Product Reviews

Pet Stories is the second in the notebook-friendly Sims Stories range, which means it should run on most PCs. It's basically a slightly cut-down version of the Sims 2, though this version also contains elements from The Sims: Pets expansion pack.

Preset scenarios, or stories, give you a series of objectives and act as extended tutorials. You'll meet Alice and her pet Dalmatian Sam, and try to save them from Alice's greedy landlord. Alternatively, you can play as Stephen the chef and his mischievous tabby cat Diva, who is desperate to shake the cobwebs off her boring

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owner. Failing that, there is also a freeplay mode for those who want to create their own pet.

There are all the usual options to modify your Sims' homes. You can buy pot plants, add mirrors or splash out on new furniture. However, you will have to be careful as your canine or feline friend may decide to attack your new sofa. Everything that you do in The Sims: Pet Stories affects your pet, even if you are just not devoting enough time to them. It is very important that you attend to the pets' needs at all times to ensure that they are properly trained.

Such goals include teaching Alice's dog Sam to stay or roll over, and are handled by choosing from a set of actions such as shooing, praising and scolding. Hours of patient repetition bring rewards, such as first-place prize at a Dog Show for Sam, but there's not much enjoyment along the way.

Pet Stories is about as time-consuming as owning a real pet, but without any of the affection. This may be a useful title to educate children - particularly those who are thinking about getting a pet - but if you have previously enjoyed The Sims 2: Pets then you won't find anything new to enjoy here.