The Sims 4

 PC
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
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  1. thecoolguy5
    Nov 4, 2014
    9
    I am so happy that Maxis has put in these new updates! cant wait to see what's next. P.S cars would be nice a new map would as well.
  2. franklin969
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    I'm really tired of hearing people who have never even been close to playing this game complain so much. I've been playing this game for a while now and to say that some things are missing would be kind of an understatement. Yes, a great deal of things from the sims 3 are missing among those being babies and pools. While it is true to say that these missing elements are a let down andI'm really tired of hearing people who have never even been close to playing this game complain so much. I've been playing this game for a while now and to say that some things are missing would be kind of an understatement. Yes, a great deal of things from the sims 3 are missing among those being babies and pools. While it is true to say that these missing elements are a let down and give EA an opportunity to make more cash out the DLC's, I could not help but think how entertaining this game was. Seeing all those omissions on paper made me think I would absolutely hate this game, while in all actuality I forgot about those omissions because I was having too much fun with the game. The new emotions and character creation is enough to engulf me hours upon hours just to try and get the perfect sim. The world in itself does not seem as vast as previous versions. But when you kind of think of it, this always happens with game franchises. Everybody always complains about not getting this feature or that feature from the previous game. I am personally enjoying my experience playing this game and sincerely hope people actually try it out themselves instead of spewing hate over a game they have never played.… Expand
  3. The_X_Filess
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    I've played it a couple of hours yesterday. My first impressions are actually really good.

    (-) The game runs very smooth on my PC, 60 fps on Ultra settings. + load and save times are much shorter. Graphics look great! (-) The new UI looks amazing. It's much easier to find a certain object in Build mode. (-) I like the new possibilities in Build mode. There are TONS of new options to    I've played it a couple of hours yesterday. My first impressions are actually really good.

    (-) The game runs very smooth on my PC, 60 fps on Ultra settings. + load and save times are much shorter. Graphics look great!
    (-) The new UI looks amazing. It's much easier to find a certain object in Build mode.
    (-) I like the new possibilities in Build mode. There are TONS of new options to create unique houses. And the controls are easy.
    (-) Multitasking is amazing. This is a big improvement. My Sims feel more human because of this. It's very cool to see them talking while they're playing games for example. Though they tend to change (seating) positions a lot when they're in a conversation, which is kinda annoying.
    (-) Emotions are awesome! Again, a huge improvement. Now you actually notice that your Sim is angry, sad, emotional and so forth. It's so much fun to see you're Sim hiding in his bed when he's embarrassed. Again, they feel more like humans.
    (-) Public places are fun! I never really like public places in The Sims 3, because they were kinda chaotic. In The Sims 4 this changed a lot. It's a lot of fun to go to the gym and talk to other Sims during your workout. And I like that when you're sitting in the bar talking to another Sim, other Sims can join the conversation.
    (-) Promotions. Even though the new careers are not really my thing I do like the new system. You have to complete certain tasks to get a promotion. When you actually get a promotion you'll also receive a gift like a new PC when you're a blogger.
    (-) The world is beautiful. Yes, we don't have an open world like in The Sims 3 anymore. But because of this the game runs very smooth. And the world looks much nicer now. My Sim was eating in the backyard yesterday and the view was amazing. I could see a fast food restaurant and a highway and beautiful hills. Really nice.

    So far great impressions. It really feels like a new Sim game and it's a very solid base game!

    What I don't like so far are the careers. It's cool to be an astronaut but not very realistic. I miss the business, medical, political, law enforcement careers and so forth. I don't understand why the developers removed those.

    Maybe my opinion will change after playing it again later today, but for now I'm impressed. Yes, they removed some big things like pools and toddlers, and I'm not happy about that but they've added many new cool things. Too bad nowadays all people do is hate on gamedevelopers that dare to change things.    … Expand
  4. zStatix
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    Most of the reviews on this site have either not played The Sims 3 in a long time or play it with a blind eye. The Sims 3 runs horrible on even the best computers suffering from freezes that progressively get worst forcing you to use debug cheats and restarting the game to fix it or even downloading user created mods to fix all the issues.

    The Sims 4 may not have one seamless world but    Most of the reviews on this site have either not played The Sims 3 in a long time or play it with a blind eye. The Sims 3 runs horrible on even the best computers suffering from freezes that progressively get worst forcing you to use debug cheats and restarting the game to fix it or even downloading user created mods to fix all the issues.

