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. TabulaRasa
    Oct 15, 2014
    5
    This is the base game of the Sims stripped down to the absolute bare minimum. Nearly all content that has been part of the series from the very beginning has been removed for seemingly arbitrary reasons, and now it's being sold for full price.

    No. Gone is the open world, Gone is the Create-A-Style, Gone are the Law Enforcement, Business, and Medical careers, Gone Is the story    This is the base game of the Sims stripped down to the absolute bare minimum. Nearly all content that has been part of the series from the very beginning has been removed for seemingly arbitrary reasons, and now it's being sold for full price.

    No.

    Gone is the open world, Gone is the Create-A-Style, Gone are the Law Enforcement, Business, and Medical careers, Gone Is the story progression that let other sims get married, have children and live their lives, the 5 personality traits from the previous game are down to 3, Gone are toddlers...

    It's all gone.

    Technically, it's proficient. It gets the job done and I ran into almost no bugs or glitches during my playtime of the game. The game runs well, but since only one lot is rendered at any given time, that's not really an accomplishment. The interface is streamlined and more efficient, but since most of the features are missing, I don't suppose there was a lot to even put on there in the first place. Graphically, I suppose the Sims look slightly better, but a slight graphical improvement doesn't justify repackaging everything and telling us to start over.

    Save your money, stick with the Sims 3, which is cheaper, better, significantly more fulfilling.    … Expand
  2. Deschain89
    Oct 15, 2014
    0
    I bought it, played it thrice and then forgot about it until my girlfriend asked me if she could play it for a bit.

    So naturally, being a gentleman and a scholar, I gave away my Origin password and username so she could have all the time she wanted with this new iteration to this revered franchise. She played once; again, she played ONCE. A game catered to her demographic, late    I bought it, played it thrice and then forgot about it until my girlfriend asked me if she could play it for a bit.

    So naturally, being a gentleman and a scholar, I gave away my Origin password and username so she could have all the time she wanted with this new iteration to this revered franchise.

    She played once; again, she played ONCE.

    A game catered to her demographic, late teens-early twenties girls who are not gamers at heart but want to make a beautiful blue house with a white picket fence and fantasize his boyfriend was an achieved man instead of playing video games all day after uni, and she played once and never went back to it.

    Now, I ask to you, why is that? This is a rhetorical question, since we all know what happened.

    Greed happened:

    Somewhere a board meeting took place, and it was decided that in order to drive up sales, the franchise should be simpler, easier, for the Minecraft audience. That way, the graph showed, it would appeal to a greater number of people.

    It was decided, Maxis would do anything in its power to create the simplest of experiences, devoid of soul and depth, so even the lowest of the meme spouting 10 year old's could understand it.

    It was rushed, it was a cash in, it's resources were wasted in marketing ploys and internet meme implementation, instead of building up in the simulation aspect.

    The graphical fidelity was compromised, loading screens made a comeback; all because a graph showed little kids didn't have the greatest hardware, and the code programmers didn't have the skill to make a game that runs as it should. Remember people, they had to cater to the lowest of the low, insertion is equal to sales, and Maxis needs to feed the beast that is EA, or else it will devour it like it did with Westwood or Bullfrog.

    In the end, mature people were left with a soulless game they did not enjoy, and the very same little kids the graph showed would love the memes and the simpler gameplay, didn't buy the game because "LEL it's fur teh girlz n buring an stuff", and continued to rage when people teabaged them in Cawadooty.

