Winter is here, and what could be more appropriate for those long cold nights indoors than a new Sims 3 expansion?
But Invision, I hear you say, didn’t EA pretty much just bring out a new expansion? And didn’t you lay into it like a hammer lays into soft, yielding butter? Yes, dear reader, they did, and it was terrible, so what we’re looking at here is hopefully some sort of vindication for the sorry mess Supernatural made of your neighbourhood.
The mark of a good expansion, by any game’s standards, is that it slots neatly into the main game itself and feels like it should have been there all along. This is something a lot of big developers have latched onto in the past few years and abused slightly in terms of day-one DLC, but I digress. Seasons feels like it should have been a day one feature, the idea and execution is so simplistic yet effective that it seems it should have been a fairly obvious feature. Regardless, it’s here now for your delectation, and if you fancy the sound of your Sims sizzling in summer sun or tramping through piles of autumnal leaves, read on.
The best expansions for the Sims games have been the ones that enhance the simulation aspects of it rather than the ridiculousness (An honoured staple of the game too). This does just that – adding a little bit of extra flair and definition to the passage of time. With each passing of the season you’ll find extra additions like your Sims getting sunburnt, catching colds, or even frostbite if you’re especially careless. When Autumn comes around you can pile up leaves and have 
your Sims jump in them or set them on fire (Unfortunately you can’t use this to lure Sims you hate to untimely, flaming demises). Sims can now die in the cold but with a simple click it’s simple enough to thaw them out with the handy hairdryer everybody carries around with them all the time. Obviously. It’s easy for this gaming cynic to admit that there’s a warming charm in seeing your town covered in snow or hearing a rolling storm patter harmlessly off of your roof. Part of the charm of creating and playing around with Sims is their enduring innocence, and it’s hard not to see them go from the more serious management aspects of the game to playing in piles of leaves or building alien snowmen without cracking a smile. It’s these little details that really count and Sim-lovers will find much more satisfaction in those touches than in the big new features like the Ice Lounge exclusive content or festivals.
Each season is accompanied by a defining holiday – the Spring and Summer festivals, Spooky Day for Halloween in which you can send Sims trick-or-treating, and Snowflake Day in Winter where you can throw racially ambiguous Gift Giving Parties. Winter is definitely the most significant season to explore with ice-skating, snowboarding, igloos and snow angels to keep them busy. Some skills carry over from season to season too – a Sim good at slinging snowballs will be just as good with waterballoons in summer.
If getting a little bit closer to a considerably more enjoyable version of reality is what you want from your Sims 3 game, then Seasons is without a doubt something you should definitely purchase. It’s heartily recommended, the new features far reaching enough through the game to enhance everyday Sim life whilst still giving you the big features to play around with and look forward to. It makes their social lives feel much richer because they have specific events to congregate around and they’ll tend to forget past grievances and be much happier taking part in holiday celebrations. It’s breath of fresh, occasionally freezing air that revitalises the tired game, bringing new content and visuals to it and oodles of new stuff to discover. For a good reason to revisit The Sims 3, look no further.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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