The Sims Mobile: First Impressions

As a person who spent a lot of time completing various quests in The Sims FreePlay I was excited to hear about the announcement of The Sims Mobile. There is just something about completing quests that gives me a sense of accomplishment that I don’t usually get with PC Sims games as they offer way too many possiblities without certain goals. Don’t get me wrong, I love the PC portion of the game, but games with certain goals and challenges are what really brings my attention.

You start off in Create A Sim by creating your first Sim. It’s amazing how many customization options you get in this game compared to what we have in The Sims FreePlay (only a few face presets and absolutely no body customization options).There are also plenty of Sim traits that, for now, I found no use of in live mode.

The graphics are amazing compared to other mobile games. The game brings that same charm from The Sims 4, although I don’t quite understand why some Sim townies have huge heads compared to other townies, I guess that’s just the way it is. The world is beautifully decorated and I’m surprised to see active Sims hanging around in each of the neighborhoods, including the venues your Sim visits / works at.

Now, time to talk about the actual gameplay. The big difference with The Sims Mobile is that you only get to play with up to 4 Sims and you only get 1 house to play with and build. Also, unlike waiting / speeding up your PC Sims game to complete actions faster, the only way you can speed up actions in The Sims Mobile is by paying Sim Cash, which are very hard to earn (you get 2 Sim Cash with each level up or you can spend actual money to get Sim Cash if that’s your cup of tea).

Unlike with PC Sims games, needs are spent with interactions and don’t decay with time. There are 4 needs: Energy, Hygiene, Hunger and Fun. Each can be filled by performing certain interactions, usually at home such as listening to the stereo for 3 actual minutes that’ll fill up your Fun need.

The real-time barrier is really noticable once you run out of energy and have to wait your Sim for an hour to finish sleeping. This’ll become less of a problem once you get to control more Sims.

What’s new to this game is that the developers put a really big focus on legacy, family play and herritage. You get to earn unique objects that Sims’ll leave after they pass away, but I have yet to explore that feature as I only got to play this game for 2 days.

Socialization and building relationships plays a huge role in this game too. Your Sim will usually wish to meet new Sims, befriend them or fall in love with them, which wil help you earn XP and lifetime points.

The thing about The Sims Mobile is that you can’t rush things and progress overnight. Things take time and unless you have patience, this game is just not meant for you. Sure, you can spend a ridiculous amount of real money to progress quickly but that just feels like using the motherlode cheat in The Sims PC games.

I still have many gameplay features to check out but I really enjoyed with what I’ve played so far. Sure, the game does not replace the actual Sims experience you get from The Sims 4, but when I really have nothing productive to do or am waiting for someone or something, this game is an enjoyable time filler.