    The Sims 4 may not have one seamless world but is also does not have a 10 minute load screen at the start of the game. All the loading screens take less than 30 seconds and you can travel anywhere you want even to different worlds faster than you can travel to your neighbors house in The Sims 3.

    As for not having pools, The Sims 4 has fountains which function the same in every way as pools except you can not swim in them (which was useless anyway). With the fountains you can also install various different water emitters in them to make them look even better than pools.

    The biggest thing i think that The Sims 4 does not have that The Sims 3 did is the style editor. The Sims 4 will not allow you to create custom styles for objects and clothes but that do have a few premade styles for almost every object. I believe the style editor was a big contributing cause to the horrible performance issues of The Sims 3 and may be why they chose to leave it out.

    The Sim Creator is very easy and intuitive. The way it works is you just click on any part of the sim and drag it different ways to change size, shape and position. You can tell what part of the sim you are editing by the way the game highlights the part.

    Of course The Sims 4 does not have all the content of Sims 3 with all its expansive packs costing 100's of dollars but The Sims 4 base game has all the content an reasonable person would expect from a base game. Also there is no amount of content The Sims 3 can have that will make it a better game over the superior performance and smooth gameplay of The Sims 4.    … Expand
  5. lippolis
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    I give Sims 4 a ten out of ten for making me want to play in regular speed and to actually work on relationships. i used to start out married in the game, but now i start single to see the relationship evolve. this is an amazingly wonderfully epic adventure that must be had for all. my only grub is that there is no toddlers, but with all its greatness it makes up for it in sheer impressiveness
  6. NetherWitch
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    First time playing the Sims and having a blast. The controls are a bit difficult, especially when building so I'll take off a point for that. Could use a bit more customization options, but it isn't lacking, so waiting on DLC for that.
  7. schrodingoether
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    The game is good, even tough it lacks some features. The gameplay is smooth and it seems like an hibryd from sims 3 and 2. It's very fun to play.I know there are some negative reviews, but I feel they are unfair with the game. Most of the people bashing it are comparing this entrance to the series with the other ones, whereas there were expansions and alike. This is not the case. This gameThe game is good, even tough it lacks some features. The gameplay is smooth and it seems like an hibryd from sims 3 and 2. It's very fun to play.I know there are some negative reviews, but I feel they are unfair with the game. Most of the people bashing it are comparing this entrance to the series with the other ones, whereas there were expansions and alike. This is not the case. This game is very solid… Expand
  8. stormywaters15
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    I give it a nine because of no toddlers, however toddlers were a nuisance anyway. I like how they changed the menus and build and buy I thought the tools to create were really intuitive. People don't like change so I'm not surprised about the negative reviews. Ok so no more cast however I had rarely used it, only when the preset styles were ugly (many of which were in the Sims 3) but II give it a nine because of no toddlers, however toddlers were a nuisance anyway. I like how they changed the menus and build and buy I thought the tools to create were really intuitive. People don't like change so I'm not surprised about the negative reviews. Ok so no more cast however I had rarely used it, only when the preset styles were ugly (many of which were in the Sims 3) but I liked the styles to choose from in ts4. It's not compatible with the game engine so I got over it. There's only so much they could do with so little time and the corporate heads breathing down the developers necks. I can't wait to see what this sequel will turn out to be. I think it will only get better and I like the base game the way it is. If all of this is to much for you don't buy the game.however I will enjoy this game for many years to come. I loved the emotions and create a sim also. My Sims finally look beautiful and diversified, no pudding faces yay!… Expand
  9. supersonic250
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Disparado o melhor jogo da serie, a unica coisa que ficou faltando foram as piscinas, mas tenho certeza que em breve elas apareceram em novos pacotes de expançao(EA everywhere).
  10. khutch
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    Finally The Sims returned to be The Sims. Having as favorite "The Sims 2" I can say that this gave me an incredible nostalgia, the building mode is so beautiful and more dynamic than ever. Found the simulation mode 3 simple cold and bland, the sims had no emotions and reactions as in the second, it seemed like everything was robotized. Here they are well crafted and are able to connectFinally The Sims returned to be The Sims. Having as favorite "The Sims 2" I can say that this gave me an incredible nostalgia, the building mode is so beautiful and more dynamic than ever. Found the simulation mode 3 simple cold and bland, the sims had no emotions and reactions as in the second, it seemed like everything was robotized. Here they are well crafted and are able to connect with the player. Yes, The Sims 4 does not show many changes from the third to the fourth, but there was an evolution from second to fourth, then, satisfied me. I believe that people will not like The Sims 4, never passed by the firsts games of the franchise.… Expand
  11. RuaCon
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    It's totally cool! I don't know why some give an negative review. The Sim 4 base on the success of 'Sim Family' game. I can see that have a lot of improve and so fun in gaming. I play it on 10 pm 1st - Aug when it release. until now.
    Graphic so fantastic, it's update that run well with new Display Card. I can run Ultra setting in Sim 4 but in SIm 3 a only can run at Medium and with lag.    It's totally cool! I don't know why some give an negative review. The Sim 4 base on the success of 'Sim Family' game. I can see that have a lot of improve and so fun in gaming. I play it on 10 pm 1st - Aug when it release. until now.
    Graphic so fantastic, it's update that run well with new Display Card. I can run Ultra setting in Sim 4 but in SIm 3 a only can run at Medium and with lag. The camera control give you more option to view - control sim with new way. Sim can do more than 1 task at the same time. in Sim 4 I can play chess and chatting with friends. control sim sit down and... 'do somethings'. The programmer must do more more work when sim can do 2 task or more at same time. Sim act as real person that use can control but sometime can't because Sim don't need to do that.... at lot of think. with me. It's perfect for a Sim 4 Base... waiting for first expansion ^_^    … Expand
  12. angarvin43
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Fantastic! Every body, EA did that again! After the great success of reboot in Sim City, fans of simulation games are wondering what the next simulation title will be launched by EA. I can't imagine how bad the gaming industry will become if EA doesn't exist in this world. For starters, EA is currently one of the best simulation developers in the world, and in general it is the leader inFantastic! Every body, EA did that again! After the great success of reboot in Sim City, fans of simulation games are wondering what the next simulation title will be launched by EA. I can't imagine how bad the gaming industry will become if EA doesn't exist in this world. For starters, EA is currently one of the best simulation developers in the world, and in general it is the leader in trends of development of various games around the world.

