View source for The Sims 2: Seasons

{{Short description|Expansion pack for The Sims 2}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = The Sims 2: Seasons
|image = File:TS2S cover art.png
|developer = [[Maxis]]
|publisher = {{ubl|[[Electronic Arts]] (PC)|[[Aspyr Media]] (Mac)}}
|released = March 1, 2007
|platforms = {{ubl|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[Mac OS X]]}}
}}
'''''The Sims 2: Seasons''''' is an [[expansion pack]] for the 2004 [[life simulation]] video game ''[[The Sims 2]]'', developed by [[Maxis]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]]. The fifth expansion pack for the game, it was released March 1, 2007. ''Seasons'' introduces weather and seasons to the game, as well as new gameplay features such as gardening, fishing, and supernatural human-plant hybrids known as PlantSims.

''Seasons'' adds a defined [[season]]al cycle and various weather effects to the game. This cycle affects Sims' moods, relationships, skills, and needs, as well as the environment and objects. The introduction of gardening and fishing allows Sims to grow plants, catch fish, and use them for cooking, selling, or decorating, adding new in-game income streams and expanding the range of talents a Sim can develop. ''Seasons'' is also the first expansion pack to introduce a new in-game neighborhood, Riverblossom Hills, which is themed as a countryside town; it has six occupied houses and several pre-made families and characters.

Though ''The Sims 2'' was originally intended to include simulated weather during its development, unresolvable [[Software bug|bugs]] resulted in these plan being shelved. Development for ''Seasons'' began in May 2006; it was reportedly a complex expansion to create. The soundtrack for ''Seasons'' featured real-world artists, particularly the British singer-songwriter [[Lily Allen]], who became the first musician to release a music video made using the game's [[machinima]] functions.

Upon release, ''Seasons'' was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its complex and intricate changes to ''The Sims 2''{{'s}} gameplay, juxtaposed with the more visible alterations of previous expansion packs. ''Seasons'' has served as a major influence on later entries in the series; both ''[[The Sims 3]]'' and ''[[The Sims 4]]'' have had weather-focused expansion packs, which have been compared both favorably and unfavorably to the ''Sims 2'' rendition.

==Background and development==
''[[The Sims]]'' is a franchise of [[life simulation game]]s developed by [[Maxis]] and published by [[Electronic Arts]]. It has sold over 200 million copies amongst all platforms and installments, making it one of the [[List of best-selling video game franchises|best-selling video game franchises of all time]].<ref name="techspot">{{cite web|url=https://www.techspot.com/article/2497-the-sims/|title=The Sims: 22 Years and Counting|work=Techspot|last=Shoam|first=Amir|date=25 July 2022|access-date=7 September 2023|archive-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907082800/https://www.techspot.com/article/2497-the-sims/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Sims 2]]'', sequel to [[The Sims (video game)|the original]], was released on September 14, 2004. It expanded upon the original game's features, introducing elements such as an aspiration system based around short-term and long-term goals; expanded character and neighborhood customization; and the ability for Sims to raise families, age, and progress through generations.<ref name="time">{{cite web|url=https://www.time.com/time/techtime/200411/videogames/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204093219/http://www.time.com/time/techtime/200411/videogames/|url-status=dead|title=TIME Tech: Top 10 Video Games|last=Taylor|first=Chris|date=2004|archive-date=4 February 2005}}</ref><ref name="ign1">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/09/11/the-sims-2-review|title=The Sims 2 Review|work=IGN|last=Adams|first=Dan|date=11 September 2004|access-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040914010501/http://pc.ign.com/articles/546/546893p1.html|archive-date=14 September 2004|url-status=live}}</ref>

All main entries in the series have had multiple [[expansion pack]]s, which add further gameplay options. Rather than being relatively simple [[downloadable content]], expansion packs for the first three games in the ''Sims'' series substantially expanded upon the base game's life simulation; [[Kieron Gillen]], writing for ''[[Eurogamer]]'' in 2005, stated the first game's expansions "could have been expanded [...] into games of their own" and argued their complexity was a component in why ''The Sims'' had few competitors in its genre.<ref name="techspot" /><ref name="eurogamer1">{{cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/r-sims2university-pc|title=The Sims 2 University|work=Eurogamer|last=Gillen|first=Kieron|date=8 May 2005|access-date=7 September 2023|archive-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907072608/https://www.eurogamer.net/r-sims2university-pc|url-status=live}}</ref> Eight expansion packs were released for ''The Sims 2'' between 2005 and 2008.<ref name="techspot" /><ref name="lifewire">{{cite web|url=https://www.lifewire.com/sims-2-expansion-packs-839703|title=Order of The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 Expansion Packs|work=Lifewire|last=Marchelletta|first=Courtney|date=3 March 2020|access-date=7 September 2023|archive-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907085920/https://www.lifewire.com/sims-2-expansion-packs-839703|url-status=live}}</ref>

