The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a 2014 life simulation video game developed by the Redwood Shores studio of Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. It is the fourth major title in The Sims series and was originally announced on May 6, 2013, and was released in North America on September 2, 2014 for Microsoft Windows. A Mac compatible version of the game was released on February 17, 2015. The Sims 4 is the first PC game to top all-format charts in two years. The game has received mixed reviews since its release, with the majority of criticism directed towards its lack of content.
Nine expansion packs have been released. The most recent is Eco Lifestyle, which was released on June 5, 2020. There have also been sixteen "stuff packs" and eight "game packs" released for this generation, as well as free updates that include major changes such as the addition of a toddler life stage.
Gameplay
The Sims 4 is a life simulation game, similar to its predecessors. Players create a Sim character and control their life to explore different personalities which change the way the game plays out. Sims can multitask. Sims' moodlets change the gameplay by influencing the Sims' emotional state, introducing new interaction options.Similar to previous Sims games, player-created challenges abound. One of the most prevalent is the Legacy Challenge, in which players create a single Sim and try to make its family line last for ten generations.
Create a Sim
One major change to Create a Sim functionality is that sliders have been replaced by direct mouse manipulation. By clicking, dragging, and pulling with the mouse, players may directly manipulate the facial features of a Sim. Players can directly manipulate any body part including the abdomen, chest, legs, arms and feet. In previous Sims games, only the fitness and fatness can be manipulated on a Sim's body; however, fitness and fatness levels may still be adjusted in The Sims 4 with sliders as in previous games. The base game comes with over 40 hairstyles for both male and female Sims. There are up to 18 hair color options per hairstyle. Selections of premade designs of Sims are available to choose from, and range in body shape and ethnicity.Seven life stages are available including baby, toddler, child, teenager, young adult, adult and elder. The baby life stage is accessible only through the birth of a Sim and not available in Create a Sim. Toddlers were initially absent from the original game release, but were added in the January 2017 patch.
Each Sim has three personality traits and an aspiration containing its own hidden trait.
Compared to previous Sims games where everyday, formal, sleepwear, athletic, party and swimwear outfits were restricted to having their own clothing options, all clothing options are available across all outfits and players are allowed up to 5 outfits per category. There is a filter panel where clothing options can be sorted by color, material, outfit category, fashion choice, style, content and packs.
In a summer 2016 update, gender options were expanded in the game, allowing any gender expression. With this update, haircuts and outfits can be worn by any Sim of any gender, and pregnancy can become a possibility regardless of the gender.
Build/Buy mode
In The Sims 4, build and buy modes have been combined and are treated as a single feature.A detailed build-and-buy system is included along with neighborhoods and landscaping. Some locked buy mode items may be unlocked through the progression of career levels. Entire buildings and rooms can be moved across a lot. There is a search option to search for build and buy mode options. There are premade rooms that can be placed instantly. Wall heights can be adjusted. There is a pool tool feature with triangular, square and octagonal pool tools. There are build mode cheat codes such as "motherlode", which enables the player to automatically gain §50,000 added to a Sim's household.
The Gallery
The Sims 4 includes social features, such as importing Sims, lots, and rooms other players have made from The Gallery. Players may publish their creations into The Gallery for other players to download into their game instantly.On January 9, 2015, EA released a version of The Gallery for iOS and Android devices.
Worlds
The Sims 4 originally shipped with two worlds: Willow Creek and Oasis Springs. Both worlds contain five neighborhoods and a total of 21 lots. With the release of Outdoor Retreat and Jungle Adventure, the worlds Granite Falls and Selvadorada, respectively, became available for visiting on outdoor vacations. Newcrest became available with a free update, having three neighborhoods with five empty lots in each, for a total of 15 lots. Magnolia Promenade came with the Get to Work Expansion Pack, and Windenburg was introduced in the Get Together Expansion Pack. The City Living Expansion Pack, released in November 2016, introduced the new city of San Myshuno. The Vampires game pack added the neighborhood Forgotten Hollow. In November 2017, the seaside town of Brindleton Bay was added in the Cats and Dogs Expansion Pack. In November 2018, the town of Del Sol Valley was added with the Get Famous Expansion Pack. In February 2019, the desert town of Strangerville was added with the release of the Strangerville game pack. In June 2019, the Island Living Expansion Pack introduced a new tropical-island-based world, Sulani. In September 2019, the world of Glimmerbrook and its magic realm counterpart were included with the release of the Realm of Magic game pack. In November 2019, the college town of Britechester was released with the Discover University Expansion Pack. In June 2020, the industrial world of Evergreen Harbour was included in the Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack.Development
The Sims 4 is a single-player game and does not require a constant Internet connection to play. Players need an Origin account and internet access during the initial installation process for game activation. Ilan Eshkeri serves as the composer for the game's orchestral soundtrack, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra.On April 25, 2013, several screenshots from mock-up flash videos of the user interface were leaked online. On May 3, 2013, Electronic Arts sent out an e-mail to several fansites stating that there would be a big announcement on May 6, 2013, which many speculated would be The Sims 4.
