Virtual Families Review

Oftentimes, games borrow ideas from one another. While it's a perfectly fine thing to do, there's a problem: they all tend to feel the same. For example, while I played Virtual Families (from developer Last Day of Work), I couldn't help feeling like I was playing a knock-off of The Sims.

Virtual Families is a family simulation game (just like The Sims). You pick your character and set him/her up with a house and a spouse. Then they get on with their lives, and you help them. You'll have to keep track of their stats to make sure they're happy and healthy. Buying food and upgrades for the house are a must, and giving your little friends some diversions are options, too. They have to work, too, even if all of their jobs are from home. It's kind of like being a mother.

The only way to get them to do what you want them to do, however, is to physically drag them over to wherever they need to be and expect them to do their task. Sometimes they would do it, and sometimes they would decide not to do, opting to wander around cluelessly for a bit before deciding that they wanted to brush their hair or work out. This happened a bit too frequently, in my opinion. Everything in Virtual Families is a suggestion, rather than a command. You enforce good behavior with praises, and discourage bad behavior with scolding.

The game passes in real time, as well. That means that things are still happening when you aren't around. For example, when I left it unattended for a day and a half without pausing it, I came back to some very unhappy little people. It was a rather unfortunate turn of events, since they were out of food, and unable to provide for themselves without my loving care and/or babying.

However, I didn't feel bad when things were rough for my characters. Maybe I'm just a cold-hearted scumbag, or maybe it was their incessant need for my direction, but there was something that made me indifferent to their problems. This might have something to do with their appearance. While everything else is fine and practical, the characters are awkward: both in their appearance and in their animations. They kind of marred the game experience for me.

While Virtual Families managed to be somewhat unique among its genre, it has some shortcomings that aren't easy to ignore. While it's not a bad game by any means, it's not a shining little gem, either, thanks to some unfortunate flaws.

Graphics:
They're functional, basically. Beds look like beds, the kitchen is easily recognizable, and so on. My beef is with the character designs, which are just plain unattractive. But, they don't impede on the game as a whole that much.

Sound:
The soundtrack is sweeping piano solos and uplifting melodies, which make it feel a lot more epic than it really is, but are nice nonetheless.

Gameplay:
Some of the gameplay bits were cool, but it (like much of the game) felt like it all was over-done.

Value:
For just shy of twenty bucks, it's a perfectly acceptable price, especially since the game has no real end (it continues on down the generations of your character's family). However, if this kind of game isn't really your bag, you'll be hesitant to fork over the dough. You can get it cheaper through third party providers though.

Concept:
I've been saying this the whole time: it's not a fresh idea. It's been done multiple times, and it doesn't distinguish itself from the herd all that much.

Fun:
Virtual Families has its moments, especially when you've gotten into the swing of things. Fans of family simulation games will probably like it.

Overall:
While it has its flaws, it's a perfectly fine game for fans of the genre. I would recommend trying the free demo and judging for yourself whether its small bugs are worth overlooking.