Whenever people say Sims 2 "wasn't that good you're just nostalgic to it" i just remember all the crazy details and in-depth mechanics this game had that i missed even as a child after switching to newer versions.

Fun fact my therapist actually advised me to follow the Sims 2's wants system on days when my depression is bad. You'll notice when the sim's aspiration meter is high, they'll have wants like "go to college", "have a baby", "get engaged", etc. but when the meter is low the wants will be more like "have cereal for breakfast", "talk to a friend", "play a video game", etc. It's a good way of slowly picking yourself out of a rut by giving yourself concrete, tangible goals that are far faster and easier to accomplish, and so give you the gratification of accomplishing them.

hands down the best Sims game of the franchise

I once had a sim who would repeatedly fall into aspiration failure every night because he had a fear of his pet scratching furniture and the pet kept doing it when he slept lol

this is actually insane, the way this system reflects real life is incredible (the fact your sim has more inner strength to push through bad moods when they feel fulfilled is something I have NEVER noticed before, I always looked at the mood bar going platinum if your aspiration is platinum as purely an in game mechanic that's supposed to reward you for taking care of your sims, I never looked at it as a part of life simulation)

Sims 2 and Sims 3 had the best relationship problems and romance. It was very realistic and creepy sometimes.

There is even more detail than that, in sims 2 after my sim got robbed (it was one of her fears) she not only cried after it, she cried whenever she remembered that it happened, I would find her from time to time crying with a thought bubble with the robber face or the event icon, even if she was fine or happy she would still have those moments

Me as a kid: haha sim go crazy Me as an adult: Damn I so relate with just losing it and wanting to cry with a bag over your head or going to a doctor, imaginary or not

Wow I had no idea how in depth aspiration was. I played Sims 2 when I was little and now it makes sense why they were unhappy

Quite realistic is the life of a sim in The Sims 2, they manage to somehow put constant anxiety, for which we have all the time in real life

One thing that really resonated with me about the Sims 2 aspiration system was that it declined passively. Your sim went to university? That's great, and for a few weeks they'll feel really good about that. But they need to find new goals and challenges, and aspire towards new things, or their life will start to get stale. If they do the same thing every day and just work a 9-5, no matter how much money they make or how much they love their job, they'll begin to get depressed, and their mental health will start to suffer. It's a fantastic allegory for real life where (outside of lifetime wishes) there is no 'silver bullet' to make you happy forever. Your sim will have a goal now, and achieving that will feel amazing, but after that, they'll need to find new things to drive them, just like us.

Sims 3 isnt as good as 2 but sims 3 and 2 are such fun games. Id rather deal with weird crashes and errors to play a genuinely fun game than a game that looks good but has no substance

sims 2 terrified me as a kid. i cried for like 3 days after i accidentally drove one of my sims insane

I think every simmer needs to experience the sims 2 at least once

Personally speaking, this feels like the most realistic part of Sims 2.

I love this system and it's a shame the devs have strayed away from it. It works great, because it includes both big wants and fears as well as smaller, even context-specific ones like sims wanting to eat their favourite food or not wanting to embarass themselves in a game of darts. I also really like how fears and wants can be influenced by the sims life. Had a burglar recently? Your sim has a much higher chance of wanting to buy an alarm system. A friend became a witch? Your sim may fear to become one themselves or want to cure the other sim... or wish to become one. Heck, there are situations where sims wants and fears conflict! I had a situation where a sim both feared and wanted to become a witch. It is one of the best representations of human thought in games. After all: We all have conflicting thoughts at times.

Goddamn, that building has so many drama and stress lmao

i love those animations SOOOOOO MUCH! i think the aspiration meter is such a fun game mechanic, it really gives more dimension to the gameplay also: great video!!

The ideal Sims gameplay would be: 1. The animation and CAS of TS4 2. The content and customization of TS3 3. The AI of TS2 4. The soundtrack of TS1

Also when i was a kid for some reason I thought if the sim has aspiration failure twice they will stay in this state forever😂 i was avoiding it like a fire, my sims’ distress was giving me real life distress lol

This was the most realistic part of Sims 2, yet having the mental breakdown is one of its weirdest (yet also sad) if you compare it into the Sims 4. Made me kinda miss a LOT of Sims 2's wacky and realistic features/animations.

