The Sims 4for Windows

The Sims 4 is a life simulation game developed by Maxis, and the game is the fourth in the series under Maxis and Electronic Arts. The Sims 4 and all the previous games were made for PC, but they were eventually released on select consoles. Since 2000, this game series has been the top life-simulation game on the market. With the ability to make and customize your own character, family genealogy, pets, living spaces, careers and more, it's a breath of fresh air for the casual gamer. Being able to create and play for hours on your own or download items and Sims (characters) made by other players makes your options endless for customization.

An easy way to lose track of time while playing a video game

The most detailed life simulation game ever made.

The controls are simple no matter if you're using a PC or a laptop. On a laptop, it is possible to play with just a track pad and directional keys, but the most efficient way is with a mouse. A great function of this game is the option to use the camera controls that were a part of The Sims 3; the third game is more suited to a mouse as you can rotate items with a few clicks, and with the fourth game you're able to do more with a laptop track pad (use two fingers to rotate and zoom).

After starting a new game you chose the world that you want to live in. The base game allows you to customize your Sim's appearance, create and decorate their home (called a 'lot'), and have a career, but the options are very limited. In the world, choose a lot that has already been made or an empty lot that you'll be able to build yourself. You are given in game currency called Simoleons, keep in mind that if you want to build your own lot, you'll have less money to customize it until your Sim has a career. Once your lot is chosen, you'll be taken to the 'create a Sim' page where you'll be able to you guessed it create your Sim!

Creating a Sim is a lot of fun. Edit the basics like gender, name, and stage of life young or fully grown adult. Then you can change a Sim's voice, walk, and appearance. From head to toe, you can give your Sim a Mohawk, pixie cut, braids, piercings, tattoos, use a slider to change body shape and type, and much more. They can have a natural hair color and there are few neon colors available too. Next comes the outfit. Mix and match tops, tanks, skirts, shorts, pants, and more, or choose a premade full outfit. Lastly, you'll pick your Sim's aspiration and personality traits. Will they be sloppy or a neat freak? Nice, or mischievous? A glutton, or a health nut? To save time, you can randomize your Sim and get straight to playing the main game.

Once your Sim has been created, you can begin their life. Make sure that they have a career to take care of all of their basic needs. Be a barista or an astronaut! When your Sim starts to make more money as they climb up their career ladder, you can further customize their appearance or lot. To prevent your Sim from dying (which is actually pretty cool you&'ll get a visit from the Grim Reaper!), treat them as you would a human make sure that they eat, sleep, chat with other Sims, exercise, fulfill Aspiration requirements, and start a family if you&'d like. Once a Sim is in a relationship or married to another Sim, you can move them into your lot and from then on their life is controlled by you.

You'll probably notice that there are a few things missing from the game that would make it more realistic, like changes in the weather, or pets. These things are add-ons that you can purchase with Expansions. The expansions include Seasons, which takes you through all four seasonal changes (with holidays included!), City Living, where you can live in an apartment instead of a house and participate in festivals, and a ton of others. Game Packs and Stuff Packs aren't full blown expansions, but let you add fun thematic elements like Vampires, different locations, fashion and garden items, and the list goes on.

Where can you run this program?

You can run this program on computers running Windows and MacOS, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.

Is there a better alternative?

In our opinion, there's no better alternative for The Sims 4 and the other Sims games. It's the most realistic (or non-realisticdid we mention Vampires?), expansive, life simulation game on the market now. Although these options aren't better in terms of gameplay, IMVU is another life-simulation game. The main thing that IMVU has that The Sims series doesn't is the option to play online and connect with other players in real time. This is the only selling point, as IMVU is not as advanced as The Sims in many ways, including and not limited to movement options and other important functions there is no free movement in IMVU.

Our take

on The Sims 4 is that it is a must-have. It's truly endless fun, and there's something for every player, whether it be in the create a Sim area, customizing your lot, or giving your Sim the 'Criminal' career.

Should you download it?

We definitely recommend that you download The Sims 4. The game is constantly being updated throughout the year with Expansion Packs, Game Packs and Stuff Packs. What's even more fun is that players create their own custom content and post it online for downloada feature that the developers fully support. So, if an add-on doesn't include an item, someone somewhere has probably made it.If you're planning on playing this game, make sure that you have a few hours free at leastit's impossible not to get hooked. There are so many things to do and create, and it's as simple as clicking start.