The Sims Life Stories
Encyclopedia
The Sims Life Stories is a video game, the first game in the The Sims Stories
series. The game is a version of The Sims 2
optimized for laptop
s (and lower-end desktop
computers) and bears similarities to the console
ports
of The Sims games. In Story mode, it begins with the problems of Riley Harlow and Vince Moore. Rewards are unlocked as set goals are achieved. In open-ended Classic mode, the player creates Sims and then choose how they'll live their life through. The Sims Life Stories was released on February 6, 2007. It is categorized as laptop-friendly since it lacks the need for an independent graphic card.
Currently, two other entries in the series are available: The Sims Pet Stories
and The Sims Castaway Stories
.
The game begins in Story Mode with Riley Harlow's life story as she moves from SimCity to Four Corners to live with her Aunt Sharon to start a new life. A second story follows the life of Vincent Moore, a millionaire who is looking for true love. After both stories are completed the gameplay continues in open-ended Classic mode, which is similar in nature to The Sims 2. The towns in which Riley and Vince live are also available to play when their stories are finished.
and gameplay mechanics as The Sims 2. In addition to the open-ended freestyle mode from The Sims 2, Life Stories features 2 pre-defined scenarios. In each scenario the player takes control of one of two protagonists and is tasked with accomplishing various goals in that character's life. The game features significant use of scripted sequence
s to create pre-defined dramatic events and situations.
As Life Stories was optimized for use on laptops, hardware requirements are significantly lower than The Sims 2..
There are three neighborhoods to play in this version of the Sims....one for each of the two stories and a freeplay neighborhood. There are no existing expansion packs for The Sims 2 for The Stories series, and The Sims Pet Stories
and The Sims Castaway Stories
are NOT expansion packs to The Sims: Life Stories. Although the Stories series was specifically designed for laptops, the original version of The Sims 2 will work for laptops provided it meets the specified system requirements.
, the game received an average score of 70% based on 22 reviews. On Metacritic
, the game received an average score of 72 out of 100, based on 21 reviews — indicating "mixed or average reviews".
The Sims Stories
The Sims Stories is a series of computer games in The Sims series. They are optimized for play on laptops and some slower computers, due to their lower system requirements than original The Sims 2, but can still be played on desktop computers...
series. The game is a version of The Sims 2
The Sims 2
The Sims 2 is a strategic life simulation computer game developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the sequel to the best-selling computer game, The Sims, which debuted on February 4, 2000. It was first released on September 14, 2004 for Microsoft Windows. A port to Apple Mac OS X...
optimized for laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
s (and lower-end desktop
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
computers) and bears similarities to the console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
ports
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of The Sims games. In Story mode, it begins with the problems of Riley Harlow and Vince Moore. Rewards are unlocked as set goals are achieved. In open-ended Classic mode, the player creates Sims and then choose how they'll live their life through. The Sims Life Stories was released on February 6, 2007. It is categorized as laptop-friendly since it lacks the need for an independent graphic card.
Currently, two other entries in the series are available: The Sims Pet Stories
The Sims Pet Stories
The Sims Pet Stories is the second game released in The Sims Stories series. Following The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pets Stories was released on June 19, 2007.-Features:...
and The Sims Castaway Stories
The Sims Castaway Stories
The Sims Castaway Stories is the third and final game in the 'The Sims Stories' line of games. It was released on January 29, 2008.-Features:...
.
The game begins in Story Mode with Riley Harlow's life story as she moves from SimCity to Four Corners to live with her Aunt Sharon to start a new life. A second story follows the life of Vincent Moore, a millionaire who is looking for true love. After both stories are completed the gameplay continues in open-ended Classic mode, which is similar in nature to The Sims 2. The towns in which Riley and Vince live are also available to play when their stories are finished.
Gameplay
The Sims Life Stories uses the same game engineGame engine
A game engine is a system designed for the creation and development of video games. There are many game engines that are designed to work on video game consoles and personal computers...
and gameplay mechanics as The Sims 2. In addition to the open-ended freestyle mode from The Sims 2, Life Stories features 2 pre-defined scenarios. In each scenario the player takes control of one of two protagonists and is tasked with accomplishing various goals in that character's life. The game features significant use of scripted sequence
Scripted sequence
In video games, a scripted sequence is a pre-defined series of events that occurs when triggered by player location or actions.Some scripted sequences are merely used to play short cut scenes that the player has little control of...
s to create pre-defined dramatic events and situations.
As Life Stories was optimized for use on laptops, hardware requirements are significantly lower than The Sims 2..
There are three neighborhoods to play in this version of the Sims....one for each of the two stories and a freeplay neighborhood. There are no existing expansion packs for The Sims 2 for The Stories series, and The Sims Pet Stories
The Sims Pet Stories
The Sims Pet Stories is the second game released in The Sims Stories series. Following The Sims Life Stories, The Sims Pets Stories was released on June 19, 2007.-Features:...
and The Sims Castaway Stories
The Sims Castaway Stories
The Sims Castaway Stories is the third and final game in the 'The Sims Stories' line of games. It was released on January 29, 2008.-Features:...
are NOT expansion packs to The Sims: Life Stories. Although the Stories series was specifically designed for laptops, the original version of The Sims 2 will work for laptops provided it meets the specified system requirements.
