The Sims 3 takes a Big Step from The Sims 2
Ever since the first Sims game was released, people wanted a far more advanced version of the game. They got that in The Sims 2 and now, The Sims 3. The Sims 3 captializes on what could have been in The Sims 2.
Gameplay in The Sims 3 is what we've been doing since the very first Sims. You can choose to make your own Sim or to use one of the other pre-made Sims. What makes The Sims 3's Sim Creator different from the Sims 2 Sim Creator is that you can adjust the weight of the Sim, amount of muscle he/she has, lifelong wish, and their traits. Starting from when your Sim is a Child, they get about 2 or 3 traits that you choose and they'll develop once the Sim gets older. There are 48 traits for you to choose from.
Once your done making your sim all pretty and stuff, you move them into a house. You can choose to have the house empty or furnished, which means it will have the enitre house with stuff. The buy menu took a big change. Items are now sorted by parts of the house, like a living room, bathroom, bedroom, etc. It's easier to find stuff this way.
Remember in The Sims 2 when you had Wants and Fears? Really cool feature. But, Maxis took it out. Though, they put another feature in the game that really just does your Wants. They are called Wishes. Wishes are usually made based on what your Sims traits are, or what they been doing alot of. Doing a lot of the wishes will give you lifetime awards which will really make the game easier. Right next to your mood bar in the game are little icons with green, red, or gray on the borders. Green meens your mood will go up by doing something your Sim loves to do, which will be decided through their traits. Red is means your mood will go down from doing something your sim hates to do. Gray means their is no Mood Increase or Decrease.
The biggest feature in the game from what a lot of people hyped was the ability to go anywhere in the city. You can either walk, jog, or drive to your destination. To get a car, you have to buy some parking stick and then your car. The higher priced the car, the faster it will go. You can set the owner of each car you buy. When you get your sim a job, you can choose to drive yourself to work an hour before the carpool comes. And, since the game is open world, you can find where your sim works. You can also choose what you do at work. You can choose to Work Normaly, Work Harder than usual, Slack off, or get to know your Co-Workers better.
Another new thing Maxis added in The Sims 3 is Opportunities. You can get Work opportunities, Social opportunities, or Special opportunities. Some opportunities need to be completed by the date specified. Their was also a Graphical update for the game. Nothing that special. The game just looks a little more cartoony as is.
That's all the new stuff Maxis put into the Sims 3. Everything else was just brought from the Sims 2, which really isn't a good thing. While the features may sound great on paper, most of them will get old after a while. And, your stuck with nearly the same thing you were left with in The Sims 2.
Overall, the new features are great, but if you played the past 2 Sims, then you will like this game, but it will get old quickly. Newcomers to the series will love this game and will most likely spend countless hours playing it. The Sims 3 capitalizes on what was good from The Sims 2 and is a really good game that you should pick up.
Pros: Advanced Create-A-Sim, Open-World, Traits, Wishes, Oppurtunities, Better Graphics, Just Plain Fun
Cons: Nearly the same to The Sims 2, Only one city, Official items from Maxis either cost real money or just having you to register your game.