On August 20, 2013, The Sims 4 was revealed via gameplay demo and release trailer at Gamescom. Previews of the building and character creation systems debuted earlier in 2014. Additional game footage and the release date were revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 9, 2014.
Gameplay was unveiled during Gamescom 2013. Unveiled features focused on the improved Create-a-Sim with an all-new click-and-drag feature, omitting the use of sliders, and the addition of emotions for Sims. Select players called Yibsims who mostly manage fan sites and YouTube videos were invited to Sims Camp to see the game before the public and press. Consequently, the game received minimal coverage outside fansites. Maxis stated the game would run better on lower-end computers than The Sims 3, which was plagued with performance issues.
It was suspected that The Sims 4 was scheduled to be released in early 2014, but it was later revealed to be released September 2, 2014.
On May 14, 2014, producer Ryan Vaughan unveiled another Create-a-Sim trailer on The Sims YouTube channel. This included a preview of what the pre-made Sims Bella Goth and Mortimer Goth would look like in The Sims 4. The development team unveiled another trailer on May 28, 2014 that showcased the new Build Mode features. Players can choose between three different wall heights and adjust the location of a window on a wall, as well as be able to move an entire room from one position to another.
EA unveiled another gameplay trailer including more gameplay footage and announced the release date of the game, September 2, 2014, during a press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on June 9, 2014. The Sims 4 was released on September 2 in North America and September 4 in the European Union, Australia and Brazil.
On June 28, 2014, a video was released showing the "originality" of each Sim and their emotions.
In January 2015, Maxis announced , the first paid downloadable content for The Sims 4. The DLC focuses on outdoor activities in the national park.
Until mid-2017, there were no plans for a console release; versions of the game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were confirmed for release on November 17, 2017.
In June 2018, it was announced that The Sims 4 will continue to produce new content through 2021.
On September 26, 2018, plans were announced to add mouse and keyboard support to the console versions of the game.
In October 2018, a live stream was held by Maxis Monthly, announcing new features such as terrain manipulation and the Style Influencer career. It was announced that The Sims 4 will be upgraded from Python 3.3.5 to 3.7.0, which will result in script mods no longer working.
Mac development
Upon the first announcement, EA stated that The Sims 4 was in development for both Mac and Microsoft Windows, both to be released in 2014; however, closer to the release date, the company stated that they were "focused Windows" and had "no updates on the Mac at this time". In October 2014 further information was disclosed suggesting the future release of a Mac version. Vaughn told International Business Times that the team was "working on a Mac version right now." On January 13, 2015, EA confirmed the release of the Mac version to be February 2015. On February 2, they announced via The Sims Twitter feed that the Mac version of The Sims 4 would be released on February 17, 2015.Controversies
Earlier in the development process, a fan-site interview with a producer had revealed Create-a-Style, a customization feature introduced in the previous The Sims game, would not be added to The Sims 4 in lieu of other features. The developers announced through a series of tweets that the game would ship with a "stripped-down" version of story-progression, and that basements, grocery stores, and school and work locations would not be featured in the game. While careers and schools would still be featured, they would be represented differently from The Sims 3, more akin to the way they were featured in The Sims 2.These announcements sparked criticism among many fans who speculated that the exclusion of arguably core features were intended by the developers or parent company to be left out for later paid content, or in order to make rushed deadlines. A petition was launched by some fans to have the features restored for the initial release, even if the release date were to be pushed back.
Maxis contended that it was not possible to include every feature in the new game that had been added over time in the six years The Sims 3 was in development, and that these could always be added at a later date, although they did not confirm exactly how this would be done, or whether it would be free or at a cost. Some speculated that many new features would be released through paid expansion packs, but others speculated that some of the more "basic, core" content would be released as free patch updates, similar to how some new features were patched free into The Sims 3, such as basement features.
Questioned as to why some features, such as a cupcake machine, were implemented over what many viewed as key gameplay, Maxis and The Sims producer Graham Nardone attributed the sacrifice to time constraints, the workload and distribution of developers, as well as risk factors.
