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. 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
  2. Oshout
    Sep 6, 2014
    7
    Feels unfinished.

    I know EA has a penchant for releasing tons of DLC - and the Sims 3 was no exemption, which I hope highlights the state of the sims 4. Currently, there's not much to do outside of go to work and come home. My sims are content to act on auto-pilot for their daily living and there's not much to do outside of train skills. Interactions feel clunky. Sims mostly do    Feels unfinished.

    I know EA has a penchant for releasing tons of DLC - and the Sims 3 was no exemption, which I hope highlights the state of the sims 4.

    Currently, there's not much to do outside of go to work and come home. My sims are content to act on auto-pilot for their daily living and there's not much to do outside of train skills.

    Interactions feel clunky. Sims mostly do what you expect them to otherwise just chat. Previous versions of the game felt like a soap opera - the people in the neighborhood could invite your characters into their lives and drama. Now it feels like a doll house, a doll house which lacks imagination.

    The easiest way to describe it is a lack of emotional connection to anything which happens.

    The game has a solid understanding of the dynamics of life - I like how the choices at work can affect your potential. The career oriented things I saw seemed plausible and fun to achieve.

    Felt like sims aged a bit quick by default but there's the normal option to turn it off, as well as an option to turn off the auto-birthday and make you instead have to blow out candles to age.

    The graphics are more inviting than the sims 3, but not so far out there that it makes you think, "Wow!". I miss being able to go places on vacation and explore and a variety of interactive towns.

    It's much less in your face, and has less staged actions than the sims 3 did at it's height, but the sims 4 feels very unpolished and lacking that energy that made the game an alternative to watching TV opposed to what it is now: a computerized doll house.    … Expand
  3. Vythica
    Sep 2, 2014
    7
    Its funny....when Sims 3 was released...people did not like the open world, felt lost....and complained about the lack of items. Sims 4 removes the above (Minus the items) and people hate it. It is just like any other Sims release....everything is reset to vanilla Sims. Sims 4 tries to be Sims 2....with a bit of 3. (A lil bit).

    It's not a bad game....Sims 2 is still the best. My only    Its funny....when Sims 3 was released...people did not like the open world, felt lost....and complained about the lack of items. Sims 4 removes the above (Minus the items) and people hate it. It is just like any other Sims release....everything is reset to vanilla Sims. Sims 4 tries to be Sims 2....with a bit of 3. (A lil bit).

    It's not a bad game....Sims 2 is still the best. My only major issue with 4 is the lack of items and it just being EA in general.....EA have always been terrible with DLC...time and again, and i really hope they do not add past stuff this time with a charge that should have been in before. Toddlers/Weather etc.

    Another note is the load screens etc are nowhere near as bad as you think and being locked to a specific area, you honestly do have more to do then you would have in other Sims.

    I think the Sims community is strong enough to change Sims 4 to how they want eventually... as always. + Mods always keep it fresh.

