The Sims 4

The term "You get out what you put in" is best defined by playing the Sims 4. It's an enjoyable game that fans will without a doubt love, but minor idiosyncrasies spoil what fun, can be gained from the experience.

Being primarily a console gamer, I’ve no doubt that I’ll play way more Sims 4 now that I have it on Xbox One. The slightly awkward controls are a small price to pay for the luxury of being able to play while lounging. If you’ve never played The Sims before, the console version isn’t a great starting place, but if you’re already a convert, then it’s a must-have in your collection.

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The feature list is bare, but the Sims themselves are incredible.

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The Sims has been a hugely popular game series ever since its debut in 2000. That’s because it, perhaps better than any other series of video games, distils the essence of playing God into its purest, most potent form and lets players live out their vicarious fantasies in ways they could never do in real life. Whether you want to guide your Sims as they climb the ladder of career success, see them meet their soul mate and have children, or just punish them with cruel, sadistic scenarios, The Sims fills that niche in an addictive and fun way.

The Sims 4 is both fresh and yet also predictable, pleasant, comfortable and rarely overstimulating. It's wobbly, and you can still see some of its joins, or hear the creaks as new parts settle into place. It's not likely to win over any new players, but it will satisfy a lot of its old ones. For many of its fans, it will feel like moving into a new home. They'll settle.

“The Sims 4 killed my girlfriend with fire. It's the same quirky, oddball good time it's always been.”

Republished on Wednesday 29th January 2020: We're bringing this review back from the archives following the announcement of February's PlayStation Plus lineup. The original text follows.

All-in-all, The Sims 4 is a well-polished game that does everything right - its only problem is a lack of content to keep gamers interested. Those accustomed to series know that the first game of a new sequel is always left feeling light in terms of content, and The Sims 4 is no exception. Predictable downloadable content and expansion packs can be seen lining up along the horizon, containing things from the old games like cars, pets, pools and more diverse careers - that's just the Maxis way.

The minigame of life.

The Sims 4 has room to grow, but right now you’re better off continuing to play its predecessor. While certain features were axed in the name of progress, those features were a large reason why many have come to love the series in the first place.