Forum Discussion
6 years ago
:(
This was a huge disappointment. I was so excited for this pack, but it has maybe 2-3 hours of very shallow gameplay and zero replay value. It's basically just a small new world with far less content than any previous game pack. It's like doing 2 days of an interactive career and then never going back.
How are there no new skills? Jungle Adventure had TWO skills that directly affected the success of one's jungle adventuring, plus two aspirations. There isn't even a base game skill requirement to "finish" the Strangerville story. You just do thing x number of times, and that's it. It was not remotely challenging. I was literally saying "Um... that's it?" as I was finishing the story off. No one needs special skills (or any skills), there is no variant to experience a second time around, there is no long-term payoff. The "reward" for completing the aspiration is telling the story and getting junk mail. You don't even get a moodlet when you "finish" the story.
There is no time restriction that paces the story development the way the JA temples change after a certain time, or how some of the JA pathways are closed off on each trip. And for the 2 hours of story play time, there is nonstop hand-holding to a degree that is utterly unenjoyable. The extreme simplicity (and brevity) of the Strangerville story makes it feel like a free mobile game designed for 6 year olds.
It also doesn't have the depth of build/CAS items that even Spa Day does. I use the Spa Day build items all the time. And Spa Day has a skill that is actually useful. Vampires had its talent development, a town, a skill, and what... Three aspirations? Parenthood had a skill and two aspirations, and altered everyday gameplay for families. Dine Out is the only other pack that doesn't have a skill or multiple aspirations, but it's also not a one-shot play through. Even Outdoor Retreat had a collection and a skill.
How is there no new collection? Seriously?? Conspiracy theorists in the desert don't have a special collection? The "tin foil" hat is so freaking cool, but it does nothing, even for paranoid sims. How is there just that one cosmetic item? How did they create a whole pack around this great idea, with a great looking world, and then say "meh, 2 hours of play-through is good enough"?
And what are all of these conspiracy theorists supposed to be doing after the story is done in 2 hours? What are you supposed to do with these cool-but-now-useless bunker items? LARP a conspiracy that doesn't exist anymore? There's so much to say about the missed opportunity for what comes after you finish the story, but I can't make spoiler tags. Suffice to say WE could have been the new conspiracy.
Sorry for the ranting. I'm just dumbfounded. It could have easily been my favorite pack ever, but there's just so little in it. Especially when you compare it to Jungle Adventure.
This was a huge disappointment. I was so excited for this pack, but it has maybe 2-3 hours of very shallow gameplay and zero replay value. It's basically just a small new world with far less content than any previous game pack. It's like doing 2 days of an interactive career and then never going back.
How are there no new skills? Jungle Adventure had TWO skills that directly affected the success of one's jungle adventuring, plus two aspirations. There isn't even a base game skill requirement to "finish" the Strangerville story. You just do thing x number of times, and that's it. It was not remotely challenging. I was literally saying "Um... that's it?" as I was finishing the story off. No one needs special skills (or any skills), there is no variant to experience a second time around, there is no long-term payoff. The "reward" for completing the aspiration is telling the story and getting junk mail. You don't even get a moodlet when you "finish" the story.
There is no time restriction that paces the story development the way the JA temples change after a certain time, or how some of the JA pathways are closed off on each trip. And for the 2 hours of story play time, there is nonstop hand-holding to a degree that is utterly unenjoyable. The extreme simplicity (and brevity) of the Strangerville story makes it feel like a free mobile game designed for 6 year olds.
It also doesn't have the depth of build/CAS items that even Spa Day does. I use the Spa Day build items all the time. And Spa Day has a skill that is actually useful. Vampires had its talent development, a town, a skill, and what... Three aspirations? Parenthood had a skill and two aspirations, and altered everyday gameplay for families. Dine Out is the only other pack that doesn't have a skill or multiple aspirations, but it's also not a one-shot play through. Even Outdoor Retreat had a collection and a skill.
How is there no new collection? Seriously?? Conspiracy theorists in the desert don't have a special collection? The "tin foil" hat is so freaking cool, but it does nothing, even for paranoid sims. How is there just that one cosmetic item? How did they create a whole pack around this great idea, with a great looking world, and then say "meh, 2 hours of play-through is good enough"?
And what are all of these conspiracy theorists supposed to be doing after the story is done in 2 hours? What are you supposed to do with these cool-but-now-useless bunker items? LARP a conspiracy that doesn't exist anymore? There's so much to say about the missed opportunity for what comes after you finish the story, but I can't make spoiler tags. Suffice to say WE could have been the new conspiracy.
Sorry for the ranting. I'm just dumbfounded. It could have easily been my favorite pack ever, but there's just so little in it. Especially when you compare it to Jungle Adventure.
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