MySims Review (Nintendo, Xbox & PC)

Without a doubt, one of The Sims’ most irritating aspects is its fulfillment quota system—the act of keeping permanent tabs open to quench thirsts, eradicate hunger and boredom, and allow wholesome residents the chance to survive and not accidentally burn to death due to a lack of culinary knowledge. Thankfully, MySims takes a lunge backward from this tedious facet—to the edge of a beginner-friendly sandy shoreline where folks thrive on idleness, and the only problem that burdens them is the lack of camaraderie and willingness to befriend their wildest personas. It’s still The Sims, but without the financial crisis, the ever-looming need to satisfy, and more importantly, Death stalking your shadow waiting for you to make just the slightest mistake.

While you could argue that The Sims is an all-round inclusive series, and that it resonates with players of all ages and skill levels, MySims is, for better or worse, a step in an alternate direction for Maxis’ beloved franchise. Don’t get me wrong, it still comes fully equipped with all of the usual bells and whistles—the in-depth customization, relationship crafting, and world-building elements, for example—though it does make more of an effort to appeal to those with a love of snail-like progression, similar to what you see in, say, Animal Crossing. There are no household bills to pay, no career paths to conquer, and no chances of meeting a grizzly fate as the Reaper skips around your shadow. It’s just you, a dream, and an island that you can transform into your own bubbling beacon of joy and happiness. Like Animal Crossing, then — but with “short and stubby” characters.

MySims is, to some basic point, a pocket-sized version of the original; it contains a lot of the same features, and sure enough, it allows you to create your own sandboxes and form lifelong friendships. But, MySims isn’t with the weight of a trunk of DLC or cosmetic packs. Of course, it does have its own fair share of add-ons, but at no point does it make an attempt to overthrow its forefathers with a bottomless trove of special expansions. It is, in short, a cute, simple, and forgiving world-crafting affair that removes the hustle and bustle of The Sims’ most notorious assets, and instead opts to present a level playing field that can be manipulated and enjoyed in any way the player sees fit. Alas, nobody needs to die here; the folks here are immortal. And that’s grand, because at the end of the day, nobody wants to witness the death of their Sims due to a lack of ladders in a swimming pool or doors in a claustrophobic room.

The idea behind MySims is as equally simple as it is pulpy. In a similar vein as your usual sandbox island, it invites you to venture deep into the roots of an old barren world that has seen much better days, and to use your imagination to restore it to its former glory. Along the way, you have to build homes for residents, customize decor, outfits, and objects using blueprints, and befriend future citizens to help acquire “special” recipes and architectural inspiration. There are no needs to fulfill, just friends to converse with, buildings to unlock, and all sorts of simple fetch quests to shovel through. It’s incredibly slow-paced, but then, I think that’s sort of the point.  Moreover, where The Sims encourages you to climb the social and career ladder, MySims actively promotes creative freedom and snail-like progression. And you know what? It feels like a breath of fresh air, even though it isn’t quite as full-on as your traditional Sims escapade.

Given the fact that MySims isn’t as gargantuan as its source material, the game does exclude a lot of the beloved features that typically flesh out a mainline installment. That said, where the game actively rejects infinite possibilities, it finds various ways to keep you plugging on, if not with another blueprint to keep you broadening your horizons, then with a new activity to participate in, another future settler to accommodate, or a fresh town milestone to pursue. It’s still simple and about as pint-sized as they come, but it’s also a lot of fun to unwind to between drawn-out role-playing sessions in alternate worlds.

Suffice it to say that, if you are looking for a complete repackage of The Sims in a smaller box, then you might be disappointed with just how little MySims brings to the shoreline. To echo, it isn’t The Sims; it’s a watered-down clone that keeps several of its original facets, but also keeps to the mantra that smoother waters equals better voyages. It’s slower, but it’s also full to the brim with a lot of fantastic child-friendly features that can keep idle hands entertained for the long haul. If you can appreciate that, then you won’t have an issue with boarding this vessel and hanging your coat with the petite folks of MySims.

Verdict

MySims is a perfect alternative for those who would much rather abandon the traditional facets of a Sims experience and jump straight into a shallow shoreline of sweet characters and snail-like progression. It isn’t quite as in-depth as a typical Sims game, and it does keep a lot of the signature elements shielded with its own sugarcoated ideas. That said, given the cuteness and inclusivity of its design, it does make for a jolly ol’ time, with its beginner-friendly mechanics and simple yet elegant customization options providing a great deal of creative freedom and open-ended opportunity to explore and master the fundamentals.

It goes without saying at this point, but if you enjoy wholesome sandbox games like Animal Crossing, then you will absolutely adore MySims and most of the tiny details that it crams into its familiar trunk. It might not let you be an astronaut or a movie star, but that isn’t to say that it won’t keep you entertained for hours, weeks, and perhaps even months. Take it with a slight pinch of salt, I guess. It’s The Sims 0.5—an entry-level life simulation game that, although without the meat and infrastructure of its kin, still has a tremendous amount of heart and vigor to share with its audience. In other words, if you’re expecting a bold and epic follow-up to The Sims — don’t, basically.