It was quiet around the universe of The Sims for a long time. On October 18, 2022, the developers broke this silence and announced the successor, including gameplay footage. But the competition never sleeps. Could this pose a threat to Sims 5?
On October 18, 2022, there were two pieces of good news: Not only did The Sims 4 become a free-to-play title, but EA also announced the successor of The Sims franchise for the first time during the live stream “Behind the Sims Summit”. Due to its early stage of development, it has not been titled Sims 5 yet, but Project Rene.
During the livestream, we got first glimpses of the development status of the new part. The word “Rene” is meant to evoke associations with the word renaissance and rebirth, and at the same time stands for the team’s great ambition to release a revolutionary successor.
The Sims Project Rene brings more depth and freedom of play
Founded in 2000, the game series has been delighting millions of players for over two decades. The last part, The Sims 4, was already released in 2014, which is another reason why some aspects of the game are no longer up to date. For this reason, and also due to growing competitor projects, Sims 5 should not inherit the weaknesses of its predecessor. It should learn from its mistakes and adapt to current needs.
In the presentation, we get to see a huge design scope, which represents an entirely new creative level in the franchise. For example, we see how the developers edit the individual elements of a bed – from the slatted frame to the headboard. Similar detailed editing of a sofa can also be admired. Moreover, you can even place individual pillows on it, customize materials and patterns, and even choose the angle to your specific taste.
In addition, EA plans to deliver powerful multiplayer features with crossplay functionality. In the live stream, we see a short clip that shows simultaneous play across supported devices such as PC or mobile. Also, players should be able to create furniture together in cooperative game mode. While the upcoming life simulation Paralives is only planned as a singleplayer (yet), The Sims Project Rene offers a very modern and also sought-after game feature with cross-platform systems. Even the rather poor design elements of the fourth part seem to gain significant depth in The Sims 5, meeting Paralives on an equally fashionable and contemporary level.
Six aspects of the game with which Sims 5 must shine
Successor titles should always try to learn from old mistakes and create an even better gaming experience, which is especially important for popular games like The Sims. In the following, we would like to highlight six aspects that we think Maxon and EA should pay special attention to.
- Open World
Let’s stick to the comparison with Paralives. This title advertises a huge open world that you can build on and discover as a player: An in-game feature that is absolutely trendy. The Sims 4 offered an impressive world for the time, but it is too limited by today’s standards. The new part must definitely serve this demand adequately. - Contemporary graphics
The graphics have also become quite outdated and definitely need to be modernized. Paralives takes a clever step here, setting itself apart from The Sims with a very sympathetic, painterly style. However, we can expect improvements here in any case, but the familiar look and feel must, of course, be preserved. - Character customization
The individual and unique design of the characters was already given in the fourth part but should be thought of further and expanded. Here, too, Paralives offers a considerable amount of detailed customization options, which The Sims 5 has to counter. - Better AI
The fifth installment should feature even more realistic and diverse AI. The characters should have their own personalities, including feelings, goals, and motivations. This is an aspect that Paralives, in particular, is pursuing very ambitiously. Considering that we’re currently in the age of AI and machine learning, along with the fact that The Sims 5 will likely be in development for a while, here’s perhaps a chance. Due to the size of the IP, they might be able to build on revolutionary technological advancements from artificial intelligence research. - World events
Yes, these are numerous in the current part, but they could be even more dynamic and immersive. There should be more opportunities for players to participate in events and interact with the world so that it feels truly open. - Game performance
The new title should address the often criticized performance issues. The fourth part had to fight again and again with stability and performance problems, which led to interruptions of the gameplay and thus to frustration for players.
Die-hard fans will play the game anyway. But don’t forget that game development is getting easier with the help of AI, asset libraries, textures, and even programming blueprints. Even small studios can create great titles like Manor Lords or Paralives. Therefore, the new Sims part must definitely do a lot right and also better. We are also fans of the series and hope that the fifth part will be a new title that everyone will use as a genre benchmark. But whether that will work has yet to be proven.
When can you expect the Sims 5 release date
The live stream in October last year showed us extremely early impressions from the development. While these say a lot about the potential and plans of The Sims 5, they also make it clear that it will probably be some time before a release date is in sight. In all likelihood, therefore, a release before 2024 is not to be expected. However, the developers expressed a consolation. During the Behind the Sims Summit, Creative VP Lyndsay Pearson said the team plans to keep demonstrating the work in progress with new game material and definitely use community feedback.
While you wait for your new plumbob, have a look at some other exciting games
Cheer up. After all, you can now play The Sims 4 for free. If you want some inspiration for other simulations, we would like to recommend you our ranking for the best City Building Games. If you’re also open to other genres, don’t miss out on the Best Stealth Games, Platformer Games, or 2 Player PS5 Games.
Or how about a little more anticipation? The excellent-looking Party Animals is about to be released.
What feature do you think should definitely be better in The Sims 5? Let us know below in the comments.
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