Sims 4 focuses too much on looks rather than gameplay
This is an issue I've noticed become more and more prominent with the Sims 4 in recent years. There's a constant focus on style over substance, everything is very pretty. The new worlds look great. The build buy they put into packs? Amazing. The CAS? Great. The gameplay on the other hand? Lacking.
You can see this with Island Living for example. Everything about this pack visually is amazing, Sulani is gorgeous. But there's no substance to it. Other than a gorgeous world and some nice items Island Living adds basically nothing to the game, there's not really much new gameplay. Everything is visuals.
It seems like the focus when they make packs now is not "What would enhance gameplay?" it's "What looks nice?". The Sims 4 is essentially a pretty box with nothing in it and this issue just keeps on cropping up pack after pack. Time after time the build buy has been the biggest pro of a pack and the selling point. If you look at packs in Sims 3 for comparison, I'm gonna be honest the build buy s-cks and the CAS is generally questionable. But they all add a lot of gameplay. In 3 the focus was on having a fun game and the build buy took a backseat, in 4 it's all about the visuals and gameplay takes a backseat.
The release of Snowy Escape seems to show the same issue yet again. The first actual in game gameplay we've seen has been builds. They know youtubers like Lilsimsie will see a nice kitchen set and a neat build feature like platforms and call the pack the best thing ever, and then promote it to everyone. That is how they work. It's all incredibly tactical. If the gameplay was great that'd be the first thing they show, instead they chose to give gamechangers early access so they can build and promote how pretty everything is. It's all about making it look as visually appealing as possible. I heavily expect that this pack will yet again add nothing other than a pretty world with some nice furniture.
You can see it with honestly most the packs now. Journey to Batuu the focus was on creating an exact replica of the park, Eco Lifestyle the gameplay s-cks but the build buy is nice, Realm of Magic; pretty but basically no substance, the most popular feature of Get Together is the world, same with City Living. You get the gist. Style takes priority over actual gameplay in 4 and this is the biggest fault of the game and where it goes wrong. The Sims 4 is barely a game anymore, it is a build simulator. That's where the Sims 4 has gone wrong.
You can see this with Island Living for example. Everything about this pack visually is amazing, Sulani is gorgeous. But there's no substance to it. Other than a gorgeous world and some nice items Island Living adds basically nothing to the game, there's not really much new gameplay. Everything is visuals.
It seems like the focus when they make packs now is not "What would enhance gameplay?" it's "What looks nice?". The Sims 4 is essentially a pretty box with nothing in it and this issue just keeps on cropping up pack after pack. Time after time the build buy has been the biggest pro of a pack and the selling point. If you look at packs in Sims 3 for comparison, I'm gonna be honest the build buy s-cks and the CAS is generally questionable. But they all add a lot of gameplay. In 3 the focus was on having a fun game and the build buy took a backseat, in 4 it's all about the visuals and gameplay takes a backseat.
The release of Snowy Escape seems to show the same issue yet again. The first actual in game gameplay we've seen has been builds. They know youtubers like Lilsimsie will see a nice kitchen set and a neat build feature like platforms and call the pack the best thing ever, and then promote it to everyone. That is how they work. It's all incredibly tactical. If the gameplay was great that'd be the first thing they show, instead they chose to give gamechangers early access so they can build and promote how pretty everything is. It's all about making it look as visually appealing as possible. I heavily expect that this pack will yet again add nothing other than a pretty world with some nice furniture.
You can see it with honestly most the packs now. Journey to Batuu the focus was on creating an exact replica of the park, Eco Lifestyle the gameplay s-cks but the build buy is nice, Realm of Magic; pretty but basically no substance, the most popular feature of Get Together is the world, same with City Living. You get the gist. Style takes priority over actual gameplay in 4 and this is the biggest fault of the game and where it goes wrong. The Sims 4 is barely a game anymore, it is a build simulator. That's where the Sims 4 has gone wrong.
