The Sims 4: First Impressions

I've had a little time to delve into the Sims 4 and so far I like what I've seen.  Every part of the game seems to have been improved from the last episode.

The first thing I noticed was that the create-a-Sim feature is much more detailed than it used to be.  The user is given the ability to choose pre-made features and outfits, but can also opt to zoom in to a Sim's face or body and alter it.  The facial tool has changed to where you can zoom in to a specific facial feature and change it almost any way you want.  Want your Sim to have super wide spaced eyes and giant, chubby cheeks?  No problem, just isolate the part and click and drag to you specifications.  Want your Sim to be tatted up like crazy?  Add a sleeve or two of tattoos.  You Sim can also be super buff with the muscle definition of a bodybuilder or have some serious flab. You can also set their wardrobe for every possible situation choosing from a wide variety of styles and colors.  The possibilities for creating a unique Sim are almost endless.

The actual gameplay is not too terribly different from the previous games.  You are still tasked with managing the activities of a selected Sim or household, but in the Sims 4 your Sim's emotions are much more complex.  I started off playing a pre-made Sim who had geeky traits and aspirations that centered around computer/gaming skills.  My computer nerd Sim wanted to raise his video gaming skills and his fun level would rise very quickly when he played games, but when I entered him into a gaming tournament and he lost then he had a negative moodlet from losing.  Some days he would return from work with a "tense" moodlet from being stressed.  Each moodlet, either positive or negative has an action you can perform to earn aspiration points.  My stressed out nerd wanted to take a long relaxing shower after work and was rewarded for doing so.  When your Sim is tired you notice him/her slouching, when they feel confident their walk is upright and bouncy, and when they really have to pee they walk with their knees together.

Another area that had become more complex is the party and date aspect.  In the Sims 3 you could throw a party and just had to have lots of stuff for your guests to do in order for it to be considered a "great party."  The Sims 4 actually lays out objectives that must be accomplished in order to increase your score for it to be considered a success.  While on a date you might need to socialize with your date 10 times or flirt with your date.  As you complete the objectives a scoring bar indicates the quality of your event.  New objectives pop up as you complete them and your goal is to fill up the entire bar in an specific time frame.  This really helps the player understand what they need to do to have a quality date or party.

I have yet to play with the build function, but I could already see improved aspects (ability to make rooms that are different shapes, pre-styled rooms).  I am planning on dedicating some time this weekend to digging deeper into the Sims 4.