A recentSims 4update reintroduced a significant feature to the franchise; story progression. One of the most beloved elements of theSims 3, it contributes to far greater in-game realism by allowing Sims in households that the player isn’t controlling to continue to progress in their lives by having children, getting jobs, or moving house, among other events.
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One of themost recognizable game franchisesout there,EA’sSimshas a significant majority of long-time fans who have been playing the game for many years and are familiar with the newest iteration of the franchise and the older versions. This update is huge for theSims 4,which is often criticized compared to older iterations of the franchise for being limited and less realistic. It has opened the conversation about whichSims 2and3features they may reintroduce next to improve the fourth installation of the game.
Unshackled Babies
InSims 2, babies had incredible versatility and freedom regarding the interactions older Sims could have with them; they could have bottles prepared from the fridge, take baths in the sink, be changed on changing tables, and the list continues. And in theSims 3, babies could be carried around the world freely, pushed in a stroller around town, or left on the ground just about anywhere.
In comparison, the babies inSims 4are more like objects than actual Sims; confined to their cribs, they can only be fed, socialized with, or changed by Sims standing directly in front of them. It makes the baby’s life stage an inconvenience more than anything. Many players choose to age their babies up immediately to skip straight to the toddler stage, where more versatility and freedom are available.
Open World
TheSims 3had a large, completely open, nearly entirely customizable world map where Sims could travel freely and between multiple locations without loading screens. In contrast, theSims 4world maps are static and in-game play is restricted to individual buildings and a restricted area surrounding them where Sims can walk around, meet strangers, and sometimes visit small parks or playgrounds.
To see other homes or any social lots involves lengthy load screens which disrupt gameplay. While EA has explained that theSims 4’ssuperior graphics came at the expense of an open world, many have said that modern computers are far more potent than those used in theSims 3days, and most could handle an open world map.
School Realism
Sims 2and3not only had school buildings on the map that Sims could interact with, but they had a school bus that took the children to school. You could see them sitting in it and follow them as they got in and out. TheSims 2had an even richer school experience than theSims 3; Sims could invite their children’s school Headmaster to the house for dinner, and, if they impressed the Headmaster enough, their child or children would be asked to enroll in Private School. When children arrived home from school, their parents would scold or praise them based on their grades. Children would run excitedly from the bus into the house to greet their parents if their grades were high.
InSims 4, children walk to the end of the map and then vanish for the day when they go to school. They have homework, and their parents can help them complete it, but other than that, there’s not much involved in the school experience.
Rich, Interactive World
Not only didSims 2and3have open worlds, but they were also full of community buildings that Sims could visit for an enriching gameplay experience. You could go shopping at the grocery store (which was eventually added in theSims 4expansion pack Cottage Living) or visit the cemetery (where dead Sims' gravestones had to be retrieved from the mausoleum as opposed to just appearing wherever they died). There was the observatory where Sims could go to work or visit with a group and a restaurant where Sims would get meals served to them by waiters. The list continues.
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Sims 4, especially without expansion packs, has only a handful of social lots and none of them areparticularly lively. Visiting a bar and getting roped into a group conversation (usually against your will) is about all you’re able to do outside the home without forking out for expansion and game packs.
Create-A-Style
Create-A-Style was a feature inSims 3that allowed players to customize objects, furniture, and clothing patterns and colors, using a vast library of texture swatches and a color wheel. Not all aspects of a thing could be customized, but a high degree of customization was offered.
Objects and clothing in theSims 4have fixed “swatches,” usually between 5-10 per item, depending on what it is. Many think it’s a shame to have backpedaled from the creative freedom offered in theSims 3,and there are frequent calls to bring this unique feature back.
Custom Lifespans
TheSims 3had game settings that allowed the player to customize their Sims' lifespans completely. Players who found the toddler stage irritating, but enjoyed the freedom of the child stage, for example, could set the toddler life stage to 7 days but increase the child life stage to 20, or whatever configuration best suited them.
In contrast,Sims 4has three static life span options: short, normal, and long. If there’s a life stage they can’t stand, their only choices are to suffer through it with a long life span or speed through their Sims' entire lives with a short or medium life span.A lack of personalized mediumhere. With the gap between the “normal” and “long” life spans being hundreds of Sim days, there are calls to bring back the ability for players to dictate their own Sims' life spans.
TheSims 2and3had cars that the Sims could own and drive around town. Sims would also carpool to work, and children and teens would catch a bus to and from school. InSims 2,cars were incredibly animated and interactive. Sims would open the doors and climb in and out. When leaving or returning to their home lot, the vehicle could pull into and out of the driveway. Passengers could ride in the car and change the music on the stereo or turn the car’s lights on while inside. Finally, the Free Time expansion pack even offered a junk car that could be restored.
The vehicles in theSims 3were less interactive, but even so, they were an essential element of the game, and you could follow Sims as they drove around the open map. If Sims did not have a car or were too young to drive, they would take a taxi or ride a bicycle. TheSims 4has no usable vehicles. In the absence of an open world, when Sims travel outside their home lot, they run to the edge of the map, and the game then cuts to a load screen. The lack of vehicles is felt to detract from the realism present in earlier iterations of the game.
Fully Formed Personalities
The Sims 2 had massive potential in terms of personalities for each Sim; Sims' personalities could change and develop over time in-game, depending on the influences they are exposed to in their life. Sims' personality traits would have a significant impact on their behavior in-game. If a Sim was “sloppy,” for example, they were liable to eat from the garbage or lick empty plates clean autonomously. InSims 3, personalities were less animated, but they still had more impact.
Personalities are comparatively flatter in theSims 4. Sims have four traits each, and while some come with more dramatic in-game interactions - e.g., a “slob” won’t autonomously do dishes after eating - generally speaking, they don’t have a vast or dramatic effect on anything that occurs. Almost all Sims act the same regardless of the traits they have. Players have complained that Sims in the earlier versions of the game felt more like “real people” compared to their robotic, high-graphicsSims 4counterparts.