    A sad story, for a sad company. Someone should take the flag at this point, and create a truly engaging and in-depth life-sim, for Maxis died a long time ago, but there is a clear consumer base in urgent need to quench the thirst for this genre.    … Expand
  3. awesomeguy423
    Oct 14, 2014
    0
    Awful. Truly the worst game I have played in a very long time. It blows my mind how EA can make such bad games over and over and over again. Won't they ever learn?
  4. Larry223
    Oct 14, 2014
    5
    Por que no esta en steam? Si pones el anterior juego en steam pues pon el siguiente en !!steam!!. Es como Mass Effect pusieron los 2 primeros con sus DLC pero no el tercero. Que idiotas, no lo comprare. Por eso le doy un 5, por que al no poder probarlo no puedo decir si es bueno o malo.
  5. bshanrules
    Oct 12, 2014
    0
    I really wanted to love this game, but it just doesn't live up to its predecessors. Game play is slow, glitchy, and even less realistic than the Sims 3. If your whole goal with the sims games is to make sims that really look like actual people, or to design and decorate houses, then this is for you. If you want to play a game where you control the lives of a bunch of characters in a funI really wanted to love this game, but it just doesn't live up to its predecessors. Game play is slow, glitchy, and even less realistic than the Sims 3. If your whole goal with the sims games is to make sims that really look like actual people, or to design and decorate houses, then this is for you. If you want to play a game where you control the lives of a bunch of characters in a fun way, then go back to the Sims 3 and don't waste your money.… Expand
  6. Isjoke
    Oct 12, 2014
    0
    Another let down from EA. Sims 4 lacks in content which will be sure given to you by infamous DLCs that EA likes to take your money with. Freedom and options are taken away from you with this game and Sims 3 was so much better compared to this.

    Outcome: Do NOT buy this game before they have fixed everything.
  7. DerAleckz
    Oct 11, 2014
    3
    Here's my rating for The Sims 4 (played on PC)

    +Create-a-Sim-tool
    +deeper emotional feelings

    -graphics
    -controls/UI
    -neighborhoods
    -lack of innovations
    -no cars, no toddlers, ...
    -very basic (bad value)
  8. TheSecretEmber
    Oct 11, 2014
    10
    I love this game, even for being a closed world (which Im not saying Im enjoying but I never took my sims out of the house besides work). Now they really tried for customization in this game, you can go anywhere with the amount of colors in this game. The whole face customizing is brilliant. In sims 3 I never customized my sims face because I didn't like any of the faces provided andI love this game, even for being a closed world (which Im not saying Im enjoying but I never took my sims out of the house besides work). Now they really tried for customization in this game, you can go anywhere with the amount of colors in this game. The whole face customizing is brilliant. In sims 3 I never customized my sims face because I didn't like any of the faces provided and didn't like the face customize they gave. Also I may not like how you get promotions with the "make 10 friends" but it makes it difficult instead of sims 3 where you just had a certain skill level.

    So I do enjoy this game. there are down falls like closed world but there are many things you will like about the game. My suggestion if you are thinking about buying a game is to find a youtuber and watch about 5 parts of their lets play and see if you would like to stick with sims 3 or get sims 4.    … Expand
  9. Reahunt
    Oct 11, 2014
    7
    Not entirely a bad game, but there is just a truckload of content missing, though the content already there is great. Unfortunatly it seems like another EA cash grab i am afraid.
  10. Maruge
    Oct 10, 2014
    0
    Most of the few things people are putting in positive about this game have drawbacks.
    1: It runs smoothly, but the constant loading times make it a large step back.
    2 The UI is simplified, that's probably because most of its features are gone. 3 The game has little content because it has non of the DLC's, so are you telling me that its become the standard for EA users to not even care    Most of the few things people are putting in positive about this game have drawbacks.
    1: It runs smoothly, but the constant loading times make it a large step back.
    2 The UI is simplified, that's probably because most of its features are gone.
    3 The game has little content because it has non of the DLC's, so are you telling me that its become the standard for EA users to not even care that they are buying expansion packs for content that is not a new idea? The sims 2 added in many great expansions, and then they were all added in a second time, with some new ones (because there was less content than the sims 2 base game), and some of the good old ones never returned, now we will see these same ideas again in 60 dollar expansion packs and some new DLC that was sims 3 base game, and a few of the nice sims 3 expansions will never be seen again.
    Not to mention the awkward new building system and the generally ugly furniture lacking in variety and numbers, and the removal of cars and babies is just salt in the wound.    … Expand
  11. Ch_diego
    Oct 8, 2014
    10
    is a very good game, with new, more powerful tools, authoring tools and construction. Sims more emotional and expressive, the loading screens are very fast
  12. Suindalae
    Oct 8, 2014
    0
    Wish I Could say this iteration is the original game with better graphics but because Sims 1 base game came with more stuff than this version I can't even say that. bought TS4 hoping that had fixed some of the Building tools and terrain tools would have been improved upon but instead there not better but actually worse than they were in TS3
  13. gonzalosims
    Oct 6, 2014
    7
    It's an excellent game, is so addictive, very good graphics and sound. But: the swimming pools? The infants? The work places? I like the game, it's good, but it's incomplete. EA should have released the game when they completed the game a little more. It isn't bad, but it isn't very good. I like it.
  14. Exwin0880
    Oct 6, 2014
    3
    Sims 4 is a major disappointment. It is hard to put your finger on a single failure, but as a whole it just isn't a very good game. It feels very shallow.

