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
  31. bonidex
    Sep 8, 2014
    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. It's so simple my sister can't stop playing. But there are so many layers that make it much more complex. I love the game objectives, that are much simpler and quicker to get with much betterI 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. It's so simple my sister can't stop playing. But there are so many layers that make it much more complex. I love the game objectives, that are much simpler and quicker to get with much better rewards.
    It's simple enough to get you going and with future expansions I believe it's gonna only get better. It's nice to start with a smaller game so you get to learn it well, then expand. I'm loving every minute.    … Expand
  32. DingPow
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    I was reading all these overwhelmingly horrible reviews when my game was downloading and was wondering whether that many reviewers could actually just be whining or that the game was really going to be that bad. The answer is that its not that bad, I've enjoyed it so far as much as I've enjoyed any of the previous Sims.

    The lack of the open world, the loading screens, no toddlers, etc.    I was reading all these overwhelmingly horrible reviews when my game was downloading and was wondering whether that many reviewers could actually just be whining or that the game was really going to be that bad. The answer is that its not that bad, I've enjoyed it so far as much as I've enjoyed any of the previous Sims.

    The lack of the open world, the loading screens, no toddlers, etc. these are all legitimate criticisms that I've had myself. But I have to say the loading screen situation is bearable, not the way I would have wanted it, but it works.

    In the Sims 3 when you went somewhere in your car or got picked up it was like the time in the car was a loading screen anyway. Its not like you could drive your car around. The disappointment for me is that they didn't go in the direction of improving the open world concept when the could have with Sims 4 and instead went back to the loading screens.

    Everything else seems improved to me with the exception of create a style being gone. I wonder who's bright idea that was? But can still generally get things to look good, they have a variety of built it color combinations for building and clothes.

    I don't buy any of the expansions and comparing the Sims 4 to the Sims 3 base game it seems to have a similar amount of content with improved graphics and a lot of new interactions.    … Expand
  33. ReaganRebellion
    Sep 4, 2014
    10
    I gave this game a 10 to balance out the moronic 0 reviews (if you can even call them reviews). I actually give this game a solid 8. Here's why:
    Create a Sim: Vastly improved. Feels smooth and intuitive. No lag or hang ups as in past iterations. Body parts move the second you move your mouse to drag them out or in, unlike the .5-1 sec delay in graphically representing the change.    I gave this game a 10 to balance out the moronic 0 reviews (if you can even call them reviews). I actually give this game a solid 8. Here's why:
    Create a Sim: Vastly improved. Feels smooth and intuitive. No lag or hang ups as in past iterations. Body parts move the second you move your mouse to drag them out or in, unlike the .5-1 sec delay in graphically representing the change. Downloading from the gallery and placing on your sim in seconds is a HUGE plus. Bookmarking certain items and outfits is also really nice.

    Buy/Build mode: Fixed a ton of the "why can't I do..." questions I used to ask. You mean I can just move that window I just put a couch in front of without having to click into build mode and wait for it to load in? Thank you. I can even move it up the wall if I like the light it gives right there? Thanks again. I wish this bedroom were over on this side of the house; I don't have to rebuild it from scratch? Awesome! This mode is by far the strongest upgrade from past iteration and some of the most satisfying game play you'll have with the Sims 4. I absolutely love everything about it. Plopping in entirely furnished rooms that I just downloaded from the gallery 10 seconds ago is so so cool.

    The World/Lots: Ok, definitely some downsides here. When I first loaded the game (in like 7 seconds by the way) and picked my world I was struck by how limiting the world looked. That's something that isn't entirely ever going to go away. It seemed small and it kinda is, but there are plenty of housing lots to choose from. I would like the community lots to be more varied and have more of them (something to look forward to in an expansion I'm sure) but it's not a deal breaker. Also, to say I had to "load" the world is almost an overstatement. This game is lightening fast and silky smooth.

    Live Mode: Definitely some glitches/design choices that need patching/changing. Sims like playing musical chairs sometimes when interacting, like they have a nervous tick that requires pacing to alleviate. And the items in my house are constantly breaking. A good way to level up my skills, but sometimes I'd rather just call the repairman from the previous games. But the game has difficulty. Just when I think I'm starting to make it, bills are due and I need a new computer or bed. Money doesn't grow on trees (yet, Sims 3 ugh). Sim-Sim interactions feel real and interesting. So many options that it doesn't need to be "hug, chat, hug, chat, hug, chat, hug..." to make friends anymore. The UI is a big upgrade as well letting my virtual life fill more of the screen than ever before. And whats the point of watching your sim go into some faceless rabbit hole. Just go to work, see ya soon; although it'd be nice to look at ambitions/mood/skills etc. when working. That'll be patched soon I'm sure. I think it features a fair amount of variety considering this is a base game with a brand new engine. That's what expansions are for anyway.

    Overall this is a pretty good iteration of the sims. A ton of improvements and additions. Maybe not quite enough to make up for some of the omitted content but again, new engine complicates things sometimes. The graphics are a big step up. Seriously just google image "sims3 vs sims4". It's a joke how good this game looks. It's smooth and intuitive and I'll take more load screens and almost instant saves over a 4 minute load time, 4 minute saves any day. The addition of the Gallery is going to be huge and EA is offering unoffical, but FULL mod/creation support. This game has a ton of potential

    If you are a huge sims fan, you'll love this game. If you are a casual simmer there's still a lot to like here. If ALL you want is a game with toddlers and pools, wait I guess. If you like huge load times, laggy worlds, robotic animations, and bloated Create-a-style options, this is not your game.

    By the way, THIS is a review, albeit a short one. Rating a game a zero means, to me, that it is completely unplayable. Even if a game is absolute trash, but loads and plays somewhat, you can't give it a 0. Also when rating a game low, more than 5 sentences should still be a requirement. But any one rating this game less than 4 is a liar.    … Expand
  34. TheSwagMaster
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    The game mechanics are great. It runs WAY smoother than The Sims 3, but in reality it isn't worth $50-$60. The content just isn't there yet. There are a couple of bugs, but I know everything will be worked out soon.
  35. Hideyseek
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    A great improvement on The Sims series. Exactly what I would expect out of a sequel with SO MUCH more packed in. Create-A-Sim and Build mode have very intuitive controls and Live Mode shows off the Sims' emotions super well! Tons of fun!
  36. JTMichaelson
    Sep 7, 2014
    8
    The short:
    I gave this an 8/10 as a Sims game. It's mildly above average for a normal game, but if you like Sims game play then this should feel like any other title in the series. Still you may want to wait for the price to drop or some additional content to start rolling out if you're unsure about purchasing the game.
    The Long: It's an EA game, so there's been a lot of    The short:
    I gave this an 8/10 as a Sims game. It's mildly above average for a normal game, but if you like Sims game play then this should feel like any other title in the series. Still you may want to wait for the price to drop or some additional content to start rolling out if you're unsure about purchasing the game.

    The Long:
    It's an EA game, so there's been a lot of bandwagon-backlash against it well before it was even released and that seems to echo here. A quick glance at the review dates should be enough indication of how long people actually bothered to give the game a chance, instead of just rushing to try and damage the developer's reputation based on what they've read.

    After actually playing the game for a few days and giving it a chance, I've found that many of the "missing features" (from the often cited blog post) are gone but not missed at all. They certainly weren't necessary to the enjoyment of the series. The map is a prime example; it's more or less a static image now and at first glance it feels like its missing a lot of buildings. In retrospect though, its merely removed the useless filler in favor of better performance and faster loading times. Gone are the long non-interactive drives that were previously required just to watch my Sim disappear into a "rabbit hole" for an even longer period of time. Travel in the Sims 4 is now a quicker loading screen that helps cut to the real meat and potatoes of the game; actual Sim Interaction.

    This is where the Sims 4 takes the series really shines over previous titles. Emotions now help drive interactions with the world and other Sims, which can either give you minor goals if you are in control (like trying to recover yourself after an awkward encounter), or will simply make the autonomous interactions more entertaining to watch. The ability to multitask is a highly welcome addition to the series as well, as it allows characters to go about their days in a much more natural way instead of feeling so robotic. Technology plays a greater role in the world allowing cellphones and computers to handle far more tasks and play a bigger role than in previous titles.

    Visually the game has a simple but pleasant style to it, especially with the characters. The world has a certain 'box'-quality to all the shapes, but its very consistent and helps establish a style that should age slower and run well on a wide variety of hardware. Like the models, the animations go further to add additional emphasis where it can. This helps sell both the exaggerated style of Sims 4, along with the new emotions. The create a style is currently (and unfortunately) missing, but the default styles of furniture and tile sets help make up for it. This time around the textures and color schemes are significantly better by default, making it easier to create nice looking houses faster without having to customize everything. Its possible I only used it in Sims 3 because the default counters were so horrendous. Still, it would be nice to see an improved CAS system roll out in the future to add even more customization to the world.    … Expand
  37. Sapphiress
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    I'm so glad they've learned from their past experiences what works and what doesn't. This is a refreshing new take on the franchise with still enough of the UI intact to make it feel like 'home.' The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is I do not like loading screens. No complains anywhere else. No crashes and the interactions are smooth, customizations are a snap since it's not a gameI'm so glad they've learned from their past experiences what works and what doesn't. This is a refreshing new take on the franchise with still enough of the UI intact to make it feel like 'home.' The only reason I didn't give it a 10 is I do not like loading screens. No complains anywhere else. No crashes and the interactions are smooth, customizations are a snap since it's not a game about 'dress me up (which I find a lot of the bad reviews are about).' It's about interactions in my humble opinion, and that's where they've made it shine! Keep up the great work and I look forward to expansions! Remember people, think when the sims were originally Vanilla (no expansions added)...a few of this a few of that. That's what base games are...just the basics!! Give them a fair shake! Plus no crashes thus far (I have a gaming rig) so that's a major plus!!
    **Sim fan since 2000**    … Expand
  38. duncanwentworth
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    I've never taken the time to share my impressions of a game, and rarely actually post reviews, but given the amount of mixed reviews this game is getting, I thought I would quickly share my own thoughts to help anyone who is sitting on the fence about purchasing right now.

    I have been off work for both yesterday and today, and I have unashamedly binged on TS4. I wasn't going to purchase    I've never taken the time to share my impressions of a game, and rarely actually post reviews, but given the amount of mixed reviews this game is getting, I thought I would quickly share my own thoughts to help anyone who is sitting on the fence about purchasing right now.

