The Sims debuted in the US on February 4th, 2000, which went on to be the best selling PC game of all time, selling 16 million units (100 times more than EA originally projected). For those unfamiliar with the series, The Sims is a quirky life-simulation game in which players create characters (Sims) and build homes in which to have them interact with. The goals and narrative of the game are entirely up to the players to direct and create. Sims could improve skills such as creativity or cooking through performing various actions or reading books in the game; They could get jobs and try to advance their careers; They could foster relationships or feuds with other Sims. And any Sim that should perish would leave behind a tombstone (or urn indoors), to later haunt other Sims on the lot in the form of a ghost. With this silly sense of humor and fresh free-thinking gameplay, it's no wonder why this game went on to be a great success. And it had some amazing building and creation tunes to accompany.
After several expansions (which would become a repeating trend for the series), The Sims 2 launched in the US on September 14th, 2004, as the next jump in the series. This moved the game from a fixed isometric perspective of the original into a full 3D game world, in which players could now zoom in and view the Sims in greater detail and personality than ever before. Other notable additions included a greater degree of character creation customization, now being able to pick and adjust individual facial features and hair styles. Sims also now have a full life cycle; From infancy to elderly, the Sims can now age through multiple generations. They also have aspirations, wants, and fears which will influence moods and grant rewards for completing these objectives. And of course, the series continues its wacky sense of humor with the addition of aliens, man-eating cow plants, and more.
On June 2nd, 2009, The Sims 3 steps into the fray as the next evolution of the series. It continued to further the amount of customization and creation tools, allowing players to add more and more personal flair into their characters and homes. It also added personality traits to create a more colorful cast of characters. The biggest ambition of The Sims 3 however would have to be the more seamless world and neighborhood in which the Sims live in. Rather than having to travel between loading screens for every house and lot you visit as was previously the case, players can now follow their Sims anywhere in a whole city / town with no loading (other than textures taking some time to pop up). The result is a more free-flowing experience for uninterrupted gameplay and seamless storytelling.
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| Neighborhood view in The Sims 3. |
Lastly, The Sims 4 launched in the US on September 2nd, 2014. I've only just recently picked up the game when it became available on a significant sale. The customization tools have been greatly refined for more precision, ease of use, and a stylized art aesthetic. But its other big "improvement", the addition of emotions, doesn't quite add as much as you'd hope. Sadly, this latest entry in the series does not take the same ambitious steps forward as its previous siblings.
This Sims series has provided the creative tools and silly sandboxes for many years now. Thanks to a non-objective freestyle gameplay, players are able to play in their own way and appeal, which is probably why this game series has held onto its appeal for so long. How the series continues to grow will remain to be seen, but we can enjoy creating wacky stories and fond memories in the meantime.
Fun Fact: The first Sims game was originally designed solely as an architecture simulation game, but Sims were later given a greater focus as they were found to be more interesting.
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