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Everything parents should know about The Sims 4 in 2 minutes. From why the game is so good to things like death, violence, grim reaper and woohoo sex. Here’s 10 things parents should know about The Sims 4.
1. Genre and story: The Sims 4 is the latest in an incredibly popular series of life simulation games, in which players manage the lives of virtual people called Sims. The world in which these Sims live can be described as “realistic-ish”, as Sims get jobs and earn money to pay bills and buy things but can also, for example, die from laughter and then meet and talk to the Grim Reaper.
The Sims 4 has little in the way of plot beyond the pre-built characters that the developers have included, and is more of a virtual dollhouse. Players choose Sims or create their own, build them houses or move them into ready-made ones, and decide how they will live their lives. The Sims 4 improves on the previous games in the series with simpler creation tools and a more complex simulation in which your Sims’ emotions affect their interactions with objects and other Sims.
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2. Developer: The Sims 4 was developed by series creator Maxis and The Sims Studio.
3. Format: Currently, The Sims 4 is only available for PC, but there should be a Mac version in future.
4. Cost: From EA’s digital store Origin, the Standard Edition of The Sims 4 costs £49.99/$59.99. A Digital Deluxe Edition that includes a soundtrack and some additional digital content costs £59.99/$69.99.
5. Length: The Sims 4 is a game without end. Sims can die from causes both natural and unnatural, but then you can move your attention to their offspring or just head back into Create-a-Sim.
6. UK and Europe – PEGI and additional consumer information: PEGI rates The Sims 4 as only appropriate for those aged 12 or older, with content descriptors for Sex (for “sexual images and/or sexual innuendo”) and Violence (for “non realistic looking violence towards human characters”, which causes “minor injury only”).
The Games Rating Authority expands on its PEGI rating by pointing out that during Create-a-Sim you can “enlarge breasts which the player can then zoom in on” and “dress your Sim in revealing lingerie”. It also explains that violence is “mostly slapstick”, with “no obvious physical harm or injury”, which is also the case when Sims set themselves on fire.
7. US – ESRB: The ESRB rates The Sims 4 T for Teen, with content descriptors for Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, and Violence, and adds that the game “includes online features that may expose players to unrated user-generated content”. The description goes into further detail on the sexual content of the game, explaining that Sims can “pursue more intimate encounters, such as the ability to kiss, hug, or engage in “Try for Baby” and “Mess Around” (i.e., sex) with another Sim: this action depicts the Sims squirming, giggling, and moaning under the covers until hearts float around the bed”. As for violence, Sims will sometimes fight, “which is depicted by sounds of struggle and partially obscured “fight-cloud” effects”, and they can also die from e.g. electrocution or fire.
8. Common Sense Media: Common Sense Media gives The Sims 4 a suggested age of 13+, stating that there are “lots of sexual themes, including skimpy outfits, flirting, kissing, but no nudity” and that “sex is performed entirely under the covers”. They also say that while “Sims can get hurt and die through player neglect”, “it’s rare and not gory”. An additional concern is “the ease with which players can share custom content and associated descriptive text.”
9. Themes: Because of its mimicry of real life, The Sims 4 has the potential to reflect events from the player’s own life, including divorce or the death of a loved one. However, the developers have tried to keep things relatively light: deaths are cartoony and sometimes reversible, baby Sims cannot die, and ageing can be turned off so that Sims won’t die of natural causes.
10. Why people play: Some of the warnings are related to the way in which The Sims 4 reflects real life, but that’s also where the enjoyment comes from. Different people play The Sims for different reasons. Some spend a lot of time in Create-a-Sim making Sims that look like their loved ones or celebrities. Some prefer to focus their attention on building the perfect house. Others like to use their Sims to tell soap opera-type stories, which they might then go on to share online. The great thing about the game is how it provides the player with all of these tools and gives them the freedom to make their own fun.
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For Parents Worried About It Being Inappropriate
My son, who is 12, recently recieved this game for his birthday. I was worried from Sims 2, a game I have played before, that it would be way to inappropriate. I was highly impressed with the way it has upgraded. Yes, the sims can have 'sex' but nothing is shown. While they're doing this act, you can't even see the sims at all. All you see is a blanket. They do kiss, but it's not nearly as bad as any kids television or movie kiss scenes. This game is a great experience for kids. It show them how to handle money well.
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Parents Worried About Sex
Yes this game has sex in it, but your child controls everything that their sims do. If you trust that your kids you should let them get this game. It also teaches kids responsibility and how to use money. I think that your kids should be able to play the sims 4!
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This is a learning thing
This game is a really good thing for my kids. My oldest asked and I looked in to it and then I played it for a while on my computer. I finaly desided it was good for my kids
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Disappointing
This game was very disappointing.. First I noticed that they took the toddlers away second the world is crappy you do not have the freedom to go anywhere and there are limited houses third they took away cars. Basically you're better off playing the sims 3.. The good thing is that the graphics are good and they do have it where you can multitask and talk to more than one person at a time. But I wish they didn't take a lot sways plus the game has A LOT of bug fixes.. Obviously their QA testers aren't doing their job right.. Speaking of jobs you don't have enough careers in the game.. Plus they came out with get to work expansion its ok.. But I still they had more options The bottom line is if you want fun play the sims 3.. My option i think people who plays this sims have great ideas for what they want to see in the game when they play my advice for the next game is to listen to the people let us have some say so in the game therefore we would enjoy it the most.
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The sims 4
This is a great life-stimulation game. With very intelligent sims, I would recommend this game strongly.
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The Sims 4 is less fun than previous installment, surprisingly contains more mature content.