    Is it worth full price ? No...it really is not...not even Sims 3 was imo, but when it does go on sale + dlc + patches then yes....it would be worth picking up. Honestly if you are a Sims fan , you will be playing it still right now, and not even reading this.    … Expand
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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.
  7. 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
  8. thepedrovital
    Sep 3, 2014
    5
    Looks great, but take thousand steps back in the series. The purpose of The Sims is to recreate our lives in a amusing way, but in The Sims 4, the sims are stuck in their homes with a lot less to do than in the other base games. In order to make it more appealing and make it seem more realistic, developers sacrificed most of the things that make The Sims a great game. Not a bad game, butLooks great, but take thousand steps back in the series. The purpose of The Sims is to recreate our lives in a amusing way, but in The Sims 4, the sims are stuck in their homes with a lot less to do than in the other base games. In order to make it more appealing and make it seem more realistic, developers sacrificed most of the things that make The Sims a great game. Not a bad game, but games aren't supposed to improve in every new edition?… Expand
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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.
  12. Mykeran
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    Okay, now after having played this game for a few hours . . . to be honest I really don't see what all the naysayers are on about. There is tons to do from a creativity standpoint and though I agree the interactions seem a little sparse (and why can't I watch my sim work?) and a few odd camera choices, I feel its a solid game. I was never a real Sims 3 fan anyway, I much preferred Sims 2Okay, now after having played this game for a few hours . . . to be honest I really don't see what all the naysayers are on about. There is tons to do from a creativity standpoint and though I agree the interactions seem a little sparse (and why can't I watch my sim work?) and a few odd camera choices, I feel its a solid game. I was never a real Sims 3 fan anyway, I much preferred Sims 2 so I don't really miss all the stuff you can do with Sims 3. So with this new one, I feel that they'll listen to some of the really excellent suggestions and bring them in during further updates and DLCs.… Expand
  13. ans247
    Sep 3, 2014
    7
    I think a lot of people are way to harsh with this game or are not typical Sims players. I did not go into the game comparing it to Sims 3 and was open minded. I knew what to expect and that it is a game that goes back to the roots of the franchise. The game has a lot of focus on the social interactions of the Sims and it is all about the Sims themselves. The Sims 4 focuses on smallerI think a lot of people are way to harsh with this game or are not typical Sims players. I did not go into the game comparing it to Sims 3 and was open minded. I knew what to expect and that it is a game that goes back to the roots of the franchise. The game has a lot of focus on the social interactions of the Sims and it is all about the Sims themselves. The Sims 4 focuses on smaller tight knit communities that allow your Sims to have a thriving social life. There are some downsides to the game such as no toddlers, pools, and terrain tools. However the game runs smooth unlike Sims 3, and I found it to have very addicting gameplay. I don't mind the smaller worlds or the fact there is a loading screen(which is only a few seconds). I think this game is great for what it is and has a good foundation for future updates and expansions.… Expand
  14. panacea23
    Sep 3, 2014
    6
    Eh. I've been playing the Sims since the original and the best I can say about this release is, 'eh'. On the one hand, the graphics and high performance are lovely. On the other, it seems EA has left out several features that made previous games so enjoyable - create a style being the most notable in my eyes. Some of the new skills/aspirations are interesting and I do like the new buildEh. I've been playing the Sims since the original and the best I can say about this release is, 'eh'. On the one hand, the graphics and high performance are lovely. On the other, it seems EA has left out several features that made previous games so enjoyable - create a style being the most notable in my eyes. Some of the new skills/aspirations are interesting and I do like the new build mode. However, it's painfully obvious that EA plans to cash in on DLCs to make the game complete. The gameplay is only barely above what you'd get with the Sims 3 so I suggest you don't waste your money on it until it's on sale or there's an interesting DLC.… Expand
  15. renynzea
    Sep 3, 2014
    6
    The game is fun and addictive, like its predecessors. However, it has several things that make it less fun than Sims 3. The first is that you can no longer walk around the town without loading screens. Gone are the days of jogging to the town square. Of wandering around and taking photos of landmarks from choice vantage points. Of sending one sim off to fish or collect rocks, whileThe game is fun and addictive, like its predecessors. However, it has several things that make it less fun than Sims 3. The first is that you can no longer walk around the town without loading screens. Gone are the days of jogging to the town square. Of wandering around and taking photos of landmarks from choice vantage points. Of sending one sim off to fish or collect rocks, while another sim works from home. You hit M to load the map, you pick a lot, the lot loads for several seconds, and you are suddenly, instantly there.

    I am sure this was done for performance reasons, but this makes the game feel way more claustrophobic. Now when I leave the house I have to weigh that decision against the cons: Do I want the loading screen? Do I want to take both my sims, or do I leave one behind to do nothing while the other one visits the lot?

    Likewise, Sims 4 adds a lot of click-bloat to the game. You simply have to click more to do the same things. Need to repair (way more often than in Sims 3)? Well first you repair. Then you have to clean up the mess afterwards, and if you want the salvage to upgrade plumbing/appliances later, you have to click for that too. What was previously a single action you queued up now becomes a multi-step hassle you have to handle one step at a time.

    Other actions (such as eating) follow suit.

    This combined with several other changes makes the game feel a lot less streamlined than its predecessor.

    Now for the good news: The game loads a lot faster, and runs better than Sims 3 (it would be all but impossible not to). Sims 4 also looks better and character animations are much improved. The emotions add additional depth. A lot of objects (computer, shower, work out equipment, etc) have more options, and some of those options are specific to your emotion. This adds a lot of layers.