Weather was an intended component of ''The Sims 2''{{'s}} base game. The [[Game demo|demo]] version shown at [[E3]] 2003 included rain, as well as the ability for Sims to die of lightning strikes. During development, developers were unable to resolve a recurring glitch where it rained indoors, resulting in the feature's removal from the game. While [[Video game modding|mods]] allowed for rain to be restored, the feature would not be properly added until ''The Sims 2: Seasons''.<ref name="gamespy1">{{cite web|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/e32003/preview/pc/1002696/index.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114094121/http://archive.gamespy.com/e32003/preview/pc/1002696/index.shtml|url-status=dead|title=GameSpy Presents: E3 2003|work=GameSpy|last=Kosack|first=Dave|date=17 May 2003|access-date=20 September 2023|archive-date=14 January 2009}}</ref><ref name="tsz">{{cite web|url=https://www.thesimszone.co.uk/editorials/index.php?ID=59|title=Sims Throughout the Year: A Seasons Preview|work=The Sims Zone|last=Kooymans|first=Wouter|date=20 December 2006|access-date=20 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121050/https://www.thesimszone.co.uk/editorials/index.php?ID=59|url-status=live}}</ref> Development for ''Seasons'' began in May 2006. According to an interview with the developers, it was a technically complex expansion to create.<ref name="snw">{{cite web|url=https://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2007/04/09/seasons-celebration-chat|title=Seasons & Celebration Chat|work=Sims Network|date=11 April 2007|access-date=20 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121049/https://www.simsnetwork.com/news/2007/04/09/seasons-celebration-chat|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Seasons'' was released on March 1, 2007, becoming the fifth expansion pack for ''The Sims 2''.<ref name="ign2">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/30/charting-the-sims-expansions|title=Charting The Sims Expansions|work=IGN|last=Ocampo|first=Jason|date=1 July 2009|access-date=20 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121048/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/30/charting-the-sims-expansions|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Gameplay==
''The Sims 2: Seasons'' introduces weather and a defined [[season]]al cycle to ''The Sims 2''.<ref name="gamechronicles">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/pc/sims2seasons/seasons.htm|title=The Sims 2: Seasons - Review|work=Game Chronicles|last=Tsukitaka|first=Mahamari|date=24 March 2007|access-date=22 September 2023|archive-date=27 April 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427194827/http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/pc/sims2seasons/seasons.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The cycle is determined by players on a per-neighborhood basis, making it possible to have the same seasons year-round or jump between them in an asynchronous order.<ref name="eurogamer2">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=73496|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626123515/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=73496|url-status=dead|title=Review - The Sims 2 Seasons|work=Eurogamer|last=Whitehead|first=Dan|date=28 February 2007|access-date=22 September 2023|archive-date=26 June 2007}}</ref> Seasons and weather both impact gameplay. In summer, winter, and spring, social interactions are more successful between friends, family members, and romantic partners respectively; in autumn, rather than a relationship impact, Sims build skills more rapidly.<ref name="prima1">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=Seasons|pages=10–13|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref> Lightning can strike trees or Sims, setting the former aflame and potentially killing the latter.<ref name="eurogamer2" /><ref name="prima2">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=Weather|pages=24–25|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref>

Alongside weather, ''Seasons'' adds gameplay features such as gardening and fishing. These allow Sims to learn new recipes, avoid buying food, or resell the products for a profit.<ref name="prima3">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=The Sim's Guide to Gardening and Fishing|page=31|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref> Unlike the simplistic flowerbeds in the base game, which only require occasional watering, gardening is based on a complex system where players need to regularly maintain their plants.<ref name="eurogamer2" /> Fishing is possible on any lot that has a pond, including many backyards. Fish can be cooked, sold, or mounted on the wall, which increases their sale price.<ref name="prima4">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=The Sim's Guide to Gardening and Fishing|pages=50–53|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref> ''Seasons'' incorporates the talent badge system from ''[[The Sims 2: Open for Business]]'', adding two new badges for fishing and gardening;<ref name="prima1" /><ref name="prima4" /><ref name="prima5">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=The Sim's Guide to Gardening and Fishing|page=36|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref> if ''Open for Business'' is installed, Sims can run groceries or fishmongers.<ref name="eurogamer2" />