    Sim City has already drawn so much attention and become a legend of simulation games in modern era. Today, another legend has born, which is this wonderful game.

    Sims 4 has significant improvement over its predecessor. It has an improved UI, which is more user friendly. Its graphic is superb and oustanding. On a technical side, the optimization is perfect, the game is running extremely smoothly. The game play elements also bring the simulation of life to a new level. It has a lot of elements added, and offers a great variety of game play choices for players. Also, it is very realistic, which is an outstanding life simulator.

    All in all, the game has a lot of innovative and creative improvement, which is a must-have for all fans of simulation.

    I am already looking forwards for more DLCs to come. Please do not release expansions again like the old-days, as this takes too much time for development. Fans want new contents as soon as possible. Developers, please try to release more and more DLCs on a weekly, or if possible, on a daily basis. Fans are eager to pay for more FUN! ;)

    Every one, please join me to celebrate the great launch day of such fantastic title!    … Expand
  13. Rafique
    Dec 4, 2015
    8
    Awesome graphics,good gameplay,some good features which are lost which doesn't mind me at all so I would recommend players who are first timers for the sims to try out the sims 4 and if your download is slow,that doesn't mean that game is bad and that means your wifi is slow
  14. ravenclaw77
    Jun 3, 2016
    9
    Having played every the Sims game, I have to say my opinion is that they keep getting better, and for me this is the best one yet. I honestly believe most of the negative reviews are because of 2 things:

    Comparing the Base Sims 4 game to Sims 3 or Sims 2 with all the add ons, and the fact that EA is pretty aggressively pushing out the add ons and not 'just building it into the base    Having played every the Sims game, I have to say my opinion is that they keep getting better, and for me this is the best one yet. I honestly believe most of the negative reviews are because of 2 things:

    Comparing the Base Sims 4 game to Sims 3 or Sims 2 with all the add ons, and the fact that EA is pretty aggressively pushing out the add ons and not 'just building it into the base game'.

    For what it's worth, I believe the base game is worth the base game's price. You get hundreds or maybe thousands of hours of entertainment with great graphics, great gameplay that's simple but offers a ton of possibilities. The two major expansions are worth their asking price with all that they add as well. I haven't yet purchased the smaller packs.