    The real question is whether or not the annoyances (e.g. loading screens, extra clicks) are worth the new features. Currently, I am on the fence. It is fun, and aggrivating at the same time. The game could be better. If this was a stand alone title I would rank it much higher (closer to 8), but when you compare it to Sims 3 I think it is fair to say this game is currently a 6.    … Expand
  16. Moxd
    Oct 23, 2014
    0
    It's really good, y'know, if we were in some kind of alternate dimension where we were all enslaved by flesh eating robots. But we aren't, and it isn't.
  17. tuzenfouting
    Nov 4, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I was a The Sims 2 lover and self-proclaimed pro (built an empire from zero to millionaires and no, I didn't cheat) and I was a The Sims 3 hater and quitter. If you are somewhat like me, you are going to love Sims 4. If you prefere the neighbourhood-focused, eagle-eye type of gaming (and did I mention nasty neighbourhood-focus?) that was in the Sims 3 you're probably going to dislike it... With the Sims 4 it depends on what your preferences were with the old games.

    I read many reviews before deciding on if I should put my hard earned money on this game and I wasn't so tempted to do so after I got so disappointed with Sims 3. But my oh my am I happy that I decided to buy. IT IS LIKE THE SIMS 2, but MUCH BETTER!

    WHAT HAS IMPROVED:
    The sims are much more complex, they can multitask, they are more fun to work with and develop. The architectural tools are precise and fullfilled, the build-your-sim-tool obviously the best so far with the minor letdown of no height adjustement (and strange fact that the teenagers are as tall as adults?). The many small tedeous details that were so time-consuming from earlier games have dissapeared, for example how easy the Sims pick up plates to how you can pay bills and choose to travel from your cellphone, you don't have to wait an eternity for a visitor, it's possible and easy to visit another lot and control your home-lot at the same time, people around your household also get older when you do (and you can switch that function off but I think it makes the game more real), you control music playing from the radio without the sim having to do anything, you can eazy breazy breastfeed your baby (yeye because I'm a momma!), I could go on and on. Simply improved and more fluent gaming!

    I've read many complaints about the personalization tools from Sims 3 being gone (well I think it's a big relief) and that you don't get much stuff in the game and I think that is incorrect. The Sims 3 personalization tool was too heavy, took forever to load, had too much to choose and after a while you would just say "f*ck it, I don't care" and stop using it. You get a lot of clothes, furniture and stuff with Sims 4 and many choices of colour and design for each product which makes the personalization of your home and clothing much more comfortable yet stimulating. I also like how much furniture gets unlocked depending on your sims development. The career climbs and assignements are much more fun then ever before and you have to lead a pretty complex fake-real life in the game to reach you goals!

    BIG plus for that your different households can interact with each other which makes it even easier to control the destiny of your family.

    WHAT I THINK NEEDS IMPROVEMENT:
    The career choices are far too few to match all the types of sims you can build. For example my bodybuilder-bro sportsloving guy, would he be a secret agent/astronaut/journalist irl? No, I think he would be a carpenter, a plumber, maybe working as a fitness guru. I mean come on, why can you be a stand-up comedian but not a doctor, teacher, handyman or even gold digger? Why can't you choose more current careers like personal trainer, reality star, fashion designer, office bearer aso. It will all probably (hopefully!) come with the expansion packages (since EA Games are greedy bastards....) but ultimately I think it was a case of "let's just pick it and run with it" when it comes to the careers you can choose. Somewhat rushed.

    It is quite disturbing as a gamer and viewer that the teenagers look exactly like adults and are of the same height... That should definitely get changed in the next update, with all the realness updates this is a backlash in the irl-departement. Also I was furious when I first read about the lack of toddlers before I bought this game, and now after playing and building a sims-family, I think it isn't as bad as I thought but also a stepback when it comes to the realness of the game. I mean if my life-ambition is a big happy family, how can I fully enjoy my ambition without having memories of having fun with little todleroos? I doesn't have to be that profound, it can be as easy as having babies but you simply have toddlers, please EA Games?

    The only tool I wish was more complex for personalization is the hair/eye colouring tool... Now I simply can't hit the spot when designing my favourite celeb, myself or real people I know.

    SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, a review by someone that focuses on MY family, MY empire, MY household, MY gaming. With the Sims 4 I have much more control and I can be more focused then with The Sims 3, yet the game is much more fluent and complex then the Sims 2.    … Expand
  18. joebobriggs
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    Saw so many bad reviews but still gave it a shot. Glad I did, I would give it 8 but instead here's a 10 because of so many 0 reviews. Some people seem to think reviewing means either pass or fail, 0 or 10, but that is just silly.
  19. VeridisQuo
    Sep 5, 2014
    8
    After reading all the bad reviews about the Sims 4 I just gave it a try, I loved the previous Sims games so why not.