The Sims 4 is admittedly less fun than The Sims 3 as it lacks a number of features from its predecessor. Therefore, in terms of playability, it takes a few steps back. For one, the beloved toddler life stage has been removed, meaning that players can no longer care for and play with infant Sims. Moreover, the Create-a-Style tool is absent, so players no longer have access to the same depth of customization that made the third game a hit. With that being said, the game still comes out with regular updates or 'patches' which can be automatically downloaded. These updates add in cool new features (pools and Christmas items were added recently) that enhance the gameplay experience. The Sims 4, like all the games in the life-simulation franchise, is very easy to pick up and play. Therefore, it is a great experience for younger gamers and more casual gamers as well. Basically, The Sims 4 is a point-and-click experience. It is an extremely engaging one, though. Now that an emotions system has been implemented, the Sims are more lively and responsive than ever before. The Sims are now able to multitask, and cause and effect relationships are stronger than they were in previous games. Because the game seeks to mimic real life, players will unavoidably come in contact with themes such as death, the supernatural, love affairs, child birth, and so on. Parents should not be worried, as the content remains light-hearted and has a comical feel to it. The graphics in the game are also more cartoony this time around, appealing to the younger ones. The Create-a-Sim tool has been expanded in The Sims 4, and now players can create Sims of various body shapes/sizes and ethnicities, which was a key feature missing in the previous installments, and its inclusion is nice to see. The female clothing options are surprisingly racier in this game, and there is an option to enhance breast and buttocks size using the new grab and pull feature. It came as quite a shock to me to see that there are several more 'Romantic' interactions in this game, including a wider variety of kissing styles and suggestive interactions. It might come as a relief to some knowing that the hot tub has been removed in the game, but it will likely be included in a future expansion pack. However, woohoo (sexual intercourse) is still present. In the end, it is up to the player to decide what activities they want their Sim characters to partake in. The game intentionally does not take itself very seriously; it is a wacky experience where players can take control of life in hundreds of ways. If you believe that your younger teenager is mature enough to handle the game, then it shouldn't be a problem. Players will have a good time keeping their Sim families happy and healthy. If you already own The Sims 3, it is not worth investing in The Sims 4. Otherwise, it can make for a solid purchase. Just be aware of the fact that you are required to sign up for Origin and download the client in order to play the game. Also, there are many in-game prompts asking you to share your creations online with the rest of the world via The Sims 4's 'Gallery.' In this sense, safety and privacy might be somewhat of a concern in comparison to the other installments.
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MY FAVORITE GAME!!!
This game has amazing features like create a sim and building houses! It also teaches how you can handle money, You can create fun story lines and download your own custom content!
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Great!
I love how you can create your character in build a sim and create your sims life. I also think it is cool how you can keep your family going for many generations.(but if you want to get an expansion pack, the in my opinion you should get the cats and dogs one or the get to work one).
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Mature Content
My 8 (almost 9) year old has been asking for this game for a year. And I’m watching it on Cookie Swirl C right now. This content is far too mature. The fairies are clearly 21 and up (or acting like they are). They are at the bar, with a bartender mixing drinks at their request, trying to pick up boys, and having house parties....where her friend left her alone. I will not be allowing my daughter to purchase or play this game until who knows when - definitely not in the near future. If Sims comes out with an elementary kids version, I’d consider that. The concept is fun and creative, but the storylines need to be WAY more innocent for her age group.
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fun to play but it wont let me play on my other computer
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Great Game
I believe you should let your child (12+) to play if you trust them. I reviewed this game on my daughters computer when she got it. As for the “woohoo” and “try for a baby” option, it doesn’t show anything. The kissing isn’t as bad as other games that might be for teens, so is not really anything to worry about. It shows your kid responsibility and money management as well as raising a family. It’s a great game!
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itf FINE
this game is age appropriate for everybody ages 4 and up it is fun and entertaining and has no mature themes at all
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Amazing Game!
Even though I myself have not played it I have seen youtubers play it and it looks like a VERY fun game. It may have some inappropriate content it's not that bad actually. I love it it teaches kids how to spend their money wisely, raise a family, and show others how to deal with irl situations when the will/might come along in real life.
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Awesome
Okay, this may or may not be long!So! I played this game when I was what, 8? And I had an amazing time! Seriously, I see people saying too much sex, even though they dont even show the sex, and if you're one of those parents who dont want to tell your kid about sex, it is called woohooing or trying for a baby. All in all, it is the best sims game in my opinion at the present time!Note: I am 11-Maddie
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Careful
There are many mods and after market software you can get to basically turn this game into a full cartoon pornographic game. They are extremely easy to install. They have sex toys, furniture and even lingerie such as crotchless clothing.Beware. Watch your kids.
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My personal opinion
It's an amazing game! For parents reading, I strongly recommend you to go and watch some Sims 4 videos, which can help you decide. Personally I think it would be age 11+, it is a fun video game, but has some elements in it, which could possibly become in to educational things. However it does have Sex in it, but it doesn't show anything, all it is, is it's a bed with people moving around under, and hearts are coming out, when your sims are naked, so like a bath/shower, it just blurs it out in pixelated things! You can get really created with it.
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M[[h.
Now what i'm saying is, Sims 3 was better, always was, and always will be, This lets your child focus on learning more than having fun. Contains Drinking as well.
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Oh Come ON! It's The Sims!
The Sims 4 is a family favourite game. I played the original a lot when it came out and played with the later instalments as well. It's great that children have this kind of freedom. Sure, they can have sex and kill people but again, it's about simulating real life!
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INFRINGING LETTER
BE CAREFUL, YOU CAN GET INFRINGING LETTER, IF YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY'S THE GAME WITHOUT PURSHACING ITEMS FROM THEIR STORE. MYSELF AND OTHER AMOST LOST OUR INTERNET ACCOUNT BECAUSE OF THIS GAME.
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