I just finished a fairly long play session of Sims 2 and I keep getting reminded of why this game is such a gem after 17 years. When I played Sims 4, I could only play for an hour before I got bored and that was with the packs I have installed.
Everything this game contains is just hands down the best in the series. I love everything that it comes with.
I add the following neighborhoods to my game whenever I load it on a new laptop:
Bitville, Four Corners, Sedona, Garden Heights, Arbor Falls, Mesa Flats, Riverside. These need to be added to the game if EA ever releases an updated version of the UC for players. The Sims from these towns give me a larger pool to find future Sim spouses (especially since I play from the University pack with Young Adult Sims).
I love the relationship system in this game. Sims actually BUILD a relationship with their future spouse. Sometimes the Evil Cow mascot gets in the way and things hit rock bottom. I love trying to repair relationships when this happens because the Sims are meant to be together. You actually get to see Jealousy, Fury, Chemistry, Attraction occur.
I love the detail given to Community Lots. You can actually get a lot done on a lot and not keep your Sims stuck at home skilling.
Memories, Wants, Fears and Aspirations actually have meaning in this game. If I need to remember when a particular event happened, I can just look at their memories. The Wants and Fears help me keep their Aspiration levels high.
Lifetime Wants are another thing that help me play the game. They tell me what a Sim wants to do in their life. I choose them in college so I can start building skill points and making friends to get into the career my Sim wants to pursue.
I do use one tiny piece of CC in my game and that is the College Adjuster. This allows me to roll for new Lifetime Wants if the Want does not match my Sim's major in University. Also, I can change the time of their semester finals so they don't occur in the middle of the night (from 10 PM to 6 AM).
Customization may be lacking in terms of Sim appearance, objects, clothing, etc but I find it just right for my game play style.
Sims 4 has NONE of what I just described above and this is why I keep coming back to a 17 year old game.
