At a time when more casual and wholesome games are thriving,The Simsshould revive its short-livedSims Storiesseries to offer a streamlined experience to the franchise through more traditional story-telling gameplay that many have grown accustomed to. Between the extra content available forThe Sims 4ranging from aliens to vampires and “Project Rene” in development as the anticipatedThe Sims 5presumably, it can seem difficult for the average gamer to find a foothold in the ever-expanding series. Combined with the system requirements needed to run such a game, newer and casual players might struggle to get their bearings.
This was something thatThe Sims Storiessought to address between 2007 and 2008, as the series consisted of three games modified fromThe Sims 2and optimized for laptop gaming. Beyond certain features being removed to improve gameplay and performance,The Sims Storiesincluded a story mode alongside its traditional free-play classic mode with the hopes of catering to more players interested inThe Sims. But with the risingcosts of DLC for games likeThe Sims 4and growing interest in more casual games, now would be an ideal time to give players an alternative throughThe Sims Stories.
Exploring The Sims Stories: Life, Pet, and Castaway
Based onThe Sims 2engine, each of the three games withinThe Sims Storiesseries seemed to draw inspiration from specific packs introduced to the main game, such asThe Sims 2: NightlifeandThe Sims 2: Pets. Though a free-play mode was available, these games seemed more focused on their linear story-driven modes which followed specific characters and sequences. WhileThe Sims 3andThe Sims 4attempted to include story progressionthat functioned more as an autoplay mechanic,The Sims Storiesgames remain outliers for their scripted story-telling experiences as seen below.
The Sims Stories Streamlines the Player’s Experience
The Sims Storiesseem to resemble the approach that other sim games have taken in recent years, such asStardew ValleyandDisney Dreamlight Valley, which balance a general narrative for players to follow with the freedom to choose how they follow it. With the added benefit of being less intensive on both the player’s bank account and gaming hardware,The Sims Storiescontinues to be the ideal alternative for anyone uncertain about how and where tostart playing games likeThe Sims 4. Players can have agency and direction as they are introduced toThe Simsthrough the simplified story-driven experience.
The Sims 4 Expansion Pack Potential for The Sims Stories
Since many ofThe Sims 4expansion packsappear to be based on or inspired by earlier packs from across the series, revivingThe Sims Storiesmay require starting from scratch with remakes of the original three games. But the series could be more ambitious and instead focus on newer or more abstract areas ofThe Sims 4’s DLC, offering an even greater focus on its story-driven gameplay than its traditional free-play mode.The Sims 4is expected to receive even more updates throughout 2024, but new takes onThe Sims Storiescould be inspired some of its latest or more popular DLC.