This is so fascinating why would they ever get rid of this

Sims 2 was both surprisingly realistic and unrealistic/goofy all at the same time, I fear no other game will be able to match its balance.

I'm amazed that a game turning 20 next year has such intricate, in-depth simulation systems. All the areas are so well made, from the personalities, to the aspirations, the chemistry system, all of it. The complaints I have about this game I could count on the fingers of one hand. I genuinely love it so much and TS4 pales in comparison. I really hope that future life-sim games take inspiration from TS2 so I can have a wider variety of games to adore.

The Sims 4 'wants and fears' system is so broken. I can't make my "afraid of fire" sim light fires, but he will automatically do it? Another will have the want to hug one of their children, but no matter how many times she does it never goes away.

I’m autistic and Sims 2 actually really helped me understand emotions and socially acceptable behaviors. Unironically, I don’t think I would be at the point I am now in my life/career without Sims 2.

this game never ceases to amaze me in its depth, I'm really hoping the Sims 5 comes to revive these values; they have the resources! and this video did an amazing job outlining them, hope all those poor Sims got their aspirations in the end ❤

I love how I have 4000 hours in the sims 2 and STILL find videos like this that teach me new things (never knew the age has different amounts on the bar etc)

I remember having a family in TS2 that I had to abandon pretty quickly (I was a little kiddo and didn’t know how to fix it) because the dad had the fear of their dogs chewing on something. Unfortunately that also included their chew toys, so he was CONSTANTLY in aspiration failure. He always rolled that as a fear, and it happened all the time. That must have been an unintended thing from maxis since I think the chewing thing was probably meant as a fear of them “chewing/destroying furniture” and not a fear of using the chewing toy. I played for 24 sim hours and the shrink came over at least 10 times. Because after the shrink leaves they’re still really close to another breakdown - so it only took one dog chewing on his bone to make the dad lose his mind again.

ah this makes a lot of sense. especially with Call Me Kevin videos lol

Let's be honest, no matter how many Sims games they make the Sims 2 will always be the best

I love how you mix storytelling to explain the mechanics behind the gameplay! Great video :)

I could get lost in the sims 2 for hours, whereas with the Sims 4 I often make a character, build their home, and then I’m bored. I’ve tried doing the challenges but they’re just not as fun. I think I’ll redownload the sims 2 again.

The main way that knowledge is in conflict with other aspirations is in the knowledge Sims' desires to experience different life states, and the other Sims disgust

the production quality of this video is insane, I know this took an insane amount of effort, this video also really grabbed my attention just because of how much I love sims 2, definitely a sub from me!

I knew toddlers and children needed fewer points to fill their aspiration meter, didn't know it was the case for other life stages! That explains why my sims' aspiration meter decayed slightly when they aged to elders. Great video!

2023 and the Sims 2 is still surprising me.

This system was so elegant. Simple from the outside, but incredibly deep. It gave sims personality and gave goals to the player. I will never understand why the sequels didn't keep it.

I have never played Sims 2 so I am pretty intrigued to hear that it mimics real life to a tee. They really thought things out well when developing the game

I didnt remember that in sims2 hair had physics and thats incredible

Oh wow, all the visual mods youve ised here are taking me right back to my days of installing and making mods for the ultimate custom sims. There's such a specific look and I'm so nostalgic for it. Also, your editing is great! It's engaging and energetic without being loud and annoying. Definitely gonna watch more of your stuff.

i first started playing the sims 2 in preschool with my older sisters. im now in college and still learning new things about the game mechanics to this day. incredible game

I started with Sims 3 and never played 2, this channel is amazing and definitely made me realize why I was so captivated with gameplay of Sims 2 but Sims 3 felt so lackluster to me! Thank you!

The Sims 2 is genuenly iconic. Have not touched the sims in a long while and i just got back into it. I genuenly want to explore everything i can because i would also like to do that with the sims 3 but now the sims 2 is a priority. This game is insane xD

I kinda wanna try out a sim with family aspiration and secondary romantic aspiration on ts2, i think it would be a little crazy since for family asp they want to get married, while romantic asp they fear commitment 🤣 "want: marry sim fear: marry sim"

great video but I'm a little distracted at how all your sims look like supermodels from the twilight series

I could never get into the Sims 4 because the Sims all behave the same to me, despite their "emotion" and their traits. I've been following the Sims franchise since Sims 1 and to this day, I still play Sims 2 and 3. The Sims 4 was such a disappointment from the get go. No expansion can ever replace the flawed system that the Sims 4 has. Also amazing editing!! Loved it!

