Eight expansion packs have been released for the 2004 life simulation video game The Sims 2, the second major title in The Sims series. All expansion packs were developed by Maxis Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts. Expansion packs tend to focus on major new features, with many objects, clothes, styles, neighborhoods and life states are geared towards the pack's major theme. The first expansion pack, University, was released on March 1, 2005. The last expansion pack, Apartment Life, was released on August 25, 2008.
University
The Sims 2: University is the first expansion pack for The Sims 2. University introduces a new "young adult" life stage who live in separate college towns and attend university; with its dormitories, the expansion pack marks the first time in the Sims series where player sims are able to live with non-player characters. Sims who attend university gain access to new careers and interactions.
Nightlife
The Sims 2: Nightlife is the second expansion pack for The Sims 2, released in North America on September 13, 2005. Nightlife expands the game's social and romantic interactions, introducing elements such as romantic chemistry and a formal dating minigame. It also introduces "downtown" neighbourhoods that house community lots such as bars, clubs, and restaurants; changes to the game's handling of objects, including a full inventory system; and new gameplay options, such as the ability to turn sims into vampires.
Open for Business
The Sims 2: Open for Business is the third expansion pack for The Sims 2, released in North America on March 2, 2006. Open for Business adds tycoon elements to the base game, allowing sims to run businesses from their homes or community lots. Multiple new advancement systems are added, such as talent badges, which track sims' progress in business skills; business ranks, which measure a business's success based on its company loyalty; and business perks, gifts or skills granted to a sim for running a successful business. The expansion pack also expands upon elements introduced by previous expansions, such as restaurants and romantic chemistry, and expands the base game's building options.
Pets
The Sims 2: Pets is the fourth expansion pack for the PC version The Sims 2, and was also a stand-alone game for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable and Wii. Pets for PC, GameCube and PlayStation 2 was released on October 17, 2006 in North America.
The expansion pack adds domestic animals to the game, allowing sims to own cats, dogs, and other species. Players can customize the appearance and personality of their pets, which are able to learn tricks and work jobs. The stand-alone console games maintained the open-ended sandbox gameplay of the series; the handheld versions had more structure, including role-playing video game elements. A sequel to Pets on Nintendo DS, The Sims 2: Apartment Pets, was released on August 26, 2008.
Seasons
The Sims 2: Seasons is the fifth expansion pack for The Sims 2, released in North America on March 1, 2007. Seasons introduces weather and seasons to the game, as well as new gameplay features such as gardening, fishing, and supernatural human-plant hybrids known as PlantSims.
Bon Voyage
The Sims 2: Bon Voyage is the sixth expansion pack for The Sims 2, released in North America on September 4, 2007. Bon Voyage adds the ability to book in-game holiday travel to one of three pre-defined destinations, broadly themed around the Far East, Polynesia, and a generic "mountain" region respectively. Each destination has its own unique culture, activities, and attractions.
FreeTime
The Sims 2: FreeTime is the seventh expansion pack for The Sims 2, released 26 February 2008. The expansion pack introduces hobbies as a new feature for sims to pursue; sims can pursue ten possible hobbies and gain enthusiasm and benefits as they advance in them. The expansion pack also revamps the aspiration system, a system introduced in the base game that influences sims' long- and short-term goals.
Apartment Life
The Sims 2: Apartment Life is the eighth and final expansion pack for The Sims 2, released in North America on August 25, 2008. Apartment Life re-introduces magical abilities to the franchise, as well as new features like Sims' relationships with neighbors inhabiting the same apartment building, interacting with an NPC landlord, a new reputation system, and new activities for publicly accessible lots.
A spin-off of Apartment Life and Pets, The Sims 2: Apartment Pets, was released for Nintendo DS on August 26, 2008.