    I have been off work for both yesterday and today, and I have unashamedly binged on TS4. I wasn't going to purchase the game because of the press reviews being held back, but I couldn't resist CD Keys offering it for £25. It is massively overpriced on Origin IMO. I really didn't think the little extras of the deluxe bundle or whatever is worth the extra money, especially for just handful of silly items.

    I have a late 2011 15" MacBook Pro top spec, running Windows 7 on Bootcamp, and have been able to run the game with high settings, ultra settings makes it sound like it's going to take off. I know many are frustrated with TS4 not being available on Mac, I for one am not. TS3 ran terribly on my Mac OS, and crashed constantly. I (unhappily) Bootcamped my Mac just for The Sims 3 & Simcity, TS3 ran so much smoother and looked massively better graphically, and haven't looked back.

    The game looks beautiful, and runs fantastically, and I am sure that this is not just down to my computer spec, it's just the way the game is built. I am so happy that I can quickly jump into my sims game without having to wait about 5-10 minutes for the main loading screen like TS3. I have not once experienced a bug/glitch/crash/hang, I wouldn't have been able to say this if I had been playing TS3 for around 20 hours like I have TS4 so far.

    Sure, loading screens are more frequent, but they are literally 5-15 seconds long... We aren't talking minutes! Sure, it's not an open world, but I would rather an individual lot being loaded at once and have a smooth gameplay experience with my Sims, rather than a laggy one due to my machine constantly processing areas of the game I am not even looking at.

    Build/Buy mode I have found to be pretty great. I love that they have finally integrated build mode and buying mode, the integration is flawless. In regards to the catalogue of stuff available, I haven't been too disappointed, I've found that there's plenty of stuff for a BASE game. Most disappointing thing for me is no dishwashers or trash compactors, I find washing up/taking out the trash nearly as annoying as the real life tasks! I really like being able to buy pre-built rooms. If you just want a quick build or extension, it's a great option to use.

    I understand people's views that it may be lacking in content, but we must remember this is a base game, it's a foundation for great things to come. It will cost money, but it's always been the way The Sims has worked.

    Emotions and multi-tasking are nice new touches, but don't affect my gameplay too much. I have nearly reached the top of the Tech Guru, and also the Astronaut careers, and have found it fun and challenging. I'm not too disappointed with the removal of "rabbit holes", to me they were not useful, and added little depth in the first place, I do just kinda miss getting in the car rather than just disappearing. I have honestly not once used the "motherlode" cheat, and have only on occasion used "rosebud", and have been really just working hard to explore the career ladders and earn honest simoleons, without becoming bored and resorting to cheating!

    The discovery of the Forgotten Grotto and the Sylvan Glade is pretty cool, and can't wait to see if any other little easter eggs/hidden places are in the game!

    TLDR: I think that The Sims 4 is a solid foundation for future expansion. The engine/behind the scenes stuff is super smooth, and loading times are short and sweet, hopefully remaining short after future expansions. I have not got bored with the content currently available in the base game after around 20+ hours of gameplay. However, I wouldn't say it's worth the £50-60+ from Origin, look around.    … Expand
  39. boston11
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    I really don't understand the negative reviews. I have been playing The Sims since the original game. Each time a new upgrade comes out, it feels like a reset since so much gets added by the expansion packs. You have to go in expecting that, and the reaction to it this time seems very overblown and unwarranted. The things to pay attention to are the actual changes between game-play inI really don't understand the negative reviews. I have been playing The Sims since the original game. Each time a new upgrade comes out, it feels like a reset since so much gets added by the expansion packs. You have to go in expecting that, and the reaction to it this time seems very overblown and unwarranted. The things to pay attention to are the actual changes between game-play in each version, and in that, The Sims 4 is a surprisingly big improvement over The Sims 3.

    For game-play, a lot has already been said about the new create-a-sim. It is definitely much better and you make more unique Sims, but to me, this isn't that big of a feature for the way I play. I tend to just create one family and continue with the same line for many generations, so I don't actually spend much time creating new characters.

    The changes made to how you build houses are a big upgrade. You can customize things that were never possible before (circular wall, high ceilings, roof heights), and everything is just much easier and more convenient to use - you can add a foundation later, you can move rooms or the entire house, there are more options for pre-built rooms and editing them is easier.

    Aspirations are a good improvement on the old wishes and lifetime achievements. Instead of a singular goal with a lifetime wish, there are levels of the aspiration and you have to complete several tasks to move up each level - this is much better than the singular goal of a lifetime wish. You can also easily change aspirations and go all the way through multiple in a lifetime - previously, you would only be able to finish one lifetime wish. There are things similar to wishes in Sims 4 - but they are more based on moods (another new feature) and your surroundings.

    People have complained about missing toddlers, but I completely disagree. Babies, children and teenagers are far better in The Sims 4 than in any previous version. In the past, babies and toddlers were boring and took a lot of work. I like that that part has been taken out most of the way. In the Sims 3, even children and teenagers were a bit annoying. All you could really do with them was go to school and do homework - there were hardly any skills you could build, and there was no clear direction or reason to play them (I would usually just ship them off to boarding school since they were too boring). In the Sims 4, you can build more skills as a child/teen, and you have specialized aspirations that are made for children/teens. I really think the changes to game-play for babies/children/teens is the best part of this game.

    Multitasking is a nice feature as well - the most common situation I have is Sims being able to complete productive tasks (working out, painting, etc), while also talking with the other people in the room and building relationships.

    Story progressions being removed actually is a positive for me now that I have played it. In the past, this could cause your neighborhood to be filled with the same family and after a few generations everyone is related. Now it makes it so that there is constantly a new people in the neighborhood.

    The only real negative I have had so far is with the tutorial - it is annoying and there is no setting to turn it off in game. To do so, you need to run the game and include a command line parameter --no_tutorial.

    Overall, I really like the improvements. After seeing so many complaints, I almost held off on buying The Sims 4, but I am glad I didn't wait.    … Expand
  40. BanksyIsKing
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    people sometimes just expect too much, it delivers on the features it promises and fixes many of the bugs before hand, which to me i never really cared about. Sims 4 is a good game, way to many negative comments on this site
  41. heitorsgodinho
    Sep 7, 2014
    9
    Serio pessoal? vocês estão chorando por causa de algumas coisas que foram retiradas dos games anteriores? Tá ok, eu também ODEIO ter que esperar telas de carregamento constantes, mas veja pelo lado bom, após o primeiro patch (até agora) não tive nenhum problema com bugs ou erros. (Apesar de existirem não me atrapalharam em nada).
    Eu não ia comprar ao jogo devido a essas péssimas analises,    Serio pessoal? vocês estão chorando por causa de algumas coisas que foram retiradas dos games anteriores? Tá ok, eu também ODEIO ter que esperar telas de carregamento constantes, mas veja pelo lado bom, após o primeiro patch (até agora) não tive nenhum problema com bugs ou erros. (Apesar de existirem não me atrapalharam em nada).
    Eu não ia comprar ao jogo devido a essas péssimas analises, o modo criar um sim (CAS) é super avançado, ao contrário do jogo anterior, que na minha opinião só tinha o modo criar um padrão, muitas pessoas estão reclamando que este não está presente no novo jogo, porém temos aqui MUITAS opções de cores disponíveis para serem escolhidas, o modo de construção pode parecer um pouco complicado no inicio mas depois de um tempo você pega o jeito e percebe o quão bom essa ferramenta é.
    A interface do usuário (UI) está muito boa. Os traços e desejo duradouro estão muito melhores do que no jogo anterior, bom mais o jogo não é só rosas é verdade, eles realmente tiraram muitas coisas do jogo como fantasmas,piscinas,bebes,o mundo aberto,ladrões e etc., mas muitas outras coisas (MELHORES) foram adicionadas, como por exemplo, nos outros jogos você era limitado a jogar com seu sim em apenas uma cidade, agora o sim pode visitar outras cidades, e pense bem, outras cidades podem (No futuro) ser disponibilizadas gratuitamente pela Maxis ou pelos próprios jogadores se a ferramenta CAW for lançada no futuro, Agora temos a multitarefa que é SUPER legal como por exemplo, você pode interagir com sims vendo TV ou jogando xadrez por exemplo (Creio que no futuro a Maxis possa lançar um patch que permite apenas que pessoas entrem nas conversas se forem chamadas), você que ainda está em duvida se deve ou não comprar o jogo, ouça meu conselho, se você esquecer um pouquinho dos outros jogos da série você vai amar este. Ao contrário do que parece não sou um grande fan de The Sims, amava o primeiro jogo, jogava muito o segundo, e gostava muito da liberdade do terceiro, e agora novamente posso falar que a Maxis não nos desapontou. (NÃO CULPEM A EA POR TUDO!! ELA SÓ PÚBLICA OS JOGOS POXA) (Muitos EP's serão lançados. E eu não vou comprar nenhum.)    … Expand
  42. robours
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    I've played all Sim games, and I want to point out that some of the negative reviews are laughable. "Not enough content!" is hilarious, considering that the older games have always started with less content. That is an over-time thing, and it hasn't changed. I've accepted that, everyone else should too. It's called a business model.

    Now on to the game! UI Complaints - People who do    I've played all Sim games, and I want to point out that some of the negative reviews are laughable. "Not enough content!" is hilarious, considering that the older games have always started with less content. That is an over-time thing, and it hasn't changed. I've accepted that, everyone else should too. It's called a business model.

    Now on to the game!

    UI Complaints - People who do not like the new UI, simply don't like new things. The new UI is better, but more complex, which makes it more difficult to maneuver. You'll use buttons and movements more than 10 mouse clicks. The people who don't think there are as many options, are simply too impatient to give it a try and learn the different menus.

    Cars / Open World / Loading Times - What exactly was the purpose of cars? Look! My sim gets in the car and goes to work. Same thing, different day. It's called an unnecessary time consuming animation. Next. The previous games had some difficulty with the larger worlds and lag. I'm totally okay with trading more, quite short, loading screens. Thaaank you. The only one downside is the fact you'll switch "back and forth" between lots where different Sims are. Still not a huge deal to me.

    Toddlers - Gone. Who cares? I have better things to do.

