The Sims 3 is the best in the series, bar none.
Once upon a time, a man named Will Wright came up with an idea for a video game which would let us control the virtual lives of pixelated people known as The Sims. We could mold and shape them to be mirror images of ourselves or of our friends, family or neighbors. We could give them houses and lives we only dreamt about in real life and watch them succeed, or completely screw up their existence. His idea caught on like wildfire through the gaming masses, spawning a sequel and a truckload of expansion packs. Now, more than 9 years after the first Sims game saw the light of day, The Sims 3 arrives on store shelves everywhere and, just like over a million people around the world; I was anxiously awaiting its release.
One of the best features in Sims games since their inception has been its creation tools, and The Sims 3 brings it all together in spectacular fashion (no pun intended). You’ll have even more tools and options at your disposal this time around. Not only will you be able to sculpt and shape your Sim the way you want it to look, you’ll also be able to put roots and highlights in their hair as well, amongst other things. Once you’re done with that, you’ll be able to choose from a plethora of clothes and, once again, choose the design and color for each article.
It is absolutely mind-blowing to think of all the possibilities this creation tool holds, and how it’ll continue to be an influence while you play the game, since each appliance, sofa, bed or chair can be accessorized the way you want it. Once you’re done pimping out your Sim, you get to choose its personality traits, which will help determine its lifetime wish. For example, I gave my Sim traits such as athletic, ambitious and party animal. Then, the game gave me a choice between different lifetime wishes and I chose for my Sim to become a superstar athlete. You’ll strive towards your Sim’s lifetime wish while obtaining lifetime happiness and lifetime rewards along the way. Some Sims will find happiness by making a sandwich, while others will find that cleaning the toilet brings them joy. Once you have enough lifetime happiness points accumulated, you can buy lifetime rewards for your Sim, such as never having to go to the bathroom. We’ve had glimpses of this system in previous Sims games, but EA has nearly perfected it for The Sims 3. You’ll want to obtain as much lifetime happiness as possible so your Sim is happy and, ultimately, allow it to fulfill its lifetime wish.
Remember when your Sim used to welcome people to the house, but could never visit anyone else’s? Well, in The Sims 3, your pixelated counterparts aren’t tied down anymore, as they’ll be able to roam wild and free through the city and, you guessed it, neighbors’ houses. There are no more loading times between trips too, as you’ll be able to follow your Sim from point A to point B of the city without having to watch a boring loading screen while it gets there. Different means of transportation will help you do so, as you can walk, run, drive or even pedal to your destination. You actually feel like you’re a part of a living, breathing community everywhere you go now.
Your Sim will still be able to go to work to earn some Simoleans, but climbing the corporate ladder is much less daunting than it used to be. Sometimes, just being in a good mood when you go to work will earn you a raise or even a promotion. Once in a while, opportunities will pop up, and you’ll have the choice to take them or not. These opportunities come in three varieties: career, skill or special — and help your Sim advance and perfect certain aspects of his personal and professional life. For example, one opportunity might task your Sim into settling an argument between two other Sims, while another opportunity will require you to take a course or attend a seminar somewhere in town. If you do so, your Sim will be generously rewarded. In fact, these opportunities remind me of side-quests in RPGs, seeing as they are not necessary to move the story along but do help your Sim grow and perfect certain skills when you decide to undertake them. It’s a nice added touch to the game and adds more depth without being overbearing.
Sadly, The Sims 3 isn’t perfect. Oftentimes, you’ll ask your Sim to do a certain action and if its path is blocked by other Sims or an object, it’ll take a tremendous amount of time for it to figure out where to go and what to do. I’m very surprised to see that EA hasn’t addressed this problem yet, as it hinders gameplay and can become quite frustrating at times. Also, you can plainly see that there are some obvious holes left in the game for expansion packs. For example, there isn’t a weather cycle in The Sims 3, obviously leaving the door open for a Seasons expansion pack, much like in The Sims 2. However, those are pretty much the only quibbles I have with this game. In fact, this is how I always envisioned a Sims game to be. I could have went on and on about it, but to make a long story short (too late); if you are a fan of The Sims and you’ve played all of the previous games, you absolutely need to get your hands on this one. That is, if you haven’t already. The great soundtrack, the quirkiness, the online community, the adorable moments, the moments that make you smile and tear up, they’re all there in spades. If you dismiss The Sims 3 because it’s a bit more casual than other games, you’ll be missing out on something incredibly special.
