Sims 3 Ambitions Review

EA have finally released the new eagerly awaited expansion pack for the Sims 3. The Sims 3 Ambitions goes on Release on the 1st June in America and 4th June in the EU. Luckily for me I got my copy of Ambitions a week before release and spent the whole Bank Holiday Weekend playing until my eyes started to bleed.

Seeing as it was a new expansion pack, I figured I would start my making a new family along with a new house in the new neighbourhood: Twinbrook. The first thing I noticed about Twinbrook was how big it was in comparison to the other neighbourhoods. Not to mention the other community lots you get such as the Fire Station, Salon and the Junkyard.

I have to admit I found it a little daunting at first but who wouldn’t. It takes some time getting used to the location of everything and finding the shop you need. But enough of that, let’s cut to the chase and get to the bit that you came here to read.

After starting a new family and buying one of the largest houses (thanks to a few cheats here and there) I set out on getting on with the professions I was most looking forward to: Ghost Hunter and Fireman.

Ghost Hunter: I found this profession rather amusing. The first job I was called out on was a house in the marshy area of Twinbrook which had been overrun by sprits (that kinda look like Casper). When I got there, a few pieces of furniture were hovering and shaking with a spirit passing in and out of it. Before the spirits knew it, I’d clicked on the furniture and exorcised them. After figuring out how to skip a few job levels, I was soon hunting down real ghosts with a weird ghost scanner, banishing them on sight or there was a choice to convince them to pass on, but that rarely turned out well and I usually got a fist shaken at me.

Fireman: This job was interesting, running from house to house, saving babies and adults alike, putting out flames, smashing down doors. Lots of fun! The thing that was best about this job was the earthquakes; after reaching level 10. One day I turned up at work, and the whole screen started shaking and there was a rumbling noise, taken quite by surprise the alarm soon rang in the Fire Station. After hopping into the fire truck I turned up at a home where there were several fires, Sims trapped under rubble and the ovens were leaking gas.

I suppose I’d better leave a few surprises for you so you’ll have to play the other professions for yourself, which include: sculptor, doctor, architect, stylist and my favourite, the inventor.

When it came to making a house, I was kinda disappointed by the lack of new objects there were. Granted there was the tattoo chair, Sculpting Base and the Inventors Bench. But there wasn’t much in the way of furniture or exterior items such as windows etc. I suppose this was due to the fact that this expansion pack was concentrating more on the Career side of The Sims rather than the “Residential” side.

But anyway, enough of my ranting, overall a really good game, good tips that pop up in the corner to tell you about various things such as the new community lots and laundry and of course, the most important thing, being able to actually go to work with your Sims and help them climb the career ladder.

That’s all for me, I’m off to become a stylist and actually give the Sims of Twinbrook some fashion sense. Shame there isn’t a plastic surgeon profession ‘cos some of these Sims could really do with a nose job…at the very least!

Words by Keir Symonds