    The world is tiny, so tiny that you have to load to go visit the next door neighbor. While this does help the loading of the game, a lot (in Sims 3 it could be quite lengthy) it detracts from the feel of an immersive and interactive    Sims 4 is a major disappointment. It is hard to put your finger on a single failure, but as a whole it just isn't a very good game. It feels very shallow.

    The world is tiny, so tiny that you have to load to go visit the next door neighbor. While this does help the loading of the game, a lot (in Sims 3 it could be quite lengthy) it detracts from the feel of an immersive and interactive world. Careers seem dumbed down compared to the last version. Non player characters, instead of interacting, it seems like they are just sort of parading by.

    I'm sure they will be adding many of these missing features as paid DLC, but that itself is offensive. The base game should at least be enjoyable. In it's current state, it is not.    … Expand
  15. necrodancer
    Oct 4, 2014
    5
    Like any "The Sims" game, this looses the attention of the player really easy. When you get that feeling, "Wait, this is all i do?", the game is already over. Still, much better then The Sims 3; much better graphics, great character customization (the only reason why this game can be considered good), more freedom in gameplay (you can play as other lots unlike The Sims 3" etc. But if ILike any "The Sims" game, this looses the attention of the player really easy. When you get that feeling, "Wait, this is all i do?", the game is already over. Still, much better then The Sims 3; much better graphics, great character customization (the only reason why this game can be considered good), more freedom in gameplay (you can play as other lots unlike The Sims 3" etc. But if I had to choose one The Sims game, I would choose Sims 2 all over those.… Expand
  16. FizCap
    Oct 4, 2014
    0
    There is so many stripped features in this game it's unenjoyable, on top of that the game is really buggy and unstable. Everywhere you go you need to wait 30 seconds to 1 minute for it to load, compared to sims 3 free roam where it could take 1-2 minutes but it's worth it because you save more time in the process. I feel like the game rotates around the character only, instead of everyoneThere is so many stripped features in this game it's unenjoyable, on top of that the game is really buggy and unstable. Everywhere you go you need to wait 30 seconds to 1 minute for it to load, compared to sims 3 free roam where it could take 1-2 minutes but it's worth it because you save more time in the process. I feel like the game rotates around the character only, instead of everyone else, no one is interacting only you are, no one is traveling to places they just get placed there. The game small improvements that I liked, but I barely enjoyed the game at all with the stripped features, such as no pools and toddlers. They say it's for their engine, but it seems like a **** engine to me, ea knew what they were doing, they just wanted to get a few easy bucks from unsuspecting customers.… Expand
  17. Orhunkk
    Oct 4, 2014
    7
    Sims 4,still a good game, even with some things removed since 3 such as pools.Nothing much improved and the price is little over high.However there is emotion,customization, and there is a lot of interaction and strange situation.
  18. Annoymous1
    Oct 4, 2014
    8
    I really am not sure what to think of Sims 4. It's a great improvement from Sims 3, but its generically the same thing. The worst part is the favt that whenever you take your date, you only got a bar. Hell, the place is extremely shabby. An open-world environment would be excellent, yet, this is over 9.60 GB of space on your PC. Its good if sorts.
  19. godzillarandom
    Oct 2, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. **** you EA,You have ruined a good game once again,I hate you EA and I don't know why fools like me buy your ****,This game is WORSE than the "Sims 3" ,Anyone that has played ANY of "The Sims" games know that this is one of the worst "Sims" games! (Yes,I know ,Simcity was garbage)… Expand
  20. wiragita
    Oct 1, 2014
    3
    At first i want to pending the review for some expansion but NOT! Here is the story:

