Electronic Arts has created another addition to the Sims 2 universe, this time adding dogs and cats for you to own and care for!

If you're new to the world of The Sims, this is a world created by Will Wright - where you control your human "Sim" and build/buy objects for him/her to use/control. It's pretty much like real life, except you're playing "God". With the newest version of The Sims 2, not only can you play "God", but you can have your Sims own and care for dogs and cats!

The player can choose from almost every breed of dog or cat imaginable, and can even create hybrid breeds of their own. I found the randomization feature the most entertaining for this, creating some unique combinations for the pets and humans as well! When it comes to controlling your pet, it's not really possible in the same aspect as you can control your Sim, unfortunately.

When you switch to the pet view, you can simply observe their actions, instead of control. I found this to be a negative, as I might enjoy having a cat chase the dog or have the dog perform tricks at odd times. The only way you can interact with the pet is by having the Sim teach the pet tricks, offer praise, give scoldings (for digging in the yard, for example), or give instructions. By doing these tasks you earn "pet points" which can be spent at the town square.

The town square is a place where all the owners and pets from the SimTown can socialize and also where you can purchase (using your "pet points") toys/food/special objects for your pet. I found the square a nice addition, but also found that the selection of items to purchase lacking near the beginning of the game.

The game retains the original Sims 2 aspects, where the human Sims still need to have jobs to pay bills and buy more items, but add on the taking care of pets - and you're even closer to real life!

Overall, I found the game enjoyable, but disliked not being able to directly control the pet like you can with a normal Sim. If you're new to the Sims universe, this game will be a great introduction for you to "get your feet wet" in Sims. However, If you're a fan of The Sims 2 games, I would suggest maybe renting it before purchasing as it may not hold enough new items to warrant the buy.

The Sims 2 Pets is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB for Crude Humor, Sexual Themes and Violence. This game can also be found on: GBA, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, PSP.