Most of the time when a game comes along which brings something new to the industry we quickly see multiple clones which may not be quite as good as the original but are usually pretty close to that standard and sometimes even manage to raise the bar. Good examples of this can be found in real-time and turn-based strategy genres where the likes of Dune and Civilization helped bring about Command & Conquer and Rise of Nations. There are however some games which appeared to be untouchable and this was true of the Grand Theft Auto series, especially from GTA III onwards as those titles had many clones but no rivals, until Saints Row 2 came along which in my opinion was superior to an impressive GTA 4. If there is one series which remains untouchable it has to be The Sims. Some brave individuals have attempted to challenge the domination this series enjoys, in a genre it largely created, and have fallen so far short that “untouchable” is a perfectly acceptable description. If I had one concern heading into this review it was that Maxis are so far ahead in the genre that they can afford to rest on their laurels and get away with throwing the fans something like a Sims 2.5 rather than a true progression in the series.

The first thing you’re greeted to when you start the game is the Sims 3 launcher. On this window you can create an EA account or sign in to an existing one and by doing this you’ll be awarded with some SimPoints which you can spend in the Sims store.

I have a huge issue with any company who encourage gamers to spend real money on additional items for a game they have already purchased. Since this type of game can be very addictive, with an almost unlimited scope for customization, I expect weak-minded individuals will spend a ridiculous amount of money and I don’t feel comfortable with businesses exploiting any of their customers regardless of how dumb they are.

Let’s put things into context here, the full “storybook” furniture set, which includes 45 items and does look impressive, will set you back 1,900 SimPoints and a quick check of the pricing reveals that this amounts to £11.40 of very real cash. The Sims 3 can be purchased online for £30 or less (always check Shopto.net!) and this single furniture pack, which is hardly an extensive add-on, costs more than 1/3 of that price. This is a disgrace and it needs to stop.

On a more positive note I was able to download a free town named “Riverview” which is nicely built and has a more laid-back feel to it than “Sunset Valley“ and compliments that busier town. There are also user created items which can be downloaded for free from “The Exchange”, many of these these items are quite nice, and the selection will no doubt grow extensively over the coming weeks. The game itself doesn’t come with an enormous amount of clothing to choose from, although there’s more than enough to begin with, and it’s great to see free clothing right there when you start the game. With The Sims 2 I found it a chore to search for items on various unofficial sites, download the files, then go into them individually in order to install them. The Exchange makes this process much more painless as item groups are clearly labelled and with a couple of clicks you can download and install any item.

The graphics are really nice, they are a suitable step up from the quality found in The Sims 2, and you can create any number of attractive or bizarre looking Sims to mess around with. The sound effects in this series, although lacking in depth and variety, have always fit well with the style of the game. I am surprised that Maxis went out of their way to add a much larger variety of sounds but I’m glad they did as it helps to make each town seem more alive.

With the trailer focussing on the ability to walk outside of your home and travel all over the map in real-time it is no surprise that this is the most impressive addition to the series. The best thing about this experience is that it will grow when the inevitable add-ons are released. It may not sound spectacular but the ability to wander outside at night, and harass any number of neighbours, is the type of thing which will have fans wondering how they coped with the comparative prison enclosure of Sims 2.

The movie creation feature will please those who made their own masterpieces using The Sims 2 and this seems like a welcome case of developers paying attention and providing a section of the fans with something they really want. The “Create a Movie” process really couldn’t be easier as it’s a simple case of dragging and dropping video, picture, and audio onto the timeline and then adding transitions, effects, and captions. This is a much simplified version of what you’ll find in Final Cut or Adobe Premiere but it’s surprisingly effective and may actually introduce the art of video editing to a whole new generation.

You’ll find all of the best features from Sims 2 here but you’ll notice that they are now more detailed and have been improved upon where needed. You now have more control over clothing and can choose which colours you want to use which is made easy with the ability to drag and drop colours from a pallet. There are also handy inclusions such as being able to choose which hair-style to use with each of your costumes. One useful addition is the choice of how long each Sim will live so you can decide on a shorter lifespan or something more epic in scale. This game offers a level of charm which is near impossible to find elsewhere, its ability to bring a smile to your face is second to none, and it’s one of those games you really need to pick up and play in order to appreciate why it’s so damn popular. This really is a must-have title for any fans of the series and I’d certainly recommend this to anyone with an interest in games as there’s a great deal of variety on offer here and no doubt plenty more to come. Bring on The Sims 3: Pets!

9/10

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