I don't remember Sims 2 game play at all.
I've been playing the Sims 3 a bit lately and for me I'm finding that the sims seem way less lively than the sims in the Sims 4 are socially. I've only played for a few weeks and with one family though so it could possibly be their traits that make it seem this way. My two sims never seem to engage in conversations with each other autonomously despite living in the same house, being married and having children together. The general autonomy is far better in the Sims 3 though in the activities they choose to do. They sit to watch TV, they take good care of their young children and various other things that Sims 4 sims are to dumb to do.
My sims in the Sims 4 are always engaging on conversations. They choose to do activities more but I'm not really sure this is a good thing or not. Overall I enjoy how lively the Sims 4 sims are despite them being to dumb to do normal things like sitting down most of the time.