    If you're a fan of the Sims franchise, I wholly recommend this as the best of the bunch. I have not regretted any money I've spent on anything Sims.    … Expand
  15. Maisol
    Sep 10, 2014
    8
    First of all, watching trailers and gameplay on YouTube was very misleading.
    Watching trailers and reading reviews I wanted EA and Maxis to burn in Hell for what they have done to this great franchise. But after actually playing the game I must say I was very wrong.
    1- Sims are not too cartoonish unless you make them so. As a person who hates cartoonish style in gaming I must admit that    First of all, watching trailers and gameplay on YouTube was very misleading.
    Watching trailers and reading reviews I wanted EA and Maxis to burn in Hell for what they have done to this great franchise. But after actually playing the game I must say I was very wrong.
    1- Sims are not too cartoonish unless you make them so. As a person who hates cartoonish style in gaming I must admit that I menaged to make my sims very realistic. And overall world aldow cartoonish is not ugly at all. I know what you're all thinking,"we have seen the trailers they are cartoonish" trust me during actual gameplay they do not feel that way at all, unless you make them so.
    2- Emotions are not overpronounced at all. Sims dont swag too much and none of my sims died from laughter. In fact they are more alive then ever and their reactions on world and situations are not annoying as they often are in Sims3.
    3- When I read about how they improved emotions, I was thinking "WTF sims already had emotions and personality just fine" but boy was I wrong. The new sims are truly alive, and you wont belive how enjoyable and engaging it is to see their personalities emerge during gameplay.
    4- I played on high graphics settings (not maximum) without experiencing a single glitch or lag, and I play on the same computer that could play Sims3 only on lower resolution and medium settings.
    5- On the other hand my game crashes a lot, and there is no autosave so I often lose my game witch is very annoying. And managing saved games is bad, although you can have multiple saves you can only load the last save. Or I haven't figured out how to load previous saves yet.
    6- Yes, not having open world is unforgivable.
    7- It is more challenging to manage sims now than before, or to say it in another word gameplay is more engaging.
    8- This is definitely not the final product. There are gaps everyware telling us that only with a few expansions this game will be complete.

    As a tool with all freedoms that it gives us The Sims3 is definitely much better game, but Sims4 have the same charm that Sims2 had. Although I am saddened by limited options we now have, I must confess that very quickly I learned to enjoy limitations, and now I have opportunity to actually meet my sims and truly play with them instead of endles building environment they live in.    … Expand
  16. ScottReid
    Sep 9, 2014
    8
    The Sims 4 isn't as bad as I thought it was. The design is much cleverer than The Sims 3. I only see The Sims 4 getting better and better with expansion packs. Let's hope they're reasonably price.
  17. Honelith
    Sep 4, 2014
    8
    A much better base game then The Sims 3 was. Sims are far more interesting this time around and are not as stupid as they were in the earlier games. The graphics are a mixed bag, sometimes it looks better then The Sims 3, such as better shadows, lighting and hair, but the textures are worse then The Sims 3. And hey, the game loads very quickly and plays great.

    But coming from The Sims 3    A much better base game then The Sims 3 was. Sims are far more interesting this time around and are not as stupid as they were in the earlier games. The graphics are a mixed bag, sometimes it looks better then The Sims 3, such as better shadows, lighting and hair, but the textures are worse then The Sims 3. And hey, the game loads very quickly and plays great.

    But coming from The Sims 3 with all its expansions and Stuff packs, ofcourse people will be left feeling cheated, it would be impossible to make The Sims 4 feel as fully featured as The Sims 3. The Sims 4 is a good one, but it does nothing special with the series and just feels like solid ground work to base their future expansions on, which I'm sure will be a much better experience then The Sims 3, but until then, just enjoy what's on offer and look forward to see what they do with it and leave The Sims 3 installed on your PC...    … Expand
  18. KitOnlyHuman
    Sep 4, 2014
    8
    From a Simmer that's been with the series since Sims 2 launch.

    It is important for The Sims 4 to be considered a game of it's own accord, not a sequel to the other Sims games. However, I know that is now the case for many fans who are completely unhappy with the look and feel of The Sims 4. The game was pushed to the limit with their deadline, a common knowledge, and it was not fully    From a Simmer that's been with the series since Sims 2 launch.

    It is important for The Sims 4 to be considered a game of it's own accord, not a sequel to the other Sims games. However, I know that is now the case for many fans who are completely unhappy with the look and feel of The Sims 4. The game was pushed to the limit with their deadline, a common knowledge, and it was not fully finished. I too was initially unhappy and was extremely critical of the game's possible outcome.

    Since then, I have played the game itself and have come to the understanding that this is a separate game. It will take time for some people to even adjust to the new mechanics. The feel of The Sims has a complete overhaul of micro management that you can put as much or as little focus in as you want.