    Pools - Again, what was their purpose? Sims in bikinis! Don't care. I only used them to make homes pretty. Next.

    Multitasking - I find this awesome. I can get my socialization up while painting, running on a treadmill, just about anything.

    Graphics - Some of the people here say the graphics aren't better. HA. They're crazy.

    Tutorial Mode - It isn't the best, and yes the tips are a little random. Again, just explore and get used to things. Use your brain and tinker around a little.

    Create-a-Style - I am a designer and enjoy building homes/design. But I will not miss this feature. If you want your walls to match your bedspread, simply wait some new items and add-ons to come out. Honestly it wasted too much of my time waiting for the loading process.

    Camera Controls - Yes they're minorly different. You actually have even prettier views when you're zoomed all the way in. Less control overall, but better visuals. I'm fine with that. Accept some change, people. Next.

    If you enjoy the "silly" side of Sims that actually make you laugh, you'll love this game.

    If you enjoy building homes and making pretty things, you'll also love this game. But, it will be better for this later on - I'm certain.

    If you enjoy the visuals, you'll also love the game as there are many more interesting aspects of that.

    As mentioned before there are a couple items and such missing. Honestly it's not a "problem" for me at the moment. There are still so many new and interesting parts of the game, I could care less about a dishwasher. Make a loser sim to follow you and do your dishes for you. Problem fixed. :)    … Expand
  43. Johnhenry243
    Sep 5, 2014
    9
    Tbh no open world/loading screens isn't a big deal for me it makes you focus more on the sims rather than what's around it. I could literally watch the sims talk all day it's just hilarious!

    Also you can't compare the past games to this it's a brand new base game and will only get better in the future ^_^ it's not perfect but it's amazing for what it is now and I didn't even realized    Tbh no open world/loading screens isn't a big deal for me it makes you focus more on the sims rather than what's around it. I could literally watch the sims talk all day it's just hilarious!

    Also you can't compare the past games to this it's a brand new base game and will only get better in the future ^_^

    it's not perfect but it's amazing for what it is now and I didn't even realized I played for 5 hours straight.

    My verdict: 9/10    … Expand
  44. Torrand
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    I have played Sims through the entire series. While I loved Sims 3 and all it's wonderful expansions, the game was plagued with crashes, lag, poor performance on less than high end rigs. Sims 4 has renewed my enthusiasm for the series. It's fun, refreshing and new all over again. Minus the loading screens, I have absolutely no complaints about the game play. The emotions are fun, waitI have played Sims through the entire series. While I loved Sims 3 and all it's wonderful expansions, the game was plagued with crashes, lag, poor performance on less than high end rigs. Sims 4 has renewed my enthusiasm for the series. It's fun, refreshing and new all over again. Minus the loading screens, I have absolutely no complaints about the game play. The emotions are fun, wait until you have to have to take an angry poop. This is a great game :)… Expand
  45. ekeimy
    Sep 6, 2014
    9
    I have been a fan since the first Sims game ever came out. I loved the 2nd and 3rd Sims games, but they were different from each other - and I LIKE that. I don't want the same exact game every time I play a new one. I read all the negative comments about Sims 4 and was hesitant at first, but I finally decided to give it a try. I honestly don't understand why people are giving it such badI have been a fan since the first Sims game ever came out. I loved the 2nd and 3rd Sims games, but they were different from each other - and I LIKE that. I don't want the same exact game every time I play a new one. I read all the negative comments about Sims 4 and was hesitant at first, but I finally decided to give it a try. I honestly don't understand why people are giving it such bad reviews. It's a base game, people. There will be expansions giving you lots of new things to play with probably very soon. This game is great so far, and will become even better with the expansions and DLCs to come. It's true that you don't have an infinite number of designs to choose from for your objects, and you can't freely roam the neighborhood without a load screen. But the graphics are phenomenal, CAS is very much improved, and your Sims seem more realistic than ever before. Also, the loads are very quick, and for me at least, the existing customization options are good enough. As it is, the game is awesome for my particular gaming style. I urge Sims fans to give it a try to see if it suits them, and remember: if you download it from Origin, you can get a full refund within 24 hours if you don't like it. So really, there's no harm in trying it.

    Also, I hate when people bash the makers of any games. They worked very hard to produce a video game for your enjoyment. So even if it isn't perfect to you, show some appreciation.    … Expand
  46. CottonKhandi
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    I really like TS4. With every iteration of the Sims, it is hard to go from a full game with all EPs and SPs to a base game. TS4 is no exception. In this base game there are two worlds each with 4 venues. There has never been oodles of things to do in any base game because well, it's a base game. However, given the way your sims have deeper layers of interaction it more than makes up forI really like TS4. With every iteration of the Sims, it is hard to go from a full game with all EPs and SPs to a base game. TS4 is no exception. In this base game there are two worlds each with 4 venues. There has never been oodles of things to do in any base game because well, it's a base game. However, given the way your sims have deeper layers of interaction it more than makes up for waiting a few months for that first EP.

    Here's my take on the game after 12 hours of play.
    (1) Build mode is very easy to work with. Even novice builders will have an easy time in this game to create the house that they dream of.

    (2) CAS is amazing. It does take a bit of getting used to with the pulling, but you can pretty much create any sim you imagine. The customization range is huge. The only thing missing is a height slider.

    (3) The Sims themselves are now alive. They feel incredibly fleshed out. You can now look into the face of your sim and tell what is going on with them. They react to the world around them in more visible ways through their animations such as the walk style. In my own game when my sim was angry, she stomped through the house and after getting a meal from the fridge she slammed the door and walk to the table while grumbling. When she is happy she'll sing in the shower and walks with a bit of a pep in her step. They will also take very good care of themselves all on their own. I noticed many times in TS3 my sims would do activities to max out their fun bar while every other motive decayed. Not so in TS4. The sims also seem to want to interact with each other as opposed to items within the world.

    (4) Gardening and fishing make a comeback and careers are revamped. There are now eight careers with 2 branches in each for a total of 16. Some of the old favorites such as law, politician and medical are absent, but you have new additions like astronaut, tech guru and secret agent. It is a bit more work to get promoted as compared to prior games. There are activities for your sim to complete to help improve their work performance. Also, career objects make a comeback. As your sim climbs the ladder and gets promoted, they will get items to help further their career.

    (5) Familiar faces also make a comeback as we see the return of Don Lothario, the Caliente sisters, the Goths and the Landgraabs.

    (6) There are many items to find in the game such as gems, aliens, frogs and treasure maps. There are also 2 hidden areas available.

    (7) Recipes have vastly improved. There are many more meal types for your Sims to create in the kitchen.

    (8) The world is no longer an open world. Depending on how you played TS3, this would be a major drawback. My sims never randomly walked around the world in TS3 so that TS4 is closed world doesn't affect me. The good: better processing since the game is only rendering smaller areas at a time, your sims don't have to account for carpool time when attending to their needs prior to work. The bad: for some it may "kill the immersion" as your sim goes to the edge of the lot and fades off when they go to work, you may feel confined after a time when at your home lot, there is a load screen whenever your sim wants to leave/return to the home log - they are quite short however.

    My sims don't miss having a pool. They're more interested in interacting with each other. There are many complaints about "missing" things from the game. However, if you read the negative reviews for TS2 and TS3, they are all the same as the ones from TS4. I think TS4 is a solid base game and sets a great foundation for things to come. I have not had any issues with my game, but then again I am running it on a custom gaming rig and not a 10 year old laptop with an integrated chipset. I personally do not think the Let's Plays or Live Streams do the game justice. Why even listen to subjective reviews? You simply should experience it for yourself to form your own judgement. Consider taking up EA on their "great game guarantee" and try the game for yourself. If you don't like it, you can return it for a full refund.    … Expand
  47. Vlydia713
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    I've only played this game a few hours and will update my review if my opinion changes over time. So far, I'd say this game is decent. Yeah, there's not a lot to do right now, but there were 11 expansion packs for TS3, so yeah... a base game is going to feel like that. I feel disappointed, but I can remember feeling this exact level of disappointment when The Sims 3 came out. I hated TS3I've only played this game a few hours and will update my review if my opinion changes over time. So far, I'd say this game is decent. Yeah, there's not a lot to do right now, but there were 11 expansion packs for TS3, so yeah... a base game is going to feel like that. I feel disappointed, but I can remember feeling this exact level of disappointment when The Sims 3 came out. I hated TS3 at first. I hated the graphics and I even hated the open world.

    So I'm going to bypass the whole "there's so much less to do part". I don't think someone can honestly give a good opinion of that unless they're brand-new to the Sims franchise or have only played the base games. It should also be fair to note that I'm coming at this as a Sims fan, and my score is based on previous games - I'm too biased at this point to judge the quality on other games.

    Okay, so I hate the loading screens. They're there all the time. I also hate the fact that you can't see your Sim going to work. But let's face it, The Sims 3 had a myriad of bugs that made the game unplayable. The Sims 2 didn't. I have a feeling that a lot of sacrifices have been made so that, 11 expansions from now, we can still have a stable game.

    There are a few things that I don't like about the game (teen heights, but what I see looks very proimising for the future of the franchise. The game runs smoother, Sims' interactions are way more realistic, and overall I'm seeing a LOT more creativity in this game. The Sims 3 reused a large amount of interactions from The Sims 2, and revisited TS2 for almost every expansion. The Sims 2, by contrast, was the most creative game of the series. It did reuse ideas from TS1, but every single expansion completely changed the game. The Sims 4 is being led by the same creative director as TS2, so I think that future expansions will include favorites from previous games, but will give us a lot of brand new ideas to play around with.

    Bottom line is, this franchise needs a breath of fresh air, and the future looks promising. That is, if it can stay alive that long.    … Expand
  48. karmamule
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    It's tough to transition from a prior generation of The Sims because you go from it being fully featured with TONS of content back down to the bare minimum, and are faced with a few years of expansions and theme packs to purchase before you get back to the item-and-content rich heights from before.

    This latest version is a major step forward both in designing your sim and in working on    It's tough to transition from a prior generation of The Sims because you go from it being fully featured with TONS of content back down to the bare minimum, and are faced with a few years of expansions and theme packs to purchase before you get back to the item-and-content rich heights from before.

