of pets is discussed:

In developing this new way to play, we had to imagine what it was like to be an animal. What motivates a dog to fetch a stick? Why do cats like to scratch up the sofa? Do horses actually like jumping? After spending many hours at our local SPCAs, dog pounds, horse ranches, and at home with our own pets, we got together and shared notes on how animals interacted with each other, how they interacted with us, and what we felt were some key moments we wanted to include in the game to make the experience of playing as a pet as authentic as possible.

> “The Sims 3 Pets Producer Blog for PC – Part 1″ at TheSims3.com

Part two focuses on the limited edition pet store and Appaloosa Plains:

For the first time since the launch of The Sims 3, we’ve created completely new buildings to give this town a look and feel all its own. What was once a sleepy ranching community turned into a bustling hub of activity as city slickers arrived with their money and a taste for country living.

> “The Sims 3 Pets Producer Blog for PC – Part 2″ at TheSims3.com

The first The Sims 3 Pets reviews are in. Gaming Blend didn’t give a rating, but went into quite a lot of detail with plenty of screenshots:

The Sims 3: Pets is well thought out, well executed and a whole lot of fun. It’s evident that the people at EA responsible for putting this pack together put a lot of thought into the animals featured, giving dogs, cats and horses their own purposes within the game and including traits and behaviors that are amusingly similar to those of real animals.

You can also view all the screenshots on the game page.
> “The Sims 3 Pets Review: Dogs, Cats And Horses Rule The Latest Sims Expansion Pack” at Gaming Blend
> The Sims 3 Pets screenshots

IGN gave it 7.5 out of 10, a score described as “Good”:

After The Sims 3: Generations and The Sims Medieval: Pirates & Nobles, I was wondering if EA was out of ideas and had lost its touch with Sims expansions. Thankfully, The Sims 3: Pets puts the series and franchise back on track and continues to make its virtual worlds even more fleshed out. As always, this expansion isn’t going to make any non-Sims player a convert, but if you’re still enjoying your digital families, this is a good expansion to pick up.

> “The Sims 3: Pets Review” at IGN