April 23, 2010 – My good ol’ Sims can still savor the lazy days of waking up, grubbing some food, watching a show, and going to bed, all the while newspapers kept piling up at the front door and flies invaded the kitchen, swarming over last night’s leftovers. “Rosebud” and “Motherlode” is all it took to keep that household running and staying up-to-date in the latest fashion and home décor. Oh, but things have changed… it’s now time to get to work and make a real difference. No more missing a day of work because you woke up late! It’s time to take your job seriously and make a career out of it. It’s time to shine!
All you need is the upcoming Ambitions expansion pack, which seems like a great complement for the already solid offering The Sims 3. The new expansion brings jobs to the table, but in a way you hadn’t seen before, even though you may have been asking for it for a long time. The Sims can start a career, acquire skills by doing real work, fulfill additional achievements, and obtain new life rewards; and you don’t have to stay home! You get to be with them at work, perform their duties, and see them succeed (or fail). Their job can now impact their personal status and their surroundings.
There are numerous careers Sims can choose from. If your Sim has an artistic flare, you may want to pick a creative career path; the options range from tattoo artist to architectural designer, sculptor, and stylist. As a professional, it’s in your hands to do things right or wrong, and your career will evolve depending upon your efforts. The game lets you be on the job, whether it’s at the local salon tattooing people, styling their hair, or giving them a makeover, or helping out customers on-site. If you’re an architect, the neighbors may request a home renovation, and if you’re a sculptor, someone may need an ice sculpture or even a new piece of contemporary furniture. If they want a tattoo, you’ll have to work your magic with the available designs and combine them with different color choices and layouts.
As you complete jobs, you’ll earn more money, acquire skills, and advance in your career. If your customers are pleased, you’ll also earn bonuses. Things your Sims couldn’t do because they were just an amateur in their fields will become within reach, opening up a world of possibilities within their career path. Of course, a doctor will always be a doctor, but they may want to go traditional and work in the hospital and run house calls, or they may prefer to go another route and practice questionable experimental medicine. Either way, the choices are yours and so is the outcome.
We don’t know exactly how many jobs will be available, but we expect many. Other interesting career choices include the heroic or the destructive firefighter, the inquisitive private detective, the determined ghost hunter, and the wacky mad scientist. No matter what job you choose for your Sim, everything you do will have an effect on your surroundings, as you’re not just doing jobs for random customers, but rather your own neighbors and friends. You may be the town’s hero or end up causing havoc in your game world. By the same token, you may choose to work hard and succeed, or you may just want to be a slacker. It’s just like in real life… choices have consequences; except that this is a game, and you may just want to see what happens!
The Sims 3: Ambitions is definitely an ambitious expansion in and of itself; it’s something players have been asking for since the original The Sims came out, and luckily, the release is just around the corner. Expect to see it in store shelves as well as download in early June. The phone version will also get this addition in late 2010, although we don’t anticipate such dramatic changes in the handheld game.
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