Your videos are so well made I absolutely enjoyed every second of it😍 After all these years of playing this game it seems like there is more to discover! It is unbelievably rich and genius, especially comparing to current iteration.

I remember the first time one of my sims had a mental breakdown and almost died I was so scared. I was probably like 12 and barely had any idea how to play the game and didn’t even know something so extreme might happen

I've been playing the Sims franchise since 2001, and I still remember getting TS2 the week it was released. The aspiration meter in this game was absolutely well done along with the proper genetics system and memories. When people, especially the newer members of the franchise, don't realize some of us "lifelong simmers" aren't just looking at TS2 through a pair of nostalgic, rose-tinted glasses. Seeing how some changes in TS3 and TS4 removed or replaced aspects in TS2, it can be a bit rough. I love the color wheel and open-world in TS3 (even the "sections" like in TS4), but it completely took out ANY ability to create a pure custom neighborhood from maps without the need of using third-party programs for TS3. The people who started on TS3 or TS4 don't realize how much of a change we saw in 2004 with the TS2 and how it VASTLY improved the already amazing base of TS1. This is such a great video!

This video essay is sooo good & reminds of how great the sims 2 is with emotions & traits vs the sims 4 💅🏽

I realized I didnt have much spice in my game since I downloaded some mods that increased the fun bar while being on school or increasing the energy bar in any bed, its making my game way too easy because my sims are always in good mood. I will try to keep the game more vanilla because I miss how deep and well thought is this game. Also you made me realize what was missing in The Sims 3 and 4, that's why I always come back to the Sims 2.

sims 2: 14 minute video regarding the mechanics of emotional depth and morality of your actions sims 4: THE OVEN CAUGHT ON FIRE THAT ONE TIME ME NO LIKEY FIRE NONONO WAAAAAHHHHH

Honestly stuff like this is what I miss from TS4. I still thoroughly enjoy TS4, despite the flaws. But it's clear that EA's influence has made it so that a lot of the features get watered down, which leads to them making more DLC to entice their player base to buy more in hopes of providing more 'in depth content'. I only hope that TS4 is expanded more before they decide to make another Sims game. If they move on, that's fine too, we've always got mods

Never played Sims 2, but it makes me want to play it now. I wish sims 4 was this complex, it just makes so much sense

I love that sims 2 you can have one sided relationships. It really adds complexity to emotions and dynamics.

Not the lone party noise when the mother comes by 😂😂😂

Awesome video. I think I knew about 95% of the stuff you mentioned, but the way you presented it made it very interesting and entertaining nonetheless.

this video is an incredible overview of the aspirational system, told with a really engaging storyline! I never knew this iteration of the game had so many mechanics like this, I'm going to redownload it lol

Well dang, all this time I thought immaturity was a hidden personality trait or something! Love this video. It's so in-depth yet concise!

my family sim's husband passed away in front of her while having the death fear and yeah, it was so hard to watch. gonna make my other sims reach platinum aspiration as much as possible from now on

I remember I freaked out when the aspiration bar got empty but not negative red and my stepmother said that means the sim was about to die when I asked her why the bar was so low. I got scared if Grim Reaper was going to appear again and kill them since last time one of my sims died of fire. So I shut the game completely and never played it again until some years later.

'fear of not living a life satisfying enough' damn sims 2 sims, same

The more I learn about the sims 2 gameplay mechanics, the more I love this game. Thanks for the great video!

Low aspirations can cause teen sims to break urns so be careful. I found this out when Tybalt Capp broke both Contessa and Cordelia's urns.

I love your editing style omg it gives the footage a fresh & modern look. I like to see how you display certain things (like the clashing aspirations & specific wants that correlate with the aspiration.) Another great vid, I didn't know that the aspiration meter would change from life stage to life stage.

This was really helpful and fun to watch, and even though their life was miserable the most fun animation is the Pleasure one.

Gods, I miss the sims2 so much. I immediately knew Lincoln had the grilled cheese aspiration based on the introduction, ha ha ha! I didn't even know how complex the sims2 was untill seeing these videos, I just know the sims4 sucks tremendously.

