2009 saw the third installment of one of the most popular video gaming franchises of all time, The Sims. The Sims 3 did not disappoint gamers as it improved a lot on The Sims 2 while maintaining part of the familiar and charming content and gameplay. There were more socializing options to interact with other Sims, items to furnish your home with, and goals for your Sims to achieve. As if these weren’t enough, late that year we were gifted with an expansion pack, The Sims 3: World Adventures, which added new content to keep gamers busy for hours.
The Sims has always been about maintaining your virtual people in a virtual community. While in the previous games you had a neighborhood with different Sim families living in it, the community never felt very connected. However, this game introduced a new seamless method of traveling in your town. Everything feels related, and gone are the loading times while switching between locations. Now you just have to zoom out in the City view and choose your location. You could walk, bike, or call for a taxi. You could visit diners, libraries, or other neighbors. You could even invite neighbors to tag along with you. This is probably the biggest advancement in The Sims game play, and it makes enjoying the virtual community even more.
Graphics wise, it doesn’t feel as gorgeous as most of today’s games, but it’s still beautiful to behold in its own right. While there are jitters when you zoom in, the animations are hilarious. It’s so much fun to see your Sims take part in various daily activities and interact with others. Your Sims now reacts in more accurate ways and their “Simlish” is as hilarious as ever. The amount of fun to see and hear your Sims argue with other Sims, or fight with them cracks us up. If you want to be cruel, you could try putting your Sim in a doorless room and witness the desperate pleas. You could also let your Sim do something they enjoy (something related to their goals), and their face brightens up.
The goal system has been developed. Even though you are not strictly required to adhere to your goals, fulfilling them rewards you immensely. The smaller goals are very easy to fulfill and provide instant gratification, whereas longer goals like becoming a superstar or a famous musician takes quite an effort to achieve but are supremely satisfying. To reach your goals, you need to choose the correct career path, and need to advance in that path. New to the system is managing your Sims while they are at work. You don’t get to control all the moves of your Sims while they are at work, but you get to make key decisions. For instance, you could get to know your colleagues better or learn something else while you are at work. This is a very simplified version, but it makes the game feel a lot more real than before and enhances the fun.
You can now create your Sims with many new options; it’s possible to customize a lot of details, so it’s very possible to create a miniature version of you. You can then choose their traits and their long term goal, which makes them behave accordingly in game. While at home, you have to maintain your Sims basic needs. They need to eat, drink, sleep, clear their bladder, and entertain themselves. And to advance their career, they need to develop their skills, which can be done in various ways. Musicians can practice the guitar or go to the park and play for people. Chefs can read books and keep cooking. The amount of possibilities is fun to explore and perform.
Fans of the Sims series might think the expansion World Adventures is a throwback to The Sims Vacation. To some extent, it is, but it’s so much more. World Adventures allows you to travel to France, Egypt or China, and explore wonderful sceneries and dungeons. It’s a very interesting twist, as the “quests” make you feel like you are in an RPG game, solving puzzles, finding the right person to talk to, and collecting hidden loots. All the while, you have to make sure you are tending to your Sims’ daily needs. It can’t get any more fun than this. Once in, you will feel hooked to this expansion for a long time. The loots you collect can be used in your home as showpieces, or you can sell them for a good amount of money. These travels even pertain to your careers, which is a nice touch. For instance, you might be asked to learn an Egyptian song which you would be able to perform and teach others.
The Sims 3 promises endless hours of gameplay with all its fun factors and rich content. If you are a control freak, or want to get lost in a world filled with funny people demanding your attention, then The Sims 3 is for you. No matter what type of gamer you are, The Sims 3 will keep you busy and entertained, being one of the best games of 2009.
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