Screenshot from the gameHey! Unfortunately this week I won’t be talking about the Assassin’s Creed series – that’ll have to be a tale for later. Instead, I’m bringing you the controversy/review/story of Electronic Arts’s popular franchise – the Sims.
The Sims is a series of simulation games that imitates real life – you get to control ‘sims’; their relationships, appearance, work and even when they have to go to the toilet. It also has an extensive building mode where you get to stretch your creative muscles and have a go at creating the most beautiful houses. However, there were some controversies on how 89 features available in earlier editions of the game were taken away from the newest Sims 4, only to be included in downloadable content packs (DLCs), which players have to purchase separately, or not included at all.
Does this dampen the overall experience? Well, the pool, toddler level, terrain tools and even some careers were taken away. You can’t even place your own lots anymore, you can only build three floors in your house, and you can’t immediately load the neighbour’s house to play – all of which are major bummers. I could list more things that they don’t have, such as basements or burglars or work buildings or restaurants or dishwashers, but I’m guessing this already shows which key features are missing from Sims 4.
My first experience with the Sims series was Sims 2 back in 2005 and it was a mind-blowing experience. However – I can’t exactly say I’ve had the same experience with Sims 4. The ‘create-a-sim’ mode has a lot to offer with much easier controls but the building mode has become limited and it feels lacking, especially with outdoor landscaping.
Sims 4 lives up to expectations in creativity and aesthetics but not gameplay. It’s expensive and will get much more expensive if you buy the DLCs. I swear the prices climb with every instalment - Sims 2 was approximately HK$200, Sims 3 was HK$300 and now, Sims 4 is HK$400, and that’s just the core game!
And to those people who think they can get away with pirating the game, there’s a bug which mosaics everything (not only the nude sims).
Hats off to EA for making sure people are buying the game, but it’s a no from me on whether this game is a must buy or not. Maybe with the expansion packs the game will get better, but if you don’t have the time, money or patience, stick to Sims 3.