    Emotions: As we've been drilled into our heads, the new -emotions- actually play a large part in what our Sims actually will/want to do and how they go about finishing it. Many people have compared this to the aspirations/wants/fears/whims that we've had in previous installments of The Sims series and they are correct in some regard. The emotion affects not just what the sim wants, but how they appear, how they interact with other sims, how they make their food, how they paint, how they even go to the restroom. This is definitely a feature that can be considered a 'hassle' by some fans that might prefer the strategist type of playing and for those that also like to fast forward through the game as the sims build skills, cook, and so on.

    Missing Content: Pools, toddlers, CASt, and so on. The babies are tied to a bassinet that you can only interact with when standing in front of it. However, when you consider it a new game first and a sequel second, the review should focus on what the game has, not what it doesn't have. I will make note that every Sim game has began as a base and worked back in the expansions that The Sims fans has come to love. This one is no different.

    Build/Buy Mode: The word intuitive is truly the catch all for the new build/buy mode of The Sims 4. They have completely revamped the way rooms and houses work to give fans the features they so desired from the past games. Ability to move rooms and full houses with just a click and drag of the button. There are more details than before, fences that can curve, and a built in "MOO" (Move Objects On) hotkey that allows easier placement of items. There is even a hotkey to increase/decrease size of an object so if you ever wanted a huge llama hedge in your front lawn, you may now rejoice. As a subpar builder myself, I found myself easily able to create what I considered a masterpiece of a house easily. Objects are easier to place closer together due to improved routing (but that will be discussed in a moment).

    The Gallery: This is the feature of being able to upload/download sim households, lots, and rooms with a click of the button to/from the cloud. It features a tab to keep your own personal content in "My Library" that isn't publicly shared, let's you follow others (Origin friends are automatically followed), and is Custom Content free. Players can place hashtags on their content to make it easier to search for. The Gallery is lacking in features such as searching for sims based on weight, age, skin tone, traits, and so on.

    Achievements/Unlocks/Collectibles: There are special rewards for careers and achievements that can unlock items for rooms, skill building items, outfits, and entire premade rooms themselves. This is a joy for the completionist Simmer that likes having -all- the things. There are even venues that can be found by observing a strange tree and interacting with it, or building your handiness up to the max and breaking into an old mine shaft. These venues cannot have lots placed into them, but have special collectibles that can only be found there. They are aesthetically pleasing, but lacking in things to interact with.

    Smart Sims/Routing: Routing has always made The Sims feel blocky in previous installments. These sims still turn on a heel but are quicker to respond to action queues than other Sims games. They respond nearly immediately and smoothly adjust into the new action in the queue. Sims will move from one seat to the other between actions while having a conversation and sims will move through each other if necessary. It definitely needs some tweaks.

    Loading Screens: These are short (10-15 sec) and minimally intrusive, a trade off to improve gameplay across the game by repopulating lots that are loaded and minimizing framerate drop. And indeed, the lots are bustling and there is plenty of area to explore outside of each individual lot itself. Neighborhoods are open to explore and interact in while each individual lot requires loading.

