Summary
- The Sims 2 is considered the peak of the franchise by longtime fans due to its lasting features and memorable Sim NPCs.
- The Tricou family in The Sims 2, particularly the House of Fallen Trees, is shrouded in mystery, with ghosts and strange connections among its members.
- Players have speculated about the Tricou family's true nature, including theories of them being a fallen vampire clan or meeting dark fates, but their backstory remains unknown.
The Sims 2 has remained the peak of its franchise in the eyes of many longtime fans, with several of the game’s features still holding up in the modern era of the fourth entry. Elements from the more natural social interaction mechanics to the actual Interests and Aspirations systems have made The Sims 2 a lasting memorable experience, but its actual Sim NPCs are just as important.
New and returning families alike have made the progression of The Sims’ franchise timeline compelling across the games, but the households of The Sims 2 played a huge role in defining the overall identity of the series. Taking place 25 years after the first game, the sequel expanded on quirky families like the Goths while also introducing the drama of those like the Calientes. Beyond all the more well-known Sims, however, one particularly dark family is likely to forever remain shrouded in mystery.
Downtown’s House of Fallen Trees and the Tricou Family
Introduced in The Sims 2: Nightlife, the neighborhood known as Downtown is a great example of a bustling urban area with numerous different lots to play. There are several homes across the map, but one known as the House of Fallen Trees is particularly curious. This house stays dimly lit no matter what changes are made to its lighting, something that might have to do with the three ghosts that haunt the place. The spirits of teen cousins Fricorith and Gvadouin Tricou are found there along with that of a woman named Rainelle Neengia, making this one of the most haunted houses in the series. This may seem like a relatively normal novelty of a Sims neighborhood, but there is a much deeper story to the Tricous.
The Tricou cousin ghosts are found in their house, but the rest of the entire family also lies dead at the graves found at Gothier Green Lawns. Able to be resurrected in the same manner as any other dead Sims, the rest of the family can be fully restored by crafty players. There are clear connections that define the Tricou family, but there are also several strange details about them that have been left up to interpretation. Jennicor and Jon Smith are the matriarch and patriarch respectively, elders with bizarrely contrasting names. Their daughters Jennail and Nylissit would marry men named Kvornan and Kiernan, forming the remaining bodies found at Gothier Green Lawns. Fricorith and Gvadouin are the children of these daughters, but merely uncovering their family tree pales in comparison to what might be the Tricous’ deeper secret.
The Secrets of the Tricou Family
While their purpose is unknown, two coffins can be discovered in the basement of the House of Fallen Trees. When coupled with the existence of a multitude of random teen townie Sim NPCs that all somehow share Jon Smith as their father, many players have theorized that the Tricous may actually be a fallen vampire clan. A seemingly logical conclusion, the presence of an actual vampire race in The Sims 2: Nightlife makes the Tricou family’s status as humans in the game all the more confusing.
The lack of solid confirmation regarding their lore as one of the darkest Sims storylines has caused players to speculate that the family perished due to everything from a very plausible fire to all having been killed by Rainelle, who may have been a vampire hunter. The statue known as “The Gray Woman of SimCity” is said to represent a lady who died from leaving a turkey in the oven while talking with her “long-lost cousin”, further leading some players to believe this figure could be Jennicor, or even Gvadouin. Only one thing is certain about the Tricou family - no matter where they fall on the timeline, the truth of their past was never meant to be known.
The Sims 5 is in development.