Terrain looks poop quality

pitypartysimmer  Sorry for the late reply.  If you still need help, try deleting Options.ini, in Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3.  This will revert all your in-game settings.  You can change them again, but do so at the Main Menu, and quit to desktop before loading a save.

If this doesn't help, please open DeviceConfig.log, in the same Sims 3 folder, copy the first 40 or so lines (stop when you get to Options), and paste them in a reply here.  You can delete your user and computer names, about 20 lines down; the file doesn't contain any other personal information.

=== Application info ===
Name:            Sims3
Version:         
Build:           Release
=== Rating info ===
GPU: 1 GPU Memory: 4 CPU: 2 RAM: 4 CPU Speed: 2304 Threading: 3
Adjusted CPU: 2672 RAM: 3975 Adjusted RAM: 3463 Cores: 2
=== Machine info ===
OS version:      Windows 8  6.2.9200 
OS prod type:    0
OS major ver:    6
OS minor ver:    2
OS SP major ver: 0
OS SP minor ver: 0
OS is 64Bit:     1
CPU:             GenuineIntel
    Brand:       Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-7020U CPU @ 2.30GHz
    Family:      6
    Model:       14
    Cores:       2
    HT:          1
    x64:         0
Memory:          3975MB
Free memory:     1301MB
User:            
Computer:        
=== Graphics device info ===
Number:          0
Name (driver):   Intel(R) HD Graphics 620
Name (database): Intel(R) HD Graphics 620 [Found: 1, Matched: 1]
Vendor:          Intel
Chipset:         Vendor: 8086, Device: 5916, Board: 849a103c, Chipset: 0007
Driver:          igdumdim32.dll, Version: 27.20.100.8853, GUID: D7B78E66-1A56-11CF-1951-FEA4BCC2D635
Driver version:  8853
Monitor:         \\.\DISPLAY1
Texture memory:  2112MB
Vertex program:  3.0
Pixel program:   3.0
Hardware TnL:    1

pitypartysimmer  Your GPU is rated as low, and changing that may help if you're interested.  You must have edited the .sgr files, or used a tool to do it for you, or replaced the original files, since your graphics chip's device ID isn't in the game's original database.  But if you don't know how to do it yourself, open GraphicsRules.sgr, which will be here by default for an EA App install:

C:\Program Files\EA Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin

Search for havendale , which will bring you to the Intel GPU section of the file:

elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "Intel"))
    seti intelShadowColorFix true
    if (match("${cardName}", "*Havendale*"))
	seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
	seti isCardMatched true
    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*4?00*"))
	seti cardLevel $cardLevelLowmedium
	seti isCardMatched true
    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*SandyBridge*"))
	seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
	seti isCardMatched true
    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*IvyBridge*"))
	seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
	seti isCardMatched true
    elseif (match("${cardName}", "*Iris*"))
	seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
	seti isCardMatched true
    else
        seti cardLevel $cardLevelLow
        seti isCardMatched true

For that second-to-last line, change Low to Medium (as in, seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium), with a capital M, save, close the file, open the game, quit, and see how your GPU is rated now.  It should be a 3 rather than a 1, right at the top of DeviceConfig.  If the rating is correct, delete Options.ini and see how the game looks on the new default settings.  You can open a new save if you don't want to affect the other settings in your main saves.

If this doesn't change the rating, please post the above section of GraphicsRules.sgr so I can see whether there are any new entries that would cover your GPU.

If this does change the rating, but the game still looks bad, make sure Advanced Rendering is enabled in the graphics options.  Change it at the Main Menu and quit to desktop before loading a save.