Sims 4 Musings

If you've been following the gradual reveal of the Sims 4, even remotely, then you will no doubt be aware of the recent controversies surrounding the game. You may even be one of the thousands of people who have expressed their outrage online.

I have tried to keep a largely open mind when it comes to this game. I understand why cuts have been made, even if I'd rather than they hadn't. Toddlers and Pools seem to be the two biggest gripes, but as long as they get included at a later date I don't really mind. I won't miss Create-A-Style either, as it seems that the Sims team have really put some effort into creating nice clothes this time. I like most of what I've seen, and there are plenty of options for everything. CASt was always something that I felt I HAD to use in order to make my Sims outfits and houses to look right, but it was a pain to use and I had to wait for ages for the different patterns to load. I'm almost glad to see the back of it.

My understanding is that the colour wheel will also not be included, but I made great use of this for hair and eye colours. I liked that none of my Sims had exactly the same shade of hair. However, I am sure that I will not lament its loss once I start to play.

Story Progression is the biggest one for me. For those of you who are not aware, there will be no "Story Progression" as we currently know it. You can't create a married couple, drop them into the town, and expect them to go about getting their own jobs or having kids whilst you play a different household. There will be a lot of micromanaging involved. I know that there will be people out there who like that style of gameplay, but I'd bet that there are more who do not.

In the Sims 3, I used to like creating a young family and building them a house next to another family of the same age. So if my family had a toddler, I'd move them in near to another family with a toddler. The families would grow up together, have more children, etc.

If I want that now, I have to switch households in order to ensure that the couple have another baby. If I want their grown son to leave the house and get a job, I have to do that too. Given the re-introduction of loading screens, this could turn out to be a hassle. It remains to be seen though, and whilst this change does not suit my style of play, I have no problem adapting if I have to.

If the studio are to be believed, all of these things have been cut in favour of a better game. Right now I am on their side; I think the game looks beautiful. I am hopeful that it will feel less hollow than previous games, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.


Until the next,

Emma