    This latest version is a major step forward both in designing your sim and in working on the design and layout of your homes. Gone are the myriad sliders of the prior games, and instead you just click and drag to move features and body part dimensions around on your sims. House design now actually approaches that over-used adjective "intuitive" in its use. Want to resize a room? Click and drag the corner just like you would think you want to, and the room resizes accordingly with decorations and furnishings moving along to reasonable new locations.

    I have a few-months old PC and am able to run with all graphics settings maxed out, so I can't speak to how well it'll run on older PCs, but I can say the graphics are a significant step forward, albeit in more subtle ways. I wasn't immediately blown away by the improvements, but as I played and saw the detail on the animations, how the lighting looked both inside and outside that I started to appreicate the improvements.

    I also liked that by default the UI actually gets out of your way until you need it. I also can pay the UI design the highest compliment possible: I was quickly able to forget about it and just play the game. Things work as I would expect them to, and with a couple minor exceptions, like how to bring up the world map, I was able to concentrate on WHAT I wanted to do rather than HOW to do it.

    There are more loading screens than Sims 3, but the framerate is rock-solid smooth, and load times were on the order of a few seconds at most.

    In addition to going back to bare-bones itemization while we wait for DLC after DLC, there aren't many features I'd expect to be in on the ground floor that aren't there. While I didn't do much of my own clothing and pattern design I was surprised to see that gone now. I never did too much of that, but people who loved doing that level of detail will no doubt greatly miss it.

    There are also a few bugs around, like an almost-amusing habit of the new sims to feel they need to keep swapping seats with each other between interactions. But overall, given the complexity of the game, I found it quite playable with only a few of those bugs causing any significant frustration.

    The other major improvement they've *finally* accomplished, at least from my perspective: your sims needs like hunger, bladder, energy and so on, while still providing structure and some challenge to the game, no longer feel like constant drains on your ability to just have FUN in the game, especially early on. Even when just beginning the game it feels like you have much more time during a typical Sims day to do cool things instead of ceaselessly directing your sims to eat, pee, sleep, shower, eat repeat repeat repeat.

    I started playing launch day at 7:30 am and didn't stop until (slightly later than usual) bedtime that evening, so that for me is the utlimate litmus test: I got lost in the game, and already have lots of ideas for what direction I want to take the Merrick family tonight and later this week.

    My advice to players new to the series: Don't hesitate to dive right in! Returning players? Read up on how the world design has changed since Sims 3 and what features may or may not have made it to the latest generation. If you liked a lot of the minutiae of design work or the wide-open feel of the world you may not be happy, but if you're like me and like the core gameplay the most then you'll probably have many hours of fun ahead of you.    … Expand
  49. BlueDagger
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    The Sims 4 takes the franchise in a different direction making the game more personal about the Sims rather than queuing up tasks and hitting fast forward. This time around you have to pay attention to emotional buffs and the depths of Sim interactions feels a lot deeper. I'm only about 4 hours into the game, but really like the direction they took things.

    I will state however that they    The Sims 4 takes the franchise in a different direction making the game more personal about the Sims rather than queuing up tasks and hitting fast forward. This time around you have to pay attention to emotional buffs and the depths of Sim interactions feels a lot deeper. I'm only about 4 hours into the game, but really like the direction they took things.

    I will state however that they earn an 8 for leaving out so many features and decorative choices. EA and the Sims franchise are simply too huge to justify cutting corners like this.    … Expand
  50. johann1978
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    Sims4 is a gread Game, it makes a lot of Fun to Play it. Down´t listen to the EA "0 von 10" Hater, the Game is not bugy, works fine and make really Fun. It is like Sims3, only smaller but better.
  51. cybergebi
    Sep 5, 2014
    10
    First off, I play and love the Sims Series since 2001. I just can't understand all the negative Reviews. I think most of them are voting 0 because they just hate EA or Maxis (because of SimCity?) and they think, when they hate the Game, everyone should hate it. But i just can't hate such a great Game. Yeah i know, there are some Features Missing. What I miss the most is the Color Wheel andFirst off, I play and love the Sims Series since 2001. I just can't understand all the negative Reviews. I think most of them are voting 0 because they just hate EA or Maxis (because of SimCity?) and they think, when they hate the Game, everyone should hate it. But i just can't hate such a great Game. Yeah i know, there are some Features Missing. What I miss the most is the Color Wheel and the Open World and also the Toddlers. But I can overlook that, because there are so many new things in the Sims 4. Its Just Amazing. It Works Offline, there are Options for Mods, so i think there is a Mod Support. I didn't find any Bugs or issues. It's just Fun to Play. And i just love the new Emotions. The New Create a Sim is just so innovative and easy. I love it.

    I hope for more positive Comments from Users who don't rate bad because of EA. I saw a lot of Comments on Youtube and most of them just hate EA but, whats wrong with them?

    I hope for other Consumers that they have also so much Fun playing it.    … Expand
  52. Babyloft
    Sep 18, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. So before I purchased this game I had read numerous reviews about how horrible it was and how there was only few positives to the game. After doing some reading around, I came across the Sims 4 walk through on youtube and that made me decide to buy it despite all of it's negative comments, and it was worth it. I have never in all of my sims playing from the first to the third had so much fun socializing with other sims. This is the first time you actually get reactions based on what was said or done. Every sims game is different, and if you really liked the way the sims 3 was set up then play the sims 3, or if you liked the first sims (which I still play) then buy it and play it because it's still available to buy. I choose which to play depending on my mood. This base game already has so many features, i'm beyond excited to see what they do with the expansion packs, especially pets! Your also able to talk to the bartenders and other people sims that were just there before, you can sing in the shower, talk while you dance, eat, etc, and you can even choose your walk! This is just a few new positives out of a whole bunch I haven't discovered yet. This is an upgrade, they just let go of little things that took up space. If you liked decorating based on color the Sims 3 is ideal for you. Of course there are some glitches at the moments and some bumps here and there that i'm sure will be fixed with time, but this is a huge upgrade to me. I haven't hardly decorated because there is so more to do besides make your house, and I don't spend so much time customizing my sims i'm done playing the game by the time i'm out of create a sim like the sims 3. I quit the game just so I could go online and write a positive review about it. I'm glad they are finally upgrading it in a way it needed to be upgraded in. Don't compare this base game to 10 expansion packs in the Sims 3, it will never be as good.… Expand
  53. bigtprime
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    10 is not reflecting the quality of the game, but since everyone put stupid score for the game, my score is here for balance.
    Igive my opinion concerning the base games (no extensions) and since I never bought any extension for the sims3, it will be easy.
    As it's mentionned be everyone, the sims4 did have some cut fonctionnalit compared to the sims3, but these are not stepback only but    10 is not reflecting the quality of the game, but since everyone put stupid score for the game, my score is here for balance.
    Igive my opinion concerning the base games (no extensions) and since I never bought any extension for the sims3, it will be easy.
    As it's mentionned be everyone, the sims4 did have some cut fonctionnalit compared to the sims3, but these are not stepback only but the openworld. The sims game is based around simulating life, the core of the game is to have sims with personnality, capable of taking action from their own. That's were the Sims4 is a great improvement compared to the previous game.
    Personnaliy, the sims in the previous game bored me, just puppet just capable of random actions, here you got ones with caractère, not only traits to restrain them, but traits to give them preference in their actions or conversations. It's not perfect but it's a lot better.

    We can argue than when MAXIS give us a new iteration, it could come with much features regarding what they already developped in past extensions, that it is to few for such a long developpement. But here, i'm juging what's in this game, and the content and the improvements of the game toward it's predecessor (the basic game), and it's good.    … Expand
  54. ReviewScope
    Feb 19, 2015
    8
    The most controversial game in the series. I can see why, but does it deserve a user score of 3.7?

    Pros: The core Sims gameplay is still as excellent as ever. I had the time of my life playing it and it really brought back memories of playing The Sims 3 The UI has been improved for better. Everything is more organized and is less "In your face" than it has been in previous games    The most controversial game in the series. I can see why, but does it deserve a user score of 3.7?

    Pros:
    The core Sims gameplay is still as excellent as ever. I had the time of my life playing it and it really brought back memories of playing The Sims 3
    The UI has been improved for better. Everything is more organized and is less "In your face" than it has been in previous games
    There is a heavy emphasis on emotions and The Sims has always been about keeping your Sims happy and well taken care of, and the new focus has made the game a lot more interesting.
    The build mode has been improved, you can now easily resize walls and you can even pick up entire rooms! There are plenty of customization options to choose from as well

    Cons:
    The new Create a Sim mode has some interesting aspects, for example, dragging and dropping certain features to alter them, but you can only choose 3 main traits, there are less customization options, Create a Style is gone and you can no longer create toddlers (How much of a big deal is that to anyone anyway?)
    The open world aspect from The Sims 3 is gone. Now it is a bland and generic world map, with the inability to create new lots, you only get 3 empty ones and a few houses to choose from. If you want to travel a lot, instead of driving or running there, you have to sit through a loading screen, EVEN IF YOU WANT TO GO ACROSS THE F*****G STREET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Overall, I had a lot of fun with The Sims 4 and many things have been improved, but all of the innovations made in The Sims 3 have been ignored and it feels like a greatly improved version of The Sims 2.

    7/10 (Original Score)
    8/10 (COS I HAD FUN WIV IT BESIDES LACK OF OPEN VURLDZ)    … Expand
  55. 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
  56. doncsoo
    Nov 28, 2014
    8
    I don't understand why is this game so underrated. Because it's don't have all features it"s not that bad. They have cool CAS and improved Building and emotions. That makes it a good game but too expensive!
  57. joshk1_c
    May 8, 2015
    9
    I don't understand why so many people don't like the game! It's a great game. Of course some things are missing, but how EA/Maxis has been handling things adding a huge feature every month!
    November: Pools!
    December: New Jobs/Mini Holiday Pack! January: Outdoor Retreat! (Game pack) February: Family Trees! March: Basements, Paint from Reference, and lots more! April: The "Get To Work"    I don't understand why so many people don't like the game! It's a great game. Of course some things are missing, but how EA/Maxis has been handling things adding a huge feature every month!
    November: Pools!
    December: New Jobs/Mini Holiday Pack!
    January: Outdoor Retreat! (Game pack)
    February: Family Trees!
    March: Basements, Paint from Reference, and lots more!
    April: The "Get To Work" expansion packs!
    May: And the upcoming stuff pack, Luxury Parties!