Maxis and The Sims producer Rachel Rubin Franklin later elaborated in an official blog post, acknowledging the concerns of fans, and explained the issue on the developer's focus on The Sims 4s new core game engine technologies, and that the sacrifices the team had to make were a "hard pill to swallow". Franklin stated new features such as Sim emotions, advanced Sim animation, interaction and behaviors, as well as the new Create-a-Sim and build mode tools as a large part of the reason that detracted focus from features such as swimming pools and the toddler life stage.
On October 1, 2014, Maxis confirmed that one of its missing features, along with other new updates and features, would be added into the game for free in November, and this happened in the form of a game patch. Other features like basements have later been added in subsequent patches, and the missing "toddler" life stage was eventually added for free in a patch released on January 12, 2017.
| Patch release date | Significant features added |
| October 1, 2014 | Ghost, a new type of sim that is an optional addition to the game; Deathflower plant. |
| November 4, 2014 | Swimming pools; Various swimwear. |
| December 16, 2014 | Two new active careers: Business and Athletic; Paid time off and family leave options. |
| March 26, 2015 | Basements, down to two levels down, and an additional above ground floor, bringing the total floors available to six; Notebook feature on the phone, which catalogs a Sim's gardening or fishing discoveries; Paint by reference option on the easel. |
| June 11, 2015 | Newcrest, a new world containing fifteen empty lots within three new neighborhoods; Welcome wagon from new neighbors; Custom room tool. |
| July 9, 2015 | Half walls; Locked doors; King's and Queen's Door, which allow only just the men or women to pass through it, respectively. |
| August 6, 2015 | A dishwasher is added to the appliances, which needs to be slotted into an existing non-island counter. |
| September 24, 2015 | New trait: Jealous; Claiming beds; Underground saunas; Resizeable rugs. |
| November 3, 2015 | Returning NPC: Repair Man. |
| December 4, 2015 | 64-bit executable; New venue type: Pool and new option to water color; Fire and death reaction systems and new NPC interaction; World maps update. |
| February 4, 2016 | Returning NPC: Gardener; New trait: Kleptomaniac; New aspiration; New build mode content. |
| April 21, 2016 | Returning NPC: Tragic Clown. |
| June 3, 2016 | All Create-a-Sim content is available to both sexes, as well as gender customization. |
| July 14, 2016 | Returning NPC: Nannies; Ability to adjust all lights in a room in one go. |
| September 27, 2016 | Mexican 'Day of the Dead' CAS items; A Mexican dish. |
| October 27, 2016 | Copy and paste function for build mode; new lot traits. |
| January 12, 2017 | Toddler age group, along with unique toddler traits, skills, outfits, objects and the ability to customize your Sims teeth. |
| November 11, 2017 | Maximum sim count option in gameplay options; Photography available to all players; New roof customization options; Objects can be shrunk using the size down cheat. |
| February 6, 2018 | New skin tones. |
| June 19, 2018 | Glass roofs; Cold and hot weather outfit categories and Swimwear category for toddlers to CAS in preparation for the Expansion Pack; Revamped gardening skill. |
| August 16, 2018 | Caribbean-inspired content; Ceiling fan and sliding doors. |
| November 13, 2018 | New careers: Style Influencer and Self-Employment; First person camera; Terrain tools. |
| April 16, 2019 | New career: Freelancer. |
| June 18, 2019 | Fishing update; Part-Time jobs for adult; Stilt foundations; 350 door color swatches. |
| July 16, 2019 | Updated Create a Sim interface with Create a Sim story mode now available for the creation of new characters. |
| September 5, 2019 | Configurable stairs allowing for them to turn in different directions. |
| November 12, 2019 | Multi story columns; 4K user interface scaling. |
| November 25, 2019 | Legacy Edition introduced, retaining support for 32-bit versions of Windows as well as Mac OS X Lion. |
| January 16, 2020 | Support for Simplified Chinese. |
| June 3, 2020 | Returning NPC: Firefighter; Repo Person added from Discover University Expansion Pack; Ladders; Free placement of doors and windows; Improved inventory and bills. |
| July 23, 2020 | Ability to rename cowplants; a smaller and cheaper version of the Subtle Saucer Light added. |
Marketing and release
and Electronic Arts announced a series of themed peripherals to promote The Sims 4, including a pair of headphones, a computer mouse that lights up in accordance with Sims' in-game emotional states, and a mousepad featuring a render of various Sim groups.A demo was released to the public displaying the new Create a Sim partition of the game in which is supplied, free of charge to anyone. TV spots were also produced narrated by actor Charlie Day.
