Imagine you are standing in your living room, enjoying a bowl of mac and cheese. Suddenly, you are forced to get up and go to clean the dish, even if you are not done .The Sims 4, a hugely popular life-simulation game, has over 30 million players enjoying a virtual reality. Typically, the game costs around $39.99, and it is a great investment. Created by the company EA, the player creates up to eight characters to play with. The game runs on multiple platforms. You can get it as a disc and insert it into your computer, or you can download it directly onto your PC/MacBook.
     

After creating their characters, otherwise known as sims, the player is put in a world similar to our own, except the characters speak a made up language called Simlish. This makes it impossible to understand what our sims are saying, unless you actually search for the translations and learn the language. You can get a job and earn your money the hard way, or you can use cheat codes to give your family money. Money can then buy food, furniture, houses, and skill-building items to play around with. You feel accomplished when your sim gets a promotion, or when you unlock new items in build mode (where you can create houses, build rooms, or place items onto your plot of land) because of the promotion. The game seems to be a little redundant at first (work, come home, eat, sleep, repeat). However, this can be easily fixed by going out into the world, meeting new people, having a child, getting married, or changing your job. This gives the player new ways to “live,” friends, and possibly another sim to carry on a legacy.
     

The graphics of the game are incredible- the game runs quickly, and the characters move smoothly and efficiently. The only problem I have had with the look/speed of the game is when I install a new expansion pack (an add-on that installs more content to the game, costing around $30), or new modifications/content. It may slow your game down a bit, or cause the picture to be a little blurry, depending on the computer you are using. The game has a cartoon style about it, much more than its predecessor, The Sims 3. However, that doesn’t take away from the breathtaking scenery and character customization. There are two worlds available when you first buy the game, Willow Creek and Oasis Springs, both wonderfully unique. Willow Creek has a beautiful pink and purple theme to it, with willow trees placed throughout the world. With a river running through it, Willow Creek feels like a place of serenity. Oasis Springs looks very much like a desert, with sand and canyons in the background. Even though Oasis Springs may feel deserted, it is clear that with beauty in mind. The sounds that the game produces, such as the sound of water flowing down a waterfall, or a fire crackling, certainly catches the player’s attention. If you are a music fan, have your sim listen to the radio. Several artists (such as Katy Perry) have recorded their popular songs for the game- in simlish!
     

Controlling the game may seem difficult at first, as you have to use separate keys to control the vantage point, how far you zoom in, and the floor of the building you are looking at. While I haven’t mastered a few of the controls quite yet, players will most likely become familiar with the controls quickly. In the upper right hand corner there are buttons to make the more difficult commands easier (such as going a floor up/down, or having the walls show or not), though it’s much quicker to use the keyboard controls. The camera moves easily, and it provides the player access to the best views of the game. Since this is a one-player game, it’s difficult to play with friends since we would have to share a computer and take turns controlling the game. This is only a minor issue, but it can’t be fixed. However, when you play by yourself, you can make the choices you think are best, leading to enjoying the game more.
   

 The well-known game has 4 stars out of 5 on CommonSenseMedia, showing many people enjoy the game. It is the fourth installment of The Sims video game saga, launched on September 2, 2014. The expansion packs are definitely large add-ons that would need their own reviews, but I’ll try to sum up the basics. There are 3 expansion packs, and each adds new content/opportunities into the game. Some of them add new worlds and clothes to enjoy. The expansion packs make the game more fun, and they help to make The Sims 4 stand out from other life-simulation games.
     

Overall, The Sims 4 is a great game, definitely worth playing. From the outstanding graphics, to the possibilities it provides in a virtual life, this game seems to be ahead of its time. Though there are minor imperfections, the game and game concept truly are great. If you haven’t already, go buy The Sims 4 as soon as you can! As they would say in Simlish, dag dag (goodbye)!