The Sims 4

 PC
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 42 out of 75
  3. Negative: 2 out of 75
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  1. CD-Action
    Oct 24, 2014
    40
    The Sims 4 is just a foundation of a game. How would you react if you bought a new Elder Scrolls game and realized that half of the cities are unavailable (because TES6: World Adventures is around the corner), there are only 4 weapons (TES6: Accessories), you can’t ride horses (TES6: Pets), there are only 12 quests (TES6: Careers), 2 guilds (TES6: Friends) and 3 spells (TES6: Supernatural)? [Nov 2014, p.50]
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  2. Gameblog.fr
    Sep 12, 2014
    40
    The Sims 4 is still a charming life simulation, with a better interface and some new possibilities, but so many elements are missing compared from The Sims 3 (hello DLCs!) that all the fans will be disappointed.

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 2630 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 680 out of 2630
  2. Mixed: 543 out of 2630
  3. Negative: 1,407 out of 2630
  1. okamimiyazaki
    Sep 2, 2014
    0
    When I first fired it up, I thought, 'wow, this looks promising!' The music was nice, the interface was improved and it was much faster thanWhen I first fired it up, I thought, 'wow, this looks promising!' The music was nice, the interface was improved and it was much faster than the previous games. Create-a-Sim looked good, too (at first). Then, I started to realize that this game just isn't that good. Create-a-Sim is a disappointment compared to previous games. There's no color wheel and there aren't even many colors to choose from. There just aren't a lot of options and I had significantly more trouble getting my Sims to not look the same, even with the adjustments of facial features (which actually aren't that great because they are very limited).

    The game feels like a Sims game but it's missing a LOT. Not just content such as pools, outfits, colors, etc. but gameplay and options. The options are practically nonexistent. The camera doesn't work that well and there are zero options to adjust it! Have they never heard of options in video games?

    Overall, I'm just not a fan of this. It's a Sims game with better coding but 1/4 the amount of options and it brings very little to the table in terms of new or original content, just multitasking and emotions. Not worth the money.    … Full Review »
  2. JarrahG
    Sep 2, 2014
    1
    I played with the Create A Sim demo and felt I had a good understanding of it, but once I started in the actual game the create a sim setupI played with the Create A Sim demo and felt I had a good understanding of it, but once I started in the actual game the create a sim setup has no natural path. Despite having the tutorial, (which if you click off of it goes away until you randomly do whatever it asked you to do.) It assumes you know what to do, and it tries to empower the user with "freedom" and flexibility, but instead you end up missing parts like changing body parts. You see the dials for muscles & fat, but clicking on the body parts and adjusting them at different angles? Well I hope you intuitively know where they are and what their abilities are b/c there is nothing to queue you to their functionality. Again I've been playing with the CAS demo extensively, but in the production version of the game there is no natural flow.

    My biggest complaint is that there is far less control in general. You have only the pre-determined styles and there's no room to custom or alter ANYTHING.

    Like that shirt or counter top but want to make it a shade lighter? Too bad! You get these 5 options we've created.
    Want to make that metal object, wood? #SorryNotSorry
    What a design on that lampshade? So long as it's white, sure!

    There are 1/20th selection of anything, except random crap you don't care about. There are 6 counter/island styles, but 19 stove hood styles. Seriously?

    Standard things are missing. Like? Dishwashers. Under counter, trash compactors. Classic double kitchen sink. Not-hanging ceiling lights (i.e. standard flush mounted can lights)

    The new mouse/camera controls are weird. You can change them back to Sims 3 style but since you're missing pitch/tilt it doesn't make much sense.

    I am so frustrated by the complete lack of *everything* I rage-quit while setting up my house. Something that I could do for hours in all previous versions.

    I spent nearly all of last weekend in The Sims 3, making a really cool new house. Making sure that the wood of the bedroom furniture was the same style and color. Pulling tones from bed fabrics and using them in curtains and wall colors. Making sure the metal of the kitchen counter knobs was the same metal and hue as the light fixtures and the appliances.

    All of the subtle details that made The Sims 3 a fantastic customizable world are COMPLETELY lacking in The Sims 4.

    They completely screwed up the worlds too. Instead of having a cohesive world, you have the vague notion of a world with out of scale venues in neighborhoods. In order to go anywhere or see your world you have to use your phone. Instead of getting in your car or summoning a taxi you go to a load screen and appear at the venue. You cannot seamlessly travel within the world only in the neighborhood. I feel like I am using an internal alpha and not a released game.

    With the Sims 3 I loved trading patterns in the Exchange and getting new buildings or furniture that would have new patterns that I could customize and apply in existing buildings or clothing. I loved being able to choose that SPECIAL shade of green for my Sims eyes, deep green but vibrant. I missing selecting hair color and adding subtle highlights and low-lights.

    I've spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars, buying every expansion pack, every new world, every stuff pack and new set and venue in The Sims 3 store.

    The entire reason I loved playing this game, the customizing of houses, and furniture and clothes and the people ... all of that has been decimated to what can only be described as bare bones, poor-mans replica.

    I want to throw money at EA like I did with The Sims 3, but until I can change the shade of purple in a shirt, or matchy-match my furniture, I have no reason or desire to. I am heart broken that the newest version of my favorite game is only a shell of it's former glory.

    All of that is gone, and until it's back, I am too.

    Damn, so disappointing.    … Full Review »
  3. Doctective
    Sep 2, 2014
    0
    What the hell? I bought this being really excited about getting the next generation of Sims games, but it really just seems like a fancied upWhat the hell? I bought this being really excited about getting the next generation of Sims games, but it really just seems like a fancied up version of the Sims 2 with LESS features. Where is all the additions Sims 3 brought? Why is so much gone now while there are still some objects and movement that are the exact same as in previous games? I feel really scammed for getting such an incomplete product.

    I thought after Sim City, EA would be more eager to regain their trust with the customers, but I guess I was dead wrong. Unless you like paying more than 50 bucks for a Sims game that has less features than the freemium app on mobile, I would recommend you to throw your wallet at something else. EA does not deserve any money for this.    … Full Review »
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