The Sims franchise has seen a lot of major changes in the past decade and while some of those changes were loved by fans, other changes were questioned at best and outright protested at worst. Though there were a lot of temporary changes (like the removal of the toddler age stage,) this article will focus on the permanent changes that the game has seen with its recent releases.
Though we adore the Sims series and with continue to play and purchase its many expansion packs faithfully and enthusiastically, truth be told, we were not the biggest fans of some of the changes that they have made in recent years. Some changes have truly revolutionized the game in innovative and entertaining ways while others have had us shaking our heads and asking why?
10 10. Best: Inclusive Options
In a free update, players of the Sims 4 were given the ability to customize their sims even further than ever before with something that fans have started to refer to as the "inclusivity update." This update allowed all Sims to have the option to bear or help produce children, regardless of sex, and wear clothes from both the feminine and masculine clothing categories.
Though this seems like a small change, it was a truly heartwarming and wonderful way for the developers to show their support for their diverse fan base and the unique Sims which they seek to create.
9 9. Worst: Loss of The Colour Wheel
Simply put, the base game hair and eye colours aren't the best. There are no good blonde options and the tones of the hair often changes between styles, which is rather bizarre. The colours that are provided to players to use for their Sims eyes are also terrible. They are unrealistically vivid and create a rather doll-like effect on the Sim that is truly unsettling at times.
The hair and eye issues can be easily fixed with downloadable mods created by Sims but it can still be frustrating to find an outfit or a couch that you like and realize that it only comes in truly awful colours.
8 8. Best: Holidays
The holiday system, which was introduced in the Sims 4 seasons pack, is one of the best additions to the game that has ever been made. These holidays are truly fun, creative, and exciting ways to inject a bit more realism into one's game and emphasizes the passage of time.
Now players can not only attend big holidays and celebrate with their favourite Sims, but they can also plan big life events around said holidays. Like weddings and the birth of their children! Are you trying for a Harvestfest or Love Day baby?
7 7. Worst: Clay Textured Hair
The decision to go from Alpha style hair textures to clay textured hair is truly bizarre. Yes, it does match the more cartoony style that the Sims 4 dev team was going for but the clay hair truly only works for short styles.
With longer hair or updos, the clay hair simply looks far too animated and can be really frustrating for players who enjoy making realistic sims. Though this can be fixed with mods, the weird mix of alpha and clay hair that can be seen around the world with those mods installed can be a rather odd contrast and it would have been much better if the devs simply stuck with the realistic hair textures from previous games.
6 6. Best: Character Values
The addition of the character values that came with the Parenting Expansion Pack has truly been the greatest addition to the series in a long time. Now players have to be careful the things that they say and do to their younger sims as each action will affect the kind of person that said Sim grows up to be.
These character values can also develop into traits when the child ages into an adult and these traits can seriously impact how the Sim interacts with the world and people around them. Slobby sims will actually leave messes about the house and responsible children will clean up messes that they did not even create.
5 5. Worst: Loss Of Sneaking Out
Okay, yes. Technically teen Sims can still sneak out but it is truly not the same. If a family sets their own personal curfew on the family bulletin board and the player sends the teenage Sim to another lot after said curfew, the player can choose to have the parent punish the teen when they return home. But that just is not the same.
The removal of emergency services from the game means that teen Sims will no longer be busted for breaking curfew and brought home by the police. This also means that punishment is no longer automatic. If you want a grounded Sim, you're going to have to do it yourself.
4 4. Best: Multi-Tasking
Being able to eat and talk at the same time has truly made the Sims a far more realistic and fluid game. Having to drink an entire glass of water before you could even touch your dinner was always a weird quirk that players had to deal with in previous installments.
The ability to interact with other Sims while doing other activities has also added to the realistic nature of the game. No longer will family dinners be weird cult-like events where the Sims devour their food in total silence before they are able to talk to each other.
3 3. Worst: Loss Of The Open World
The loss of the open world is truly a frustrating thing. Though we do appreciate the fact that the Sims 4 has considerably less lag than the previous installment and that the game is far more gentle on our computers, the inability to simply follow a Sim as they explore the world is frustrating and causes a lot of players to simply keep their Sims at home.
One of the most frustrating things that has come from the removal of the open world is when a Sim is traveling to a location to which they could reasonably walk. Many times they will reach said location and then a loading screen will boot up the second they step foot on the new lot as it is technically a new location. Even though they were able to access it with ease.
2 2. Best: Varied Clothing Styles and Aesthetics
This decade truly brought a lot of magic to our Sims closets. Not only were we given more outfit categories in order to customize our Sims looks. But the new makeup, hat, tattoo, piercing, and clothing options have truly allowed for players to create custom and unique people with their own personal aesthetic rather than relying on the few actually cute pieces within the game and using them on everyone.
One of the best features that was added into the Sims 4 was the ability to choose from all outfit categories when dressing a Sim. No longer are ball gowns strictly formal attire. If your Sim is the kind of person that wants to wear a bathing suit to a wedding, they can now do so and we are so glad.
1 1. Worst: Limited Personalities
Let's face it, even with the unlockable traits that come from reward points and ambitions, it is still very difficult to make a well-rounded person using only three to five words to describe them. The Sims 3 allowed for up to six personality slots which really gave players the ability to make complex and unique Sims. You could make a Family Guy who loved his kids but had secret kleptomaniac urges. Or a materialistic snob who hated both children but loved dogs.
In the Sims 4, you get to choose three traits and it truly just is not enough.