Rather than trying to shoehorn the whole PC experience onto a portable console, The Sims 2 nudges the series in a different direction, but with limited success.
Streamlining the traditional game to suit quick bursts of action on the bus to work, The Sims 2 puts players in an isolated, Roswell-style town where they can collect clues to solve a supernatural mystery, bringing extra pace to the action and giving you something useful to do if you only have a few minutes to spare.
Aside from the dramatic premise, though, its life-simulation business as usual on the PSP, but the tedious mini-games used to teach your characters new skills lack the depth of raising a Sim on a home PC, and the frustrating loading times make it a chore working through even the simplest challenge.