The Simshas been a beloved game series and leader in the simulation genre for over two decades, with 2014’sThe Sims 4being the latest installment. Despite its popularity,The Sims 4era has not been without its shortcomings, and players have long been looking ahead toThe Sims 5with a wishlist of features they want to see in the next game. WhileThe Sims 4was a massive success in many regards, dedicated fans of the series found several issues with it that need to be addressed in the next title to avoid franchise fatigue.
One of the major complaints from players is that they have had to repurchase the same expansion packs witheach new installment ofThe Sims. Some core expansion features should be included in the base game for longtime fans to be respected. Without these features, players are almost guaranteed to feel like they are downgrading to a bare-bones version in terms of gameplay.The Sims 5should feature a richer base game, along with incorporating some completely new aspects to freshen up the formula.
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The Sims 5 Needs Typical Expansion Content in the Base Game
One major criticism ofThe Sims 4has been the rehashing of expansion packs from previous games, soThe Sims 5launching with several staple features from past titles would truly cement itself as the next step in the franchise. For example,Sims 3: Pets was recycled inSims 4: Cats & Dogs, orSims 4: Seasons withSims 3: Seasons, but both of these iconic expansion packs should be corefeatures ofThe Sims 5base game.
Sims should regain the depth of elements such as cars, social media, laundry, businesses, negative events like burglars, and even the iconicsupernatural elements ofThe Sims. Reverting on these additions could makeThe Sims 5feel like a downgrade. There are also major features fromThe Sims 2that fans have been wanting to return for years,including the ability to create worlds and apartments from scratch, and an open world where the player takes direct control of their Sims.
Sims 5 Can Become More Mature
The Sims 5also has a need to push the series forward through incorporating brand-new features that players have wanted for years. Players would love to havemore control over their Simson a physiological and psychological level. In Create-A-Sim, being able to control the height and build of their Sims in greater detail, along with having more options regarding a Sim’s mental state would go a long way with bringing the player closer to the experience. Combining this level of control with potential series innovations like cutscenes and more detailed settings could make this the most immersiveThe Simsto date.
Many longtime fans ofThe Simshave grown up with the series and become mature adults. One decision that would be guaranteed to reinvigorate The Sims forever would be to honor the older fanbase by making a moremature Sims experience.The Sims 4was criticized for its mild art style and approach to adult life, as many of the fans had been around sinceThe Sims 2by then. By including more death conditions, more Woohoo and pregnancy mechanics, and even random tragic events,The Sims 5could provide what fans have only seen before in mods. By including detailed settings for mature content, all of these controversial aspects would also remain optional.
WithThe Sims 5officially on the horizon, it remains to be seen if it will surpass the massive depth ofThe Sims 4and its expansions. Including features like pets and businesses from the start, along with acknowledging the mature fanbase would bring the series to a new level of immersion. Fans would be smart to keep tempered hopes about the infamously DLC heavy simulation games, butThe Sims 5can still bring players a richer life sim than ever.
The Sims 5is currently in development.
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