[Review] [ENG] The Sims 4

Over the past week I’ve become intimately familiar with the virtual life of a geeky tech-industry maven named Jess, who I gave wide, swishy hips and a sly smirk. As of this writing, she has completed the level 10 programming skill, felt sad once and happy 232 times, WooHooed only nine times, and had two kids with the husband she met at a bar. I’m having a hard time saying goodbye to her, admittedly, so I have her drinking anti-aging potions. I encounter this problem with a lot of Sims games, and this time it’s even worse (because a lot of things are better). But at the same time, The Sims 4’s lack of features and small world hasn’t let Jess live her life to the fullest. Even though it’s fun, it’s a big letdown that this sequel doesn’t inspire the same wow factor that The Sims 3 did when I first played it years ago.

When I created Jess, I was immediately impressed by the appearance-customization options. Picking a Sim’s walk style, which can vary from “tough” to “feminine,” does a lot to express personality (and it’ll change to a slouch if they’re tired or an “I have to pee” walk when their bladders are uncomfortably full). The new Create-a-Sim in general is really intuitive, allowing you to push and pull at different parts of a Sim’s body in order to get the exact size and shape you’re looking for. I’m a huge believer in body positivity and beauty in all bodies, so seeing more realistic representations of various body types was really encouraging. I gave Jess thick thighs and hips and kept her upper body lean, because I finally could.

The Sims 4 Photos