    First impression was great, better sound, better interface and for me definitely the most important thing the game runs extremely smoothly compared to The Sims 3. I played the game on a regular laptop and loading screens never came up longer than a few seconds. Well    After reading all the bad reviews about the Sims 4 I just gave it a try, I loved the previous Sims games so why not.

    First impression was great, better sound, better interface and for me definitely the most important thing the game runs extremely smoothly compared to The Sims 3. I played the game on a regular laptop and loading screens never came up longer than a few seconds.

    Well let's hop into the gameplay, for me personally I think EA did an amazing job improving interaction between sims. The sims feel a lot more realistic to their surroundings and their mood changes ways more like in real life (which is a huge unexpected plus for me). The building of houses is much more advanced and suprisingly it is also made more easy to do.

    The fact there is no open world and the world is now divided in different parts...well, for me isn't any bad thing since it makes the game run so smoothly and loading screens just take a few seconds as mentioned before. Like all other The Sims games the game lacks a slight bit in content at the beginning but I think compared to the others it's a decent amount of hours you get for your money.
    No toddlers? I don't care, for me it has always been one of the most boring stages and it didn't really contribute anything interesting to the game.

    My conclusion is that The Sims 4 is a very well done sequal of the series and deserves a much better score than most reviewers give it.    … Expand
  20. Zararsiz
    Sep 8, 2014
    9
    I really like this game, but there is a lot of content missing i think, after a weekend i saw almost everything of the game.
    Still i really am enjoying creating my sims, feel with their emotional problems and other stuff, and this more comic-like style fits better to the sims universe in my opinion.
    I have to mention that i never played Sims before!!! Still, a car or toddlers would be    I really like this game, but there is a lot of content missing i think, after a weekend i saw almost everything of the game.
    Still i really am enjoying creating my sims, feel with their emotional problems and other stuff, and this more comic-like style fits better to the sims universe in my opinion.
    I have to mention that i never played Sims before!!!

    Still, a car or toddlers would be fantastic, i hope EA will release this content without demanding too much money    … Expand
  21. Adriaan
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    This is ridiculous. It's Civilization 5 all over again. Maxis tries to pour in it's vision and heart to move the franchise forward, at the cost of fluff (that can easily be added afterwards) and the backlash is once again off the charts.

    You can't make a real change without investing something in it. That will be at the cost of some other things. I believe Maxis had their priorities    This is ridiculous. It's Civilization 5 all over again. Maxis tries to pour in it's vision and heart to move the franchise forward, at the cost of fluff (that can easily be added afterwards) and the backlash is once again off the charts.

    You can't make a real change without investing something in it. That will be at the cost of some other things. I believe Maxis had their priorities straight.

    I admit I miss the open world. I also slightly miss the color pallet and the pools. The content is a little thin for the price. But the core has become so much better. Multitasking is something that I wanted for ages, and the emotion system has made me laugh quite a few times. The character creation and building is definitely a lot better too, just genius. Also, many people here are telling how you can only default to standard styles in sim and house creation, which is just blatantly not true, but it's simply the standard edit mode you enter.

    People will be people and always look at what they lost instead of what they gained. If you're openhearted, you will have a great time. The origin version is a little pricey though, which I was happy to pay, but the bar is pretty high.

    All in all I'm having a ton of fun, and I'm looking forward to the DLC's to pour my euros into. I trust you'll make the core flourish to new heights with those additions, Maxis!    … Expand
  22. Drones200
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    Fan since Sims 1 a no bull **** review, haters beware.

    Created an account after reading the negative reviews on here and actually having payed for The Sims 4 when I have torrented every single copy since day 1, not ashamed or scared to admit it. So I guess I feel like my investment deserves a critique where I hope it will be read. There are a LOT of improvements on the core game as    Fan since Sims 1 a no bull **** review, haters beware.

    Created an account after reading the negative reviews on here and actually having payed for The Sims 4 when I have torrented every single copy since day 1, not ashamed or scared to admit it. So I guess I feel like my investment deserves a critique where I hope it will be read.

