Although The Sims 1 and 2 have been available on PC for decades, plenty of gamers have had a hard time running them on modern hardware. That’s why, when EA announced earlier this week that it was making enhanced versions of these two games for Windows 10/11 PCs, many long-time fans of the franchise grew excited. The Sims 1 and 2 Legacy Collections were simultaneously announced and released for Steam, Epic Games Store, and the EA app on January 31, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Sims franchise. EA gave players the option to either purchase The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 for $20 and $30, respectively, or buy both games together in the 25th Anniversary Bundle for $40.
Contrary to initial speculation, the Legacy Collections versions of The Sims 1 and 2 are not proper remasters. Instead, they’re more like spruced-up ports. The new versions of these games do feature higher resolution support and an improved rendering engine, but they don’t have considerably better graphics than their original counterparts. With that said, The Sims 1 and 2 Legacy Collections contain almost all the content from the base games, including most of their expansion packs. However, The Sims 2 Legacy Collection, in particular, isn’t truly definitive because it’s missing some notable DLC that was present in the game’s previous editions.
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The Sims 2 Legacy Collection is Missing Some Features from the Original Game
The IKEA Home Stuff DLC is Not Included in The Sims 2 Legacy Collection
On the official Steam page for the game, EA revealed that The Sims 2 Legacy Collection would include 18 pieces of DLC, such as The Sims 2: Nightlife, The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, and The Sims 2: Mansion & Garden Stuff. The only expansion that’s left out from this edition is The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff. This DLC, as its name suggests, contains some new furniture and decorations that are inspired by real-life products from the Swedish department store brand, IKEA. It is one of the only Sims expansions in the franchise’s entire history that features items made by a real-world company.
In most cases, product placement in video games is unpopular. However, The Sims 2: IKEA Home Stuff was surprisingly well-received when it came out in 2008. Even to this day, it has widely been regarded as one of the better DLCs for The Sims 2. Because of this, its omission from The Sims 2 Legacy Collection, whether it’s due to a license renewal issue or some other problem, has disappointed fans quite a bit.
EA Omitted Several Music Tracks from The Sims 2 Legacy Collection
In addition to the IKEA Home Stuff DLC, The Sims 2 Legacy Collection also does not include some of the original game’s most iconic music tracks, including Suffer Well, Pocketful of Sunshine, La Gallina, and That Girl. Many of these tracks were initially featured in some of The Sims 2‘s expansion packs, and could be accessed via the game’s in-game radio stations. Presumably, EA removed the tracks from the Legacy Collection version of the game due to licensing issues, but the company hasn’t provided any official statement on the matter.
The Sims 2 Legacy Collection is Not as Good as The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection
Considering the amount of content that is missing from The Sims 2 Legacy Collection, it’s hard to argue that this is the best version of the game, especially given that a superior edition of it was released several years ago. In 2014, EA launched The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection for Windows PCs. This enhanced edition, which was only available via EA’s Origin PC storefront, contained all the DLC from the base game, including IKEA Home Stuff, and all of its licensed music. Better yet, it was even given away for free in the month of its release. Although it doesn’t run well on modern hardware, The Sims 2: Ultimate Collection is definitely a cut above the Legacy Collection in terms of sheer content.
Following the huge success of the first Sims game, EA released The Sims 2 in late 2004. Like its predecessor, the game was eventually made available on consoles and received numerous expansions in the months and years following its release. It sold more than thirteen million copies during its lifetime, making it one of the best-selling PC games of all time.
- Released
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September 14, 2004
- ESRB
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E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Crude Humor, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
- Publisher(s)
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Electronic Arts
- Multiplayer
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Local Multiplayer
- Engine
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3D engine