Summary
Ever since the announcement ofProject Renein 2022, the newest entry inThe Simsfranchise, the community has been abuzz with opinions on what an ideal version of the game would look like. However, in a recent interview, actress Keke Palmer revealed she’d prefer if the series went in an entirely different direction with its next title. ThoughProject Reneis still in the early stages of development, there is still new franchise content on the horizon, with a newSims 4Expansion Pack slated for this summer.
During recentred carpet coverage for the Amazon Upfronts, where Palmer was promoting her upcoming filmThe Pickup,Screen Rantspoke with the actress to get her thoughts on whereThe Simsis headed.
Palmer expressed her desire for a return to more narrative-oriented gameplay, harkening back to classic entries likeTheUrbz: Sims in the City. Check out the full quote below:
Keke Palmer: What would I like to see next? You know, I think a big thing for me with Sims - I used to love Urbz and Bustin' Out for the Nintendo DS. I always wanted it on the computer, and I know they have some of it available now, but it’s not the same thing, in terms of the story, or narrative, mission-based opportunities. I think in the newer version you can do some of it, but it’s not in the same way as it was on those Nintendo games. So, I wish that I could actually do more of a story and like a challenge, and that kind of thing.
Everything We Know About Sims 5 & Project Rene (So Far)
Even though the next game in the Sims franchise, Project Rene - which many call The Sims 5 - is years out, there is plenty of known info already.
Keke Palmer Is A Long-Time Sims Fan
While theNopeactress only beganstreamingThe Sims 4last year, this interview makes it clear her history with the series far predates her public gameplay.The Urbz: Sims in the Citywas released in 2004, and the handheld version Palmer refers to had an entirely fleshed-out storyline that was much different than the gameplay newer players are familiar with. In the franchise’s infancy,there were several games of this narrative nature, with spin-offs likeThe Sims Life StoriesandCastawayStoriesthat still allowed for player freedom while balancing concrete story beats.
A Return To The Past Would Benefit The Sims
The Franchise Is Due For A Return To Its Roots
In modern-daySimsgames, fans will be hard-pressed to find any outright narrative content that they aren’t creating themselves. Arguably, the closest players can currently get is throughThe Sims 4Scenarios, which are special challenges that sometimes involve existing relationships between Sims as a loose storyline framework. While the sandbox play the game is geared toward is an undeniably important foundational element of the series,it would be a wonderful change of pace for the franchise to reintroduce some of the more RPG-like facets seen previously.
Perhaps the worst part of these features being absent is that fans aren’t even able to purchase older entries easily, with many games likeThe Urbzonly available through secondhand sellers. Promising franchise competitors likeParalivesandLife by Youloom on the horizon, and have already gained traction partially through implementing features missed in modernSimsreleases. Currently, very little is known about the nextSims 4Expansion Pack besides a vague romance theme, but the series returning to its narrative roots would do a lot to serve its overall longevity.
