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The Sims: Livin' Large Expansion PackBy: Bill Stiteler Date: December 21, 2000
I don't envy Maxis, or on the Mac end, Aspyr. They have a great game in The Sims, a Game-of-the-Year candidate. Naturally, they want to make more money off of that, so they release an expansion pack.
So, they have to put out an expansion pack to this game which is being enjoyed in a very dark manner. Of course, they can't actually exploit that darkness, or they'd have their butts up in front of a congressional committee before you can say "comics code authority." Herein lies the problem. But first, some catching up. For those of you not in the know, The Sims is a "people simulator," wherein you create a family and run their lives. Kind of like Roseanne, only you don't end up on a train fighting terrorists in a highly embarrassing dream sequence. Your job is to keep them happy and healthy, at least for the first hour; then you do what everybody else does and turn the game into something you'd find on Cinemax Late Night. Deceit, seduction and death; that's where the meat of the game is.
So does Livin' Large have anything to offer? Well, that depends. There are a few new bodies, new furniture and floor/wall tiles. Some of the latter of which are so tacky, they could render you color blind. If this was all Livin' Large had to offer, it'd be a bust. What the expansion can give you, however, is something that fandom can't: programming changes, namely with interaction. The most notable add-ons to Livin' Large are the new career fields and new events. Keep in mind, however, that the careers don't actually affect your end of gameplay--characters at work leave the game. You'll see them in their work clothes, but that's about it. As for the events, they're sporadic. If a Sim dies, the Grim Reaper shows up and other Sims have a chance to plead for his life. But after playing for a week and a half solid, I've yet to see a zombie, a clown, or best yet, the Grim Reaper.
Whether you buy Livin' Large depends on what kind of player you are. There are some funky innovations, but nothing really earth shattering like, say, an internet multiplayer option. If you're dying to fill your yard with garden gnomes (I love the gnomes!), or just want some new facets to an already fantastic game, grab it. If most of the Simware you download come from sites you wouldn't want your mother to see, perhaps you should spend the money on some cracked corn. Go out to the park on a sunny day and feed the ducks. Get some sun, ya freak. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to hunt down those Electra-Woman and Dynagirl skins.
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The problem is that while The Sims is, in theory, a "life simulator," what people really do with the game is torture, embarrass, and to put it mildly, murder the poor little guys. Don't waste your breath trying to debate me, head on over to 
Since Maxis and Aspyr can't give you that directly, they did what every other game company does: they let the fans do it. Take a minute to search the web and you'll find Sims to fit any fetish or fantasy you might have. Leather boys to French maids to the stars of the WWF, it's all out there.
Some of the objects are interesting in their own right, too. The Genie's lamp can grant one wish before it turns into a paperweight, the crystal ball will give you cryptic clues leading to self-improvement, and the robot...well the robot just rocks. You'll be saving up forever to get it, but it fulfills every maintenance role in the house, and will even entertain your guests if you're too busy.