Review:
If you are going into Sims 3 thinking of it as an improved Sims 2 you will be disappointed.

The Sims 3 is a "Sims Type Game". It's like the previous Sim games but not quite. Sims 2 was about creating your own storyline. Sims 3 is about rolling with the punches. The game will change things in the neighborhood at random. People will die, move out, have children...the neighborhood is constantly changing. Like someone else said, the game is rather like an RPG. If you liked having complete control like in Sims 2 then you may not like this game.

Also, if you did not know. With Story Progression mode on Sims will leave town. Meaning they will disappear. Not only townies, your custom made Sims can be randomly deleted. It is not a glitch. It is an actual feature of the game. It's difficult to understand why EA thought having Sims randomly deleted was a good idea, but it's there.

There is an option to turn off Story Progression which is supposed to stop life changing events. Unfortunately this button does not work. Story Progression being such an important part of Sims 3, you have to wonder how this got by EA quality control. To me this is unexcusable. Fans have every right to be angry about this. Even before the game released this was a widely known problem. Everybody expects bugs, but for an important feature of the game to outright not work is ridiculous.

Next, the controls. Sims 3 controls: Clumsy. In Sims 2 the controls are simple, friendly, and easy to use. Sims 3 controls are strangely clunky and makes you jump through alot of hoops for something as simple as switching families. Get ready to learn the new and sometimes confusing interface.

Onto the Sims looks. Even after watching all of the promotional videos I did not realize the Sims 3 Sims were quite so chubby. There are ways to slim down the face in CAS but once you actually start playing them they look chubby again. After many hours of playing I have actually grown accustomed to their looks so it doesn't bother me as much now. If looks are very important to you this maybe a dealbreaker.

The Camera. Camera movement is not as smooth as in TS2. It's very touchy and jumpy. After getting used to the controls I'm getting better at using it but at the same time it lacks the smoothness of Sims 2. This is not because of my computer. My computer way exceeds the minimum requirements for Sims 3. The game itself is just plain laggy. Some advice for those frustrated with the right click screen drag, go into options and enable edge scrolling this will alleviate some of your frustration.

Onto the Pros!
The seamless neighborhood is gorgeous. This is one thing EA got right. I almost never left home in TS2. In TS3 going into town is one of my favorite things about the game. The scenery is beautiful. Go to the beach and lookout onto the water, it's moving, glimmering, and looks so alive. I built my Sim home right next to a waterfall. Beautiful!

Traits system. I really enjoy the traits system. You can now make truly unique personalities. The little personality quirks of my Sims make me smile. Like if you have a neurotic Sim, they will want to check the sink constantly to make sure it's not dirty. A loner Sim will become upset at being around other Sims. An insane Sim will talk to himself.

Color Options. I love being able to give my Sims crazy colored hair and eyes. You can also recolor almost anything.

Improved AI. It's not obvious, but I do think the Sims are more intelligent in Sims 3. They are better at doing things by themselves. Frustratingly they still do the footstomp when their route is blocked.

Conclusion:
Overall it's an entertaining game similar to The Sims games. But I am disappointed by the number of technical issues the game has. My advice to Sim fans is DO NOT uninstall Sims 2. I'm very glad I did not uninstall TS2. There are things TS2 still does better. It's much simpler and easier to play. I will be going back and forth between TS2 and TS3, enjoying the similarities and the differences.

Where to buy:
Get The Sims 3 and other Sims products for cheap on Amazon