One of my current favorite video games is The Sims 4. In general, I like the game because of the open-ended gameplay and in-depth customization. I consider myself to be a storyteller, and the game is great for that. In addition, the ridiculous possibilities are quite amusing. Now, down to the specifics. The game has three modes: character creation (known as Create-a-Sim), Build Mode, and regular gameplay (Live Mode).
I like Create-a-Sim for its level of customization. The "detail edit" mode allows the player to zoom in and customize the features of their character (known as a Sim) to the point that no two creations are the same. It also features numerous presets for all features. While there is no color wheel like some of the previous Sims games have, the color swatches are generally well done. I do wish there were more hair and eye colors, though, since the selection is admittedly rather limited. It's possible to download custom content, but I personally would rather not. The amount of wardrobe options and hairstyles is nice, and leads to a lot of very unique combinations. Create-a-Sim also allows the player to customize a Sim's traits, which affect behavior and interaction with other Sims. I wish there were more options, since I sometimes find myself struggling to truly create the character I have in mind, but the ones that exist are still good. Voices can also be customized, as can the way the Sim walks. Overall, I like the amount of detail that is possible. The next main mode is Build Mode. It allows the player to create custom buildings or modify current ones, as well as download them from the Gallery, where players can share their buildings and Sims for others to play with. I like the amount of possibilities in this mode, and the controls are easy to use. I like the inclusion of various ridiculous objects, like the many strange garden gnomes. They're completely unnecessary, but hilarious. I'd also like to mention that building in this game made me notice real-life architecture a lot more than before, and I fell that I really appreciate it now. Live Mode is where the game really comes to life. Players can control the life of their Sim(s), from career, to relationships, to skills. As I've said of the other modes, I love the amount of possibilities. It's completely possible to have your Sims live an average life. It's also possible to raise large, carnivorous plants, do magic, be a ghost, and travel to space. One expansion pack even adds playable alien characters. Sims have emotions, which are caused by various factors and affect behavior and interaction. Some traits make Sims prone to certain emotions, a feature that I very much like. I mentioned before that I wish there were more traits, and that includes more emotion-related traits, since not all emotions have a corresponding trait. Icons known as "moodlets" determine emotion and explain what is causing it. I like that you can tell exactly what's affecting your Sims. Sims can perform numerous interactions with other Sims, which affect their relationship. One of my complaints with this is that Sims who utterly hate each other will sometimes start acting friendly, which can be annoying when trying to create a story. My other complaint is that Sims' relationships degrade over time if they don't interact, to the point that they'll forget each other entirely. While this does make sense, and can be useful, it makes creating friendships amongst large groups very hard. I had one memorable experience trying to do just that, but the Sims kept forgetting each other within a day or so of meeting, and I had to keep reintroducing them. Other than these two things, I like the interaction aspect overall. The one other thing I don't like about Live Mode is the lack of career options. Though the ones that exist are quite interesting, and career isn't as big a deal as one might think, it's still annoying to have so few options, especially for a storyteller like myself. In the end it doesn't make too much of a difference, though. As I've mentioned before, I think sound makes a big difference in games. I like the soundtrack in The Sims 4 because the individual songs are similar enough to create a sense of continuity, but different enough to not be repetitive. Each mode has its own soundtrack, as well as the loading screen, title screen, and more. I also like the music clips that play when a Sim's emotion changes, and the numerous radio songs. Overall, the soundtrack is one that I can (and will) happily listen to for hours. Another important thing is the graphics. I must say, I really like the art style of the game. It's clean, somewhat cartoonish, and overall nice to look at. I especially like the new lightning, though it unfortunately takes a very good computer to run the highest setting. Even on lower settings it still looks great. In all honesty, I don't have anything negative to say about the graphics, other than perhaps the lag it can cause. The final thing I want to talk about it DLC. On one hand, it's nice to be able to pick and choose which things I want to add and which ones I don't. On the other hand, the packs are expensive, and I highly doubt I'll ever own them all, especially considering the rapid rate at which they're released. I don't have any proposals for how to improve upon this, though, so I don't have much more to say about it. Overall, I really do like The Sims 4, and the sheer amount of options within the gameplay. I recommend it to anyone who likes storytelling, character creation, design buildings, and life simulation games.
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AuthorI'm moving on to my 4th (and final) year as a Game Art & Design student at Durham School of the Arts. I'd like to call myself an artist, but I'm a programmer at heart. Archives
February 2020
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