GamerNode: Reviews - The Sims 3

The Sims 3

• The Sims 3
• PC
• The Sims Studio
• Electronic Arts
• June 02nd, 2009

For a while, it seemed like we'd never see an end of The Sims 2. Countless expansion packs ranging from topical ones to things like pets certainly kept the game alive, and the money flowing into EA's coffers. Lo and behold, though, The Sims 3 is upon us, and it's time to leave all of those Sims 2 expansions in the past, and get with the times.

I admit: I've never been a big fan of the Sims franchise. Call me cynical, but I just didn't get the point. I wouldn't say the games were bad, just not my cup of tea.

So I was a little apprehensive to try The Sims 3, and expected to play it for 20 minutes, get bored, and pass the game on to someone else. Imagine my surprise, then, when I ended up actually enjoying the game!

By now, you don't need a list of every addition or change to the game; and you probably wouldn't have the endurance to read through it. There are only a few "major" changes or additions to the franchise, but there are a whole lot of minor tweaks here and there, to create a much smoother, and better feeling, play experience.

Two of the "major" changes occur when you create your character. Now, you're able to give them actual Character Traits and a Lifetime Wish. Character Traits range from the obvious, realistic ones such as "grumpy" and "ambitious" to over-the-top ones, such as "insane" and, my personal favorite, "never nude." These traits do more than just sit on your Sim's profile sheet; they influence the actions you can perform, the dialog you can initiate, and the way your people behave in their lives, at work, and in the game as a whole. The inclusion of a lot of novelty traits is also very entertaining for players like me, who just didn't get the excitement of running a real life in a virtual world.

Lifetime Wishes are my second favorite addition. (My first is coming up!) Basically, when you finish your character, you'll be able to pick a lifetime wish for them to accomplish. This gives The Sims 3 something neither of the previous two games had: a purpose. While not a true end point -- the game doesn't end when you achieve your wish -- there's now a clearcut goal to progress toward. So, for those like me who prefer linearity in games -- or having goals to achieve -- rather than sandbox "anything goes" fare, this is a huge boon.

Finally, there's my favorite change; the opening of the town itself. In the past Sims games, I always felt boxed in the house, and it was boring watching people hang around home all day. In The Sims 3, the world is seamless. Not only can you do more around town, but your characters will do more on their own without being told. There are no load times, either, so you can very easily go from your bathroom (watching your Sim shower if you're into that sort of thing) and skip on over to the cemetery to look for ghosts.

While those are all very positive changes (and the final, seamless town is the biggy), it's the little things that make The Sims 3 so much more entertaining than the first two Sims games. Things like not being forced to pay attention to basic needs and functions. Don't want to spend time trying to powergame when to make your guy pee? No worries, because this time around it's not nearly as important, and they actually take care of themselves. (For the most part. My evil overlord Sim, Jim JimJim, did pee himself a few times...)

If you're a fan of The Sims, obviously The Sims 3 is a must-buy, and you've probably already had it since the day it came out. But, if you never really "got" why people played the games, The Sims 3 might give you the answer you've been seeking.

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