I began my Sims journey when I was a little girl. I was maybe in fifth grade, playing on my grandma's computer at every opportunity I got. I was pulled in by the characters, relationships and crazy hijinks that would ensue with every second of gameplay. In this game you got to play as one of two protagonists and complete objectives to get to the end. I played every day, wanting to know what was going to happen. Sounds like a typical gaming situation, right?
Well, this isn't what "The Sims" is. If you haven't been hiding under a rock, you know what The Sims is. If you haven't played it yourself, you've probably watched a friend play. The best-selling franchise has been around since 2000 and has four editions with multiple expansions and "stuff" packs for each game. Most games are what you could call "sandbox games," which is where there isn't any defined goal or definite end. Some expansions of the game like my first game, "The Sims Life Stories," are scripted and have an end, but with a normal game of The Sims, you're free to do whatever you want.
In case you didn't know, "The Sims" is a game about life. You create or pick from pre-created people called "Sims" and basically take them through life however you please. There are no objectives, no side quests or anything like that. Sims have whims and life goals that they can achieve, but you don't have to follow them. You can create your own objectives if you'd like... in fact, there are several different challenges that have been created to give your game some rules and objectives but by no means do you have to play like that. "The Sims" is whatever you want it to be. You can pretty much do whatever you want. The possibilities are endless!
This is why I believe that "The Sims" is a great storytelling tool. Video games, in general, are great for storytelling (namely RPGs) but most games have an end. Some games have different endings depending on what you decide to do, but "The Sims" is a completely different thing. Because there is no end unless you sit down and tell yourself that you're going to stop, but let's be real... that's not going to happen. The game is addictive. I have quite a love-hate relationship with it. A nine-year relationship, to be precise. There are periods of time that I get sick if I even think of the game, but then there are periods of non-stop gameplay. It has a such a tight hold... no wonder it is one of the top-selling video game series ever.
Like I said, the game is excellent for storytelling. You get to create characters and send them off on the little journey that is life. This can range from growing up, getting married, having kids, retiring and dying or cheating with the town's wealthiest Sim, getting abducted by aliens, barbecuing your baby, (yeah, you could do that) planting a murderous flower and dying from drowning because the ladder somehow disappeared. The range of weird stuff you can do in the game is practically endless. You can tell any story you want and I think that's awesome. Not to mention, most of the gameplay is pretty funny, even if you're just living a "normal" life. Glitches in early games are a common occurrence, and I mean... WooHoo. Come on.
One of my favorite aspects of the game is character creation. I spend way too long shaping my characters to look and act a certain way. As an actress, I am obsessed with characters. I love putting my characters in weird situations and laughing not at the situation itself, but how the characters respond. With time, this aspect of the game has just gotten more intricate and has really improved gameplay. The latest edition of the series, "The Sims 4," has introduced revolutionary character creation with opportunities to make the most different looking Sims ever. You simply drag the Sim's features and you can create anyone you want. You can make yourself, your friends, characters from your own outside creations (I made my D&D party and they are amazing) and even celebrities. After that stage, you give them a personality and watch how they respond to every-day things. "The Sims 4" has even introduced emotions, which make the way they see their world even more unique and fun.
The world that comes with the games are pretty awesome, but if design is your thing, you can design the entire world. Create a lavish four-story house, a haunted mansion, an orphanage, whatever your imagination can come up with! It's completely up to you. And how often does that happen? This world of creativity has sparked inspiration in thousands of players and you can find custom contents and mods galore! I think it's pretty awesome if a game can cause someone to create something.
I highly recommend playing this game if you have the money. I would say if you have the time... but it will dominate your schedule no matter what. Now, go off and make some really awesome stories, ya cuties.