Unlike the first three expansions, ''Seasons'' lacks sub-neighborhoods, new gameplay areas that can be added onto existing neighborhoods.<ref name="eurogamer2" /> In its place, it is the first expansion to add a new base neighborhood, Riverblossom Hills. Riverblossom Hills is themed as a "rustic" countryside town, contrasting with the base game's neighborhoods: the suburban Pleasantview, the desert Strangetown, and the Shakespeare-themed Veronaville. It has six occupied houses, smaller than any of the base game's neighborhoods.<ref name="prima6">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=A Tour of Riverblossom Hills|pages=121–123|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref><ref name="thegamer1">{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/sims-2-best-neighborhood-ranked/|title=Sims 2: Every Neighborhood In The Game, Ranked|work=TheGamer|last=Bliek|first=Madison|date=6 September 2022|access-date=22 September 2023|archive-date=3 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603205501/https://www.thegamer.com/sims-2-best-neighborhood-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Seasons'' is also the first expansion since ''[[The Sims 2: University]]'' to add new career tracks,<ref name="lifewire2">{{cite web|url=https://www.lifewire.com/sims-2-career-guide-840393|title=The Sims 2 Career Track Guide|work=Lifewire|last=Marchelletta|first=Courtney|date=9 January 2020|access-date=22 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121049/https://www.lifewire.com/sims-2-career-guide-840393|url-status=live}}</ref>{{NoteTag|''[[The Sims 2: Pets]]'' added new career tracks, but only for pets.<ref name="lifewire2" />}} introducing the Gamer, Adventurer, Music, Law, Journalism, and Education careers.<ref name="prima7">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=New Careers|page=54|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref>

Like previous expansions, ''Seasons'' introduces a new form of supernatural Sims. Sims which overuse pesticides can transform into PlantSims, [[sprite (folklore)|sprite]]-like beings with green skin and leaves for hair. PlantSims have different needs and a different lifecycle to other Sims; they age directly from toddlers to adults, and their only requirements are Sunlight, Water, and Love, which function similarly to the normal motives of Energy, Hunger, and Social respectively. They can reproduce asexually, spawning new PlantSims, and receive gold-level gardening talent badges the moment they transform.<ref name="prima8">{{cite book|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Prima Official Game Guide|last=Kramer|first=Greg|chapter=New NPCs & PlantSims|pages=103–109|publisher=Prima Games|date=2007|isbn=978-07615-5597-1}}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
Background music for ''The Sims 2: Seasons'' was composed by [[Mark Mothersbaugh]].<ref name="soundtrack">{{cite AV media notes|title=The Sims 2: University [Original Game Soundtrack]|last=Mothersbaugh|first=Mark|publisher=EA Games|date=2007}}</ref> In-game [[diegetic music]], following the practice for previous expansion packs, comprised [[Simlish]] covers of songs by real-world musicians. The soundtrack featured British singer-songwriter [[Lily Allen]], covering her debut single "[[Smile (Lily Allen song)|Smile]]"; other acts included [[Gov't Mule]], [[the String Cheese Incident]], and [[the Veronicas]].<ref name="ign3">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/08/the-sims-2-seasons-soundtrack|title=The Sims 2: Seasons Soundtrack|work=IGN|last=Shea|first=Cam|date=8 March 2007|access-date=23 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121048/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/08/the-sims-2-seasons-soundtrack|url-status=live}}</ref> Allen released a [[machinima]] music video for the "Smile" cover, the first official music video released for the series and the first official music video in Simlish.<ref name="guinness">{{cite book|title=Guinness World Records 2016: Gamer's Edition|chapter=The Sims|author=Guinness World Records|page=145|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London, United Kingdom|date=10 September 2015|isbn=978-1-910561-09-6}}</ref>