I'm genuinely a bit heartbroken to see the characters having the desperation animations. Imagine that happening to a real person and how much pain that person must be in to end up breaking down like that. It's very sad to see yknow

Nothing will top throwing a party in sims 2. And that grumpy old lady coming by. I forgot her name 😂

The script for this videp is top notch. Mixes perfectly a story driven narrative with technical parameters. I never felt so inclined to return playing as i am right now

Sims 2 was Sim's peak when it comes to depth and its other mechanics. Though I love both Sims 3 and 2 for different reasons. Sims 1 as well because of it's nostalgia and quirkiness. Just cant sit through sims 4 for hours the way I did with 1-3. I was actually attached with my sims before and cared about them lol 😅

The way you structured the video is so amazing it made me want to play the sims 2 again

dude i have never played a sims game before but this video was super interesting and informative . well done

I'm loving these Sims 2 Mechanics videos! Keep making them, like how Relationships decay and stuff!

This is literally the mechanic that made me care for my sim, like when i had a sim get a mental breakdown bc i didnt care long enough i felt bad 😢

i have been playing this game for 23 years and even i learned something, well done

Initially when getting back into the sims 2 as an adult, I found myself bored with the gameplay. But videos like this remind me just how interesting the game play can be! When paying more attention to my sims wants and fears it adds more of a scripted/storyline element to the gameplay instead of just doing whatever you want as the player. It feels almost like a guide when I’m not sure where to take their story.

I never knew this much about aspiration meters and failures! Thank you so much for uploading this.

I didn't get to play Sims 2 much, this sounds so fun!! My first sims 4 family I tried to create a cheating story, but the sims reactions didn't feel very dramatic. They cried once but ultimately went back to happy life as usual, no consequences. So boring! Catching a betrayal in the former games always felt so much more dramatic

I had no idea the system was so in-depth! Really goes to show the evolution between the Sims 1 and 2, and how much effort they put into this game. Great video!

I've only ever really played ts4 so I'm honestly blown away at the attention to detail in this game. Great video!

I’m obsessed by your editing it’s so good! Always lovely to see more sims 2 content bc it’s by far my favourite haha

I always thought that the sims 3 was THE game but now seeing this, Sims 2 it's beyond- like we need a remake of this game, it's the best one of the series !

I absolutely had to sub. Your commitment to your videos is outstanding and I absolutely can't wait to watch you grow.

Crazy detailed mechanics

i really love how you formatted this video!!!! it was rly nice relearning these mechanics despite not playing sims 2 for years and the way u presented everything was so engaging!!!

The quality of this video alone was enough to have me engaged through the whole thing, even tho I have nearly 20 years experience playing Sims 2 and know pretty much everything about it lol. Great job! 😊

This just made me start playing the Sims 2 again. I forgot how much I loved it. Ty

I knew all of this...but did I watch the whole video because it was well put together? You bet!

just wanted to say i love the editing and the way you carried out the idea of this video :)

I always appreciate when The Sims 2 gets a spotlight

11:45 that is one of the most sad things 😭😭😭😭

i just saw this while getting ready and i’m already addicted to your videos. the style of editing is so refreshing, i’m excited to see any new videos you might be making! ❤️❤️❤️

This video was so well done and perfectly explained. Great job, Weisya!

Got this in my reccomended, I'm not really a Sims person but your editing is off the charts and really helped me understand!! 💗

I absolutely love the aspiration system in Sims 2. The way it changes family dynamics is fascinating. The Romance/Family incompatibiltiy is the most obvious example, but each of the other aspirations seems to have an identifiable "parenting style" that makes sense with their own life goals: Fortune Sims emphasize achievement, wanting their kids to go to private school and become overachievers; Knowledge Sims empahsize learning and will want to teach their kids skills and help with homework; and Popularity Sims emphasize relationships, wanting to be friends with their kids and have positive interactions with them.

bro props to the editing, this is my first video ive seen by you and this is fucking impressive

The insanity part is what add the humor in the Sims 2. The breakdown and the invisible doctor. 9:51 12:26 Aspiration does add a goal to sims, influencing decision of their life. 3:12 Knowledge sims are easy to please! 4:13 I wonder what machine he has been to. There is a lifetime skill that make the aspiration bar decay slower. 11:42 The fun part. Mental Breakdown displayed from their Aspiration!

wow, amazing video, love the storytelling along with the mechanic explanation, making me wish i got sims 2 insead of 4 as my introduction to the sims lol.