    Of course kind of a bummer to not have toddlers, but I'm fine with it!

    It's a fairly good game so I rate it 9/10.    … Expand
  58. f3l1p3
    Sep 7, 2014
    10
    Este jogo é espetacular. Ele tem muitas inovações e é muito divertido, trazendo de volta as raízes da franquia. Tudo é novo, há mais vida neste jogo, os detalhes são surpreendentes. Tem algumas falhas, mas isso não significa que o jogo não merece nota 10, e todos os símmers sabem disso.
  59. amfxc
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    The perfect base game! The loading screens are short as promised and the emotions are actually fun. The reviews on this website are a clear example of people trying to hate on a game they haven't even played.
  60. tiberij1
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Honestly I don't know why everyone is scoring it so low. I wasn't too sure about it after hearing all that has been removed, but honestly, once you play the game you don't think about that. The interactions between sims are great, and there isn't any lag. The graphics are good as well. No complaints so far
  61. Mactac
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    As a long time fan of The Sims, I had a count down going for The Sims 4 release date. I bought it the day after it was released and I am absolutely blown away by how good the game looks. Yes you don't have toddlers or pools, but those aren't really necessary to play the game. I'll eagerly await the expansion packs that are sure to have those. What I loved about The Sims 4, and what I foundAs a long time fan of The Sims, I had a count down going for The Sims 4 release date. I bought it the day after it was released and I am absolutely blown away by how good the game looks. Yes you don't have toddlers or pools, but those aren't really necessary to play the game. I'll eagerly await the expansion packs that are sure to have those. What I loved about The Sims 4, and what I found lacking in all the others, is how attached you get to your Sims. Sims 4 allows you to build a deeper connection with what's going on in your Sims life. I find myself excited when they learn a skill, eagerly trying to accomplish their desires and overall just paying a lot more attention than before. I don't even feel the need to cheat because I want to watch my Sim grow. The Sims 4 has reignited my love for the game that was lost on all the others. I say play it!… Expand
  62. LucianoPaulo
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Graphics look great! I really liked how they changed all the menus. Also the create tools are really intuitive. The highest points in this game are definitely the multitask and the new online gallery.
  63. Milolosz
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    t's a great game, is full of details, it has nice graphics, a little innovation BUT there is one small ale.But in game lack CHILDREN CAR POOL PRESS and many other things..Ale this is still a great game but not least 5-10 owned DLC there's no way ... But I would still recommend to play the Sims fans and new players would also :)
  64. SylaxSYN
    Sep 15, 2014
    9
    I was hesitant on getting Sims 4 after all the negative reviews, but being a fan of the series since the original I had to try it. Compared to the other core Sims releases, Sims 4 stands out as the best so far. While Sims 3 decided to go big with massive content, it ended up hurting itself in the long run with horrible performance issues and a drain on computing power. Sims 4 isI was hesitant on getting Sims 4 after all the negative reviews, but being a fan of the series since the original I had to try it. Compared to the other core Sims releases, Sims 4 stands out as the best so far. While Sims 3 decided to go big with massive content, it ended up hurting itself in the long run with horrible performance issues and a drain on computing power. Sims 4 is completely refined down to it's main elements and the improvements to the Sims themselves are mind blowing. Sims 4 has excellent graphics and the game as a whole runs smoother and performs better than any game I've ever played on a PC. Running on high settings and it's less than a strain on my computer than Sims 3 on low settings.

    The lack of some features from previous games definitely hurts it, but ultimately what they did add balances it all out. The new Sim emotions, AI and multitasking are absolutely phenomenal. This is the first game in the series where I've left free will on, because this is the first time it's actually worked properly and intelligently. Multitasking is very interesting and can be very comical at times. But the new emotions is what really cemented this game as the best for me. It adds an all new depth to the game. And the more I discover about the emotions, the more depth I find. Each emotion has mood modifiers and balancing them out can sometimes feel RPG-esque. Certain objects have emotional mood modifier auras, almost every action you make in the game will affect these modifiers. And this becomes important to balance because the emotions limit or open activities, choices and dialog options.

    This game blew my expectations out of the water, the extremely smooth and fast game play has me awestruck and the game is just plain fun. Sims 4 definitely needed another year or so in development to actually add the stuff that was cut (it was mostly cut due to time constraints). But there's still a chance it'll be implemented in with future patches and expansions.    … Expand
  65. anonymouse1
    Sep 6, 2014
    9
    Pros
    Emotions, UI, multitasking, build mode, little to no crashing/lag, graphics
    Cons Stuff that I don't miss (CASt, toddlers, pools, rabbitholes, dishwashers) Stuff that I do miss (skin tone/hair/eye color sliders) Dark sims are grey and light. Everyone has been giving this 0 because they say it's "empty". People said the exact same for sims 3- that it's "unfinished" (see its    Pros
    Emotions, UI, multitasking, build mode, little to no crashing/lag, graphics

    Cons
    Stuff that I don't miss (CASt, toddlers, pools, rabbitholes, dishwashers)
    Stuff that I do miss (skin tone/hair/eye color sliders)
    Dark sims are grey and light.

    Everyone has been giving this 0 because they say it's "empty". People said the exact same for sims 3- that it's "unfinished" (see its negative reviews on metacritic). It's not. The lots are actually full now because of the loading screens between lots. The pools didn't give me more than a couple of seconds of entertainment. If you are dying to have something that resembles a pool use a fountain. I would've given this a 7 but because of all the 0's I'll try to balance it out. I dislike the hair style but also realize how it helps performance.    … Expand
  66. AdrianoFox
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    The game is great. The only missing feature that really bothers are toddlers. Besides that, The Sims 4 is very fun, fluid, soft and beautiful. The world is full of life, with lots of Sims walking around and interacting with each other. There are lots of cars on the streets, a boat and a train on the background, making everything even more alive. The Sims 3 had a open world, but it wasThe game is great. The only missing feature that really bothers are toddlers. Besides that, The Sims 4 is very fun, fluid, soft and beautiful. The world is full of life, with lots of Sims walking around and interacting with each other. There are lots of cars on the streets, a boat and a train on the background, making everything even more alive. The Sims 3 had a open world, but it was really dead.

    The emotions of the Sims work really well. They make sense and aren't exaggerated at all. The animations look really good and expressive, The multitasking is awesome, it really optimizes the time. The lighting is just AMAZING, i have no words to describe it! Now light goes through every room and floor, and the sun ray lights are perfect!

    The Sims 3 was just disastrous at launch. Dead world, dumb Sims, awful lighting, lots of bugs and a very heavy look. The only advantage it had was Create a Style, but what's the point of having a great function and a terrible gameplay? The Sims 4 enhances the gameplay, you can have real fun playing. The missing content are coming. With the expansion packs the game will be even better.    … Expand
  67. rovaira
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    This game has been very enjoyable so far. I have bought all The Sims games (1-4). I was worried at first, but love the new setup. The Sim characters are very life like and the new interactions are amazing. Sims are constantly outside jogging, talking, etc. and it's easy to meet up with them. The load screens between lots are quick and they have setup this game to work down the road; thisThis game has been very enjoyable so far. I have bought all The Sims games (1-4). I was worried at first, but love the new setup. The Sim characters are very life like and the new interactions are amazing. Sims are constantly outside jogging, talking, etc. and it's easy to meet up with them. The load screens between lots are quick and they have setup this game to work down the road; this is a key.. in past sims games the load times would be ridiculous to load up the game itself, but not anymore since it loads up les at a time. The building of houses, and creating a sim are nice as well. They probably will add pools and toddlers later, but what they have so far is nice. In addition if I take one sim out I don't have to take care of all the other ones when I leave the lot; they will take care of their basic needs.… Expand
  68. Spezz
    Sep 20, 2014
    9
    The Game is really different from the last chapter (Sims 3), but it's not bad. Not more Open World, not pool and toddler. Also there is not any item or npc (like police, robbers, etc). But there is emotion. There is customization, and there is a lot of interaction and strange situation. It's a game you have to play for a while for like it. If you are a Sims 3 lover, you may not like this.The Game is really different from the last chapter (Sims 3), but it's not bad. Not more Open World, not pool and toddler. Also there is not any item or npc (like police, robbers, etc). But there is emotion. There is customization, and there is a lot of interaction and strange situation. It's a game you have to play for a while for like it. If you are a Sims 3 lover, you may not like this. If you are a Sims 1 or 2 lover, you may love this :) try it! It's fun :D
    In any case, also the base game of ALL the Sims have any gap, the future expansion will fill it :)    … Expand
  69. FlyingShaper
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    I hate EA with all my heart but I always get bought into the hype. When I got Sims 4 I was worried that it was going to be borring and dry. So far I have played 4 hours and all I can do is smile right now. The comedy, the way the sims act are something different then the 3rd game. My sim is moving on up as a spy and I am having a ton of fun. I own over 250 games on steam but I think Sims 4I hate EA with all my heart but I always get bought into the hype. When I got Sims 4 I was worried that it was going to be borring and dry. So far I have played 4 hours and all I can do is smile right now. The comedy, the way the sims act are something different then the 3rd game. My sim is moving on up as a spy and I am having a ton of fun. I own over 250 games on steam but I think Sims 4 might steal a ton of hours out of my life. I still hate you EA but I hope you add more stuff to Sims 4 or it will get old fast.… Expand
  70. chelskavitch
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    I was so tossed-up as to whether I needed to go out today and buy this game. After reading SO SO SO many negative reviews, and a handful of fake looking positive ones, I paid out despite the bad taste everyone's comments left in my mouth. I really am glad I bought it. We all know it's lacking certain features of previous sims games, but guess what? This isn't previous sims games! This is aI was so tossed-up as to whether I needed to go out today and buy this game. After reading SO SO SO many negative reviews, and a handful of fake looking positive ones, I paid out despite the bad taste everyone's comments left in my mouth. I really am glad I bought it. We all know it's lacking certain features of previous sims games, but guess what? This isn't previous sims games! This is a brand new game, just like we asked for. I would have been let down, honestly, if it was just the Sims 3 with some new graphics flair. EA set out to make a new game and they did. It's not as though it's so incredibly different that I don't know what I'm doing when I play; after being a die-hard sims fan since The Sims 1, I intuitively knew how to navigate the world and play with my people.

