So when EA surprise-dropped a rerelease of The Sims 1 and 2 last weekend to celebrate the series’ 25th anniversary, with all expansions included (my nine-year-old self’s dream) naturally I was compelled to return to my happy place, revisiting my 10-hour pyjama-clad marathon sessions micromanaging the lives of the Newbies, Roomies, and the Goths, and occasionally removing their pool ladders when they were taking a little swim, and only taking a necessary pause for mum’s roast dinner.
When EA surprise-dropped a rerelease of The Sims 1 and 2, I was delighted to return to a defining video game of millennial childhoods – but it feels different 25 years later.
Even these moments with the most meaningful loves of my Sims’ lives seemed to offer them nothing – they were transactional, serving nothing more than to unlock new interactions.
The original Sims games were more dystopian than today’s perky, brightly coloured The Sims 4.
To my surprise, the game now feels less like a chance to live out your dream life, and more like a struggle simulator.
