The Sims 5, also known asProject Reneis officially in development, and fans of the genre-defining simulation game series are eagerly awaiting the evolution of the franchise. A major name in the gaming industry since the release ofThe Simsin 2000, the fifth installment is set to be the culmination of multiple generations. With many changes between the last few entries, there are several features of the past thatThe Sims 5could utilize to make it the best of the series.The Sims 2is widely recognized as the peak of the games by longtime fans despite its age, notable for its groundbreaking aspects such as the intimate depth of social interactions and the highly memorable premade families that were available to players.
While players ofThe Sims 4may be familiar with the several families that populate the game’s ever-growing selection of neighborhoods, many of these households actually originate fromThe Sims 2’s innovative collection of playable Sims. The Pleasants and Goths may have been introduced in the original game, but the progressions of their stories in the sequel are an example of why the elevated character-based storytelling madeThe Sims 2one of the best core gamesin the franchise. The same characters may be around now, but newer fans of the franchise may not even be familiar with some beloved premade narratives due to the open-ended design ofThe Sims 4.
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The Sims 2 Thrived Through Its Newly Introduced Families
Well-known Sim families like the Calientes, Curious brothers, and Beakers are all just some examples of the new characters introduced in the second installment of the series. By allowing players to simulate more intimate aspects of interaction,The Sims 2was able to bring new Sims to the forefront for players who wished to get right into the game’s mechanics. For many fans of the series, these storylines are considered canon parts of theSimstimelineto be replayed and experimented with in an entirely separate manner from the customizable side of the game.
The Sims 4has provided a modern experience for the series for nearly a decade now, and it even brought over most classic Sims like Mortimer Goth and Nina Caliente. While developer Maxis has continued to implement plenty of newhouseholds inThe Sims 4throughout its plethora of expansions, the design of the game keeps them in a less memorable position. The newer families are more intended to be blank slates that players can mold to their liking, and this open-ended philosophy combined with the game’s more subdued trait system and social expression can leave the original families of the series’ past feeling more memorable.
A New Set of Households Could Allow The Sims 5 to Shine
With Project Rene likely poised to take a new approach to the series in the modern gaming landscape, Maxis has a chance to recapture the magic of the second entry’s families. Multiple fan-favorite households were brand-new inThe Sims 2, widely considered their most notable outing despite it only being their introduction.The Sims 5is a great opportunity to take a step back and reboot the franchise by bringing in an entirely new set of families in the vein of its trailblazing predecessor. It may initially seem to be a risky prospect, but most modern players who began withThe Sims 4are likely to not be very familiar withSim families like the Gothsbeyond their presence as simple NPCs.
In a series with such a casual appeal, theconvoluted timeline ofThe Simscould similarly benefit from the introduction of a fresh set of faces. After exploring almost every possible generational configuration of families like the Beakers, it would more effectively move the series forward to move on instead of retreading the use of the same tired town inhabitants. Though not much news has come regarding Project Rene’s development yet, fans of the series are still holding out hope for a base game that matches up to the quality ofThe Sims 4’s full content experience while evolving the story side of the franchise.
