One of the most endearing themes in storytelling is romance, and none more compelling than forbidden romance between star-crossed lovers. The Sims has such a romance in its rival families of the Capps and the Montys from The Sims 2, which mirrors one of the greatest romances ever told by one of the greatest writers in the English canon: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Neither their romance nor the rivalry between their families was ever resolved in The Sims 2, leaving players with an open ending throughout The Sims 3 or 4. The Sims 5 has the opportunity to set the fate star-crossed lovers right and put players' hearts to rest.
The quaint neighborhood of fair Veronaville in The Sims 2 sets the stage for a Shakespearean romance with its Tudor-style housing on one end, and Italian-style on the other. The neighborhood is bisected by a river, obviously based on the Italian town of Verona that serves as the setting of Romeo and Juliet. All the streets, house names, Sims, and townies are Shakespeare references in some form or another.
The Sims 2's Unresolved Tale
The two main families in Veronaville are the Capps and the Montys. Both families are large, and have a rivalry that goes so far back neither can remember where it began. The Capp family live in Capp Manor, which is situated on the English side of Veronaville - being a reference to the Capulets in Romeo and Juliet. The Montys live in the Italian side of Veronaville and all work in The Sims 2 Culinary track - referencing Romeo and Juliet's Montagues. Juliette Capp has fallen in love with her rival, Romeo Monty, and secretly wants to enter a relationship with him.
As with many of the story elements of The Sims 2, events following this setup rely on players' imaginations. Putting Romeo and Juliette into a relationship won't functionally do anything to damage their relationships with their families, although players can certainly replay a version of Shakespeare’s play if they wish. But, as it is, the conflict and drama between the Capps and the Montys remains unresolved. While both families are downloadable in The Sims 3, they’re different family members who are uninvolved in the drama.
The Sims 5 Will Have the Technology to Tell This Story
The door is still open to resolve this conflict 20 years later in The Sims 5. The Sims 4: Growing Together's all-new compatibility system adds another layer of complexity to relationships and dynamics between Sims, making it more feasible for such a story to play out. There are many more possibilities for inter-family conflict, such as values, interests, likes, and hobbies, so maybe Romeo and Juliette are the two odd ones out with good compatibility across the two families.
If The Sims 5 has Growing Together's compatibility system, there are many possible ways Sims players could find closure to this turbulent story of star-crossed lovers from The Sims 2. Veteran players well-acquainted with The Sims 2 would be grateful to close the book on this story that has been in limbo for fifteen years, while younger generations of players would be introduced to the drama that enraptured Veronaville so many years ago. Romeo Monty and Juliette Capp deserve the ending that the original Shakespear tale never saw, and Simmers deserve closure in The Sims 5.
The Sims 5 is in development.