Once upon a time there was a brave game reviewer, who embarked on many an adventure in his quest to inform the nations of the fairest games in the land.

One day, fitted neatly into his busy schedule, he came upon a game by the title of 'MySims Kingdom.' It was immediately clear to him that this title was descended from that of the revered Sims lineage.

However, on further inspection, our reviewer realised that this title was in fact a "re-imagining" of the original series. Fastening his trusty Wiimote and Nunchuk to his side, our plucky adventurer embarked on his newest adventure waiting for him in the MySims kingdom.

Fairytales aside, 'MySims Kingdom' did actually exceed my expectations. The game is aimed at a younger and more casual market, with its cutesy characters and user friendly controls. This simple, yet entertaining, title is strangely addictive, so do not be surprised if 'MySims' casts a bit of a spell over you.

The title starts with a flurry of disjointed cut scenes which usher the player into the universe of 'MySims'. The intro was rather rushed and I felt it could have been handled with a bit more finesse. Players are immediately informed that the kingdom has fallen into disrepair as its civil servants have retired, quit or have become generally lame.

King Roland, the ruler of the land and narrator of the story, decides to issue a decree to reinstate a new line of cronies in the form of wandoliers - wand-toting mavericks charged with fixing the kingdom. The scene cuts to your character, a pig herding slave, and you are thrown into a crash course on the game's control system. Before you know it, you are competing for the title of chief wandolier.

The game does a good job of bringing players up to speed with the control system. This adds to the title's child-friendly appeal, along with its simplistic yet fun sprite and level design.

The general graphical styling is a bit too simple for my liking, but is well executed and runs incredibly smoothly. I do feel the character designs could have been developed further though - they closely resemble evolved Lego figurines.

Before starting, players are given the opportunity to customise the appearance of their character. Unfortunately, Mii functionality has not been incorporated into the offering.

The characters are way too happy and enthusiastic, to the point where one might suspect illegal substances are to blame. But they do have some pretty awesome moments, like the dude who launches himself into a full breakdance routine after winning a second-place prize toaster.

Unfortunately, there is an absence of voice-acting, and characters communicate with a strange, unintelligible language supported by subtitles, much like as per other 'Sims' games. This is disappointing, as some quality voices could have gone far. Sure, 'Zelda' and 'Mario' titles also practise this technique, but they make up for this shortcoming by pushing their other features to amazing levels.

As a wandolier, it is your job to return the kingdom to its former glory. This involves rebuilding structures and helping people however you can - this forms the basis for all gameplay as you wander throughout the land meeting all sorts of different characters.

Most of the action involves interacting with fellow sims, gathering materials and building an array of structures to appease the locals. As you progress, you unlock more structures, and the story rolls out accordingly.

The adventure is largely quest-based, which makes the gameplay a bit linear, although the kingdom is made up of a number of islands with their own unique theme, which helps to mix things up a bit.

The control scheme plays an integral part in the game and has been designed quite nicely. The building control scheme shifts seamlessly from a third-person to a strategy-esque setup. And the motion controls have been utilised for gathering materials, with a quick flick of the Wiimote to mine ore or chop wood, for example.

Although I have been pleasantly surprised by this title, I feel it could have gone much further. I would like to see a more open-world model, as the current gameplay is a bit restrictive. Adding online functionality would be a great touch, but the ball is in EA's court.

It is really hard to call, as the game's simplicity opens it to a much wider crowd of gamers (especially younger ones). 'MySims Kingdom' is fun and a great title for the youngsters, but lacks the depth or the investment of its big-brother franchise. If you're keen for a bit of adventuring with a dash of strategy thrown into the mix, venture at your own peril.

PressStart.co.za

7.1/10

Buy this game: Wii

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