    The absolute coolest part of the whole game is just how rich their personalities are. I made a sim of my friend, Katie, and wow.... Just wow. It looks and acts like her. She gets really excited and playful like she does, and she even came to the sim of me to ask for advice (and of course my sim goes to her and vents). The relationship dynamic in this game is really what makes it. We have not seen anything like this in previous games. The old sims felt more like empty vessels dressed to feel like people, and we fill in the gaps with our gameplay. Now it feels like I'm playing a game with rather intelligently designed characters.

    I have only a few gripes about create-a-sim. I wish the invisible "sliders" were a bit more dynamic, as well as, of course, I wish there was a better selection for clothing options. I really hope we see accessories like cardigans or scarves in the future. I think the best part about the new CAS is if I'm too lazy to make a cool new sim and I just was to start playing, I can just click a button and use other people's creations. That sure beats going with a goofy "random" sim, and I don't have to put in any effort to get a sim worth playing.

    You really have to have a sense of humor with this game. Stupid things happen, and it is hilarious. There are a plethora of llama jokes, puns, and pokes at pop culture (did we expect less??). The sims do really silly things on their own, too, like how the Katie sim was talking to an old guy, but then the conversation got awkward, so she ran into her bedroom and hid under the covers. It's also a good giggle the first time you see a pair of sims take a selfie together, or when a sim slips out of a conversation while they get lost in their phone. It's such a mock-up of real life, it's hard not to laugh.

    And of course, this is launch day, after all. There are a few glitchy, weird things that happen, but I'm sure these are kinks that will work out in the near future. This game does not appear to me as having been "rushed" or as being "unfinished."

    I truly do not understand what all of the negative fuss was over. I'm not sure how these people were so disappointed. I recommend that if you're curious to see how it plays, go and get it. I know it's a bit of money and you don't want to be let down, but I know I'm glad I did it. You can always download & pay for it through Origin, and then if you really do hate it, get your money back through the "great game guarantee" or whatever they advertise. Take other reviews with a grain of salt, because something seems fishy to me.

    So, bottom line, I give it 8/10. The two points were lost for the opportunities that the developers missed when creating the game (which we have all been discussing at length), and because the base sims games are never as cool as it gets in the 2-4 years after release. Form your own opinion of it before you complain about it!!    … Expand
  71. chad_from_chad_
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    This game is an excellent game and I've only played half of it. I can't wait for EA™ to release the rest of it in the upcoming DLC. Thank you based EA™ for being the best in the industry!
  72. susanleona
    Sep 5, 2014
    9
    I'm in love with this game. The sims seem more real than in any other version and I was so pleasantly surprised because there were so many people on the Sims forum who expressed dislike due to missing items (before they even tried out the game!) that to see how well the game works and to not miss anything is fantastic. The lags and game crashes I had in Sims 3 are not happening. There isI'm in love with this game. The sims seem more real than in any other version and I was so pleasantly surprised because there were so many people on the Sims forum who expressed dislike due to missing items (before they even tried out the game!) that to see how well the game works and to not miss anything is fantastic. The lags and game crashes I had in Sims 3 are not happening. There is a lot to do for a base game and I'm sure I'll be busy until an expansion shows up.… Expand
  73. bearnold15
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    First up lets talk about what Sims 4 does add, since by now you read a hundred whiny reviews of what's missing. Multitasking- you can now do things like read books and talk at that the same time. Which is great when you're focused on skill development and someone comes up to you trying to talk. The emotions for the Sims are so great, because now there is some type of strategy you canFirst up lets talk about what Sims 4 does add, since by now you read a hundred whiny reviews of what's missing. Multitasking- you can now do things like read books and talk at that the same time. Which is great when you're focused on skill development and someone comes up to you trying to talk. The emotions for the Sims are so great, because now there is some type of strategy you can employee when trying to talk to people. On the creation side the new create-a-sim tools are great, yeah there aren't 50 different swatches and stuff for each item but still give it a few updates and that will be back for sure. On the tech side - I have a laptop with a core i5 processor and decent video card and can run on Ultra settings which is extremely smooth, if you really can't run this game at all you need to buy a new computer. And one person who said the camera views suck, uh yeah check the controls and learn how to press ctrl+a or ctrl+d the camera is fine it's not exactly the greatest thing ever but it's not going to stop me from enjoying the game.

    So overall the game's new multitasking and emotions features are going to keep me playing until new expansions(which haven't even been announced to be free or premium yet people) come out.    … Expand
  74. Chengalang
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Great game. Love it and already hooked. Yes, there are some features missing but there also aren't already 11 expansion packs and 9 stuff packs.

    To the people who claim Sims 4 isn't worth the $60 because it doesn't compare to your apparent purchasing of all expansions. $60 vs $460 and it's doing just a-okay.
  75. siegfx
    Sep 4, 2014
    9
    Great Game! I dont know why people are bashing on this.

    This IS the sims, you know you're going to be given a ton of expansion packs coming up (that way they can really give us a lot of stuff each time) the game itself at this stage wont be like the previous sims with complete expansion packs. They have improved loading times, save game time, UI and the overall smoothness of the    Great Game! I dont know why people are bashing on this.

    This IS the sims, you know you're going to be given a ton of expansion packs coming up (that way they can really give us a lot of stuff each time)

    the game itself at this stage wont be like the previous sims with complete expansion packs.

    They have improved loading times, save game time, UI and the overall smoothness of the game.
    It should now be more viable for lower end user.
    The animations are a LOT smoother, new build mood is very good, lighting is SUPERB!! I love the illumination in sims 4!

    I havent played the game that much as I am more of a builder, but I can already see a ton of improvement (especially the roof) on build mode.    … Expand
  76. Untrustedlife
    Sep 2, 2014
    8
    I feel the need to give you all an honest review given all the others are super skewed either way (really 10s and 0s and no in between?). Hello people, i want to start my review by stating that 1. I have all the sims games ever made, and 2 I actually do enjoy this game, not sure why, but i do. It is a very charming game. I see all of these bad reviews and wonder "did they actually playI feel the need to give you all an honest review given all the others are super skewed either way (really 10s and 0s and no in between?). Hello people, i want to start my review by stating that 1. I have all the sims games ever made, and 2 I actually do enjoy this game, not sure why, but i do. It is a very charming game. I see all of these bad reviews and wonder "did they actually play the game?" and why is it that even though they claim there is pros to the game they still give it a 0. I came to the conclusion that they (the other reviewers)are eithe rpayed off or angry disillusioned rabid no-longer-fans, that is all they are.
    The Pros:

    Reasons I enjoy this game, the new building and sim creation tools are awesome. The gameplay feels quite solid, and i feel that my sims are actually alive. In sims 3, i didnt feel the same way, simple as that. I actually preferred the sims 2. (Though sims 3 did feel like a cool rpg-simulation sort of thing. with all the expansions) The soundtrack is very good (though i am still a big fan of the ORIGINAL sims soundtrack) The collectibles are many and interesting. (I believe sims 3 shipped ORIGINALLY with less?), The careers are Few, but the new "room rewards" are very rewarding. The aspirations are multitiered this time around (its no longer just a single cut out and dry goal) its like a quest line now (which i honestly prefer). And many other things.

    The Cons:

    Ok we all knew this was coming, my biggest gripe is the removal of pools and ghosts (WHY DID YOU REMOVE GHOSTS EA.. WHY) the ghosts in sims 3 may have been boring, but in sims two they were awesome, I was hoping for some interesting ghosts this time around, (for my legacy games) but nope, its no happening.
    Pools are gone, UGH. (we all share this disappointment)

    The toddler life state (which i loved, is gone)

    I can go one for awhile, but im going to stop here and say that despite the removal of these things (and the fricken weird teens), the game still FEELS solid.
    I also saw some of the plans for expansions, and they plan on doing a castaway type expansion , I fricken loved the sims 2 castaway and will WILL buy that expansion when it comes out).

    Given all the complaints I expect ea to react, also for those who wish to vent, on the sims 4 forums they added a stickied feedback thread, THROW ALL YOUR HATE THERE, NOW, to "encourage" ea to readd ghosts pools and toddlers. They will hopefully listen if they want to make money.

    Overall sims 4 is Good, for what it is, But it definitely could use some improvements.    … Expand
  77. AmyImpact
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    The game has improved a lot. The lots are full of people. The build mode is awesome. Multitask is the most interesting thing in this game and the gallery is very great. They made The Sims 4 like a social network.
  78. SuRathanil
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    I have enjoyed the game. I am a big sims fan. While the sims 4 doesn't offer all things sims 2 or 3 offers with expansions included, its still a very fun game. The base game sims 4 vs sims 2 and sims 3? The sims 4 wins hands down. A lot of people where expecting to much and now they're disappointed, but don't let that fool you its a nice game. If you don't want to pay $60, wait for aI have enjoyed the game. I am a big sims fan. While the sims 4 doesn't offer all things sims 2 or 3 offers with expansions included, its still a very fun game. The base game sims 4 vs sims 2 and sims 3? The sims 4 wins hands down. A lot of people where expecting to much and now they're disappointed, but don't let that fool you its a nice game. If you don't want to pay $60, wait for a sale in about 6-8 months from now and pick it up with a couple expansion packs. You won't regret it because its a quality title. The game is MUCH improved over the sims 3 base game. The further of the sim series has never looked brighter.… Expand
  79. CriseComics
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    The definitive the sims experience. With a very cool enviorement, the game provides an immersive feel that you are in the true control of your character. The pros: great graphics, nice music, fantastic character creation, fantastic house builder (the best of all of them), great new concepts such as smartphones and enviorement colors that change your sim moods.
    Cons: lack of pools (yeah),    The definitive the sims experience. With a very cool enviorement, the game provides an immersive feel that you are in the true control of your character. The pros: great graphics, nice music, fantastic character creation, fantastic house builder (the best of all of them), great new concepts such as smartphones and enviorement colors that change your sim moods.
    Cons: lack of pools (yeah), small village.
    It is an amazing game, don't feed the trolls here, there are just a lot of ppf that hate changing...    … Expand
  80. srbee91
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Love this game! Love the Sims! People are just too picky. Love the look of Sims and it runs and plays great! I will never turn my back on sims!!! BUY IT TODAY!
  81. jmac2727
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    Exactly what you want to see in a base game. Game runs perfectly smooth, been playing over 8 hours now and haven't run into a single bug. The important features that make a Sims game a Sims game are still there, you really start feeling attached to your Sims. The loading screens are as close to nonexistent as you can get and are not a distraction at all. I give it a 10 with absolutelyExactly what you want to see in a base game. Game runs perfectly smooth, been playing over 8 hours now and haven't run into a single bug. The important features that make a Sims game a Sims game are still there, you really start feeling attached to your Sims. The loading screens are as close to nonexistent as you can get and are not a distraction at all. I give it a 10 with absolutely no hesitation.… Expand
  82. Jelle1137
    Sep 3, 2014
    9
    It's better than you think, believe me... Create a Sim is good, and the building mode is good too. The only problem with the Sims 4 is that there going to be a gazillion DLCs and expansions... But yeah that's EA games.
  83. Goldman77
    Sep 8, 2014
    10
    First let me just say that on the whole I am a professional review and have very authoritative credentials.
    Lets me tell you that when EA came to my door step and asked me to review this game that I knew that EA wanted my credentials, my expertise applied to the honest and unbiased review of this game.
    First lets look at the music, the music for this game is amazing. The moment I hit    First let me just say that on the whole I am a professional review and have very authoritative credentials.
    Lets me tell you that when EA came to my door step and asked me to review this game that I knew that EA wanted my credentials, my expertise applied to the honest and unbiased review of this game.

