Unless you are away from your desktop a lot and have it on your laptop, I very much doubt it.

I would also say that if you have bought the next two in The Sims Stories series (Pets & Castaway), both of which are scheduled for release this year, you will have completed the stories and be running out of ideas with the free play. Once the stories have been completed, I do not feel that TSLS really offers anything else that TS2 cannot do better.

If you want to have a free form sims-playing experience, you are better playing TS2 instead. Unless the TSLS website can come up with tools to save stories, make photoalbums or make movies in a manner similar to TS2, there is no way at all to save your sim stories.

As it is, TSLS has some good points.

For people who do not yet play TS2 and are not yet ready to commit to buying TS2 and the growing army of expansions and stuff packs, it is a good introduction. If you are planning to try out TSLS and then buy TS2 anyway, just cut out TSLS and get TS2 instead. You would be saving money in the long run.

For people who are on the move and want a TS2 "fix" for their laptop, it will do the job. I have spoken already about how I like the new walls and floors and they may keep me playing TSLS for a bit longer. However, once I have worked out how to copy some of them and get them into TS2, then TSLS will be retired.

However, TSLS could be better.

Firstly, there are signs that development has been rushed in order to get it out on schedule, seen by greyed out buttons, cheat codes that don't mean anything and badly placed catalogue pictures.

Secondly, although the stories are good, there is no way to record them or record any other stories you might be creating in Four Corners or Bitville. Once Riley's and Vincent's stories are finished, there is little point in staying in TSLS if you have TS2.

Thirdly, for what it is, the game is quite pricy. On Amazon.com, TSLS sells for $36.99 but you can buy TS2 for $35.95. Over on Amazon.co.uk, TSLS sells for £24.99 but TS2 sells for only £19.99. Also, £29.99 would get you TS2 and the Pets EP. As there is a large TS2 community with plenty of custom content, there is more available for the TS2 player.

With The Sims Stories: Pets (TSSP) and The Sims Stories: Castaway (TSSC) both being on pre-order at Amazon.co.uk for £24.99 each for release later this year, I can only hope they have more content to keep me interested.

I enjoyed playing TSLS and it looks very nice, but as there is no community to create for or get material from, it leaves there very little to do once the stories are completed and really nothing left to do that I can't do in TS2 and do it better.

If you have enough money, you want to try out the stories or want a TS2-lite for your laptop, then I recommend you buy it. Otherwise, I recommend you spend your money elsewhere.

In the meantime, I am going to wrap up warm and get ready for Seasons for TS2. See you in a few weeks.

Dag dag!