Content: 3/5

Gameplay: 4/5

Features: 3.5/5

Overall impression: 7/10

The Sims by EA and Maxis is one of the most recognized franchises in the gaming world, spanning multiple consoles and generations beginning in 2000, and continuing with the most recent release this year, The Sims 4. When I first heard the Sims was getting a new installment, I was excited. I had played The Sims 2 and 3, and enjoyed both of them, I even bought a couple of expansion packs the game is famous for.

However, as the development cycle of The Sims 4 progressed, leaks began to occur, stating that previously base content, such as open world exploration, pools, toddlers, and ghosts, would not be available in the base Sims 4 game, but would likely be sold in expansion packs later in the game’s lifetime. I was disappointed at first, but recently EA has made some surprising statements that some of the missing content will be put back in free of charge.

When the Sims 4 was initially released, it got mixed reviews from critics. Upon launching the game for the first time, several good features became apparent that EA did well.

The first was optimization. Sims 3 was notorious for running poorly even on higher end systems, but so far the Sims 4 has shown no excessive loading times or stuttering frame rates.

The environment was another aspect they improved upon. The Sims 4 is surprisingly jovial, albeit a bit limited due to the current lack of open world exploration for you and your sim. The world seems more alive, and the updated realism definitely does it justice.

The create-a-sim menu is also more vibrant. EA released a free demo of their new create-a-sim launcher before the game’s release, prompting many to become excited with the new opportunities for sims. I was surprised to see that not only were emotions and traits more fleshed out, but the detail was improved as well.

A downside is, while a whole town used to be at your disposal, I discovered this time that you are limited to a small neighborhood. Upon entering the home and properly exploring the new environment, I found that although the game lacks a few features, the ones that are already implemented work well. As a whole, The Sims 4 is a worthwhile addition to the Sims franchise.