Summary
As work continues on EA and Maxis’The Sims 5, franchise fans have already begun speculating about what new features the long-awaited game will include. Fromnew Sims familiesto a more robust way to customize characters’ houses, gamers have already offered up suggestions for plenty of possible improvements to the game. While it’s safe to assume that nearly every gameplay mechanic will receive some enhancements whenThe Sims 5finally releases, one aspect of the game that Maxis should pay particular attention to is its character creation system.
While the franchise has included fairly robust character creation systems in its recent entries,The Sims 5’s character creatorshould strive to set a new standard for the series. Expanding onThe Sims 4’s Create-a-Sim, or CAS, feature and allowing players to customize every aspect of not just their Sims’ appearance, but also their personalities, could give the game an edge in the face of new competition. By introducing a genre-defining character creation system forThe Sims 5, Maxis could make it the franchise’s most customizable and inclusive entry yet and ensure the series stays a success.
New Competition Means Maxis Can’t Afford to Rest on Its Laurels
The Sims 5is going to have more competition in the life simulation genre than ever before whenever it finally arrives. One such competitor is the artsyindie gameParalives, which takes the calm and cozy gameplayThe Simsis known for and gives it a cel-shaded makeover. With its unique art style and a Paramaker system that will letParalivesplayers customize everything from their characters’ clothing to their tattoos, it has the potential to steal some ofThe Sims 5’s thunder.
The biggest threat on the horizon toThe Sims 5is likely to beLife By You, a new life simulation game by Paradox Tectonic. WhileLife By Youlooks to expand on many familiar elements of the genre, with the developers promising it will be one of the most customizable life simulation games ever, some of the game’s biggest potential innovations look to be in its character creation system. Not only will players be able to customize their character’s appearance and personality, but they’ll even be able to createcustom dialogue inLife By Youfor interacting with NPCs.
The Sims 5 Needs a Genre-Defining Character Creation System
This influx of upstarts into the life simulation market is why Maxis should ensure thatThe Sims 5’s character creation system isn’t just better than the competition, but also sets a new standard for the genre as a whole. The franchisehas already made some great strides in customization and representation in recent years, such asadding pronoun selection toThe Sims 4in 2022, and the CAS inThe Sims 5should expand on this.The Sims 5should strive to let players create their ideal in-game avatar, no matter what form that may take.
Since fans of the franchise come from all walks of life,The Sims 5needs to ensure that all players have the ability to create a Sim that reflects them. This means giving players far more options for customizing their Sims, such as a wider range of skin tones and available hairstyles to reflect the game’s diverse fanbase. Maxis could even take a cue fromPlayground Games’ racerForza Horizon, which lets players create characters with prosthetic limbs.
With innovative new competitors entering the market in the near future, Maxis needs to ensure the character creator inThe Sims 5is truly innovative rather than simply iterative. By delivering the most robust version yet of the CAS system and including customization options that reflect the diversity of its players,The Sims 5could help Maxis maintain its genre dominance and give franchise fans more freedom than ever to create their perfect Sim.
