Graphic by Moreena Hall

By Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu

I should start by saying that I loved The Sims growing up. When I was about eight years old, I discovered the original game at a cousin’s house and became obsessed with it whenever I was able to visit. However, since that wasn’t often, I soon fell out of the habit until late middle school and throughout high school when I became obsessed with The Sims 2. As a creative personality who loves to write, it only made sense that making characters in a three-dimensional way and getting them to act out anything I wanted would be very appealing. 

One of my best friends and I got so involved that we even made a point to try to buy and share all the games throughout high school, each purchasing a certain amount of the expansion packs and downloading them to both our computers. Once we graduated and lived together for almost a year, we moved on into The Sims 3 games, captivated by the new graphics and different activities and species we could play with. Then, when I went to college, I was too busy with school work to play The Sims 3 and soon did not have the extra time to play. I knew at that time The Sims 4 was also just coming out but was reluctant to give EA any more money at the time.

Fast forward to the whole country shutting down due to COVID-19, and suddenly having more time on my hands than I knew what to do with. My best friend from high school talked me into getting The Sims 4 this summer, and I am so glad she did. The graphics are better by far than any other version of The Sims, and while there are definitely some limitations in other ways, the overall gameplay is by far superior. Also, as an adult, I finally know how to install mods and custom content into the game which makes things even better. The worlds that are given to us are gorgeous, and I have so much fun making each Sim special in their own unique ways. 

For anyone else who enjoyed The Sims growing up, I encourage you to give The Sims 4 a fair chance and have fun with it! I’m still learning more about playing the game every day, but during these times of uncertainty getting to live vicariously through The Sim’s world makes me feel more at home in my own world again even if I am only in my bedroom. I encourage you all to check out The Sims 4 free trial for 48 hours on Origin by EA, and have fun Simming!