TSR Academy – Why You Should Play The Sims

So you want to play the Sims? The Sims is a unique simulation game that has existed for a long time. There are reasons why over seventy million people have played the Sims 4! That is a lot of Simmers! The game is over a decade old and still pulls in millions of new players yearly, about fifteen million new Simmers each year. So why should you play the Sims 4? Of course, this game has pros and cons, so let’s consider why you should play The Sims.

The Pros

CC Found in the Lovestruck Bundles Blog

Obviously, with a game that has been around for over ten years and over seventy million players, there will be many pros to why you should play this game. Rather than list all one hundred-plus reasons why you should play the Sims, let’s look at some of the more popular reasons why there are so many Simmers and why you should try this game.

Endless Gameplay

One of the biggest reasons this game is so popular is that there is no one way to play or one correct way of playing the Sims. Simmers play as they wish when they wish, and how they wish. Aside from seasonal or promotional events, there are no time frames for playing the game and no minimum or maximum. You cannot play the game wrong; the gameplay is entirely up to the player, giving them endless options.

Gameplay & Replayability

The Sims 4 is a game that never ends; whether you are playing multiple Sims, the same Sims repeatedly, or using cheats, this game is endless. Not to mention, now that the Life & Death Expansion has rebirth, Simmers can play the same Sim without repeatedly cheating.

Challenges

Some challenges are built into the game for Simmers, who like challenges. However, the online community has created many challenges in various areas. From legacy challenges to design challenges to Black Widow challenges, there are so many to try. One of the most popular challenges is Rags to Riches, which starts with nothing and progresses from there, adding more gameplay to your game.

Stories/RolePlay

Many Simmers use Sims 4 to create stories and characters or continue stories based on things they enjoy while playing the game. A whole group of Simmers also participate in modeling competitions and role-play on Instagram as their Sims. So, really, there is no option you can’t explore with this game, which just seems to have endless creativity options.

Endless Creativity

CC found in the One Color Decor Challenge – Ocean Blue Patio.

There is an abundance of opportunity for creativity for a life simulation game here. I play the game because I enjoy creating Sims and decorating lots. In the Sims, you can do both those and build lots. There is no limit that I have found on how many Sims you can create, as you can have multiple game saves on your computer. Like lots, there does not appear to be an obtainable max, and I have seen Simmers completely rebuild entire game saves of lots, theming them in time periods or fictional worlds based on books or movies.

Mods & CC

Another reason you should play Sims 4 is that you can download custom content, CC, and mods to your game. I have hundreds of lovely dresses and accessories added to my game, and am constantly downloading more. Getting and installing CC is straightforward and easy; you get to pick what you want in your game. Since the game is over ten years old, there are a lot of CC and mods out there, pretty much anything you can think of. Even here at TSR, we have everything from mermaid CC to steampunk CC and everything in between! And, of course, if you know how or have the drive to learn, you can always add your own CC or mods to your game.

Free Base Game

So the big sell on why you should play the Sims 4 is… well, the base game is free. I mean, why not, right? I’m not joking; the base game is free. You can try it at no cost. We all know what will probably happen, but we will get to that later.

The Cons

And now to the cons, the reasons why some Simmers don’t always like playing the game as it does have its frustrating moments. Nothing can be perfect, and this game is not; we all have our preferences, so I am keeping the negatives to why you should play The Sims4 as unbiased and based on mass community opinion as possible.

It is Expensive to Own All DLC/Packs

Remember when I said, ‘We’d get to that later.’ This is later, and most of us Simmers, once we go down the rabbit hole, have to own EVERY SINGLE one of the DLC packs. Fortunately, they come out at different times, but regardless of that, there are over eighty DLC kits and packs, which add up to over $1000.

CC found in Get That Look – The Clean Girls Trend Aesthetic Blog.

So yeah, that is a con. This game has a lot of DLC, and the “got to collect them all” mindset is real. That is a lot of money, even for a game that has been around for ten years. Quite a few Simmers are upset with the cost and what is in Expansion Packs, as many feel some of these pack features and content should be in the base game or combined into other packs.

Steep Learning Curve

The Sims games are set up in an interface-heavy format that does not mirror other games as closely as one would think. There are also an extremely high amount of options and things you can do with the game. All these reasons and scenarios often overwhelm new Simmers due to the steep learning curve and broad range of the game. But do not fret; this is where TSR Academy comes in! However, due to the steep learning curve, I classify this as a negative to playing The Sims 4.

There Are *Some Bugs.

CC Found in the Wednesday Inspired Lookbook Blog

Nowadays, video games are a work in progress; they never seem complete, and there are always at least a few bugs. The Sims 4 is no exception, and sometimes Expansion Packs or updates are a bit buggier than usual. To date, the My Wedding Stories Pack, in my opinion, has been the worst, to the point where many new features on release were unplayable. Of course, patches and updates primarily work fine, but there are still bugs.

Updates can break your game if you have Mods.

Of course, adding to the bugs, you may get annoyed by having to turn off mods and cc each time there is an update or patch to reduce the risk of breaking your game. Some updates altogether make some mods unusable until the creator can update them. Honestly, I just go offline on the EA App to control when I update my game, and it does not auto-update. I also recommend frequently saving the game in case you run into a bug and the game crashes.

You Can Lose Track of Time

This last one may not sound like a con, but it is, as you can lose ENTIRE IRL DAYS by playing the Sims. So yes, this game is entertaining, so entertaining, in fact, you lose track of time. Sure, you can save your progress at pretty much any time… but that does not stop Simmers from playing ten hours plus in one day.

Summary

I hope this article helps you decide whether to play The Sims 4. It is, in my opinion, a great game. It has its moments with crashes and bugs, and if you are buying all the DLC, it can be pricey. But the endless playability and never-ending gameplay absolutely sell this game to me. Think about it: How many games can you honestly have so much of a unique, individualized experience for all players? That is why some of us Simmers have been playing the Sims since the original game of the series.