Summary
TheSimsis the leading franchise in the life simulator and has spanned several games and has released hundreds of add-ons. However, there areSimsgames outside the main four games, such asthe spin-off gamesThe Sims MedievalandThe Sims Life Stories. These spin-off games explore different genres, some of which encompass life simulation elements.
TheSimshas explored genres such as roleplaying, racing, and story games (in which players follow objectives and must complete tasks to advance the story). However, there is one unexpected genre thatThe Simscould explore, and that is the survival genre.
The Sims Franchise Should Embrace the Survival Genre
Why The Survival Genre Would Work for The Sims Franchise
There is a vast variety of survival games and most of them involve crafting, exploration, and collecting materials and objects to survive.TheSimsis a life simulatorand one of the core objectives of the franchise is to keep the Sims alive. With this in mind, aSimssurvival game wouldn’t be too far from whatTheSimsalready is.
Both the premise ofTheSimsand the survival genre have elements that could blend perfectly. In fact, there has already been a survival game within theSimsfranchise, and that game is known asThe Sims 2: Castaway.
The Sims 2: Castaway Was a Great Island Survival Game
Released back in 2007,The Sims 2: Castawaywas the perfect blend of island survival with aSimstwist. Although the game was an island survival and not a life simulator like most games inThe Simsfranchise, it featured someclassicSimselementsfrom the series.
For aSimsspin-off in 2007, it was an interesting game for its time. It features the premise of the player having to survive while exploring and crafting to escape the archipelago. The game even had two endings, depending on what players did.
One ending featured repairing an old radio and climbing to the highest point of the biggest island to signal for help, and the other featured crafting a sturdy enough boat to escape and find rescue while at sea.
What a New Sims Survival Game Could Take From The Sims 2: Castaway
The Sims 2: Castawayworked welland EA not developing a sequel or anotherSimssurvival game would certainly be a missed opportunity for the developers to not consider another survival game. There are numerous potential ways that aSimssurvival game could work, from building upon the already established gameThe Sims 2: Castaway, to brand-new games.
However,The Sims 2: Castawayhas already proved that aSimssurvival game can and does work. The game had a plethora of features that could easily be translated into a newSimssurvival game. All these are easily transferable, and many survival games feature these gameplay elements, especially crafting, foraging, and exploration:
Why a Sims Survival Game Would be Successful
Survival games are a popular genre, and it could be argued thatthe sub-genre of island survivalis quite niche, with games such asStranded Deep,ARK: Survival Evolved, andThe Survivalistsembracing it. Although the originalSims 2: Castawayreceived mixed reviews, a new survival game would likely beat those reviews, especially with the popularity ofThe Simsfranchise and the rate at which survival games are produced.
Coupled with up-to-date graphics and potentially new features, a newSimsisland survival game could be a great success. Not to mention it would be the perfect opportunity for EA to introduce a newSimsspin-off, which it has not done sinceThe Sims Medieval.