    First lets look at the music, the music for this game is amazing. The moment I hit start I was meet with a grand montage of scenes and music from the game. Each piece of music I listened to gave me the feeling of creativity.

    The Interface is astounding, the supplementary tutorial it had filled me with confidence and gave me the tools to begin my virtual creation. I felt that I could do almost anything.

    The interactions between the Sims is great and I could see the importance of ensuring that features are thinned down so all of the unnecessary clutter from Sims 3 that came about from the endless content of expansions.

    Truly EA has brought there innovation and creation forward from there critically acclaimed Dungeon keepers iOS game and has began the next generation of virtual reality.    … Expand
  84. Joe614
    Sep 3, 2014
    7
    I feel the Sims 4 is an upgrade from the Sims 3. But the question is, how much of an upgrade? The best part of the game is Sim creation. You can do ever little nook and cranny when creating your Sim. I felt the Sims 3 had weird looking Sims. In the Sims 4 the Sims look great. The visuals are an upgrade from the Sims 3, but not by much. Build a mode will take sometime to get used too, butI feel the Sims 4 is an upgrade from the Sims 3. But the question is, how much of an upgrade? The best part of the game is Sim creation. You can do ever little nook and cranny when creating your Sim. I felt the Sims 3 had weird looking Sims. In the Sims 4 the Sims look great. The visuals are an upgrade from the Sims 3, but not by much. Build a mode will take sometime to get used too, but it is good overall. I feel the game deserves an 8/10. I also feel the game will get better as expansion packs are released.… Expand
  85. Boby-LM
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    This game is AMAZING ! People should stop complaining about what's not in the game and see what's in the game ! The world is beautiful and the emotion are REAL !
  86. 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.
  87. 2013stwalden
    Sep 8, 2014
    8
    The Sims 4 is a very good game. Like most people the first thing I noticed was many things are gone. I can no longer make a Zebra print Stove or some neon purple hardwood floor. But missing swimming Pools and Toddlers is not enough to make me not wanna play the Sims 4.

    I have devoted close to 20 hours of my life since the game came out and that is even having to work 11 hour shifts this    The Sims 4 is a very good game. Like most people the first thing I noticed was many things are gone. I can no longer make a Zebra print Stove or some neon purple hardwood floor. But missing swimming Pools and Toddlers is not enough to make me not wanna play the Sims 4.

    I have devoted close to 20 hours of my life since the game came out and that is even having to work 11 hour shifts this past week. The game really draws you into your Sims. I noticed I care less about designing custom house and more of actually playing my Sims. Large house holds are more fun and easier to handle then in the Previous games. With that being sad I will say the AI in the Sims 4 is really dopy. My Sims when trying to do things on their own with out me commanding them will be very glitchy and very ignorant of what they are doing. I have had my Sims pick up a dirty plate and just move it to another room, then pick it up again and then wash it. Then the Emotion system is very cool and fun to mess with. It helps your Sims build their aspiration quicker and skills as well. Creating the sims is pretty amazing and very basic at the same time. The amount you can morph and twist is astonishing. You can create a PERFECT face if you are willing to spend the time doing so. But after you have created their face and sculpted there body...... Then it becomes very basic. There seems to be too few outfits with too few color options. I find myself accidentally putting different Sims in close to the same outfits. I have mistaken Random Sims for my Sims friends cause they are wearing the same cloths. So hope to see many new outfits come to the Sims 4 with Expansions.

    Overall Playing your Sims has never been been this much fun.

    Creating house is fun in the Sims 4 but at times feels like it was on the bottom of the list. It almost feels like we reverted back to the Sims 1 in some ways. There is still a lot of tools to use and you can change the color of items but only a selective choice. I really wanted to see the old Color scheme setup from the Sims 3. Don't get me wrong Making house is still a lot of fun.... But it doesn't engage me like the Older Sims games has. I keep finding myself building just a simple boxy house with what my Sims need for their daily life's and that is about it. I will say one cool new feature is the Pre-Made rooms. So now when you feel REALLY lazy just click drop and rotate into place and BAM, you gotta a themed kitchen. After doing this once or twice It does get a bit stale with so limited of choices.

    Overall Creating House is cool, but not as good as it could have been

    The game-play mechanics are the more engaging and frustrating things in the Sims 4. You will be constantly fixing a toilet once a day, cleaning up spoiled dishes left in weird places. Having other Sims randomly walking into you're house if you are friends, that's how friends get shot these days. There are dozens of little things that just drive you up the wall while playing the Sims 4, But this is shadowed by all the amazing things now. You can really tell Maxis/EA dumped some money into this engine. The emotion system is very well thought through. Will say at first when getting used to it, you're Sim will be acting like a PMS'ing prom queen, 900 emotions at once. But as you learn how to use it, it becomes amazing feeling. It gives you more power with you're Sims. Its always funny to watch you're angry Sim go out in the middle of the street and start yelling at a random jogger, Or just start flirting with their roommates Spouse cause they took a shower. One of the things I thought was real brilliant is conversations. Now if when you're Sims do certain things it can make or break the conversation. Skill Building and Careers has never been this much fun neither. I used to dread starting new Sims cause it felt like all I did was Work out and make friends and be stuck at my Sims house. Now You're jobs don't need lvl 10 Cooking to be good at you're job. Each job level has its own little Goals to help you get promoted. So you are no longer just stuck having to read books and star gaze to get the job you're Sims wants. The Aspiration system is just WOW. I notice myself more focus on Getting my Sims Aspiration fufilled more then I did in the Sims 2/3. Instead of just one BIG goal you have a bunch of smaller goals to achieve, then when you get done with one..... You can start another! Thats one things in older Sims games I noticed. My Sim is not the leader of the Free World..... What do I do know.... Weight Lifting time.... Then new Sim.... So very happy with the new Aspiration system

    Overall the Game play is Amazing and very engaging, but should have spent more time looking at the Ignorant AI system.

    The Sims 4 is missing a bunch of content that you got in Sims 2/3. We are all sad about this, but you just need to pick up the game and play it for a few hours. It took me about 3-4 hours to get really hooked.    … Expand
  88. LillyPutian
    Sep 28, 2014
    10
    The game feels very alive and dynamic. The Sims are different, more interactive and more reactive. There are countless charming little touches to the way they respond to one another and their environment. Still just a base game and it needs more stuff, but what is there is good for now. There are some fun items that haven't been seen before and lots of game play to be had.
  89. Missy
    Dec 14, 2014
    10
    I really love the sims 4 compared to what the sims 3 was...I have a high end computer and sims 3 was uneplayable thanks to the constant crash lag and routing issues...Anyways, Sims 4 has been very smooth the graphics are very neat and so are the sims, I find there is no need to use CC in order to make the sim look beautiful. I really like the gameplay and how they have been adding back aI really love the sims 4 compared to what the sims 3 was...I have a high end computer and sims 3 was uneplayable thanks to the constant crash lag and routing issues...Anyways, Sims 4 has been very smooth the graphics are very neat and so are the sims, I find there is no need to use CC in order to make the sim look beautiful. I really like the gameplay and how they have been adding back a few missing features with free updates. The world is very beautiful. This game look like it has a potential, even though it has a few features still missing like toddlers, when they start adding EPs despite all the negativity and all the bad reviews people are leaving...Im so happy i can be playing for hours and my game doesnt crash or lags!!!!!!!!… Expand
  90. uhmbrellastandz
    Sep 2, 2014
    9
    Sims 4 reminds me of a hybrid of Sims 2 and 3, which were my favorites. I see a lot of negative comments and I understand why but at the same time I don't. Yes, there's stuff missing from it which is why I gave it a 9. However, all the negative reviews just seem to be because people are impatient.

    Yes, I was disappointed about the stuff that's not there at first, but I remembered that    Sims 4 reminds me of a hybrid of Sims 2 and 3, which were my favorites. I see a lot of negative comments and I understand why but at the same time I don't. Yes, there's stuff missing from it which is why I gave it a 9. However, all the negative reviews just seem to be because people are impatient.

    Yes, I was disappointed about the stuff that's not there at first, but I remembered that most of it is stuff that can be added later. I honestly, I forgot about all the small stuff that has yet to be added because I was having so much fun playing with all of the emotions Sims can have now and the multitasking. It's what I would expect from a base game to have, which is all the basic stuff and then all the complicated stuff later. Honestly, my main problem was the map but that can always be expanded/fixed later on and is what you would expect a base game map to be -- basic.

    My advice? Be patient and play Sims 3 until they release updates, expansions, etc. for Sims 4 and then try it. Then you'll have a reason to not like it if you still don't. I was the same way about Sims 3 but I played Sims 2 until they released expansions for it and I had a blast after that. Don't just return the game to the store because of all the basic stuff it offers right now because you may be missing out of this stuff later on or going back out to buy it again.    … Expand
  91. GowenGeter
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    I have been playing for 5 hours straight and it's a lot of fun. I also like how the game runs better than Sims 3.

