I agree it lacks the twists and turns of life. Lately whenever I get the idea to play, it wears off in about 30 seconds because I remember how predictable gameplay is. No surprises—whatever you set out to do will happen.
There’s so many teas and easy-to-get rewards that remove any “obstacles.” You can change your lifetime aspiration at anytime. And the aspiration goals themselves are incredibly easy: say hi to 3 people, read one book, etc. If I’m not mistaken, previous iterations gave you challenges like make friends with 10-15 Sims which actually took awhile and wasn’t something you could do in two gameplay hours at the pub. Nothing a Sim does has any lasting impact on their life or personality. Just some Buffs which have nearly zero impact on the game but are more for the player to read.
I definitely miss the days where it was more challenging, and therefore (at least for me), more rewarding. I’m also not a player that develops a whole head canon, I like to see my gameplay decisions come to fruition on screen with some sort of tangible meaning or outcome. To me, that’s what made previous iterations feel more complex and fulfilling. Without those, 4 does seem more watered down/childish.
