The Sims 4is the newest in the iconicSimsseries, but it hasn’t learned everything it could from its predecessors.The Sims 4is well-known for providing hours of fun as players build homes, create families, and manage the sometimes chaotic lives of characters. While the PC versions ofThe Simsare often considered the best, past console versions deserve more attention. They aren’t just simple ports; they feature a solid RPG experience hidden within the life simulation. Unlike the open-ended nature of the PC version, the console versions had a clear story and a series of interesting quests.
This was never so clear as withThe Sims 2on PlayStation and Game Cube.The second game tasked players with going from house to house, solving problems, and entering unique stories. Every house becomes a challenge that leads to feeling like the player’s sim makes real progress in their world. That’s hard to find in regular Sims titles unless players are doinglegacy challenges inThe Sims 4or making up their own stories.
The Sims 2 On Console Was A Hidden RPG
An RPG In A Simulation Game
Instead of being a free-form game like the PC version,the consoleSimsgames traditionally had a more structured storythat led players through different homes and neighborhoods. Much likeThe Sims 4,The Sims 2players started on a home lot and learned the basics. From there, they were given their first roommates, who were easy to make happy. After that, more lots were unlocked, which were vastly different in their unique themes and settings.
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Each house felt like its own mini-adventure with unique characters and tasks.Players weren’t just building homes and managing families; they were working to help solve big problemsthat affected everyone on the lot, from getting aliens to being friendly with their neighbors to helping love boat passengers get lucky. Every character felt like they were made with a story in mind, and it worked so well.
This was an improvement over the Get A Life mode available in the firstSimsgame.
This organized approach cleverly hid the limitations of the hardware. While the graphics weren’t as good as the PC version, the smooth gameplay and clear goals made up for it.Completing a household’s challenges and unlocking a new, detailed lot with its characters felt just as satisfying as leveling upin a traditional RPG. This gave a sense of progress, and it was often easy to forget how much the items seemed to repeat or how long it took to load any level or outfit change.
Unlockable Rewards Were Memorable
The Sims 2console games were more than just checking off tasks, and completing each family’s unique story provided rewards.The story mode was how players were able to get items to use in free mode. So basically, unless they used cheat codes, many of the best items would be locked to everyone who didn’t play the story mode. Instead of just generic furniture, players could get alien-style doors and wallpaper. There were love seats and even services that would unlock.
These elements did a lot to make the story mode feel like it mattered. Seeing the rewards for getting certain tasks done and solving problems in that neighborhood added a definitive sense of progress and accomplished. Even better, rewards from some lots were needed to succeed in others, adding a level of consistency to tie everything together.
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Once the player beat the story mode, they could keep playing, butthey were also given an ending cutscene that showed bloopers for the cutscene at the start of the game. Although it might have been a mostly comical addition, it was a nice reward for all the work. WhileThe Sims 4has a lot ofgreat content packs, none of them really give players a sense of completion the way a story mode does.
Unique Lot Stories Should Return
A Simple Way To Add In A Story Mode
The Sims 4already lost its open world, so players are basically on separate lots anyway.The Sims 2console games showed how a good story-structured lot could helpa game like this. Each lot wasn’t just an area Sims could hang out with; it had a story and a reason to stay. This would helpthe Sims 4a lot, especially if the developers decided to make a dedicated mode. These lot stories would negate the limitations of losing theopen world and other features from older games.
The Sims 2came up with this story mode because of hardware limitations, as console and PC parity at the time wasn’t particularly feasible. These are limitationsThe Sims 4doesn’t have, so it could take the same idea and achieve it with even more detail and scope.Focusing on telling a story players go through a life simulator is always great. There are plenty of examples besidesThe Sims 2, likePC Building SimulatorandHouse Flipper. It wouldn’t take that many lots either, asThe Sims 2managed to make an impact with only the following 12 lots:
When players explore new neighborhoods with their secrets and characters, it motivates them to keep going. By using the storytelling approach crafted byThe Sims 2,the gameplay can change from a sandbox to a dynamic and evolving narrativethat keeps players hooked and excited about what will happen next. It’s a great way to bring story toThe Sims 4without a huge overhaul.
The Sims 4 Needs Some Kind of Story Mode
Bring On The Stories
The Sims 4is a big game, but it doesn’t have a particularly clear main goal. Players create and take care of their Sims, but without a strong direction, it can feel a bit aimless. The lack of base game content doesn’t help this, as much of the game is hidden behind DLC. Introducing a “Get a Life” mode, similar to the storylines inThe Sims 2andThe Simsconsole versions, could give players more purpose.This mode could include a set of connected life goals, with increasing challenges and rewards as players progress.
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Starting off in a small apartment or a shared home and working up to owning a mansion is a lot of fun. Players could unlock many things along the way, just like in the console versions. This would keep players interested and invested in their Sims' success over time. Losing the story mode wasn’t as big of a deal inThe Sims 3because of other areas in which the game progressed, butafter a decade ofThe Sims 4, its absence is starting to feel glaring.
Players might feel like they’ve lost a lot fromThe Sims 3toThe Sims 4because both are just sandboxes. IfThe Sims 4introduced a story mode, this could make it look much more appealing than its predecessors, and it could even start a new wave of interested players starting the game for the sole sake of the story mode experience.
