The Sims franchise developed by EA Maxis and published by EA is perhaps one of the most influential game franchises in gaming history. Talk to your neighbour, I can almost guarantee they would have played a version of it. The game based around creating and exploring life scenarios is still incredibly popular today and as they roll out the fourth instalment our writers take a look about what as good and bad in each game.
The Sims: The original Sims may not go down in the record books as the most technologically advanced Sims game, but I will always consider it the best of all of the Sims games, purely for the nostalgia it provides. I loved the ability to build houses however I wanted to, and I must admit, I spent more time creating houses than actually playing with the characters. It had some of the best expansion packs available, including Sims: Superstar, which provided some of the best spent hours, trying to make one character a famous actor or singer. And who can forget the ability to create hundreds upon hundreds of gnomes, in the quest to become the perfect wood worker.
The Sims 2: The Sims 2 has always been, at least in my eyes, the definitive instalment in the series. Ten years on from its first release, it still has a pretty devoted fan-base despite being discontinued and replaced twice over by its creators Maxis. The reason? Put simply, The Sims 2 has the most player-friendly interface of all the incarnations. Whether you want to build incredibly complex houses or just play through endless life-cycles with your favourite family, doing so couldn’t be easier and everything is 100% in your control. Nothing is a chore.
The sims 3: I began playing The Sims 3 when it was first released in 2009 and it became more of a religion than simply a game. The Sims has always been known for being addictive, but I would literally live my life through the characters in the game, rather than spending time in the real world. I’m exaggerating to some extent, but you can see what I’m getting at. The Sims 3 is the best one yet, and I’ve heard that The Sims 4 doesn’t seem to top it either. Expansion packs such as Ambitions and World Adventures are so well thought out that they truly enhance the game-play rather than being just an add-on. As well as this The Sims 3 has some amazing stuff-packs that are genuinely worth the money. I am definitely in no rush to buy The Sims 4.
The Sims 4: My desperation to confirm the negative rumours of The Sims 4 led me to using a VPN on my laptop in order to play it a week before it’s UK release date. It seems the lack of official media coverage was a ploy by EA to stop people pointing out the weak elements of the game, other than the lack of pools and toddlers. The obvious lack of content prepares the gamer for a multitude of pricey expansion packs and online store items. Although create-a-sim and house building is as fun and dynamic as the overly optimistic trailer repeats to you 100 times, it doesn’t make up for the fact that The Sims 4 is a huge step backwards for this franchise.
Sims 4 is available to buy now.