The Sims 4

GFA METERSTRONG

Reviewed by Jennifer Lim

What The Sims 4 absolutely nails

Creative freedom. Build Mode is basically an interior design power fantasy, and Create-A-Sim is still one of the best “make a person” toolsets in gaming. The game's whole pitch is “unleash your imagination,” and it does a great job letting you tell stories your way—careers, aspirations, relationships, drama, wholesome family life, chaos goblin life, you name it.

The comedy of small disasters. Even when you're trying to play it straight, the simulation has a way of generating sitcom moments: awkward parties, weird flirting, someone doing pushups at a funeral, etc. It's a game that wants you to micromanage, but it's fun because it also refuses to be fully controlled.

It's still hugely loved. On Steam it's sitting in Very Positive territory both overall and recently (83% positive in the last 30 days, and 87% positive across a massive number of English reviews).

The honest “yeah, but…” section

The Sims 4's biggest problem is that it's the king of “a little bit of everything… if you buy it.” The base game is free, but the DLC universe is enormous—Steam literally lists over a hundred pieces of additional content, and new packs keep coming. Collecting “everything” is famously expensive, and even mainstream outlets routinely point out how wild the total can get. So yes: the base experience is good, but the “complete” experience is… a lifestyle subscription.

Also: it's EA, so on Steam you're dealing with EA account requirements / EA app activation and third-party DRM. Not a dealbreaker for everyone, but it's part of the reality.

Verdict

As a sandbox, The Sims 4 is still a top-tier digital dollhouse: endlessly replayable, incredibly creative, and hilarious when you least expect it. Just go in with eyes open—what you get for free is a solid foundation, and the rest of the “dream Sims life” is mostly sold in neatly themed slices.