    Overall: The Sims 4 is a good -base game- that will lay the foundation of more to come in its future. It feels more interactive and hilarious. The first Sims game that I wanted to play in normal speed.    … Expand
  19. AkioHiromi
    Dec 28, 2016
    8
    The Sims 4 is a pretty good and fun game, but lets be sincere, it's not in the level of the other games of the franchise. EA was lazy making this one, and I'm sure that she noticed it.
  20. feebie87
    Oct 20, 2016
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave it a 9 out of 10 because it is an amazing game over all; however, they're still some aspects that I wish there were. For instance, they don't have toddlers like they had in the sims 3 and they don't have some expansions that they had in the previous games, but there will be more to come in the future. I love how the Create-a-sim is different and all they new things like that were included in the game. What really is kind of confusing is how the have new, awesome improvements and all, where on the other hand, they're missing the old awesome, important aspects of the game. Overall, the quality of the game is super nice and the new features are amazing!… Expand
  21. PoofBurrito64
    Oct 23, 2018
    10
    I'm failing to see why everyone is so upset with this game. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the Sims 3, but this one seems like a great improvement. A lot of my in-game time was wasted in 3 due to my sims taking [sim] HOURS to get from point A to point B- and the loading screens were the longest in any game I've ever played. A lot of user reviews are criticizing certain features for not beingI'm failing to see why everyone is so upset with this game. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED the Sims 3, but this one seems like a great improvement. A lot of my in-game time was wasted in 3 due to my sims taking [sim] HOURS to get from point A to point B- and the loading screens were the longest in any game I've ever played. A lot of user reviews are criticizing certain features for not being there, but a lot of those features are among those added by expansion packed **even in the Sims 3**. When is the Sims ever finished in the base game? Never! That being said, I think that the base game for the Sims 4 is still a great starting point. The way that they've evolved sims' dreams, desires, and emotions adds a whole new aspect to the game that I will never have spent enough hours delving into. I run into glitches and bugs from time to time, but I've been playing the Sims since the beginning and, from what I can recall, sims games have always been that way. It just comes with the territory of a game that's constantly evolving. When I'm playing the Sims 4, I feel like my sims have fuller lives than they ever did before. It's easy to dream up dialogue in your head while you're playing because of all the different emotions and the way that sims engage one another. 4 is personally my favorite installment.… Expand
  22. mynameisyours
    Dec 30, 2018
    10
    I don't get why so many people hate this game. It's fantastic! I play the sims series since the first and it's been a great part of my life. I didn't like 3 so much and this game brought me back in
  23. Artamishia
    Sep 4, 2014
    8
    Initially I wasn't sure what to expect. I have played Sims since the start, and was excited for this one to come out, too. There are things missing, yes. Each SIMS game prior had a base and then add-ons, so this is nothing new. It took playing it for a while to come to a conclusion, and overall I like it.

    -Build Mode is a little clunky at first until you get used to the controls. I    Initially I wasn't sure what to expect. I have played Sims since the start, and was excited for this one to come out, too. There are things missing, yes. Each SIMS game prior had a base and then add-ons, so this is nothing new. It took playing it for a while to come to a conclusion, and overall I like it.

    -Build Mode is a little clunky at first until you get used to the controls. I like adjusting wall heights and foundation heights. I love spanners and building decorations. I'm still looking for a way to do a split level house. I do miss basements and adjusting the landscape.

    -Create a Sim is alright, initially it feels like you pick less traits and such, but once you are in gameplay and you see how the sim "lives" with the choices you made it makes sense.

    - I really like how they made traits and aspirations push the sims ambition. I also liked the mini-assignments you get for each level of a career path, like making an excellent grilled cheese sandwich to advance a cooking career.

    - Relationships in Sims 4 really are enhanced. I like how there is a separate romantic bar and friendship bar. The sims really do seem "smarter" and have a bit more depth than in previous versions.

    -I miss Create A Style. I do, but I have faith that mods or expansions will give us more options in the future.

    - Gardening... yes it is here in a base version!! I'm still working on it but I can't wait to graft plants together!

