Images by Wikipedia
Has your house ever burned down due to the fact that the fire department didn’t come because you didn’t have a fire alarm? Have you ever felt so tired waking up in the morning because your couch only had a sleep rating of three? Do you like boats, but had an argument with someone who didn’t like boats? You ever felt like you couldn’t get anything done because you had to go to the bathroom every five minutes?
If you said yes to all of these questions, well then you’ve most likely played The Sims. In a nutshell, you create your character, move him or her into a house and face all of life’s challenges. Your sim can get a job, meet new people, order pizza, hire a maid, it’s all there. And if you so happen to purchase one or all of the expansion packs, get ready to adopt pets, go on vacation, make magic and much more.
When The Sims 2 was released it essentially reproduced this same formula while making the move to 3D. From the looks of it, The Sims 3 has made a natural progression forward to this million dollar franchise that keeps it fresh and entertaining as always.
Sim creation has received a cleaner look while allowing greater customization. You can still pick facial features, the type of hair, gender and so on, but you can also create patterns for your character’s clothing, as well as add textures to it. One of the big changes is the addition of traits to your sim. Based on what you choose (options include being a couch potato to being downright evil), it will affect how your sim will act, who your sim will meet and what life goals your sim will have. It’s like having a motivating factor and it shapes who your sim will become.
Now a big and welcome change to the sim dynamic is that your sim will no longer be stuck on one lot wondering if there’s a world out there. This time, the whole world is their oyster. Or in this case, the entire town is. In it, will be a bustling town to explore with other sims going to work, having birthday parties, hanging out in clubs, taking strolls in the park, moving in and more. It makes for a much more dynamic setting than the previous two Sims games.
You don't like boats!? (not in-game footage)
Also included as part of the game, is the movie maker. I won’t delve too deep into this, but you basically create clips by recording whatever you want your sim to do. You then put the clips in the order you want, while having full control of the camera, just like a director. You can also add fades, different color tones, and even a soundtrack. Though it’s simple to use, it’s possible to create very intricate movies with the tools that are provided.
There is so much put into this game that I haven't talked about, but the changes incorporated into The Sims 3, is a big step forward for the franchise. It’s about your sim living life without concerning themselves too much on every little mundane task. They’re out in their own virtual world, ready for the challenges life throws at them. And you can control them as much or as little as you like. Now, off to go take a shower, read a book, and take a nap on my couch.
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