In February 2007, [[Electronic Arts]] announced their acquisition of the karaoke website [[Singshot]]. Three weeks later, they launched a contest for participants to upload their own Simlish covers of "Smile", competing for a monetary prize and the possibility of recording a Simlish cover for a later game. Winners would be selected by Allen.<ref name="gamespot1">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-lily-allen-belt-out-sims-sing-along-contest/1100-6166869/|title=EA, Lily Allen belt out Sims sing-along contest|work=GameSpot|last=Surette|first=Tim|date=6 March 2007|access-date=23 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121048/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-lily-allen-belt-out-sims-sing-along-contest/1100-6166869/|url-status=live}}</ref> The winner ultimately contributed an original song to the [[The Sims 2#Stuff packs|stuff pack]] ''The Sims 2: Teen Style Stuff''.<ref name="ea">{{cite web|url=http://thesims2.ea.com/about/sp6_index.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081103102326/http://thesims2.ea.com/about/sp6_index.php|url-status=dead|title=The Sims 2: Teen Style Stuff|work=TheSims2.com|date=2008|access-date=23 September 2023|archive-date=3 November 2008}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
{{quotebox|quote=There are six new career paths, though none of them are particularly in keeping with the seasonal theme, or worth ditching a character in progress to try. Adventurer and Gamer are the most fun, though I did balk at the prospect of playing a virtual me, getting paid virtual money to play games, just as I'm getting paid real money to play as the virtual me, who's getting paid to...woah. Cosmic.|author={{emdash}}Dan Whitehead, ''[[Eurogamer]]''<ref name="eurogamer2" />|width=23%}}
''The Sims 2: Seasons'' received a positive reception on release; its aggregate [[Metacritic|Metascore]] is 78, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-sims-2-seasons/|title=The Sims 2: Seasons|work=Metacritic|access-date=27 September 2023|archive-date=27 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927130258/https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-sims-2-seasons/|url-status=live}}</ref> Reviewers positively contrasted its gameplay additions with those of its predecessor ''[[The Sims 2: Pets]]'', holding that the expansion altered the underlying gameplay significantly.<ref name="gamechronicles" /><ref name="ign4">{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/20/the-sims-2-seasons|title=The Sims 2: Seasons|last=Habib|first=J|work=IGN|date=21 March 2007|access-date=27 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121048/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/20/the-sims-2-seasons|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Seasons'' sold over a million copies worldwide, becoming the third highest-selling PC game of 2007 and serving as one of EA's best-performing titles during an otherwise unsuccessful quarter.<ref name="gamespot2">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/eas-quarterly-losses-annual-income-climb/1100-6170281/|title=EA's quarterly losses, annual income climb|work=GameSpot|last=Thorsen|first=Tor|date=10 May 2007|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408173847/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/eas-quarterly-losses-annual-income-climb/1100-6170281/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="gamespot3">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/burning-crusade-lights-up-07-pc-sales-chart/1100-6185090/|title=Burning Crusade lights up '07 PC sales chart|work=GameSpot|last=Sinclair|first=Brendan|date=28 January 2008|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225233238/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/burning-crusade-lights-up-07-pc-sales-chart/1100-6185090/|url-status=live}}</ref> Since its release, ''Seasons'' has been characterized as one of the game's more significant expansions<ref name="thegamer2">{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/the-sims-2-all-expansions-dlc-best-ranked/|title=The Sims 2: All Expansions, Ranked|work=TheGamer|last=Castania|first=Gabrielle|date=17 August 2022|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=7 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907093330/https://www.thegamer.com/the-sims-2-all-expansions-dlc-best-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="gamesradar">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/it-only-took-a-decade-but-the-sims-4-is-finally-closing-in-on-the-best-game-in-the-series/|title=It only took a decade, but The Sims 4 is finally closing in on the best game in the series|work=GamesRadar|last=Gould-Wilson|first=Jasmine|date=10 March 2023|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=20 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320134355/https://www.gamesradar.com/it-only-took-a-decade-but-the-sims-4-is-finally-closing-in-on-the-best-game-in-the-series/|url-status=live}}</ref> and noted for its influence on later games.<ref name="variety">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/gaming/features/the-sims-4-seasons-interview-1202840327/|title='The Sims 4: Seasons' Expansion Offers a Lot of What You'd Expect, and Some That You Wouldn't|work=Variety|last=Clark|first=Peter|date=18 June 2018|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=9 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190709135646/https://variety.com/2018/gaming/features/the-sims-4-seasons-interview-1202840327/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="kotaku">{{cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/sims-4-fans-are-mad-about-snow-1826641293|title=Sims 4 Fans Are Mad About Snow|work=Kotaku|last=Jackson|first=Gita|date=7 June 2018|access-date=28 September 2023|archive-date=12 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612150828/https://kotaku.com/sims-4-fans-are-mad-about-snow-1826641293|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Contemporary reception===
Upon release, ''The Sims 2: Seasons'' was well-received. J. Habib at ''[[IGN]]'' praised ''Seasons'' as "one of the most significant" entries in the series,<ref name="ign4" /> while Jess Nickelsen at ''NZGamer'' said it "entertained [her] far more as a whole" than any other expansion pack.<ref name="nzgamer">{{cite web|url=http://www.nzgamer.com/pc/reviews/432/the-sims-2-seasons.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430031210/http://www.nzgamer.com/pc/reviews/432/the-sims-2-seasons.html|url-status=dead|title=The Sims 2: Seasons (PC)|work=NZGamer|last=Nickelsen|first=Jess|date=2007|access-date=29 September 2023|archive-date=30 April 2008}}</ref> Previous expansions for the game focused on new gameplay elements, while ''Seasons'' was more oriented around changing the underlying gameplay itself. This different structure{{emdash}}focused less on "immediate gratification" and more on complex alterations to ''The Sims 2''{{'s}} structure{{emdash}}was the defining focus of many reviews.<ref name="gamechronicles" /><ref name="eurogamer2" /><ref name="maclife">{{cite magazine|title=The Sims 2 Seasons: Sims get fine seasoning|magazine=MacLife|last=Lu|first=Cathy|volume=2|issue=2|date=February 2008|page=86}}</ref>