In April 2019, EA announced a collaboration between the game and Italian designer Moschino. The collaboration will include a capsule collection featuring pixelated clothing inspired by the game.
From May 21 until May 28, 2019, the game was given away to Origin users for free on PC and Mac.
Ratings
On May 9, 2014, it was reported that The Sims 4 has been rated "18+ " by Russia. This decision was based on the game's portrayal of same-sex relationships contravening the Russian LGBT propaganda law that prohibits portrayal "of non-traditional sexual relationships" to children. Previous entries in The Sims series have routinely been rated as suitable for lower ages; for instance, The Sims 3 was considered suitable for ages 6 and up in Germany, The Sims 4 is suitable for ages 6 and up in Germany as well. In Japan, The Sims 4 is rated CERO "C", ages 15 and up, same as in South Korea. In many European countries, like Spain, the UK, France, Poland, and the Czech Republic, the game is rated PEGI 12, ages 12 and up.Expansions, add-ons and editions
Expansion packs
Game packs
Stuff packs
Reception
EA did not provide review copies of the game until September 1, meaning that critics were unable to review the game before release. In the absence of initial reviews it was indicated that players were generally dissatisfied with the game, especially the ones who were familiar with the previous games in the franchise.At the aggregator site Metacritic, The Sims 4 received a score of 70 based on 74 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reception.
Hardcore Gamer gave The Sims 4 a 2.5 score out of 5 and commented "it's a half-hearted experience wrapped in a neat and pretty package that beams a potential to both fulfill and crush your inner-Sims’ dreams." They criticized the game for the lack of content and having many bugs.
Jim Sterling of The Escapist, in a mixed review of the game, found there to be an "overall lack of engagement." Although he noted some positive changes, he was critical of the game in comparison to previous entries in the series, declaring that "The Sims 4 is basically The Sims 3, but shrunken and sterile;" he recommended that game be played instead. He also complained of being "harassed" by tutorial messages. His final score for the game was 2.5 out of 5 stars.
ABCNews.com's reviewer Derrik J. Lang praised the game for being "remarkably more intuitive at the start," stating that the Sims are now smarter than before, have emotions that affect their moods, and are able to multi-task. Despite the praise, Lang awarded the game with two stars stating that he encountered annoying glitches and that he misses content from previous games, like dishwashers.
Kevin VanOrd of GameSpot gave this game a 6 out of 10. Despite praising the visuals, audio, and the new multi-tasking and moods system, he states that he misses the two main features of The Sims 3: "Create-a-Style" and the open world. His conclusion is: "The Sims 4s biggest problem is that The Sims 3 exists".
Other reviews were more favorable. CraveOnline.co.uk mentioned in an article that "the awful user reviews indicate a strong backlash;" however, the website added that "Sims fans who haven't paid much attention to the ongoing controversy surrounding the game may look at those Amazon review scores and, without knowing that many are immediately dismissing the game due to its cut content, decide that they won't purchase it."
Kallie Plagge of IGN gave The Sims 4 a 7.5 out of 10. She was disappointed by the lack of content from previous games, and the lack of "cool" objects that could adequately replace them; and the too frequent, albeit short, loading screens. The score she gave is relatively high, though, because "The Sims 4 does succeed in being a deep and complex game when it comes to Sim interactions, with lots of entertaining emotional potential Plus, excellent building tools make architecture more fun than ever". Her conclusion is that "it's a good start to what may eventually be expanded into a great Sims game, but it's not there yet".
The Independents Jack Fleming praised the game for "The Gallery" feature that allows users to showcase their creations easily, the new multitasking system, the visual design, the personalities and emotions, the unusual careers, and the new build mode. On the other hand, he voiced his frustration with the loading screens, the new camera controls, and noted the lack of content from previous installments made many fans upset. In conclusion he writes: "The Sims 4 is an easy game to get into and the reasons that people love this series are still present. The game's creators have tried to make the appeal as diverse as possible and have in most ways succeeded; however, I couldn't help but wish I could actually go to space and drive that spaceship around..."
Nick Tan of Game Revolution states that the game is a case study for loss aversion. He explains that the reason for Sims fans expressing so much anger and dissatisfaction with it is because people "strongly prefer avoiding losses than acquiring gains". That, combined with the hatred for Electronic Arts that greatly intensified after the release of the latest SimCity game, resulted in such a backlash. Tan gave The Sims 4 a 3.5/5, calling it "woefully incomplete, despite being unexpectedly solid and entertaining in its current state."