It’s standard practice for games to get updated throughout the year to fix things like bugs or prepare it for new DLC. The Sims 4 routinely updates and patches the base game before the release of new expansion, game, or stuff packs, sometimes adding additional content for free. While these items can be a pleasant surprise, other times they can cause quite the controversy.
Each year has seen new improvements to The Sims 4, and this year is no exception. In fact, 2020 brought some of the most important advancements that The Sims franchise has seen in its entire 20 year history. Though there were quite a few updates this year, there were three in particular that set the stage for The Sims 4 to flourish.
Platforms
Platforms were originally showcased in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape gameplay trailer, and it was soon revealed that they’d be a base game update free to all players. This was exciting, as it meant players didn’t have to buy the newest expansion to get access to the advanced build feature.
Platforms introduced split-level builds to The Sims franchise, and it will never be the same again in the best possible way. Platforms can be used in a variety of creative ways that add additional detail and flair to any Sims build. Maneuvering them can be a little frustrating at first, but once players get the hang of it, the possibilities are nearly endless.
Sentiments
This gameplay mechanic was also introduced in The Sims 4: Snowy Escape trailer. Players had been asking for some sort of update to the game that was reminiscent of The Sims 2’s memories mechanic. The memory system from The Sims 2 let Sims keep a working memory of good and bad moments in their life and added extra drama to the game. Players wanted to see a return of this system, as it gave extra personality to Sims as they navigated their personal relationships.
Luckily, Sentiments were added to the game in the update before Snowy Escape’s release and added back some of the memories that players were missing so much. Sentiments deepen Sims’ relationships with each other, either positively or negatively, and can affect their mood as well. It’s not the same as The Sims 2, but that’s a good thing. The Sims 4 sentiments help build (or destroy) relationships with every positive or negative interaction in a way that builds upon the old technology of The Sims 2.
Skin Tone Updates
This was, without a doubt, the biggest update to The Sims 4 this year—possibly ever. In June, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement and protests, The Sims community rallied together to ask The Sims Team to update the skin tones in-game for more accurate representation. The original skin tones were criticized because as they progressively got darker, they became more ashy and pixelated, looking unappealing and, frankly, ugly.
The Sims Team soon issued a statement and promised to work on updating the skin tones. The updates came in two waves, the first of which was supposed to fix any pixelation issues on the existing skin tones. The second came not too long ago, adding over 100 new skin tones in a range of warm, neutral, and cool tones. While the first one hardly fixed anything, the second delighted players across The Sims community, as people were finally able to make accurate depictions of themselves in-game.
2020 has been a wild ride of a year from start to finish, affecting everyone in ways previously unseen. However, it was also an exceptional year for The Sims community who saw (literally) game changing updates to the base game. Skin tones, sentiments, and platforms have redefined The Sims 4 and, more importantly, possibly gives a hopeful glimpse of what the future of The Sims franchise could be.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.