Multiple reviewers praised ''Seasons'' for its verisimilitude and complexity. Elements that drew attention included the impacts that very hot or cold weather had on Sims,<ref name="ign4" /><ref name="gamingage">{{cite web|url=http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/reviews/review.pl?sys=pc&game=sims2_seasons|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701001531/http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/reviews/review.pl?sys=pc&game=sims2_seasons|url-status=dead|title=The Sims 2: Seasons Review|work=Gaming Age|last=Peterson|first=Brian|date=2007|access-date=29 September 2023|archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="strategyinformer">{{cite web|url=http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/sims2seasons/review.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124233553/http://www.strategyinformer.com/pc/sims2seasons/review.html|url-status=dead|title=The Sims 2: Seasons PC Review|work=Strategy Informer|last=Jeffreys|first=Alex|date=19 January 2007|access-date=29 September 2023|archive-date=24 January 2009}}</ref> seasonal variance in Sims' moods and behavior,<ref name="nzgamer" /><ref name="gamespot4">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/thesims2inseason/review.html/?sid=6166562|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070323033555/https://www.gamespot.com/pc/sim/thesims2inseason/review.html/?sid=6166562|url-status=dead|title=The Sims 2 Seasons for PC Review|work=GameSpot|last=Park|first=Andrew|date=28 February 2007|access-date=29 September 2023|archive-date=23 March 2007}}</ref> and the complexity of the game's weather effects.<ref name="eurogamer2" /><ref name="gamingage" /> Habib felt that ''Seasons'' "gives to your families the passage of time", marking the first time in the series that ''The Sims'' felt like a true generational life simulator; he described the expansion pack as a whole as "successful in every way" and a more significant revamp of the base game than its predecessors.<ref name="ign4" /> Alex Jeffreys at ''Strategy Informer'' concurred that "it would not be unfair to say that ''Sims 2: Seasons'' revolutionizes the game [...] it's a whole new world out there, a world where nature reigns supreme and your Sims must bow to its forces or suffer the consequences".<ref name="strategyinformer" />

Critics were more divided over the expansion pack's other additions, such as gardening and fishing. Mahamari Tsukitasa at ''Game Chronicles'' called such elements "surprisingly satisfying"<ref name="gamechronicles" /> and Nickelsen described them as "the biggest breakthrough since working Sims were allowed to take days off",<ref name="nzgamer" /> while Andrew Park at ''[[GameSpot]]'' felt they failed to rise above "simple, relaxing busywork".<ref name="gamespot4" /> Dan Whitehead at ''[[Eurogamer]]'', in a mixed review, felt ''Seasons'' was "thematically confused [...] somewhere between a oversized object pack and an impressive weather system [[tech demo]]".<ref name="eurogamer2" />

