PC Game Review: Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff

I am a huge fan of the Sims. I have followed the game since the original title, and whenever Maxis threw something new out there for the Sims, I would be the first one on line waiting to get my hands on a copy of the game.

The most recent release for the Sims 2 is Mansion & Garden Stuff. Honestly I thought that the final Stuff pack was the Ikea home pack, and just about 2 months later Maxis surprised their fans with this latest installment to the game.

I wouldn't necessarily call it an installment though. Anyone who knows the Sims 2, pretty much already knows what Stuff packs have to offer. Stuff.

There is no new element to the game, no new game play, or new fun plot added. Stuff packs, are just stuff. Mansion & Garden Stuff basically includes a few new items for your Sims homes.

Now most Stuff packs in the past were garbage. Maxis would release ugly items to their fans for a price tag of $19.99, which upset quite a few fans, because for the money spent, they were not getting very much.

Personally, I have never been thrilled with a Stuff pack for the Sims 2. Yet every time they released a new one, there I was; on line...waiting to buy a copy.

So what does Mansion & Garden Stuff have to offer?
 
Although I still think lowly of Maxis for releasing these overpriced stuff packs, (I think they should be free) I must say that Mansion & Garden Stuff is my favorite pack they have ever released.

The included content that comes within the Stuff pack though have their bumps and rough edges, but for the most part it's still my favorite stuff pack.

Included in Mansion & Garden Stuff you get 3 new architectural themes. Moroccan, art deco, and second empire. Most of these new themed items can be found in build mode, where you will find a few new oddly colored windows, doors, and fences. The new fences were a nice addition, and I've been waiting for Maxis to give us something new when it came to build mode! The addition was nice, but the colors are horrendous.

Besides new items for the house in general, Maxis also packs a few new florals to the mix. Finally some new plants, and flowers for our Sim homes, and lakes.

As much as I loved the addition of the new flowers though, I have to say that all of them look ridiculous and do not match the Sims texture. They are bulky, large, and some look like weeds.

I would have loved if Maxis went about the whole Garden aspect of the pack in a much cleaner way, but from what I see most of the new garden items and plants are sloppy, and look rushed. The new pack definitely missed when it comes to about 90% of the added garden items.

For the most part though, if you pick this stuff pack up you can expect more good than garbage, which is definitely a nice change when it comes to Maxis' Stuff Packs.

In this particular pack you will find a nice array of new indoor items, such as new statues, indoor potted plants, awesome new wall panels, fans (the fans are the coolest addition to the game yet!), double staircases, hanging potted flowers, and much, much more.

Overall I was pretty impressed with the new additions, and definitely the best Stuff Pack I have seen yet. I especially loved the new ceiling fans, and the double staircases.

Maxis nailed it with the Mansion aspect of the game, but as far as the new garden items, only around 10% of them look good in the game. The rest don't even seem to match the games texture, which makes them look awkward and ugly.

Although I find most of the garden items to be ugly looking, I still recommend this pack, because it does offer some of the best items that any stuff pack has ever offered to the Sims 2. Fans of Sims 2 will especially enjoy the new stuff pack, probably much more than any other pack ever released.

Click here to see some of the items offered in Mansion & Garden Stuff

Where To Buy:
 
You can pick the game up at any local store that sells PC games. The price will come to around $19.99. You can probably pick it up for less at other stores, but for the most part, that is the price the stuff pack goes for as of now.