Sims 3 World Adventures, First Impressions

I bought myself World Adventures as an early Christmas present for myself.  (I wanted to get it now, before it starts snowing. Last year I was stuck at home for seventeen days thanks to snow.)  World Adventures is basically Epcot with catacombs.  Not that there's anything wrong with that - personally, I like Epcot a lot.  

I took a brief foray to China and France, but I haven't had a chance to check out Egypt yet.  Both China and France are surprisingly rural - "downtown" is just a few blocks, and the rest of the attractions are spread out across the map.  This can be frustrating, because even with the little Vespa-like scooter (France) or the bicycle (China), it can take your Sim ages to get from the base camp (a hostel, basically) to whatever attraction you want to visit that day.

A better but more expensive option is to purchase a tent, some food, and "shower in a can" from the general store.  Then you can set up camp on or near whatever attraction you are exploring.  The accommodations won't be as nice as those in the hostel (which is very well appointed) but it will get you by.  Be sure also to explore around the map, because I found several tents just lying around already pitched, waiting for your Sim to stop by and sack out.

Upon visiting my first tomb, I discovered that the "puzzles" we were promised are… not particularly puzzling.  Ditto for the "hidden features."  Is it hidden if your mouse pointer changes when you move over an entire two-unit section of wall?  Maybe there are tomb features which are more hidden, and I just didn't find them.  And maybe other tombs have puzzles which are more challenging.  But so far, as far as the meta-game aspect is concerned, I would call World Adventures a dud.

Where World Adventures really shines is in the new skills it brings to the table.  Your Sim can work with the nectar making machines in France, train at a martial arts academy and make fortune cookies in China, and buy a cheap single use camera to begin practicing their Photography skills.

A word on the single use camera: it is hilarious.  I love everything about it.  From the sound effect when you use it (that distinctive sound of a cheap thumb wheel being turned to advance the film - do kids these days even know what that sounds like?  Film?) to the unbelievably bad pictures your Sim takes with it at first (blurry, overexposed, underexposed, with their thumb over the lens, etc.).  So realistic!

I tried out a few adventures (which are what Opportunities are called when you are in a foreign country).  Both of these were a little bit baffling, not unlike many of the multi-action Opportunities which you get in the base game.  There was lots of loot to be had, which was nice, and the basement tool is a handy way to store that loot.  I can't believe it took them this long to release a basement tool!

This is definitely a worthwhile expansion pack.  But hunt around until you find it for significantly less than the $40 list price.  

Finally, and somewhat more randomly, I would like to commend Dragon Age: Origins for starting to catch up to The Sims circa 2000.  OMG, same-sex innuendo in cut scene form!  Call me when your characters can get gay married AND knocked up by aliens.  Then we'll talk.