    Overall, to anyone reading this review, give the game a chance on your own time. If you do pick it up, look at it through the lens of a new game, not an old game revisited. I'll probably spend time in Sims 3 as well, but Sims 4 is a good base in its own right and I do not regret the purchase.    … Expand
  24. ClaudioR
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    This is a great game with a bright future, of course, some things were removed.. but really it is no big deal. I understand that this game is sort of a mixture of The Sims 2 and 3, such as graphics similar to The Sims 2, but improved, and the limited open neighbourhood kind of derives from The Sims 3 (except The Sims 3 is full open world). but the open world feature was changed to allowThis is a great game with a bright future, of course, some things were removed.. but really it is no big deal. I understand that this game is sort of a mixture of The Sims 2 and 3, such as graphics similar to The Sims 2, but improved, and the limited open neighbourhood kind of derives from The Sims 3 (except The Sims 3 is full open world). but the open world feature was changed to allow the game to run on older machines better than its previous games. I played literally thousands of hours in total (from The Sims 1-3) and really they are fantastic games. And The Sims 4 continues to be fantastic. Many players complain about its features and gameplay when they have not even played at least an hour to kind of experience it. I love it, I have played a total of 20 hours since its release 3 days ago and its going great for me, of course so far I have encountered a few bugs here and there but nothing big that will make me rage and hate it...
    I love how the way sims interact with each other is WAY much more realistic than previous Sims games.. To me, TS3 sim interactions were kind of dull and some animations were reused over and over, but in this new game, every interaction has its own animation, and the Emotion, thingy is also a great and huge addition to the game..
    In conclusion, I do not mind the fact that it is not open world, nor that it does not include pools and toddlers. To me, this game is fantastic in every way and was well worth $65.00, and to those who do not like it and are hating it, go back to The Sims 3 and stop hating the hard work Maxis has put in to make such a wonderfull game.. Peace out fellow Simmers!!    … Expand
  25. train245
    Jul 27, 2016
    8
    The Sims 4 is NOT a bad game. It is just a step backwards from The Sims 3 in some cases.
    Pros:
    CAS are good.
    The room tool is great when it works
    Live mode is fun in the base-game (not like Sims 3)
    It run stable.
    Cons:
    Loading Screens.
    Lack terrain tools and color weals
  26. MaxTheReviewer
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    I think the reason for all of the negative reviews is by comparing it to previous versions of the game, which is unfair. The Sims 4 is starting fresh by having the basics, which is actually the way I like to play The Sims. By having basic controls/design's/etc., the game can be played by almost anyone. I have the BARE minimum setting and it works amazing on my computer.
  27. Ryck
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    The first thing I notice when I started playing was just how natural all the sims interactions are now. The sit, stand, drink and eat all while having conversations. They can work out and converse or sit on the bed together and talk. It's a total reworking of the task oriented sims in the past. The old Sims games feel quickly obsolete. That being said, I appreciate the revamping of theThe first thing I notice when I started playing was just how natural all the sims interactions are now. The sit, stand, drink and eat all while having conversations. They can work out and converse or sit on the bed together and talk. It's a total reworking of the task oriented sims in the past. The old Sims games feel quickly obsolete. That being said, I appreciate the revamping of the sims, but their quickly needs to be followup to fill in the missing venues, objects, pools, etc. The world is small now, but it can grow a lot more than the Sims 3 worlds. In the sims 3 the world was limited to the single map. In the Sims 4 each expansion will be able to link to all the existing neighborhoods so you virtually have an unlimited size world. The Sims 3 was alway frustrating cause you ran out of lots so quickly. I'm giving it a 10 because even though its a basic base game, the change in direction has a huge amount of potential. You just keep finding so many things that make it new and more fun to play.… Expand
  28. Daynjer
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've never written a review for any game before this one but decided it was time to debunk some of the myths and hate going around about this game. First, before I get into specifics, let's get some of the myths and misconceptions out of the way. For those complaining about what the game doesn't have, I hate to burst your collective bubble, but many things I have read people saying 'should be included in the TS4' such as pets, weather, etc, were expansions in TS2 as well TS3; so why expect them in the base of TS4?

    As far as those people saying the game was built for DLC in the future, they are absolutely correct. However, as an avid simmer, I know this isn't alien territory if you've played any Sims iteration in the last decade. If you buy this game, expect a base or 'vanilla' game and don't judge it compared to previous titles in the series with loads of expansions.

    All that being said though, I can see great success for The Sims 4 in the future. No, it isn't open world like TS3, but then again, my computer (i7-4770k 8-core 3.5GHz with 32 Gb RAM) was sluggish with TS3 and all of its expansions. With the small 'neighborhoods' of Sims 4, the gameplay is extremely fast and responsive. What I don't think I've seen anyone mention as of yet is that even though the 'towns' are relatively small compared to Sims 3, you are able to have your sims travel to any neighborhood, even those in other towns! With this modular style of towns, I can see the game running just as well in 5 years with a dozen expansions as it does right now.

    Of course this means there are loading screens when you travel to other areas. I'm not going to sugarcoat this or make it seem insignificant; with my monster PC, the load time averages between 15-20 seconds. That being said though, my sims couldn't travel across town that fast in Sims 3, so I figure I'm actually getting to my destination faster at the expense of some of the previous version's immersion, gladly I might add. No, there are no cars for your sim to jump into to watch them spend 2 minutes real time (an hour sim time) driving to work, the club, gym, whatever. A wise removal of a 'feature'(?) in my opinion.

    I've also seen people complaining about the reduction of traits in Sims 4. While technically true, it is very misleading to those who haven't tried the game out. You now only get to actually choose 3 traits (down from Sims 3 traits which had 5).However, besides the 3 traits you get to choose, you also choose an aspiration and each aspiration has a bonus trait attached to it. I haven't played more than the 2 sims I've created and played so far, but each of the 2 have aspirations that were previously traits (one being computer whiz, the other romantic). So, with the traits now renamed aspirations along with their bonus trait (fast learner for computer whiz, alluring for romantic), my sims have a total of 5 traits, even though one has been renamed as an aspiration. So, you're not losing out on anything, they've just been relabeled and a couple are bundled together as a complimenting pair.

