Summary
The lowest - rated and most divisive mainlineSimsgame , The Sims 4 , has been a constant thorn in the side of many a devotee since it first released a decennium ago in 2014 , but it was n’t until I peck up its predecessor , The Sims 3 , that I truly realize the fandom ’s many , many issues with the newer biz . Now they ’re my issues too .
MySimsjourney start back in 2000 with the release of the originalThe Sims . 2004 saw the release ofSims 2,whichevolved from the first game with new life stages , improved graphics , better societal interactions , and reasonably much everything else that makes the series what it ’s know as today . From there , The Simsfranchise slipped past me until 2018 when I picked upThe Sims 4 . In 2024 I own most of the DLC and have nearly 700 hours in - game . While I missed out onSims 3 , it ’s dependable to say I ’m definitely a fan ofSims 4.Or was .
The Sims 4 has more than its share of problems , but even with Sims 5 and life story by You on the view , it look like it ’s here to stay . Here ’s why .
What’s Everyone’s Issue With The Sims 4?
Why Is It The Most Controversial Sims Game?
If you ’re like me and skipped aSimsrelease ( or have never played it before),you might be agreeably surprised withThe Sims 4.There are a slew of things to love , including the graphics and the fact the root game is liberal - to - play , which makes it approachable for newcomers . However , theSimscommunity has been extremely outspoken when it come to their general dislike of4 , with arguably the heavy being a deficiency of deepness and meaningful gameplay .
Mainline Sims Game
Metacritic Rating ( PC )
The Sims
92 %
The Sims 2
90 %
The Sims 3
86 %
The Sims 4
70 %
It ’s true that a lot of feature ofThe Sims 4require a little more vision than others . Rabbit holes - when a Sim is n’t show up interacting with an event or item but or else disappears off - screen - for example , preserve to disappoint histrion . Sims themselves are also arguably too easy to take charge of , relationship too soft to form , and money too easy to make . They ’re also a little predictable in their emotions and wishes , which can make playthroughs feel insistent . This is a recurring issue as even the game ’s random event palpate scripted and inconsequential .
… even the game ’s random events find scripted and inconsequential .
One of the biotic community ’s big issues withThe Sims 4is , of course , the copiousness of DLC.In 2024 , purchasing everySimsexpansion and piece of content will feed you over $ 1,000 USDwhich is a astonishing total for a video plot . What ’s perhaps more frustrating is that the extra content adds a sight of gameplay that should arguably be base - game , like unlike seasons of the year , or some of the more canonic element of theParentingpack .
Another issue with DLC is that , not only are you spending more , but you also end up pushing your personal computer ( or cabinet ) to its limit . EA recently harbinger a fresh team has been created to specifically target issues withSims 4and its storage needs , but there are already plenty of role player who have been pushed out of the plot due to its produce storage need . The Sims 4is too big for its the boot , while simultaneously not being enough to please its millions of fans .
What Sims 3 Taught Me About Sims 4
Is Sims 3 Really The Better Game?
One recurring content I ’ve glean fromThe Simscommunity over the year is that " The Sims 3 is better than Sims 4 . " As mentioned , I altogether skipped overThe Sims 3so I always ask this sentiment with a grain of salinity . Nostalgia is a powerful matter , and every time I personally looked at aSims 3screenshot or watch over a YouTube video , I find the game unforgiveably ugly . I really could n’t see the appeal .
That enounce , I have hadSims 3and its expansions installed on my personal computer since 2022 thanks to a very undecomposed Steam deal . I cleave my toes in for a week or so at the time but get fully overwhelmed by the vapourous level of mental object . I noped out and headed back to the safety and predictability ofThe Sims 4until this month when I want to discover out the result to my burning at the stake questions:“Is everyone right about The Sims 4 ? " and " Is The Sims 3 truly superior ? "
The Sims 4 is recognize for both the volume and disputation of its DLC . Though some opinions are mixed , every player needs one specific expansion .
The answers ? Yes . PlayingThe Sims 3properly for the first clock time in 2024 has proven to me just how shallowThe Sims 4is . By comparison , its gameplay finger scripted , the mechanics lack depth , and the world is largely empty . Perhaps most glaringly obvious is what the serial suffer in the move from3to4 : the relatable feelings of spontaneity and general bizarreness the series has had from the beginning . PlayingSims 3(with expanding upon ) feels like anything is potential , whether that ’s zombie spirit on your doorstep or time - travelling to confab your descendants .
InThe Sims 4 , my teenage Sim might be having a modality swing that impacts very little . InThe Sims 3 , my teenaged Sim desire to weaken curfew , egg the neighbor , and skip schooling . The Sims 3feels alive whereThe Sims 4feels like it might get better if I buy just one more Pack . Now my eyes have been opened , it ’s going to be hard to go back toSims 4 .
What EA Can Learn For Sims 5
The Next Sims Can’t Be Another Step Back
unluckily for EA , the first 10 year ofThe Sims 4have been a rollercoaster of highs and lows for Simmers , with even those peak senior high failing to meet those of its forerunner . Sims 4clearly leaves a mountain to be desired , so where does that putSims 5?Sims 5,currently known as Project Renee , has been confirmed to be in development at EA . The game will have a focusing on naive realism and multiplayer , which seems to have some fans concerned and others already turning away .
After pivoting fromSims 4to3 , I can safely say that whatSims 5really want is to embrace the fun of the earlierSimsgames . Bring back the fag , jet packs , and the egging of house , the depth ofGenerations , and the ten thousand of travel options fromThe Sims 3.Bring some nostalgia back from previous iterations ofThe Sims : burglaries , more mature themes from the original secret plan , and the lore we figure so much of inSims 2 . Making Sims sense like real people with real lives is a trickThe Sims 4sorely missed - hopefullyThe Sims 5can make it right .