    There are a LOT of improvements on the core game as whole.
    Lets make a list:
    Free roam is still intact, the fact I had to read a negative review complaining about this made my shake my head for it only proves that the haters always, ALWAYS will be the loudest and whiniest of all voices.
    People still visit your lot and your neighbors lot in fact you can visit all of your neighbors and even a small garden park by your initial house without any loading screens or transitioning.
    I can still jogg around the town and meet people as I do and enjoy the view.

    I think the criticism of the no Free Roam is targeted at the fact not all lots are available without travel/load
    this is true for the gym,library, bar and other higher classes areas but it does not take away ANYTHING from the game at all or the previous Sims in fact it makes it better.
    HOW DOES IT MAKES BETTER YOU ASK? Well the loading times have been drastically lowered from previous titles thanks to this, it is almost seeming less loading times when you actually decide to travel outside of your hood. It increases game performance incredibly and due to this my frames have been consistent and not a single crash, have more then 14 hours logged already. The free roam from before was a complete waste of time and asked a lot more from your system resources then it should also it was very buggy/glitchy and not very smart at all since you rarely cared about how he got there but when he will get there, time is a factor in the sims, always.
    Now the game loads not just the library but ALL of the entertainment/resources venues in a single go and you will experience a smotth transition from home to any other lot elsewhere. Mind you that your neighborhood still contains a multitude of other houses/families/park and constant pass byers in their jogs/walks for you to feel like you are part of the world as a whole which Is what I'm guessing was the criticism directed towards the lack of a before mentioned buggy/glitchy system, progress is good and some people just can't handle it. They my cry and say it takes away from the game but I beg to differ, it keeps it intact while making it more accessible to everyone around the world especially those with systems that are not built for gaming.

    Multi-tasking: HUGE improvement, I can flirt/chat/geek out w.e you can think of as a chat option with anyone while at the same time working out, playing computer games, eating, drinking etc.
    I can read a logic book while I watch tv. yay! I have yet to discover all the different opportunities multi tasking brings but so far i'm very impressed and I am liking it a lot.

    Did they mention the fact you can be a stand up comic, write your own routines and perform them live? You used to have to pay for that.

    Or that I can have sex while I stargaze in the observatory and build my own freaking space ship in my backyard?

    Or that that the building of rooms and expanding my house no longer takes a huge amount of time/investment and frustrating interface? They have already made rooms from you ranging from different tiers and I love selecting them or making my own which thanks to the new UI has made it a lot smoother.

    Did they mention how the new mood-lets gives your sims a ton of new personality? Flirty, tense, sad, confident, embarrassed etc. all come with their quirks and perks that boost your current actions and give new actions from interactions with other sims to items around the world, makes it exciting really.

    Did I mention the fact that the game has ZERO CRASHES and NO LAG AT MAX SETTINGS? :O:O:O
    IF you really ARE a true sims fan you will know how big of a deal this is, even with 3 gig video card and 6 cores it was only a matter of time before the Sims 3 or 2 crashed, especially when designing a huge home.

