Monday 2 September 2013

Preview: The Sims 4

Everyone loves the Sims, right? From the very first buggy, freezing original Sims game to the flawless Sims 3, we've all become addicted to the rare sensation of absolute omnipotence.

With a 2014 release date, the Sims 4 is liable to gave us hanging on the edge of the latest Sims 3 Expansion Pack (Sims 3 Island Paradise, by our reckoning) - but will it be worth it in the end?


Well, firstly, it's looking like omnipotence just became a whole lot more user friendly. It looks as though the consequence driven gameplay, introduced in the latter Sims 3 expansion packs, will continue into Sims 4, extending into wider society.

Not only that, but extended body customisations - from changing relationships to choosing your Sim's walk - should mean that your game plays exactly as you always imagined it. Well, if you were power mad, that is.



Build mode seems to have been optimised too, with the ability to click and drag rooms - useful if, like us, you tend to end up running out of room and creating a long corridor of a bedroom.

The thing we're most curious about right now is the relatively high pre-order price. £54.99 ($69.99) would buy us quite a bit more than one game; in fact, right now, it would buy a few Sims 3 Expansion packs. Right now, we're not seeing any massive changes that would justify the hike in price.

Still, there's a long time to go. Maybe future developmental bulletins will shed some light on just why you should break the bank for another Sims instalment. Then again, do any of us really need a reason?