The Sims 4 is now available to pre-load for customers who pre-ordered the game. This means that fans of The Sims games who chose to pay in advance will be allowed to join the game the moment it goes live in their region by accessing the files through Electronic Art’s (EA) Origin service.
According to EA , “Pre-load is currently rolling out for everyone who pre-ordered the game on Origin. When it’s available in your area, just launch Origin and download your copy.” Apparently, this means that for those in the United States, the game will unlock on September 1st at 9 pm, PDT.
For everyone outside of the U.S., the schedule is as follows:
September 2: North America, Central Asia, and Russia September 4: Australia, Japan, and Europe (excluding the UK) September 5: New Zealand, India, South Africa, and the UK
So, how will the new Sims 4 differ from Sims 3 ?
One change in the game is that different actions will send your Sim into a different emotional state. One writer for Gamespot was lucky enough to have a preview of the game, and found that letting her Sim hit up the local nightclub and indulge in a few glasses of juice put the Sim in a flirty mood, which actually helped increase the success rate of the Sim when the Sim hit on other Sims.
The “buy mode” has also been streamlined. Like in previous editions, the Sims 4 does catalog items by either function or room type. However, players now have the option to simply type in an object, such as “guitar,” and search for things that way.
Noticeably absent from The Sims 4 is the flexible “Create a Style” tool from The Sims 3 . This was the tool that gave players the ability to chose different patters and colors and apply them to almost any object, from clothing to flooring to appliances and decor. Instead, a variety of color schemes is offered. And, according to The Fuse , the “build mode” for Sims 4 has been greatly improved, claiming, “Building homes that you dream of has been an important aspect of every Sims game and it will be no different in ‘The Sims 4.’” There is a significant change this time around — the walls are more versatile and players can drag, drop, and move them without affecting other parts of the house.
Watch the launch trailer below and tell us — do you think the new Sims 4 game will be a big improvement over The Sims 3 ? Even with improved building and buying function, do you think the game will suffer from missing features, such as the “Create a Style” tool? And, most importantly, did you pre-order it? If you did, come back and let us know how it is as soon as it is released in your area!
[Image via All Games Beta ]