LogFAQs > #970898261

The Sims 3 > The Sims 2 >= The Sims 4 = The Sims 1

I really enjoyed The Sims 3, especially due to how we can freely explore the neighborhood. It blew my mind back when it was first announced and it's still kinda mindblowing. The game takes forever and a half to start, but in my experience it doesn't run that badly once it starts going. The interactions are fun and the gameplay is pretty well-balanced.

The Sims 2 is quite simplistic but still a big jump from The Sims 1 and I think a pretty nice balance between simplicity and complexity. The addition of Aspirations in particular really made each Sim more full of personality. The motive rewards were great to play around with. The Barbie style aesthetics is also quite fun.

I finally played The Sims 4 last year myself and, well, it's about what I expected. The additions to the base games made within the last few years helped quite a lot to make the game feel more alive, but I still feel like there's a lot to do without much depth to any of it. The basic gameplay is very easy and that's why people came up with crazy challenges just to have some more fun. The interactions are pretty lacking too. But hey the Build mode is really deep if you're into that.
And also this game is when EA becomes really scummy and greedy with the Expansion Packs and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Although it definitely feels very dated, The Sims was revolutionary when it came out and it still has its charms. The characters not being able to age up kinda sucks but hey, at least you can still have a baby. It's definitely creepier than the sequels, but it's got a strong senses of aesthetics that sets it apart.