At a time when more casual and wholesome games are thriving, The Sims should revive its short-lived Sims Stories series to offer a streamlined experience to the franchise through more traditional story-telling gameplay that many have grown accustomed to. Between the extra content available for The Sims 4 ranging from aliens to vampires and "Project Rene" in development as the anticipated The Sims 5 presumably, it can seem difficult for the average gamer to find a foothold in the ever-expanding series. Combined with the system requirements needed to run such a game, newer and casual players might struggle to get their bearings.
This was something that The Sims Stories sought to address between 2007 and 2008, as the series consisted of three games modified from The Sims 2 and optimized for laptop gaming. Beyond certain features being removed to improve gameplay and performance, The Sims Stories included a story mode alongside its traditional free-play classic mode with the hopes of catering to more players interested in The Sims. But with the rising costs of DLC for games like The Sims 4 and growing interest in more casual games, now would be an ideal time to give players an alternative through The Sims Stories.
Project Rene Is in a Prime Position to Revamp One of The Sims 4's Least-Appreciated Packs
When it comes to Project Rene, the next Sims installment, there are certain things the game has to do better than its predecessors, like packs.
Exploring The Sims Stories: Life, Pet, and Castaway
Based on The Sims 2 engine, each of the three games within The Sims Stories series seemed to draw inspiration from specific packs introduced to the main game, such as The Sims 2: Nightlife and The Sims 2: Pets. Though a free-play mode was available, these games seemed more focused on their linear story-driven modes which followed specific characters and sequences. While The Sims 3 and The Sims 4 attempted to include story progression that functioned more as an autoplay mechanic, The Sims Stories games remain outliers for their scripted story-telling experiences as seen below.
The Sims Stories Game | Story Mode Features |
|---|---|
The Sims Life Stories |
|
The Sims Pet Stories |
|
The Sims Castaway Stories |
|
The Sims Stories Streamlines the Player's Experience
The Sims Stories seem to resemble the approach that other sim games have taken in recent years, such as Stardew Valley and Disney Dreamlight Valley, which balance a general narrative for players to follow with the freedom to choose how they follow it. With the added benefit of being less intensive on both the player's bank account and gaming hardware, The Sims Stories continues to be the ideal alternative for anyone uncertain about how and where to start playing games like The Sims 4. Players can have agency and direction as they are introduced to The Sims through the simplified story-driven experience.
The Sims 4 Expansion Pack Potential for The Sims Stories
Since many of The Sims 4 expansion packs appear to be based on or inspired by earlier packs from across the series, reviving The Sims Stories may require starting from scratch with remakes of the original three games. But the series could be more ambitious and instead focus on newer or more abstract areas of The Sims 4's DLC, offering an even greater focus on its story-driven gameplay than its traditional free-play mode. The Sims 4 is expected to receive even more updates throughout 2024, but new takes on The Sims Stories could be inspired some of its latest or more popular DLC.
- The Sims Farm Stories based on Horse Ranch and Cottage Living.
- The Sims Celebrity Stories based on Get Famous.
- The Sims Vacation Stories based on Island Living, Snowy Escape, Outdoor Retreat, and Spa Day.
- The Sims Supernatural Stories based on Vampires, Realm of Magic, and Werewolves.
