The Sims. A game that has already made a name for itself as one of the most successful God games ever, EA's virtual soap opera has broken records and set new precedents for the industry since its original release in 2000. There have been several expansion packs released since then, helping to solidify the series' status as one of the most comprehensive in its field. Three years on, EA has unleashed Superstar, quite simply giving players the opportunity to play god with virtual celebrities in ... more >>

The Sims. A game that has already made a name for itself as one of the most successful God games ever, EA's virtual soap opera has broken records and set new precedents for the industry since its original release in 2000. There have been several expansion packs released since then, helping to solidify the series' status as one of the most comprehensive in its field. Three years on, EA has unleashed Superstar, quite simply giving players the opportunity to play god with virtual celebrities in a virtual world.

New features, then. First and foremost, EA has included new gameplay elements that help expand the players' freedom within the game world. Here, play is centered on a new "fame" scoring system. Players can build skills, win famous Sim friends, sign up with talent agencies and look through tabloids in a bid to progress through ten levels of stardom. Meeting certain goals or criteria in certain tasks will be rewarded with Oscar-esque trophies such as the Sim Choice Award and the Simmy Award.

Other new features include an all-new Studio Town location complete with theming, new studio objects, mini-games, new characters and new items. This means that your new-found celebrities can lighten their moods at Oxygen bars, take mud baths, play Karaoke and even have your photo taken by the Paparazzo.

The game looks the same and largely plays the same, but The Sims Superstar is a great add-on that reaffirms The Sims status as the greatest god game of all time. << less