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On February 26, 2008, Electronic Arts released its seventh expansion pack in "The Sims 2" universe, adding on to the already extensive Sims world and its playable features.

Dubbed "FreeTime", the new expansion pack enhances the lives of your Sims by giving them more to do (and work towards) than family-building and career-grinding in the form of Hobbies. There are ten new hobbies that Sims can spend their free time working on and playing at. These include Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Cuisine, Films & Literature, Fitness, Gaming, Music & Dance, Science, Sports, and Tinkering.

Experience with hobbies is garnered by performing acts associated with said hobby (watching movies for Film & Literature, for example) and works upwards on a scaled system very similar to how skill points (Cooking, Body, Cleaning, etc.) are gained.

There are lots of new items for decorating and working on hobbies included in this expansion pack, including two new badge-earning items: a pottery table and sewing machine.

One of the most exciting additions to come with FreeTime is the inclusion of a brand new neighborhood, Desiderata Valley. This is only the third game-generated, pre-made neighborhood to come out and only the second to be a stand-alone, definitive neighborhood. In Desiderata Valley, you'll meet the new families of Aspir, Bell, Contrary, Jocque, Mole, and Una.

All die-hard Sim fans will be happy to note the new feature of NPC Aging. No more will Teen Sims have to leave behind a beloved boy- or girlfriend once reaching adulthood. From Child on, Sims have the option - at their birthday - to choose three NPCs and acquaintances to age with them. This is a great help in keeping neighborhoods flowing more realistically, age- and generation-wise.

Every expansion pack comes with its own unique and oddball NPC - so far we've seen everything from zombies to plant Sims! This expansion pack introduces a Genie NPC - who can make your Sims wildest dreams, or worst nightmares, come true.

Another addition that always excites players is the addition of new careers. This expansion pack allows Sims to pursue careers in Architecture, Dance, Entertainment, Intelligence, and Oceanography.

New Aspiration Meter rewards give more meat to the Aspiration-aspect of the game, as well as the new ability to have more than one aspiration.

All in all, I feel FreeTime is a worthy and fun addition to The Sims 2 franchise and highly recommend it for any Sims fan.

Learn more about this author, Shanna Riley.
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