GamesSimulationThe SimsThe Sims 4EA’s new plan for The Sims 4 sounds like it’s getting the Fortnite treatment, and I don’t know who it’s forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimulationThe SimsThe Sims 4EA’s new plan for The Sims 4 sounds like it’s getting the Fortnite treatment, and I don’t know who it’s forWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: EA)
The Sims 4is the most troubled iteration of the series yet, and though it’s come a long way, it’s still far from being a legacy title. From the sounds of it, though, that’s exactly what I think EA intends it to be.
A recent blog post from EA has confirmed that not only is thereno Sims 5 in the pipeline, butProject Renehas been confirmed as a multiplayer Sims project that will exist in tandem with The Sims 4, set to exist in perpetuity as an ongoing project. Honestly? It’s sounding a lot like whatFortniteis doing, offering various linked gaming permutations governed under one umbrella. It’s also the complete antithesis of how The Sims has always operated as a single player, episodic experience that players enjoy watching evolve over time.
So where does that leave the future of a franchise that’s made a name for itself through constant evolution if the bloodline looks to end right here? Most importantly, who is this great change meant to benefit? Because from where I’m standing, it’s certainly not me.
Stranger and Strangerville
(Image credit: EA)
Swoon-worthy(Image credit: EA)For the first time in 10 years, I’m enjoying The Sims 4 without any mods - and it’s all thanks to Lovestruck
Swoon-worthy
(Image credit: EA)For the first time in 10 years, I’m enjoying The Sims 4 without any mods - and it’s all thanks to Lovestruck
(Image credit: EA)
For the first time in 10 years, I’m enjoying The Sims 4 without any mods - and it’s all thanks to Lovestruck
If there’s one game that’s been with me since I was old enough to hold a mouse, it’s The Sims. Turning something as mundane as everyday life into an exciting sandbox of possibility is no simple task, and there’s a reason The Sims is considered one of the biggest andbest simulation gamesever. But it seems the reaper has come to call time on that time-honored structure – and it has a confusing, nebulous plan for its afterlife.
I understand why EA is trying something new. I’ve said in the past that EA’s model for The Sims, while allowing it to constantly reinvent itself,could pose problemsfor the series' growth as a whole. The generational aspect means EA is always chasing its own tail, relegating each new iteration to a seemingly endless cycle of building itself up only to start again fresh some years later with even grander player expectations to live up to. In a sense, removing our expectations for a Sims 5 will force players to accept the path it’s trying to forge for the current generation. As EA’s vice president Kate Gorman toldVariety, the intention is to prevent players having to “restart your progress” with The Sims 5.
But reinvention is what The Sims has always done best. There’s a shared poetry and metatextuality at work, linking the form of the series to its own formula: you make a family, put all your time and effort into constructing their home, building their relationships, planning out the grand stories of their lives. Then, they die, and you get to do it all over again. It feeds into the whole ethos of The Sims, shining a light on the cycle of life and new beginnings ahead – even if it’s sad to see your favorite family perish in a house fire after forgetting to purchase a fire alarm. Guilty as charged.
(Image credit: EA)
I’m no Sims 4 hater, but I don’t think I want another decade of it.
I’m no Sims 4 hater, but I don’t think I want another decade of it.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
That’s where it becomes hard to view The Sims 4 as a legacy project, an experience worth preserving and supporting for years to come. A lot of the lack of appreciation is down to the fact that it’s taken EA a decade to fix it. The litany ofSims 4 bugshas made it the most problem-rife of all eras combined, from broken launches to the infamously terrible Sims 4incest bugthat rears its head every so often. With so many expansion and game packs clogging it up, it makes sense that things won’t always overlap smoothly. But it makes it an even bigger problem when, as large and unruly as The Sims 4 currently is, it runs the risk of getting simply too big to onboard new players. Not only that, it could end up burying its finest moments beneath sub-par ones. Let’s not eventalkabout Journey to Batuu, shall we?
I’m no Sims 4 hater, but I don’t think I want another decade of it. Sure, I’m sympathetic to EA’s struggle to meet its own mark and understand that it’s trying something new and daring, but I don’t see what makes Sims 4 stand out as the ultimate Sims game other than its incredibly lengthy development cycle. That fact alone makes me wonder if EA is scrapping Sims 5 – and doing strange things like addingpaid creator mods– just to make its own life easier instead of listening to what its players want. There’s no telling what comes next, but now more than ever, I’m itching to redownload The Sims 3 in protest.
There are plenty ofgames like The Simsif you’re craving more life sim antics outside EA’s jurisdiction. Or if you are too deep, we have a list of thebest Sims 4 expansion packsfor you to buy now.
CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5Xbox Series XPlatformsPlayStationXbox
CATEGORIES
More about the simsThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a portLatestSquid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final seasonSee more latest►
More about the simsThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a portLatestSquid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final seasonSee more latest►
More about the simsThe Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port
More about the sims
The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it"MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port
The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
The Sims creator’s first game in over 10 years is an AI life sim that uses your real memories: “The more I can make a game about you, the more you’ll like it”
MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port
MySims' Switch launch is cute and all, but it has nothing on the best old school Sims 2 games that really deserve a port
LatestSquid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final seasonSee more latest►
Latest
Squid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final season
Squid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final season
Squid Game season 3: Everything we know about the Netflix show’s final season
See more latest►
Most PopularI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
Most PopularI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
Most PopularI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
Most Popular
I’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?
This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chance
Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics”
Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé
17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding”
Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas
Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far
One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future
I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1
Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”