There are three "areas" for the Sims to try out--alpine, forest and beach--and each has different locations with either luxury or budget accommodation. In the more exclusive parts of the island you will find your Sims get to stay at classy ski lodges or beach-side condos, whereas on the other parts of the atoll the lodging is more a "back to basics", tents and igloos kind of set up.

Accessing the island is just like going on a date, you call the taxi company and hand over 500 simoleons and you are off. You can either opt for a family holiday (the entire household packs their bags) or invite a friend. Then you simply choose your destination, kick back and enjoy.

Once on holiday everything is geared towards having fun. There are new activities such as volleyball, snowboarding, water balloon fights and an amusement arcade to up your Sims' fun-o-meter, as well as beds, toilet facilities and a buffet bar. But just like any holiday this idyllic getaway comes at a price.

You can book in for a night and every day you miss checkout you are charged for another night you also have to shell out for the buffet bar, so make sure you have the cash to enjoy yourself. As well as the bare essentials (food, sleep) you also pay for the some of the activities but the pay-off here is that you can win prize tokens which you then exchange for mementoes (such as crystal skulls) of your trip.

Sims on Holiday is basically an expansion of the Sims universe. New areas, new items, new interaction and characters, but not a new game. It has its problems, load times are still interminably long and it's quite buggy and you do wonder how long Maxis is going to flog this particular horse. If you love The Sims, then this is a worthy add-on to a great game, if you don't then no amount of volleyball, shark costumes and sand in your sandwiches is going to change you mind.--Felicity Winner

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