Hardcore fans agree that there's something special about The Sims 2. The other games in the franchise don't come close to it. There are YouTube compilations dedicated to counting down details in the game that don’t exist in later releases, ranging from ‘hair gravity’ (the movement of the Sims’ hair) or something as simple as the opening of a kitchen cabinet while preparing a meal. The comments under these videos suggest that players enjoy gameplay that feels realistic, and truer to real life experiences. It’s even been suggested by fans that a revamped version of the game should be released to recapture what many consider to be the golden era. I don’t expect this to happen, but it's a cool idea.
The Sims Bustin' Out
The Sims was created by games developer Will Wright. In 1985, he started working on a game called SimCity (1989) which allowed players to design and create their own virtual city. In 2000, The Sims launched, and became one of the best-selling games of all time, with almost 200 million copies sold worldwide. The game allowed you to create households of sims with individual personality traits and aspirations. Their lives were in the player’s hands. The first Sims game I played was The Sims Bustin’ Out (2003) on Playstation 2. I was excited to play it at the time, but it wasn’t the easiest to navigate.
The Sims universe expanded significantly with the release of The Sims 2 a year later. Growing up, I enjoyed playing browser games like Stardoll and Club Penguin. Stardoll allowed users to dress up virtual versions of real-life celebrities. Users who signed up could create their own Stardoll. Club Penguin was also a massive hit and followed a similar premise. Players created their own penguin, who could chat with other penguins and play games. When I started playing The Sims 2, I was excited to create a family and move them into their first home. There were three neighbourhoods to choose from: Pleasantview, Veronaville, and Strangeville. I have a vague memory of creating a family of four and moving them into a humble abode in Veronaville.
I didn't plan to wreak havoc on my Sims’ lives, like trapping them in rooms or removing the pool ladder while they were swimming. I wanted them to have a happy and wholesome existence.
However, being an amateur player, I hadn’t got the hang of managing their needs. It was overwhelming, and I was genuinely distressed when one of the kids was taken away by child protective services. Moments like this also took a toll on my Sims’ emotional wellbeing. When a traumatic incident happened, like a fire or loss of a relative, it would be stored in your Sim’s ‘Memories’. The most alarming thing about moments like these in the game was that you couldn't pause or exit while it was happening. It was the same when your house got burgled or if you didn’t pay the bills, the Repo Man would come along and take possessions. With time I got better at manging my Sims’ needs. Using classic cheats like ‘motherlode’ meant that they could live in a perfect utopia in giant homes, complete with tacky water fountains, sculptures. and more rooms than I knew what to do with. Life imitates art, if you have more money than sense everyday life can become a lot easier. In the case of The Sims, if for example your sink needs repairing, you can either get your Sim to try to repair it, call in a professional, or if you have enough Simoleons just sell it and buy a new one. I usually used the third option.
Excuse the fact it's literally in 240p, it was uploaded in December 2007
I remember the hype surrounding the release of The Sims 3 in 2009. I never warmed to The Sims 3 like I did with The Sims 2. For whatever reason, I didn’t enjoy the aesthetic of the game, the way the Sims looked or the way the furniture looked. Although it was more advanced in some ways, I still didn’t enjoy it as much as its predecessor. I stopped playing the games for about eleven years and returned to it one day during the first lockdown in early 2020. Recently, after discovering The Sims 4 base game was free to download online, I had a brief phase of playing it. I was never amazing at building houses but it was something I always enjoyed, and I was impressed by the building options on the Sims 4. You can now create platforms with adjustable heights, and half walls. There were also a lot of really cute wallpapers, and other household items that weren't available in older games, like bunk beds.
My experience playing The Sims 4 for the first time
Unsurprisingly, The Sims 4 is a lot more advanced. One of the main things I noticed while playing was the difference in diversity. The Sims 2 only had four skin tones to choose from, four eye colours, four main hair colours and a few custom hair colours, and only two body types. One body type was considered ‘normal’ and the other was 'overweight' or at least
what was perceived as overweight in the mid 2000s.
Custom content has contributed to the success of The Sims as it creates another level of personalisation in the game. Players can create new hairstyles, clothing, and furniture for others to download. From what I’ve seen on TikTok, custom content and mods are still a major thing that brings people back to the game again and again, including new recipes for Sims to cook and mods where they can take a relaxing bath and do a face mask. It’s interesting that players enjoy watching their Sims practice self-care. You could argue that playing the game is the player’s own form of self-care. People use things like gaming, watching movies and other hobbies to relax and unwind. It’s an escape from reality. Games like The Sims allow you to create a virtual universe, and it’s up to you what you do with it. Unlike real life, you can exit without saving when you make a choice you regret. The Sims is a cultural phenomenon and its legacy lives on. Gamer YouTubers like Plumbella have made a whole career out of playing Sims games and discussing Sims lore. It’s clear that there’s still an appetite for life simulation games. As much as I enjoyed The Sims 4, I'll always be a little bit Sims 2 biased.
Thanks for reading!
Dag dag 👋🏼
What is the Best Sims Game?
The Sims
The Sims 2
The Sims 3
The Sims 4
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