10 Features That Would make The Sims 4 Gameplay Better

3 days ago 4

With the recent announcement from EA that the company is putting all focus into the continuation of The Sims 4, many players in the gaming community are worrying about how unsatisfactory The Sims 4 experience has been for the last ten years. The issue seems to lie within the base game, as many players argue that fundamental features that came with later expansion packs such as Seasons and Growing Together should have been made available from the beginning. For the last decade, what has felt like EA simply releasing never-ending add-on content has grown tiresome for players.

However, considering EA is now planning to expand on The Sims 4 as well as introducing Project Rene and a new Sims mobile game, one can assume that the developers have new gameplay features and content in store for the future of the franchise - though this will only be successful if executed well. After a decade of The Sims 4, there are plenty of features that could make its base game more exciting, immersive, and overall fun for the player.

10 Cars, And The Ability To Control Them

Drive Vehicles In A Simulated World

Cars have been a feature available in The Sims 2 Nightlife and The Sims 3, but they have not made it into The Sims 4. When a Sim can have a house, run a business, and has the ability to travel across the various worlds in The Sims 4, it's somewhat a mystery why cars have not been added to the game.

Why Keeping The Sims 4 Alive Is A Better Idea Than The Sims 5

After a decade, it looks like The Sims 4 will continue as the primary entry for the series instead of moving to The Sims 5, but that’s for the best.

Were cars to be included in the base game, one way that would make this feature differentiate from cars in previous Sims games would be the ability to control them, enabling players to further explore the game's world. This might be too big an ask for a game that already struggles under the weight of its many expansions, but it would certainly be an improvement over its predecessors.

9 More In-Depth Features On A Sim's Cellphone

Expand Mobile Functionality Beyond Calls And Texts

Some features are available on the cellphone in The Sims 4, but it feels like for a decade's worth of work, these features don't reap too many rewards for players. Rather than the ability to just add to a Sim's story, it would be a fun feature to be able to create a Sim's online social media profiles, create custom feeds, and to have more stimulating text message features, all within the base game.

In a digital age where social media is so unbelievably prominent, the cell phone in The Sims 4 has a lot of potential for some more detailed features. These have been expanded with recent packs, but there's still room for improvement, as what's currently on offer with Social Bunny a little barebones, with repetitive social media comments and texts.

8 More Interactive Careers In The Arts

Immerse Sims In Creative Careers

Interactive careers in The Sims always make the game far more exciting, but the options that come with the Get To Work and Get Famous expansions are limited. It would be worthwhile to introduce more careers within the arts.

A career path from a busking musician up to a worldwide famous rockstar playing in various festivals and making music videos would make for interesting gameplay and could fulfill many a player's rockstar dream. A career as a dancer could also make for a fun experience with features reminiscent of dance mats where the player can get hands-on with a Sim's dance moves.

7 Makeup Could Incentivize More Creativity

Unleash Creativity With Customizable Makeup

With the world's beauty community thriving and players looking for more cosmetic features in games, the world of makeup could add another level of gameplay to The Sims 4. A makeup artist career where a Sim can go to beauty college, work in retail, or as a freelance makeup artist could prove exciting. Additionally, a makeup skill could be introduced which a Sim can improve over time with practice and studying. There could also be social events in The Sims 4 where Sims gather for makeup masterclasses and fashion and beauty shows. Additionally, a feature for a Sim's beauty routine to be more extensive could be a satisfying experience for many players.

Another feature in this category that could also allow for some interesting gameplay would be for a Sim to be able to start their own makeup or cosmetic brand. A player could invent the brand's name, choose the products, and sell them. This career path could allow a player to see a Sim's brand become a household name and could allow for many interesting avenues for the gameplay to explore.

6 The Ability to Mix And Match Clothing Items

Personalize Outfits With Mix-and-Match Options

Rather than just selecting a top and some bottoms in Create-A-Sim, it would be a great feature to be able to select different clothing items and put them all together. Being unable to select a single T-shirt to pair with a single leather jacket can take away from a player's creativity and dampen the desire to explore fashion when The Sims is essentially a virtual dollhouse experience.

For all-in-one outfits that are available in The Sims 4, it would be a nice feature to be able to separate each of the items in the outfit and to pair them with other items to allow for more creativity as a player. Already having the assets created for the overall look means that this might not be too much of a stretch for the game's - and developer's - capabilities, but this simple change could have a big impact for fans.

5 Financial Milestones Like Loans And Investments

Manage Finances With Loans And Investments

This feature may not sound all too exciting, but it's been seen to work in Animal Crossing, where a player is constantly in debt to Tom Nook as they reach various financial milestones that require debt to be paid off in order to receive rewards.

In The Sims 4, this could provide more incentives for a player to build a bit more of a life story for their Sim while further exploring different career paths. This feature would add an element of realism to The Sims 4 that could contribute to a better life simulator experience for many players. Since Rags-to-Riches is such a popular Sims challenge, this is a feature that would greatly improve the roleplaying available in the game.

4 Storylines That Impact Generations

Create Lasting Legacies With Multi-Generational Stories

As generations of Sims grow, it would be great for The Sims 4 to allow Sims to leave a rich legacy behind. The game could enable various traits to be inherited from generation to generation and for family histories to have the power to influence future generations.

There could be a feature that would allow players to learn all about a Sim's ancestors as well as their career history, and businesses could be passed down through generations. What's more, there could be a feature where Sims recognize each other through the mutual connections of each other's families. This is something woefully neglected in the game that would be a huge boon to those who play across generations.

3 Allow Sims to Set Up Their Own Market Stall

Become A Market Entrepreneur

A feature that would lean a little more into farming sim elements of the game and could appeal massively to the cozy gaming community would be the ability for a Sim to be able to craft and create items to sell at a flea market. While the flea market exists as part of the City Living expansion, it's merely an event your Sim can attend, rather than work at.

From baked goods, cosmetic items, and various crafts, this feature would enable a player to optimize creativity and engage in a range of activities that boost a Sim's skills among a number of hobbies. An elevation of the table item that allows you to sell your own goods, as well as Plopsy, the flea market could run on a certain day of the week at a certain time and would allow a Sim to prepare items to showcase every week.

2 Tattoo And Piercing Parlors

Express Yourself With Tattoos And Piercings

Although tattoos and piercings are available in the Create-A-Sim feature, visiting a tattoo and piercing parlor is an experience in itself that could add an element of fun as well as personalization to The Sims 4.

Players could experience a slightly more alternative avenue in the game, as a Sim can decide on a broad variety of piercings or tattoos to have done while visiting the parlor and experiencing all the emotions that can come with them. From bravery to fear, the emotional mechanics of such a feature could be a fun gameplay experience. It could also go deeper, potentially causing rifts in families when Young Adults get tattoos their Elders might not appreciate!

1 Better Interactions With Other Sims

Experience Dynamic Interactions With Sims

One of the main critiques of The Sims 4 is its NPCs and repetitive dialogue and events. While EA has gone to great lengths to try and make Sims more realistic, players still see the same interactions over and over again, which can kill immersion. Improving scripts both in conversations and in events could add a whole new level of gameplay and storyline outcomes in The Sims 4.

This is something some gamer developers have been experimenting with via AI. Here, that could allow numerous new actions to take place in Live Mode that would make the game run with more interesting outcomes for the player and add a little bit more spice to a Sim's everyday actions. Whether or not The Sims 4 can improve with features like this one remains to be seen, but fans are still holding out hope.