    i feel the game are disappointing because it close world not an open world like sims 3. i feel bored easily because in my computer, it take 5 minutes per load which is take a hard time to going to the gym or park. When i played the sims 3 , the sims can going by cab. i think in real world people    At first i want to pending the review for some expansion but NOT! Here is the story:

    i feel the game are disappointing because it close world not an open world like sims 3. i feel bored easily because in my computer, it take 5 minutes per load which is take a hard time to going to the gym or park. When i played the sims 3 , the sims can going by cab.

    i think in real world people going somewhere by vehicle not by loading and teleport like the sims 4. Why the hell EA downgrade from open world to closed world? This is disappointing. I ask the possibility of open world and Sims 4 Admin confirm that the sims 4 will never going open world.

    Thats it!! End of the story...

    why the hell they downgrade to closed world anyway? i am trying to figure it out and got assumption: EA want to back again to sims 2 because in some review, people always compare sims 3 to sims 2 and said "Sims 2 are better than sims 3 blablabla..." But it just my assumption.

    i am sure 99% i don't need to buy sims 4 expansion. What the hell they want to sell anymore: Astrology sign? color wheel? toddler? woohoo technique? amusement park? weather? new skill? new job? life stage? NOT INTERESTING!

    I want to jump to the sims 5, if EA open registration for sims 5 now, i am ready on the list!

    i actually want to score it 0, but i kindly think EA work hard for this game and deserve more than that. Well maybe you can get better score for sims 2 fans... Just saying...    … Expand
  21. BalicanBreeze
    Oct 1, 2014
    4
    While a pretty good game in itself, it's hard to judge Sims 4 without comparing it to the previous versions in the franchise. The constant loading screens are quite annoying and the lack of features compared to release versions of 2 and 3 are very blatant. The good.. the character creation and house building is much better and more streamlined than in S3, but lacks options. TheWhile a pretty good game in itself, it's hard to judge Sims 4 without comparing it to the previous versions in the franchise. The constant loading screens are quite annoying and the lack of features compared to release versions of 2 and 3 are very blatant. The good.. the character creation and house building is much better and more streamlined than in S3, but lacks options. The multitasking feature is a great addition, and would have been worthy of its own expansion to S3.… Expand
  22. gayars
    Oct 1, 2014
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I gave a review earlier of 5, with a list of things I liked and didn't like about the game. However, in lieu of the fact that today they patched in ghosts for free, I am raising it. They have also announced pools are coming next month as well. As well as many more careers (probably the ones that are typically there, but were missing this iteration of the sims.), I will raise it again, when they patch in the pool, but won't give it a 9 or 10 till I get my toddlers!… Expand
  23. kamealex
    Oct 1, 2014
    7
    Good game, but terrible publishing techniques. EA is still in "the game". The game of considering money over the product. It's not a bad game. In fact, it's pretty good, but the bare existence of the two previous parts it's just too much to consider spending some money on this title.

    Hope there's a really valuable pack in the future with a lot more options, because this is a product    Good game, but terrible publishing techniques. EA is still in "the game". The game of considering money over the product. It's not a bad game. In fact, it's pretty good, but the bare existence of the two previous parts it's just too much to consider spending some money on this title.

