When The Sims 4 released in 2014, it was a massive achievement for the life-sim genre as a whole - but even as the game approaches its tenth birthday, there are still plenty of improvements that could elevate the experience. Compared to its predecessors, the fourth installment in the main series boasts improved graphics, a more streamlined style (although it's divisive within the community), the ability for Sims to multitask, and more. However, there are some features from previous games that still hold an advantage over The Sims 4, as well as some longstanding community requests that ideally would have been implemented years ago.Thankfully, some promising changes are confirmed for 2023. A new roadmap for The Sims 4 looks hopeful, potentially bringing back a fan-favorite DLC from The Sims 3 alongside other important tweaks, like a rework to babies. But it's a shame that the roadmap didn't hint at any of the following features, which would have truly refreshed gameplay in The Sims 4, and cemented its place as the best game in the series.
The Sims 4 Is Missing Create-A-Style
Much of the appeal of life-sim games comes from the feeling of being in control - but it's difficult to feel that way with The Sims 4's downgrade in color customization. Previously, in The Sims 3, the Create-a-Style system allowed players total freedom when it came to stylizing the color and patterns of clothing and furniture. For unknown reasons, EA decided not to incorporate it into the series' fourth installment, much to the immediate (and longstanding) dismay of fans. At least using quickly-earned simoleons in The Sims 4 isn't required to change swatches like it was in The Sims 2, but it's still hard to justify the color wheel's total removal.
It wouldn't have been such a large offense if The Sims 4 offered decent color swatches to choose from, but unfortunately, this is not the case. The impossible task that is matching colors has been a joke in the community since 2014 - and for those who enjoy creating Sims and building above all else, it's an infuriating process. When the tone of a wooden bedframe is just slightly off from an adjacent nightstand, it takes away from the satisfaction that should otherwise be synonymous with the game. Some updates in The Sims 4 have provided additional color swatches, but the issue could have been entirely avoided by including Create-a-Style.
Create-A-World Would Expand The Sims 4's Gameplay
Another instance of unnecessarily abandoned features is the Create-a-World feature. Just like The Sims 3's color wheel, which life-sim Paralives features, this system granted players an even greater level of control and immersion by allowing them to sculpt the world around them. Neighborhoods that were once flat and boring could quickly become one full of hills and interesting pathways, or even something more extravagant, like changing the color of the grass permanently. This feature was available in both The Sims 3 and The Sims 2, so many loyal fans were confused when it was missing from The Sims 4.
Although some improvements have been made to terrain-editing since 2014, they don't quite live up to Create-a-World. Being able to add ponds and change the landscape of one's own property is a step in the right direction, but players should be able to customize their surrounding neighborhoods as they see fit - especially with how uninteresting and uninspiring some of the lots tend to be. The Sims 5 should include building options such as Create-a-World, but as the sequel to The Sims 4 is still seemingly deep in development, it should be added into the current game first and foremost.
More Realistic Animations Would Set Sims 4 Apart
Animations have obviously improved between The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, but by no means are they up to modern standards in 2023. Simple movements like talking and cooking can look extremely unnatural, which does nothing but accentuate the cartoonish style that the title adapted. One of the bleakest examples of this is when Sims eat, and they only take a couple of bites before staring off into space. This is annoying from a gameplay standpoint, but it also breaks immersion. The problem could be fixed by looping a smoother, more genuine animation during the action.
The game could also benefit from a wider variety of animations. Not only has The Sims 4 reused animations in Eco Lifestyle, but also throughout the entirety of the title. Creative and highly individualistic activities such as dancing can quickly become repetitive - especially if one doesn't own the Get Together expansion - because there are only a few different dancing animations. The various walking styles that players can choose from in character customization are a solid starting point, but other elements of the game are in dire need of that same philosophy.
The Sims 4 Needs To Be More Open World
One of the biggest letdowns in The Sims 4 was the lack of an open world. Although separating the map into small sections was an easy way to reduce load on computer processing systems, the constant loading screens are one of the game's most annoying aspects to date, and they make gameplay feel choppy. Players should be able to travel, at least short distances, without having their immersion suffer. Implementing such a change might be easier for The Sims 5, where open-world would probably work a bit better by redesigning the entire game system, but The Sims 4 could start by making small changes.
For example, instead of greeting players with a sudden, bright loading screen, The Sims 4 could let Sims get into cars, just like they did in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. Driving on the scale of a game like Grand Theft Auto would most likely be out of the question, but being able to watch the world pass by - even if it's a generic animation of the road - would greatly help in this regard.
The recency of a game doesn't necessarily portray its merit, and The Sims 4 is a perfect representation of this. Some features were improved therein, but there are also quite a few that are sorely missing from The Sims 3 and even The Sims 2, which deserves a remaster. Reintroducing the above elements, as well as providing some much-needed updates for things like animations, would help solidify The Sims 4 as the best in the series. For now, its placement still remains up in the air for many fans.
Source: The Sims/Twitter