Even with full graphics options enabled, the game ran well, with only a few hitches here and there when many Sims were on the screen at once.
We tried the game on a couple low-caliber machines, one laptop and one desktop, that barely met the minimum requirements. The idea here is that Life Stories can be played on laptops and under-the-gaming-curve PCs, which ordinarily would be unable to handle the game. Indeed, The Sims has historically been one of the worst resource hogs outside of first-person shooters, especially when you throw in all the aforementioned expansion packs. The question, of course, is whether you need this one if you've got the others? Life Stories is billed as 'PC Laptop Friendly' on the front cover of the case. The Sims: Life Stories is a new, stand-alone game, and brand, that does not interact in any way with either of the other core games. Until now, we've only had two core Sims games on the PC: The Sims and The Sims 2. The next one is The Sims 2: Seasons, which should ship to stores today. Let's be clear up front… The Sims: Life Stories is not an expansion pack.