===Later reception===
Critical analysis of ''Seasons'' in the years following its release has positioned it as one of the game's more significant expansions. Jasmine Gould-Wilson at ''[[GamesRadar+|GamesRadar]]'', in a 2023 comparison of ''The Sims 2'' and ''[[The Sims 4]]'', called ''Seasons'' "one of the most integral packs" to the former game; she criticized the markedly longer time it took for ''[[The Sims 4 expansion packs#Seasons|The Sims 4: Seasons]]'' to come out relative to its base game, juxtaposing ''The Sims 4''{{'s}}  "half-baked expansions that never seemed to live up to our expectations" with the earlier game's more complex entries.<ref name="gamesradar" /> Gabrielle Castania, writing for ''TheGamer'', similarly found ''Seasons'' to be one of the most impactful of ''The Sims 2''{{'s}} expansions.<ref name="thegamer2" />

The success of ''Seasons'' amongst the game's fanbase influenced releases for later games. Weather-related expansion packs have been released for both ''[[The Sims 3]]'' and ''The Sims 4''; Grant Rodiek, a senior producer at [[Maxis]], referred to them as "fan favorites" and some of the most significant entries in the series.<ref name="variety" /> ''Seasons'' has been held as a benchmark for later weather-related expansions. Its focus on "small, intimate gameplay details" over larger-scale "RPG-style" alterations was described by Petrana Radulovic at ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' as a major element of the expansion pack's success, one she felt the ''Sims 4'' rendition similarly achieved. The relatively complex and detailed graphics of ''Seasons'' were also positively compared to those in later releases, such as the more simplistic snow graphics of the ''Sims 4'' expansion.<ref name="kotaku" /><ref name="polygon">{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/21/17488208/sims-4-seasons-impressions|title=The Sims 4 Seasons gets back to what the Sims series does best|work=Polygon|last=Radulovic|first=Petrana|date=21 June 2018|access-date=30 September 2023|archive-date=2 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002121048/https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/21/17488208/sims-4-seasons-impressions|url-status=live}}</ref>

The expansion pack's PlantSims have become a recurring element through the series. They were reintroduced in ''[[The Sims 3 expansion packs#University Life|The Sims 3: University Life]]'' as a potential consequence of either eating "[[forbidden fruit]]" or participating in scientific experiments; for ''The Sims 4'', they were introduced in an update to the base game.<ref name="thegamer3">{{cite web|url=https://www.thegamer.com/sims-4-everything-about-plant-sims/|title=Sims 4: Everything You Need To Know About Plant Sims|work=TheGamer|last=Ackroyd|first=Luke|date=30 April 2022|access-date=30 September 2023|archive-date=16 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716225544/https://www.thegamer.com/sims-4-everything-about-plant-sims/|url-status=live}}</ref> Melissa Bianchi, an assistant professor of communication at [[Nova Southeastern University]], analysed PlantSims through the lenses of [[deep ecology]] and [[ecofeminism]] in a paper for ''{{ill|Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism|qid=Q15762732}}''. She argued that PlantSims embody the "green society" aspirations of deep ecologists "both literally and figuratively", and that the game's treatment of human-plant hybrids as equal to humans presented a framework where "all life{{snd}}regardless of its type{{snd}}[has] intrinsic value". Bianchi called attention to the two premade PlantSims in the game being female, defining this design decision as an allusion to [[Mother Nature|the feminine gendering of nature]].<ref name="greenletters">{{cite journal|title=Rhetoric and recapture: theorising digital game ecologies through EA's ''The Sims'' series|journal=Green Letters: Studies in Ecocriticism|last=Bianchi|first=Melissa|volume=18|issue=3|date=26 November 2014|pages=209–220|doi=10.1080/14688417.2014.963881|s2cid=144086275 }}</ref>

==See also==
*{{sectionlink|The Sims 3 expansion packs|Seasons}}
*{{sectionlink|The Sims 4 expansion packs|Seasons}}

==Notes==
{{NoteFoot}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[[wikiasite:sims:The Sims 2: Seasons|The Sims 2: Seasons]] at The Sims Wiki
{{Sim series|thesims=yes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sims 2, The: Seasons}}
[[Category:2007 video games]]
[[Category:Aspyr games]]
[[Category:MacOS games]]
[[Category:The Sims 2 expansion packs|Seasons]]
[[Category:Video games about plants]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games with gender-selectable protagonists]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Works about seasons]]
[[Category:Works about weather]]