What I Think Of... The Sims 4

I have recently been spending some long nights with a game I never thought I would do that with. I have never been a big Sims guy, I never played the first Sims, I may have an unopened copy of The Sims 2 lying around somewhere because I was going to "see what the hype was about" and then just didn't care enough, I played The Sims 3 for about an hour (and around 2 videos on YouTube's worth) and it just didn't grab me, which I attribute to my lack of knowledge and experience with the franchise previously.

So with The Sims 4 I told myself that "This is make or break. This is an important franchise in gaming and either I am going to get hooked into this one, or consider this franchise 'not for me' and accept it". I went in with an open mind as best as one could. I bought the "Origin Digital Deluxe" version, which gave me some new accessories to spruce up my house and Sim with. I had the day off of work so I could focus on this game, basically I gave myself the best chance to enjoy something that has eluded me since the original game was released in 2000.

Since the game was released on Tuesday, my Origin account says I have been playing The Sims 4 for about 16 hours now, so it appears I may be hooked, so allow me to talk about what it is about The Sims 4 that finally got me sold.

Again, just to be clear, here is my experience with The Sims franchise, so that you can take my impressions as you see fit:

The Sims - Never played
The Sims 2 - Never played
The Sims 3  - 1 hour as of this post but own (along with a few expansions)
The Sims 4 - 16 hours as of this post

The newest entry in the franchise serves as the best way for someone like me, who is a novice at the whole "life simulation" genre, to get in and understand the mechanics.

Also the biggest thing that I absolutely love is The Gallery. As long as you are online (which I have to imagine everyone is at this point, right?) you can pull down rooms, Sims, and complete houses from this online depository either made by Maxis themselves or by members of the community. I found it super easy to slap together a good looking Sim, and post it to my library. Right now if you were to look at my collection (Holmes_McFly if interested), you'll notice a few Sims named Matt Murdock, Steve Rogers, Frank Castle, Tony Stark, and Johnny Cage.

Plus the ability to take a full house and plop in on an empty lot and go is awful handy, especially with someone like me who sucks at that aspect. Hell, I just moved to a new house in real life and I'm in no hurry to become an interior decorator, it'll happen when it happens.

I have to mention that this game looks amazing. The cartoony style really stands out and the Sims themselves are so expressive that you can't help but zoom all the way in and just watch interactions play out. The two main areas of the game (the desert of Oasis Springs and the lush, suburban Willow Creek) are also a visual treat.

I did a little home remodeling once I got into the game. I started with a single Sim (Frank Castle in this case), gave him a premade 2 bedroom, 1 bath house, and started my new life. I extended a wall in the spare bedroom, sold the bed and end table that was in it, and turned it into an exercise room for Frank, compete with punching post and treadmill. I was also able to repaint the wall and install new flooring in that room with simple Shift+clicks. What I am getting at is that it was all super simple to do. The Build Mode is simple to pick up and easy to use. In no time, I was placing new light fixtures, finding new tables and chairs, rearranging furniture, tearing down walls, adding new flooring, even adding a nice deck, and actually enjoying it.

When I got back to Live Mode, I was ready to tackle the days ahead of me. I got my first job as a dishwasher, which I later quit due to weird hours and lack of money, even after getting a small promotion. I then took a job as an Amatuer Entertainer, eventually ranking up to C-List celebrity. Ranking up in jobs and completing events like dates earn you exclusive items you can place in your house. I was able to earn a sweet new stereo system, a "Walk of Fame" style rug, even a new set of kitchen counters.

Using your cell phone, you can quickly travel to different locations in either main game world. This does involve loading screens, as it is not the "open world" of The Sims 3. This does get you to where you want to go in an acceptable amount of time though. Granted, I have a pretty beefy PC so your experience may vary, but I had no problem with the load times. There are a few points of interest on either map, with parks, gyms, bars, museums and night clubs. Of course you can also just visit other Sim's houses or get straight up invited over.

Your cell phone becomes a big part of your day, just as it does in the real world. You can quit jobs, find new ones, text, chat, invite people over, play games, travel, and more from a simple pop-up menu.

Simplicity is the name of the game here. It's really easy for me to see how my Sim is feeling, the contextual interactions I have with that feeling, the state of my Sim (whether he is hungry or sleepy or needs to use the bathroom, etc.), and the proper ways to deal with situations.

Simplicity is also what is causing a lot of people to not like this game...

Many players are complaining about the lack of the open world, the lack of swimming pools, no dishwashers, basically the idea that many aspects from The Sims 3 has been stripped out to make a more accessible Sims 4. I can see where the disappointed people are coming from, but I find the criticism to be a little unfair. Sims 4 is not nearly as complex as The Sims 3 was. The one thing the series is known for is the quantity and quality of the expansions, I assume that most everything that people are complaining about will find their way into the game at some point down the road.

The Sims 4 is an absolutely addictive experience that I have a really hard time putting down (even though I'll have to once Destiny comes out in just a few short days). While many Sims veterans will find things to complain about (even try to boycott which confuses me), even the most hardcore Simmer will find things to enjoy here. For those like me who were always interested, but never fully gave the series a chance, The Sims 4 offers the best chance to get caught up in Sim-mania and believe me, I've caught the fever and I adore this game.

Word of caution: if you search YouTube looking for "Let's Plays" of this game, be VERY careful. I have found many players have the most annoying voices I have ever heard. I recommend The Sim Supply, quill18, Andrew Arcade, or Sims3loser. You'll thank me later.