The Sims 2 Open for Business Expansion Pack (PC) > Reviews (20)

As the third expansion pack for The Sims 2, Open for Business brought a completely original level to the game - being able to have your Sim own their own business, and hence "go to work" with them, earning money for your Sim at the same time.

The game allows your Sim to open either a home business, or purchase a community lot, and create a business from there. You can sell pretty much anything available on the objects menu, or offer a service, such as a bakery or hairdressers.

There are a number of new objects and new aspects of gameplay with Open for Business - within the business you create, you can hire and fire employees, create a uniform for them (and you can choose from a new array of business clothing, including giant monkey suits for toy shops, and aprons for food stores), and create a monopoly of businesses if you succeed.

What I like about this particular expansion is that you feel as though you actually have a clear goal to work towards (as opposed to the vague and sometimes tedious, "I want to create a family" or "I want my Sim to reach the top of their career" with The Sims 2) - now, the object of the game is to create a thriving and successful business. Your business is measured in ranks - as you become more popular with customers and earn more money, your business will move up ranks, giving you rewards along the way. You can now also achieve "talent badges" in things such as selling, toy making, restocking and more. A covert reporter will also come and report on your business, and this could affect it's popularity. Your ultimate goal is achieving Rank 10.

I personally find Open for Business very enjoyable. However, it is quite hard to get the hang of creating a successful business at first. I especially love new objects like the robots, and all the new outfits which come with the expansion. New roof types and an array of new windows and doors are also a plus.

I find that one of the major negatives to the game is that you can become very occupied in creating a successful business so that it takes away the focus from building a nice home and creating a family for your Sim. And if, like me, you have any of the other expansion packs, such as University and/or Nightlife, the focus can also be taken away from your Sim dating, or going to Uni.

While many "Simmers" worry about the addition of expansion packs making their game or computer slower, I have found that Open for Business, for me personally, has not made a noticeable difference in the fastness of The Sims 2, or my laptop.

Overall, despite the negatives, I must say that Open for Business is one of my favourite expansions for The Sims 2 so far. I have spent many an hour exploring the different aspects of the game and doubt that I will tire of it any time in the near future. If you're an avid Simmer, I recommend you get Open for Business - highly likely to add even MORE hours to your playing time! Plus, at £20 (what I purchased it for), very good value for money.