Riley Harlow
The main character of Riley's Story. She moves into her aunt's house in Four Corners after losing her job and being evicted from her house in Sim City. On her first day she moves in, however her Aunt Sharon almost immediately has to leave for something urgent, thus leaving Riley alone for the first few days. Meanwhile, she makes friends with the neighbours who come to welcome her to the neighbourhood, and falls in love with a guy named Mickey Smith, while having to deal with her ex-boyfriend Dylan moving in two weeks before her.Mickey Smith
A party DJ and also Riley's love interest. He dates Riley after their first meeting and they later begin a relationship, but he breaks up with her on the assumption that she is dating Dylan as well. He later gets engaged to Agora Tchotchke and eventually reconciles with Riley before the wedding. After discovering Agora's scheme, he leaves her at the altar. He then marries Riley at the end of the story and has a baby..Fiona Fortuna
Riley's friend who gives her a coffee maker as a housewarming gift. She is the one Riley trusts and acts as the provider of information about the neighborhood to her. She also attends Mickey and Agora's wedding and calls Riley to attend as well. She is a widow and the mother of Madison Fortuna.Dylan Kincaid
Riley's ex-boyfriend from high school who tries to patch things over with her. He has moved in 2 weeks before Riley did and currently works at the Sunworthy Bank. He goes to Riley's house for dinner with her and they have a great time. He also appears to comfort Riley after she breaks up with Mickey. He is found to be cheating on her when he is caught dating Ashley Sinclair. Later it is revealed that he and Agora have attempted to start a plot to kidnap Sharon in order to claim her vast fortune and use Riley who as a relative can claim the cash. He is arrested for doing this.Agora Tchotchke
Arch enemy of Riley who works as a party DJ. She also has a romantic interest in Mickey, hence fueling the jealousy towards Riley. She has kidnapped Sharon at the bank with Dylan to claim her Simoleons. Towards the end of the story, after she admits that she has done it to marry Mickey and share the money with him, she is left at the altar and arrested.Sharon Foss
Riley's aunt who lives in Four Corners. She offers Riley her place to stay but leaves abrupty for something important. She is later found kidnapped by Dylan and manages to escape from him. She later passes on her home to Riley and at the end of the story is revealed to be a self-made millionaire who made her fortune in the stock exchange.Ashley Sinclair
Co-worker of Dylan who attends Mickey and Agora's wedding. She is also seen dating Dylan behind her husband Waring's back and gives a gift to Riley after her wedding. She is the wife of Waring Sinclair.Madison Fortuna
Minor character in the story. She is the daughter to Fiona Fortuna and only appears as a guest at Mickey and Agora's wedding. She is infatuated with Jacob Margison.Waring Sinclair
Waring is married to Ashley and a minor character in the story who only appears at Mickey and Agora's wedding. Waring is a successful businessman who fears that his wife Ashley will cheat on him because she is a lot younger than him.Vince Moore
Vince is a rich business tycoon who lives in Bitville. He breaks up with Samantha Hayden after he feels that her wedding proposal was far too sudden. After a while he meets Naomi Hunt and realizes that he really cares for her. Unfortunately while showing Naomi his satellite, it falls on her and she dies. While pleading with the Grim Reaper, he has the choice to save Naomi and lose his house and his money or let her die. If you choose to let her live, you lose your fortune and house. If you choose to let her die you get to keep your fortune and house.Sherman
Sherman is one of Vince's best friends he goes bowling with him and Greg. He also gives him some information about Samantha. He also tells him about the satellite that kills Naomi.Naomi Hunt
A barista who works at Baliwood Star Lanes and also Vince's love interest. Their first date at Cliffside Park and the date goes well until a mysterious woman (Kendra Blaise) flirts with Vince and Naomi incorrectly assumes that Vince is a womanizer. Later, she gives Vince a second chance and their relationship improves. At the end of the story she moves in with Vince and is crushed by the SimSat 9000 (that Vince's company shot into space). The Grim Reaper comes and you choose if she lives and Vince loses his money and house, or she dies and he keeps his fortune.Samantha Hayden
Vince's girlfriend at the beginning of the story who is only dating Vince because of his fortune. They break up after she proposes marriage after only three weeks of their relationship. Subsequently, she harbors a bitter relationship with Vince and gets back at him by dating his rival, Johnny Cullen. She secretly sabotages all of his dates and later on in the story vents out her anger by destroying his house before marrying Johnny.Johnny Cullen
Vince's business rival and later Samantha Hayden's new boyfriend turned husband. At the end of the story his business fails and he and Samantha split up.Alexa Starr
One of vince's dates. They dine at Don Calamari's for their date. However the date turns disastrous when Samantha sneaks into the kitchen and sabotages the food causing Alexa to fall asleep on her food. She tends to interrupt during conversations and has an addiction to coffee.Kendra Blaise
A mysterious lady who is paid by Samantha to claim she had a great date with Vince and sabotage his date with Naomi. She is described as a pyromaniac.Sasha Aires
Materialistic young woman who is one of Vince's dates. They shop at the Arcadium Plaza during their date. Vince realizes that she is only after his fortune.Don Calamari
Owner of Don Calamari's and a friend of Vince. He gives Vince a gift as an apology to the incident that happens during Vicne and Alexa's sabotaged date.Critical reception
On the review aggregator Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, the game received an average score of 70% based on 22 reviews. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the game received an average score of 72 out of 100, based on 21 reviews — indicating "mixed or average reviews".