EA Maxis's The Sims 4 gets mixed reviews

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The highly anticipated life simulation game from EA Maxis, "The Sims 4," has finally been released and it has landed on the top of the UK all-formats game charts on its debut. Techie News says that it's the only PC-only game that has made it to the top of the charts since Guild Wars 2 in 2012. A Mac version is underway but no date has yet been announced.

Players who have already tried the game have compared it the previous versions. According to Joystiq, the game now allows for better multitasking, socializing, and leveling up skills since players don't need to keep too close an eye on their character like before. Customizing rooms is effortless, especially with the new search feature. There are also numerous personality traits and aspirations, which makes each Sim unique in its own right.

The tech review magazine does say, "...let's be clear up front: Loyal players of The Sims 3 should stick with that game for a couple of more years, as they will be woefully underserved by what this latest installment in the franchise currently has to offer."

Nonetheless, the franchise has already gained a loyal following in the past 14 years, and the latest version is no exception. The Sims 4 forum shows that many of the old-time Sim players care about improving the game play, expressing what they like and what they wish the game has. Among the things that they noted (and dislike) are the limited number of available careers (there are only 13), less lot spaces (there are only 26 compared to TS3's 100+), and the lack of maneuverability for the camera. It seems that multi-tasking and emotions got the most thumbs-up.

The Sims 4 is now available for purchase for $89.90.