I've played The Sims 4 before so you can ignore the play time.

If you're considering picking this up, I ask you to do something first.

Look at the store page and go to "content for this game", then select the "see all" drop down box.

Now scroll down. Keep scrolling. All the way to the bottom.

There are a total of 113 "add on" DLCs, some of which add a bit of content, some of which add a bit of decorative items, some of which just add pets. Nothing of which is really substantial when taken into consideration individually.

As of right now that content adds up to over $1.6k. That's $1.6k for 113 DLCs, some of which are barely enough to be considered real content.

The base game, while being free, is very, very, very bare bones. The rest of the game has been deliberately piecemealed into a nightmare amalgamation of DLCs so that EA can charge for everything possible. It looks generous with the base game being "free to play", but the reality is just a cash cow being milked to death by corporate greed.

Do not download this game (at least... legitimately). Do not give money to EA for their scummy practices.

dear god if ea put as much effort into their game as they do for pumping out those dlcs, not much would change because the dlcs are also slapped together in 2 minutes

Ah, The Sims 4…

I would have never imagined myself going back into the world of The Sims after so many years. Growing up playing The Sims 2 makes The Sims 4 feel lesser in comparison. Playing The Sims 4 without nostalgia-tinted glasses is difficult because you remember how you felt while playing earlier iterations. You start noticing the missing features that, albeit small, gave you a sense of fulfilment, like the memory system.

The Sims 4 base game is free. It tickles your interest and makes you want more, and it’s EA’s perfect marketing strategy to make money. Look at all these packs, expansions, and add-ons; wouldn’t they include the things you miss from the games you played when you were younger?

If, however, you’ve never played The Sims before, this is the perfect moment to experience what many of us did at one point in our lives. The base game presents everything at its bare minimum: create a family, build an alternate version of your life, pursue the career you always wished for, become a freelancer, age, die, or live forever, watch your children grow, and continue shaping your household.

Love it or hate it, The Sims 4 is a staple in the life-simulation genre. At this point, it would take something truly groundbreaking to dethrone this behemoth of a game.