    The customization of the sims has improved VASTLY. Just two things that I feel must be said, you can take complete control of the size of a woman's waist, breast size and location of said breast entirely. The same applies to the Ass, nothing else must be said, thank you EA.
    My wife is a bodybuilder with RIPPED abs and Legs, seriously the new graphics make her look better then any fitness model, also thanks to the fact I made her ass/boobs ridiculously large while her stomach is slim/ripped    … Expand
  23. SmartHand
    Sep 10, 2014
    9
    Yes it lacks the pool and a few options but Sims Sims 3 to 4 potential !
    Ok the DLC will make up the bill but graphically it is really good , the spirit of the characters are immersive !
    The game is not bad...
  24. terrejam
    Sep 2, 2014
    7
    Sims 4 is a slight step forward from Sims 3 in my opinion but its definitely not worth seventy dollars. If I didn't pre-order the game I would of waited for the price to go down to around thirty bucks.
  25. GameLLAMA
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    When I preordered the Sims 4 I was aware that they had gutted several features of the game, namely the pool and the Toddler stage, I tried the game anyway, right away I was most impressed by the house design tools, which now allow for a curved roof amongst other things. I was less impressed by how bare bones this game feels. Which I'm sure is so EA can squeeze every cent out the followersWhen I preordered the Sims 4 I was aware that they had gutted several features of the game, namely the pool and the Toddler stage, I tried the game anyway, right away I was most impressed by the house design tools, which now allow for a curved roof amongst other things. I was less impressed by how bare bones this game feels. Which I'm sure is so EA can squeeze every cent out the followers this game has. Its a frustrating mix of disappointment and triumph. Its also a mix I hope EA can improve on...… Expand
  26. alan650
    Sep 8, 2014
    10
    That game does not deserve the negative reviews at all! If these people would dig beneath the surface and give this BASE game a chance they would realize it is the deepest and most nuanced of The Sims series to date. There are just so many cool details added and the game focuses on The Sims themselves! This is a life simulation game after all, is it not???!
  27. LucianoMendes
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    I think the game's very nice... well, of course there are some things missing, but it didn't bother me at all, because the places are full of Sims to talk and have fun, the game play is great (you can actually do lots of things in the same time)... by the way, funny is how people used to complain about TS3, the problems with the game play and etc and now the think it is an amazing game.
  28. Fist
    Sep 10, 2014
    7
    I have played this game for 87 hours already. I can say I have had a lot of fun playing this game. The game is additive like the other Sims version I played in the past. I think the key to having fun with this game is make quite a few Sims so that you have more of a variety of Sims to interact with. I would recommend this game if you haven't played the other versions in a while.
  29. BrushedRed
    Jun 10, 2015
    9
    Not sure what all the griping and grumbling is about.. Sure there aren't quite as many things as there was on the other Sims games on The Sims 4, but remember there have only been 2 expansion packs as of now. It's still young in its run. To me, I instantly thought this game was better than Sims 3 (I didn't care for 3 much at all), but it's not quite on par with the original Sims or Sims 2,Not sure what all the griping and grumbling is about.. Sure there aren't quite as many things as there was on the other Sims games on The Sims 4, but remember there have only been 2 expansion packs as of now. It's still young in its run. To me, I instantly thought this game was better than Sims 3 (I didn't care for 3 much at all), but it's not quite on par with the original Sims or Sims 2, but subsequent expansions could make this so. The emotions feature is great and very glad they added this feature in the new series. It was something I had missed but could never explain I had missed it. Not sure why anyone is griping about pools because I have a pool at my house. The graphics have improved drastically. The only thing I liked about 3 and what is missing from this game is freely exploring the whole town from the house you are currently at. If they could add this in, it would be great. Excited for extra content apparently being released tomorrow. A new, great looking neighborhood!… Expand
  30. Olivia_blu
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    Of course, the game has less features that The Sims 3 with all the added expansions. Of course, you'll have to pull out the wallet to get those. Those two "issues" aren't as much a problem than what is expected from a Sims game upon release, like it or not, it's no surprise, don't buy the game if you resent that. Now as for the rest of the game, I'm greatly impressed so far. The emotionsOf course, the game has less features that The Sims 3 with all the added expansions. Of course, you'll have to pull out the wallet to get those. Those two "issues" aren't as much a problem than what is expected from a Sims game upon release, like it or not, it's no surprise, don't buy the game if you resent that. Now as for the rest of the game, I'm greatly impressed so far. The emotions are a fun addition that give the spark of life to your sims that the previous game lacked. The ability to multitask is fantastic and adds a layer of subtlety to relationships. But the biggest improvement is to be found in performance. The game is more beautiful than its predecessor, yet it runs smoother than ever. No lag, screen freezes, whether you have a race car of a computer or an old, tired beetle. The price to pay for that is closed lots, you have to go through a loading screen whenever you go to another lot. While it's a bit of a bummer, I loved the open world in The Sims 3, and the sheer size of the cities ; it's a small price to pay for a beautiful *and* playable game. No toddlers is another bummer, but is it a big one? Well, it is if you greatly enjoyed that stage of your sims' lives. I didn't, usually went through it as fast as possible, get the baby skilled up and move on to the more interesting childhood stage. Also, no doubt toddlers will be added to a future expansion, maybe the equivalent of The Sims 6 Generations.
    Overall, the game seems to sit on a strange fence, taking out some features (not necessarily the ones worthy of missing, who really cared about pools?), but adding a lot of depth to the sims themselves. A more constrained outside world, contrasting with a much deeper inner world. I'd have rated the game 8 on its current merits, but I added one point simply because the long trail of zeros in player reviews is disheartening and undeserved. I understand regretting the absence of (minor?) features, but denying the other qualities of the game because of it is just dishonest. Then again, there is probably a lot of EA (deserved) hate involved. But while Sim City was a joke and pretty much a huge failure, fans of the series shouldn't miss this refreshing new installment.    … 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.
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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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