    Hope there's a really valuable pack in the future with a lot more options, because this is a product that has been purposedly dismembered to make money. Don't pay this people. Not yet, because they, as publishers, don't deserve it.    … Expand
  24. andrew2080
    Sep 30, 2014
    5
    Average reviews aren't highly rated these days. However I claim the actual real deal with this game is: Too few features and too high price. Details: It's a good fundament for a social sim game, most of the basic features are there, basic neigbourshood, basic householditems, and sims are less "robots" thanks to more focus on emotions. Some basic features lack, like many have pointed outAverage reviews aren't highly rated these days. However I claim the actual real deal with this game is: Too few features and too high price. Details: It's a good fundament for a social sim game, most of the basic features are there, basic neigbourshood, basic householditems, and sims are less "robots" thanks to more focus on emotions. Some basic features lack, like many have pointed out toddlers, swimingpools and dishwashers are missing. Alas they will probably show up in expansions, making people that have paid the full price for this game feel like they have been played by marketing. Final point: With the lack of features compared to the sims1,2 and 3 then if the price was about half, this would be a reasonable deal.… Expand
  25. johnangel
    Sep 30, 2014
    0
    This is what happens when we morons buy ea games, I hope all the morons that gave it more than 3 would just stop gaming, YOU are destroying the industry.
  26. stranglehold
    Sep 29, 2014
    8
    This is a really great Sims game. Other than a couple bugs this is a great Sims game to add to the franchise. If you are a Sims fan you for sure have to pick this game up. The Sims 4 is an all round great game.
  27. pjmsilverwolf
    Sep 29, 2014
    0
    This game sucked. EA took everything out and is going to make you buy it all again. For $80 I should have gotten everything or the ability to make anything and not have to buy expansion packs. I took it back and I won't be buying it again at a later date. Good riddens to bad rubbish. If you are thinking about buying it, don't save your money for other, better games.
  28. Kingbingo
    Sep 29, 2014
    1
    Most of the content has been removed. It is a substantial backward step from Sims 3 which was itself a backward step from Sims 2, the best version of the game.

    I suspect that in future you will be able to buy back most of the content that came as standard in Sims 2. But at the costs of hundreds of dollars.

    Avoid this rip off.
  29. Bootyface
    Sep 28, 2014
    0
    I spent 65$ on a BUST! EA, please give me back my money. This is BS. This was very disappointing because of the previous games. They should've just stopped at Sims 3.
  30. nousername00
    Sep 28, 2014
    0
    I really tried to give this a chance, I did. But it is like what most of the other people on here are saying. It's a different game, with far less options. It is not, in my opinion, more user friendly at all, or more intelligent or more realistic. it is simply packaged differently. In fact it is less user friendly and I could type an entire book on what was the last freaking straw withI really tried to give this a chance, I did. But it is like what most of the other people on here are saying. It's a different game, with far less options. It is not, in my opinion, more user friendly at all, or more intelligent or more realistic. it is simply packaged differently. In fact it is less user friendly and I could type an entire book on what was the last freaking straw with this game but I already tried and ran out of room. In short, new goofy walks and facial expressions make for a more enriching and realistic experience NOT. So they can do some multi tasking now. That was kind of nice. And certain activities like dating, now include goals you can complete and earn trophies. That was fun. When I discovered that weddings also have goals (activities with goals are timed btw which in it self is fine) I thought that would be cool too. But come to find out, if you do one of the goals first instead of last (the ceremony of taking the vows) it ends the wedding and you no longer have any opportunity to complete the other goals, and the game gives no indication of this. There where many other problems and set backs with the wedding, but the worst was when I finally got everything right (or so I thought) painstakingly went to all this trouble, and after the vows, I'm launched into another screen which asks you who lives with who. I thought I was choosing to have my sim move into her new husbands household, but no nothing that simple. The game then takes me to a view of the town. WTF? I thought I was moving in with husband? Guess not, it wants me to choose a house. But no empty houses are available. Finally I figure out I can evict sims currently living in a house, which I do but guess what? The game wants me to create a new household, Doesn't give an option to move in the household I was JUST playing. Also there is no way to back out of this screen and get back to the game. Finally I go back into my library, reselect the sim I was playing seconds before, I than choose the house she already lives in to make my life easier and have them move in. Instead of going back to the wedding ceremony I was just in, it takes me directly to my sims house, which is now EMPTY of all furniture and belongings, and my sim is somehow late for work. And on top of all that, I never even got the flipping trophy I worked so hard for! UGGHHHHHH! Not user friendly AT ALL. This game, all in all, lacks the humor and creativity of the previous, and its all very...compartmentalized. I don't know how else to describe it. It should replace sims 3, I should be playing the new sims and not even thinking of 3, but I did nothing but think of it the entire time. It's a RIP OFF! I am getting my money back.… Expand
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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.
    Read full review
  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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