If you haven’t heard of The Sims, you could have been living under a rock. Since 2000, users have been creating their own second, virtual life on their computers, and now iPad and iPhone users have the opportunity to take The Sims with them wherever they go.
And the best part is, it’s free.
The Sims: FreePlay could be mistaken for The Sims 3 ($5.49), with pristine graphics, cheerful audio and a multitude of lifestyle options.
Adapted for iOS devices by Melbourne mobile gaming studio IronMonkey for EA Games, FreePlay relies on in-game purchasing as a revenue source, leaving smitten users with the option to dive into the depths of the game's options.
Users have the ability to control 16 completely customisable characters, determining their occupation, pets, housing and cars in order to build and establish the town their characters inhabit.
Creating your personal character is easy, with a huge variety of options available. Skin tone, gender and character’s names are just the beginning, The Sims: FreePlay also allows users to select from a large range of hair styles and clothing options including suits, sports gear, medieval armour, futuristic clothing and Santa costumes.
If you aren’t fussed by the look of your characters, just click on the Randomise Sim button, and get into the game.
The Sims: FreePlay runs smoothly on IOS devices, and takes advantage of two-finger touch to pan, rotate and zoom the camera.
In-game options are clear and comprehensive, and notification tasks are impossible to miss. Users are able to fully customise their own houses, from wallpapers and flooring to the items that occupy floor space.
By using the Simtracker, FreePlay allows users to switch quickly and easily between characters, assigning their tasks, social interactions and activities.
While there isn’t a set out ‘story’ to The Sims, it is left to the users to determine how they want their societies to live, socialise and interact to create their own story.
Characters earn Simoleons (The Sims currency) and Life Points by completing tasks in order to afford new material possessions and advance social interactions.
While The Sims: FreePlay appears expansive, and in many facets it is, a minor source of annoyance is the inability to remove characters, get married and create families with children.
FreePlay is reliant on an internet connection, which may turn some users off, but your characters can be left to continue their lives for periods at a time, which enables you to use the game at your leisure.
The Sims: FreePlay runs on real time, meaning the characters are on the same time span as the user is. Night in the real world will correlate with night in the sim world.
Real-time games require users to be patient – characters will take two hours to watch a movie, sleep all night and spent hours at work. Don’t despair, you can use Life Points to speed up your characters' day, but if you run out of points, the only way to get them in a hurry is to pay real money for them.
If you are a fan of The Sims series, this is a welcome mobile addition but it takes time and input. If you are serious about playing the series, maybe buy The Sims 3.
EA & IronMonkey
Pros: Easy camera movements, great screen layout, good graphics and audio.
Cons: Limited lifestyle options, requires Internet connection.
RRP: Free
The Sims: FreePlay