The Sims 3: Showtime

12 cert, EA, PC (requires Sims 3) ***

We can’t all be stars. But with The Sims’ latest expansion pack, at least your Sim characters could be in line for a high-profile career as Starlight Shore’s answer to Beyoncé. Or David Blaine. Because if the idea of a singing career doesn’t excite you, there are career paths as an acrobat, magician or DJ to try. You’ll have to work your way up from the bottom, doing all the rubbish jobs. The expansion pack, as usual, brings with it new skills to master, and a heap of new items to get to grips with. But aside from the window dressing, there are some interesting additions. The Sims, it seems, is really throwing itself into the social networking game. A new feature here is the ability to leave messages and interact with other Sim-addicted friends. SimPort, meanwhile, allows you to send your characters off to a friend’s game to try out your skills on a new audience, and vice versa. There are the beginnings of some good ideas that EA could develop further in the future.