English
Gamereactor
reviews
The Sims 3 Console

The Sims 3 Console

Vic has been creating sociopaths and enjoying the virtual life simulation on offer in the console version of The Sims 3.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

* Required field
HQ

Almost a decade and a console generation later, I return to a game responsible for one of my more compulsive and immersive gaming experiences. With so much water under the bridge and yours truly supposedly weighed down by a decade of life experiences and wisdom (yeah right), the big question is - Does a console port of The Sims have the staying power to pull me in and keep me thrilled?

For anyone new to the Sims games, it's fairly ronseal (does exactly what it says on the cover). IT is a virtual life simulator where you create, control and dictate the lives, mannerisms and fortunes of characters that populate a virtual world in your own guise. For anyone who's had the misfortune of stumbling across my diary, that can be a very cold, dark and unforgiving place.

"I have a natural aversion to people. Big, small, dark skinned, light skinned and most especially those happy go lucky heathens that roll into your path with copious amounts of energy and seemingly without a care in the world. I hate them all! Oh, and I hate kids too. Imagine my horror when I wake up to see I live in a cramped one bed apartment with 2 jolly fellas and their three adopted kids. This is my space, my life and when I am through with them all, there won't be anything left. Good times."

The above, is an excerpt from mild mannered Jeffrey's diary. Jeffrey, incidentally is the Sim I created. I'll also like to add that he is what psychologists would gleefully describe as a sociopath. Personally, I think he is simply misunderstood.

This is an ad:

Sims, like Jeffrey are what make The Sims an incredibly absorbing experience. The creative freedom to do what you want, when you want to, to anyone you feel like is still unparalleled in the gaming sphere and why irrespective of what platform you play it on, it is an undeniably absorbing experience

For the uninitiated, I'll run you through the setup and initial impressions. Once you've got through the creation process, you are initial hit by the wide array of menus and tabs available to you. If you're new to the Sims games, this can prove daunting, but thankfully there is a handy tutorial window that pops up when you're faced with a new experience. You will be tasked with managing your Sims by among other things overseeing their personal hygiene needs, hunger needs and social interaction. You'll also be expected to fulfil their desires depending on what traits they have.

A feature not present in the PC version of The Sims 3 is the ability to make use of Karma powers to boost or nullify your Sim's potential for good tidings or general bad vibes. Karma powers can be earned by completing challenges. My personal favourite is ‘Epic Fail'. Instilled upon a Sim, they will be clouded by wave after wave of bad luck over a given time. Karma powers can also be earned at the end of every day, at midnight in what is called the ‘Hour of Reckoning.'

Freedom to express yourself is one of the game's main traits, with the ability to customize your Sim's aesthetic as well as environment anytime a handy feature should you ever feel the need to spontaneously spruce things up.

This is an ad:

There are a lot of positives to be taken from this most recent console port, but it has to be noted that the game suffers immensely from excruciatingly long loading times and pauses during menu load screens with the constant breaks only serving to pull you out of the immersive experience.

The Sims at its best is a celebration of daily living and all things schadenfreude in a society reared on voyeuresque entertainment. The console port, while not great is bloody good and will keep both kind hearted and closet sociopaths preoccupied long enough to keep them off the evening news.

The Sims 3 ConsoleThe Sims 3 ConsoleThe Sims 3 ConsoleThe Sims 3 Console
07 Gamereactor UK
7 / 10
+
Some genuinely laugh out loud moments, incredibly addictive, creative freedom.
-
Long load times
overall score
is our network score. What's yours? The network score is the average of every country's score

Related texts

0
The Sims 3 ConsoleScore

The Sims 3 Console

REVIEW. Written by Vic Bassey

Vic has been creating sociopaths and enjoying the virtual life simulation on offer in the console version of The Sims 3.



Loading next content