Summary

• The next Sims game, Project Rene, seems to lack innovation seen in other titles and underwhelms visually.
• There's a real concern that the game coming to mobile will hold it back, preventing the series from iterating.
• Project Rene may improve before release, and overcome its lackluster leaked screenshots, thanks to a planned early access period.

Although it's hard to believe, it has been almost a decade since The Sims 4's controversial release. Since then, a new generation of both consoles and game engines have been introduced, producing titles that have truly pushed gaming forward both mechanically and visually. Despite this, it seems that the The Sims 5 in the works lacks this innovation, since recent screenshots have failed to impress, and one significant release decision may ultimatley hold it back.

What is commonly referred to as The Sims 5 is currently officially called Project Rene, and was recently a point of emphasis at the Behind The Sims Summit Presentation, and screenshots of the game in pre-alpha were later leaked, giving players an idea of what to expect. The hope among the community is that this could be somewhat of a rebirth of the series, given that Rene is "reminiscent of words like renaissance, renewal, and rebirth," according to EA's presentation. Given the prior entry's controversy surrounding its DLC model, it could be something to look forward to.

Project Rene May Be Held Back By Its Mobile Version

Sims 5 Must Innovate Or Be Left Behind

Despite The Sims 4's infamous reputation, it is still one of EA's most popular titles, but popularity in the past does not always guarantee success in the future. Players expect innovation, and Project Rene has not shown this explicitly in the leaked screenshots, especially with its mobile version. Graphically, there is much left to be desired; a decade and a generation of new, powerful engines have raised the bar for visuals, and this entry in The Sims series seems far from that bar because of its catering to mobile devices. In fact, it almost looks like a step back.

Still, EA's life sim franchise has never been known for realistic graphics, given its stylized aesthetic. The latest installment could get away with subpar visuals provided that it offers a streamlined experience with superior quality of life improvements compared to its predecessor, but that will be tough to do on mobile. This has been addressed somewhat with cross-play to make the mobile version work, but there are fears that this won't be enough to endear players to the next Sims. The series already has a mobile entry, and its fourth main entry still remains its most talked about.

The Sims 4 is known for having issues with babies and toddlers, which was also addressed at the summit alongside the discussion of Project Rene.

Other Games Are Coming To Challenge The Sims

Paralives & InZOI

For most of the franchise's life, there haven't been any games ready to challenge The Sims' place at the top of the life sim genre. This appears to be changing, however, as a new indie title, Paralives, is being worked on and appears promising, considering the size of the team working on it. Indie games have seen increased success in recent years, especially with the added accessibility of engines like Unreal Engine 5 and Unity, and some have even begun to challenge AAA titles.

Paralives has been quietly in production since 2019, and provides many innovative features over The Sims. For one, it does away with the grid building system of EA's title, allowing players to place furniture and walls wherever they want, as well as stretching some furniture, like desks, to make them as long and short as desired. Characters in Paralives can have layered clothing, allowing them to have whatever shirt they want under whatever jacket they want, just like in real life.

Paralives is not the only rival to The Sims, however. InZOI, published by Korean studio, Krafton, is also looking to enter the life sim scene, and has impressed with its breathtaking visuals. It truly looks like a current gen title with its ultra realistic graphics, which wouldn't be out of place in an Unreal 5 tech demo. For once, players will have alternatives if the next Sims title does not live up to expectations, putting even more pressure on the franchise to deliver.

Is It All Doom & Gloom For Project Rene?

Sims 5 Is Still In Pre-Alpha

It should be noted that criticism should not be overly harsh on Project Rene, based on the leaked photos. It is in its pre-alpha stage, after all, and titles can end up looking vastly different upon release. EA has not revealed how far along the production line the new Sims is, and there is a chance that everything shown is subject to change. Based on the latest GTA 6 trailer compared to its initial leaks, it is easy to reason that the final product will look better than its pre-alpha screenshots.

Still, with EA's notorious reputation for its microtransactions and The Sims 4's infamous DLC model, there is a chance that Project Rene could follow suit. Key features were cut from The Sims 3 when its sequel was released, which were later made into paid for DLC. The series' fourth entry is already known for being relatively feature light compared to other titles in the franchise, and reducing it further could lead to a shallow experience.

Some features have been rumored to return for Project Rene, such as an open-world where all Sims can interact, similar to the third entry in the series. If this rumor is true, it will be a welcome addition to the newest title and would make use of the new technology provided by the latest game engines. The visuals, despite being underwhelming, could be given a too, since they could come from the mobile build of the game, which would have inferior graphics due to hardware restrictions.

Project Rene having a mobile build could spell the end for The Sims Mobile, which was released in 2018. TSM added multiplayer features to the franchise, which will make its mainline debut with Project Rene.

Early Access Will Be Crucial For The Sims 5

Player Can Help Project Rene

It was stated that the Project Rene team hopes to put the game into open, early access to get as much as possible. This is a good sign, since the should force innovation to happen. The developers will have to ensure that the early access shows promise, however, as a poor experience could lead to the player base bailing on the title before it has even released. Still, the willingness for communication demonstrates that there are some good intentions behind Project Rene, and there could be more of a game behind its mediocre screenshots.

With competitors ready to pounce at The Sims' downfall, the developers have to get it right. Project Rene will need to be a great evolution from its predecessor, and not take the series back like many players believe The Sims 4 did, which may be a significant challenge if the game has to cater to mobile devices. Anything less, and The Sims franchise could find itself second fiddle to other titles that were brave enough to innovate and present players with the experiences that they want.