(Console) The Sims 3

The Sims 3 on 3DS is a greatly watered down experience, but contains the core elements of the Sims franchise. You’ll start by creating a character (and can use the console’s cameras to create a not-really version of yourself), and buying him or her a house to live in.

Then it’s time to live. You’ll need to work to earn money, shop to buy furniture and food, and build relationships with other Sims because being a recluse isn’t healthy. StreetPass is ultilised in a neat fashion — allowing the Sims of people you walk pass to pop up in your game, but unfortunately the variety of people types is a bit limited, and it’s a bit weird to see twins with very different names pop by to say hi.

review here

There are several 3DS features that have been included to try to justify the inflated price when compared to other portable iterations of The Sims 3. The 3D screen is arguably the biggest selling point of the title, with the large top screen being used solely as a showcase for the extra dimension. It is a disappointment then that the bragging top screen means you get a cluttered touch screen and a visual effect that adds nothing to the title, feeling like little more than a redundant gimmick. Alongside this there are the more useful options which include ‘create a Townie’ in order to populate the surrounding areas even more with NPCs of your choosing. You can also complete specific ‘wishes’ to gain Karma points that can be used to affect your environment – tilting the system to cause an earthquake, for example – and the StreetPass system has also been utilised to allow you to exchange Sims on the go. These might be new angles for the series, but it feels like the exclusive extras barge in on the experience in attempting to justify their inclusion.

Review at Cubed3 – 6/10 score

The Sims 3 is largely a huge disappointment for me, as I was hoping for something a little bit more polished and finished than what we received instead. It’s not so much that I’m complaining about there being nothing to do, I’m more so complaining about the fact that the game just feels so incredibly unbalanced – in particular that the game itself feels like a chore at times. And with a game that is meant to simulate a possibly better life than yours, that’s really saying something. It’s very hard to recommend this to anyone at all, as it’s definitely one of the most disappointing launch titles for the 3DS thus far. Still, if you’ve never played The Sims before, I suppose this would be a good place to start – but remember there are much better things available elsewhere.

Review here (4.5/10)