    There are people who hate EA and write reviews of games that they didn't even buy or play so that explains some of the negative reviews. In the end of the day, haters aren't going to stop me from enjoying the game.
  92. Mr_Rose
    Sep 6, 2014
    9
    Just like every other new game that is released, Sims 4 has its problems and negatives, sure, but what I see is a Sims game with enough potential to become a great sequel to the series. Instead of rating the game badly right away, wait a little bit, it might turn out that EA will release updates adding all the content Sims fans miss so much in the 4th part. For my part, I have fun playingJust like every other new game that is released, Sims 4 has its problems and negatives, sure, but what I see is a Sims game with enough potential to become a great sequel to the series. Instead of rating the game badly right away, wait a little bit, it might turn out that EA will release updates adding all the content Sims fans miss so much in the 4th part. For my part, I have fun playing Sims 4 how it is. :)… Expand
  93. RealFact010
    Sep 2, 2014
    7
    Sims 4 is kind of a disappointment(IMo)but not without its own set of new giddy features, Sims series fans will feel just as home. Initially The intuitive UI and seamless gameplay are only things that standout for me but hopefully the mods change that infact since this time EA is actually fully supportin mods and seeing the potential of improvements which might make the seriesSims 4 is kind of a disappointment(IMo)but not without its own set of new giddy features, Sims series fans will feel just as home. Initially The intuitive UI and seamless gameplay are only things that standout for me but hopefully the mods change that infact since this time EA is actually fully supportin mods and seeing the potential of improvements which might make the series glorious comeback and recover its popularity i'm giving it a 7 if not 3 to 4.20302032 ...its a downgrade from sims 3 but we'll have to wait in time to have a unbiased "critique" of the game since Sims 3 had all the expansions.… Expand
  94. shessodeviant
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    GREAT game! if you stop looking at it as the Sims 3 with less stuff and the Sims 4 it truly is an amazing game.plus it makes sense that they had to release it and then put out expansions. its truly a great game and people just need to stop being negative.
  95. SmattyCore
    Sep 6, 2014
    10
    For me it's a big step forward. I believe the new game engine is wonderful. Not because it looks better to me but because it works better. In The Sims 3 I always had problems with animations and sometimes it stuck some seconds. That was, if you would ask me, because of all add-ons I had installed. So I believe in The Sims 3 the engine/game whatever, wasn't well coded to support add-ons.For me it's a big step forward. I believe the new game engine is wonderful. Not because it looks better to me but because it works better. In The Sims 3 I always had problems with animations and sometimes it stuck some seconds. That was, if you would ask me, because of all add-ons I had installed. So I believe in The Sims 3 the engine/game whatever, wasn't well coded to support add-ons. However, I think in The Sims 4 it works much better. I had no lags, never stuck, not a problem.

    The new interface/HUD looks just incredible, the Sims look much better and everything else too.

    I don't understand all the people. When The Sims 3 was released everybody said that they can't play it because of the high requirements. Now, the developers The Sims Studio changed it. They coded everything new, with loading screens so there is no open world now. And the result? Everyone is saying that they don't like the loading screens? So what do they want? Both things are bad? Then please learn coding and create your own game and find a way to NOT use loading screens but have open world and running on an Intel Pentium 3. There's NO way to do this.

    Of course there are some things missing, for example the cellar, pools, dishwasher and smaller children. But instead of that we have a completely new engine, a better game that is running on nearly every system doesn't matter how old it is and a new great game. We have a new camera, the control is better now, you can change and move each room or the whole house. You can upload and download to/from the gallery which also needs to be coded from The Sims Studio. And we can't forget the new Create a Sim feature which is just awesome and a lot of work to code.

    Everyone is complaining but compare with Sims 3. What if... we had open world = at least Intel Core i3/i5 What if... we had pools and cellar and smaller children = No new control, no new Create a Sim, no house/room moving and no gallery.
    And if this is the case what would we have? Simple. Another Sims 3. A remake or something but NOTHING new. And everyone knows EA and The Sims Studio: There will be add-ons. They're not coding a whole new engine just for a game and nothing more. So there will be add-ons which may contain pools and cellar and new, bigger worlds. I don't know that but this is probably going to happen.    … Expand
  96. Sagitta
    Sep 7, 2014
    9
    After a few good, solid das of playing, I can hnoestly say Sims 4 is the best in the series so far. Its a nice balance between the gameplay of Sims 2 and the open world-ness of Sims 3 (minus the agonizing load times and PC-choking requirements).

    I was actually shocked to find 4 plays *better* on my PC than 3 did - and I bought this machine not long after 3 came out. Overall the game    After a few good, solid das of playing, I can hnoestly say Sims 4 is the best in the series so far. Its a nice balance between the gameplay of Sims 2 and the open world-ness of Sims 3 (minus the agonizing load times and PC-choking requirements).

    I was actually shocked to find 4 plays *better* on my PC than 3 did - and I bought this machine not long after 3 came out.

    Overall the game is stable, and I keep discovering new thins hiding deep within the gameplay. I think a lot of the negative reviews are from people who played 15 minutes and then went PFFFt or - worse - haven't played the game at all.

    Pros: Well... almost everything, gameplay wise. The menus and camera can be a bit confusing, but they have a couple settings to revert those to previous incarnations.

    Cons: I only have two. The first is the lack of a more robust autosave feature. While the game crashes very, very rarely (had it happen twice in a week), if you haven't saved, then you're going to be in trouble.

    The second is a bit more important - the first patch resulted in my game crashing on launch. It took me a good couple hours to realize that the game had to be run in administrator mode so the patch could be applied. I wound up uninstalling and sitting through a massive redownload via Origin before realizing what was going on.

    So is it perfect? No. But in the realm of Sims games, I think its a very solid foundation for the inevitable mountains of DLC to come. It's probably the best in the Sims franchise so far.    … Expand
  97. vitorxavier
    Sep 2, 2014
    0
    O jogo é perfeito, sem mais. Ótima iluminação, gráficos lindos, mundo vivo, um verdadeiro The Sims! Esse sim da prazer de jogar. As novas ferramentas dos CAS são incríveis, ficou muito mais fácil criar seu simself, tudo ficou mais fácil. As ferramentas de construção também é outro aspecto muito bonito, nunca tinha visto algo igual na historia dos jogos! Enfim, é tudo que eu digo, The SimsO jogo é perfeito, sem mais. Ótima iluminação, gráficos lindos, mundo vivo, um verdadeiro The Sims! Esse sim da prazer de jogar. As novas ferramentas dos CAS são incríveis, ficou muito mais fácil criar seu simself, tudo ficou mais fácil. As ferramentas de construção também é outro aspecto muito bonito, nunca tinha visto algo igual na historia dos jogos! Enfim, é tudo que eu digo, The Sims 4 está perfeito, quem jogar não se arrepende.… Expand
  98. Tay
    Sep 3, 2014
    8
    I've been very impressed with the Sims 4. While there are things I'm not jazzed about (neighborhood system, for example), the game is impressive in many other aspects. It runs very well, for example, on non-gaming PCs (like my Surface Pro 2). Low-end computers still get an amazingly smooth, fast, and responsive game. The ability to scale that up to ultra settings on a gaming PC/laptopI've been very impressed with the Sims 4. While there are things I'm not jazzed about (neighborhood system, for example), the game is impressive in many other aspects. It runs very well, for example, on non-gaming PCs (like my Surface Pro 2). Low-end computers still get an amazingly smooth, fast, and responsive game. The ability to scale that up to ultra settings on a gaming PC/laptop (like a Razer Blade) shows some pretty awesome improvements in the program coding, and I think the developers deserve a lot of credit for what must have been a lot of fine tuning. I've been very impressed with the UI changes as well: it's not perfect (keyboard shortcuts, for example, need some work), but it's a marked improvement over the Sims 3.

    I think people would benefit from examining what expectations they have for this new game. Regarding content -- I don't think it's fair to compare it to the years-long content war chest of the Sims 3. When I compare the original Sims 3 release content to the Sims 4, I find them to be very comparable. The reaction of "the Sims 4 just didn't do it for me like the Sims 3 did" is, of course, valid, but I'd encourage those who feel that way to examine whether or not their impression comes from criticism of the Sims 4 or from burnout from the Sims playstyle mechanics. When I ponder about how they could have "shaken up" the core play mechanics, it doesn't take long for me to realize that there isn't a lot I'd want changed! Change for change's sake isn't always helpful, and fixing what isn't broke can put a lot of strain on a franchise.

    On the whole: I'm glad they kept the solid play mechanics from the Sims 3 because they were/are great. I don't fault the Sims 4 for having less content than the present-day Sims 3 behemoth, and it sounds like new content will come faster and more reliably to the new platform. I think we need to give credit where credit is due: the game itself runs orders-of-magnitude better than its predecessors on a huge swath of PCs (it runs so well on my Surface Pro 2, it's unbelievable) -- reflecting a better back-end coding platform which speaks well to the game's future -- and the user experience (UI, music, etc.) is markedly improved.

    If you love the Sims and don't mind a temporarily restricted content catalog (at least in comparison to what you're used to), you aren't going to regret jumping to the Sims 4. It's great, it's fun, and it's more of the Sims. (Which is exactly what you want!)    … Expand
  99. KingLeonaidas
    Sep 3, 2014
    10
    I am going to rate 10 not because I think the game is perfect but because the ratings of 0 are biased and not from players who own the game. There are a lot of new features that I enjoy although there are things I am frustrated about. The new features add a lot to the base game. Emotions are awesome and random. The lots are awesomely populated. The social features add alot to the game.I am going to rate 10 not because I think the game is perfect but because the ratings of 0 are biased and not from players who own the game. There are a lot of new features that I enjoy although there are things I am frustrated about. The new features add a lot to the base game. Emotions are awesome and random. The lots are awesomely populated. The social features add alot to the game. Sims look great and the world is pretty.

    The lack of cars sucks. Loading screens are a drag. Not enough lots.    … Expand
  100. ethancarter
    Sep 2, 2014
    10
    The Game has the best graphics of any sim game and its tactile honestly its nearly perfect. Its fun make sims and build houses but for those how to dont knw about the game i would wait until the first expanion pack
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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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