    Now the fun stuff, what's been added! I'm sure everyone has read about the multitasking and may think it isn't a big deal. Think about it for a minute though. Rather than your sim running through your Q'ed up actions one by one, you can do multiple things at once and fulfill more than one need at a time. Sit on the toilet and play a game on your phone or give somone a call (bladder need + fun or social need); chat with your opponent while you play chess (social + fun), etc. I'm sure those of you who played previous versions can see where this is a HUGE improvement in managing your sim's time.

    The game has also taken a shift back to its core and focused a lot on sim's emotions and reactions to their surroundings in ways that are a great addition in my eyes. Some of it is buggy right now, like my sim being upset when there was a fire in his kitchen, but then being happy when he ran outside.

    After playing for a couple days, I'm not going to say the game is perfect. There are some bugs which in my opinion is to be expected in a game this new. There's not a load of content, but then there wasn't in any of the previous base games either. Will EA/Maxis handle the expansions the way I see them in my head and have them working with the harmony I can foresee? I doubt it very seriously, at least not until the community of simmers can come together and see the game for its positives instead of immediately writing it off for what they hoped would be in it to start with and let EA know that with the changes we're seeing, we expect them to build off of a good start and continue to improve and not destroy a beloved franchise.

    Give the game a chance and you may also see the value in what has been changed or removed. Rather than the sluggish and buggy previous title, this one has the potential to see lots of content added without killing the experience (and computers!) of the players.    … Expand
  29. vendolis
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    When I first loaded Sims 4 I was majorly disappointed and would have given it a 0-2 Score. It seemed to be so limited in what you could do and taking out the open world hurt what I liked about Sims.

    After playing it for 4 more hours on the next day I started to like a lot of the new Emotion mechanics and the resulting game play. But also the flaws have come out a lot clearer. I still am    When I first loaded Sims 4 I was majorly disappointed and would have given it a 0-2 Score. It seemed to be so limited in what you could do and taking out the open world hurt what I liked about Sims.

    After playing it for 4 more hours on the next day I started to like a lot of the new Emotion mechanics and the resulting game play. But also the flaws have come out a lot clearer. I still am very disappointed that they removed the open world. And esp when you are playing a full family there are a lot of times when you loose control over your Sims. This is not only a nuisance but majorly annoying for me.

    Also there are bugs concerning this situations. When a Sim for example reads a Skill book in the library and you switch over to another Sim, he not only instantly stops what he was doing, but when you return focus to her, the book is missing from the library.
    I know this is a bug that will be fixed eventually, but the lack of control over your Sims (while time is passing for them) is getting more annoying the bigger the family is.
    Another example is doing that when you have no focus on your child while it is at home, there is no way to let it do its homework. That means you are required to have focus on the Sim to do this and can not go on working on your other sim at another location while one person has to do boring but necessary work.

    I really like the Emotion system and how it ties into the wishes. also the Multitasking makes the family experience very cool. The graphics are nice, though not high end. That Sims just vanish when they go to work/school is ok with me.
    The lack of options that so many people complain about was to be expected it being the base game of a long Expansion series. And Vanilla Sims 3 is also very limited.
    Taking out Toddlers is something I do not like and I hope there will be a 'Generations' expansion that reintroduces them.

    All in all I like some of the game aspects, but I have to get used to the loosing control part. It makes for a new game experience that changes up a lot from Sims 3 to this one.

    i give it a 5 with an outlook to become a game that can rise to a much higher score after some expansions and a bit more getting used to changes.    … Expand
  30. Blarzek
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    This game is better than people says. Try it and you will see that is not as bad as the said. The game has disappointments, but also has new things so cool that make it a great game.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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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
  1. Cubed3
    Jul 23, 2020
    60
    While an enjoyable title that has been polished up and seems generally very modern, it cannot be expected that The Sims 4 is not going to be compared to The Sims 3. In this respect, it seems that while the game took a few steps forwards, it also took a few steps backwards by abandoning features that were very helpful and appreciated in the previous versions. It does have new features that people have been waiting for, such as emotions and more personality for the Sims. As for now, for some players it may not quite be worth to abandon The Sims 3 for it, but for new players looking for a first experience with the franchise, they may have an easier time navigating than former The Sims 3 players. People that have previously enjoyed the latter may be disappointed by the menus (Sim creation, building, or navigating town), as they have been so massively oversimplified that they are now actually confusing.
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  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 25, 2014
    80
    The Sims 4 is once again a new beginning. Needs more content and soon, please. [Oct 2014]
  3. 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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