The Sims 3 - Xbox 360

What We Already Know

The Sims 3 has been out for over a year, and the series is no stranger to the consoles either. But this marks the first time it will appear on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 (The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 2: Castaway both appeared on the Wii). How does it look on the current-gen HD consoles? Find out below.

What We're Seeing Now

This is basically the console version of The Sims 3, adapted to work with a controller instead of a mouse and keyboard. There are multiple radial menus and drill-down options, and at times the sheer amount of information on the screen can overwhelm a console player. If you're a Sims-addict, you'll quickly grasp things, but newcomers will find the array of options daunting.



New to the console version is the addition of Karma powers. You earn Karma by fulfilling various goals in the game, and once you've built up enough Karma you can trigger different levels of Karma powers. Our demonstrator used "Get Lucky" to give our Sim a fantastic shot at making "Woo Hoo" with a woman at a party. He succeeded.

Next, he used "Cosmic Curse" to hex the other guy who was interested in the girl, and he immediately developed an extreme case of bowel problems and proceeded to fart uncontrollably until he eventually crapped his pants. Needless to say, the other Sims standing around weren't too impressed by this.

There are plenty of other Karma powers in the game as well, including Earthquake and Firestorm powers that allow you to wreak havoc on groups of Sims. If you're into making people lose control of their bodily functions, or need a virtual life to lead in place of your own, then this is your gam