No thanks to game critics
which both lambasted and praised the game, I bought it with a mixture of
excitement and tentativeness.
Being thrifty, I was
most concerned with the game’s value for dollar. I may be a Sims fan, but not
one who is hardcore enough to purchase a game with no heed to its cost.
And so, after 3 days
of gameplay, here is MY general review of The Sims 4:
Bear in mind that I
have only played TS1 and TS3, and have not fully explored the game features.
Pros:
New challenges:
Sims aspirations are broken down to small goals which give players a good sense
of their progress. Upon completion of aspiration, players can select a new
aspiration for Sims. Social events are also given small challenges which reward
players upon successful completions.
Smart
Sims: Décor and actions can influence Sims’ emotions, making them more dynamic,
interesting and less one-dimensional characters. Sims can become moody,
playful, flirty, confident, dazed, angry, happy, focused, bored and inspired.
Sims can also multitask, such as conversing with other nearby Sims while
surfing the net or working out.
Easy Build
Mode: After building a room, players can click, drag and drop the new room to a
new location. Quick and easy to modify. Players can also click the entire lot
to delete.
Easy
Create-A-Sim feature: TS3 CAS has many sliders for different features which
complicates the creating process. Now, players can modify the body easily like
clay by clicking on the specific body part and dragging.
Cons:
Slow
transitions: the loading screen pops up frequently. With more content added to
the game, whether more household or lots, waiting time gets longer. With future
expansion packs, the loading screen will take decades.
Lacks
polish: no more color palette which enables players to design items using patterns and a range of colors.
Overall verdict:
I absolutely love the
game! Being an impatient person, the many loading screen frustrates me at times
but it is bearable. Moreover, this whole scenario is nothing new to THE SIMS
franchise. The new mini challenges added to the game also give a breath of
fresh air to the franchise.
I also love that my
Sims’ emotions are shaped by their surroundings and actions. For example,
taking a bubble bath puts my Sim into a playful mood. Viewing art pieces also
gives my Sims inspiration.
This new feature makes the gameplay less repetitive,
less stolid and highly interesting. The Sims are made more ‘human’ now with
their myriad of emotions.
The new multitasking
feature is also a huge plus point. Again, the Sims are rendered more human
because they are doing what everyone else in reality does – multitask! In the
long run, this saves up a lot of gameplay time because Sims can do two tasks at
one, like working out on the treadmill and talking to other Sims.
I also love the new
build mode and CAS. I can easily edit my home with just a click, and modify my
Sims by dragging my mouse. THIS SAVES UP A LOT OF PRECIOUS TIME.
So yes, I really love
the game and will continue playing until I grow bored of it which will not be
anytime soon.