The cost of Sims with all of it's DLC is insane to me. I wish EA would a little more reasonable in the cost of a game that is almost old enough to drive. At the time of this review while it is on sale for steam summer sale. 20$ for base + 19 x 10$ DLCs.
210$ for the full game. So you can either buy this game with all DLC, or 2/3rds of a steam deck. Spend your money elsewhere.

Won't run on Windows 11, despite trying every tip & trick recommended online. Very disappointed as a life-long Sims fan. I've been playing Sims 3 since it came out and wanted to continue enjoying this game on Steam. Clearly EA is too cheap to continue supporting Sims 3, (but not too cheap to not charge out the ass for it in the big year of 2025). I already requested a refund. Don''t waste your time.

The Sims 3, released in 2009 by Maxis and Electronic Arts, marked a pivotal evolution in the life simulation genre, expanding the possibilities for creativity, immersion, and storytelling. As the third major installment in the globally beloved Sims franchise, it both refined and redefined what it meant to simulate the lives of virtual people. By introducing an open-world structure, enhanced customization tools, and deeper personality mechanics, The Sims 3 elevated the franchise beyond a house-building simulator and into a living, breathing sandbox where every decision—small or large—could ripple through a dynamic, interconnected world.

Perhaps the most revolutionary feature in The Sims 3 is the seamless open world. Unlike its predecessors, where players were restricted to individual lots and loading screens dominated the transitions between homes, parks, and businesses, The Sims 3 offered a fully explorable neighborhood. This meant Sims could jog across town, visit friends, attend school, go grocery shopping, or take a relaxing stroll at the beach—all in real time, with the rest of the town actively living their lives in the background. This design decision transformed the gameplay loop, making it more fluid, immersive, and believable. It gave the sense that the world was not merely a backdrop but a functioning system reacting to and evolving with your Sims.

Customization was another key pillar. With the introduction of the Create-a-Style tool, players could adjust the color, texture, and pattern of virtually every object in the game—from furniture and clothing to flooring and wallpaper. The system gave unprecedented creative control, allowing for a level of aesthetic expression that no previous life sim had approached. Combined with the expansive Build/Buy and Create-a-Sim modes, The Sims 3 empowered players to craft unique households, environments, and entire towns reflective of their personal tastes or storytelling goals.

In terms of gameplay, The Sims 3 improved the emotional and psychological depth of its virtual characters. The new trait system replaced the simplistic personality point system of The Sims 1 and 2. Instead of assigning a fixed set of numerical values, players could now select five distinct traits—such as "Loner," "Bookworm," "Evil," "Hopeless Romantic," or "Neurotic"—that combined to form nuanced, often humorous personalities. These traits significantly affected behavior, social interactions, and aspirations. Combined with the expanded Lifetime Wish system and an updated mood system, The Sims 3 gave players more granular control over long-term goals and personal development, making Sims feel less like mechanical units and more like individuals with quirks, dreams, and evolving narratives.

The game’s base career system was robust, offering more work flexibility, in-job decisions, and visible career progression than earlier entries. Sims could climb the corporate ladder, become rock stars, ghost hunters, scientists, or chefs. The world outside the household mattered more than ever, and community lots were no longer just static destinations—they became stages for relationships, events, and spontaneous storytelling. Ambitions, romantic entanglements, family dynamics, and even midlife crises were better fleshed out and easier to manage (or sabotage) through thoughtful UI design.

Graphically, while The Sims 3 doesn’t rival today’s standards, it was visually ambitious for its time. The transition to a seamless, load-free world came with trade-offs: textures were softer, character models slightly more cartoonish, and animations occasionally clunky. However, the game’s distinctive art style, color palette, and design coherence ensured it remained visually appealing. The soundtrack—ambient, soothing, and occasionally quirky—remains one of the series’ highlights, perfectly complementing both the domestic chaos and tender, life-sim moments.

That said, The Sims 3 isn’t without its flaws. The game’s ambition sometimes exceeded its engine’s capacity. Performance issues—lag, save file bloat, pathfinding glitches, and memory leaks—plagued even high-end systems, particularly in long-term saves or densely populated towns. While modding could alleviate many of these problems, the fact that optimization remained a persistent issue cast a shadow over the game’s otherwise stellar design. The base game also lacked a few features that would only appear in later expansions, such as more robust supernatural elements or deeper family interactions, which left the initial release feeling slightly bare compared to the full potential of the game.

However, the real longevity of The Sims 3 came from its massive expansion pack ecosystem and its vibrant modding community. Expansions like World Adventures, Ambitions, Seasons, and Generations each added new mechanics, worlds, and layers of complexity that turned The Sims 3 into an almost endlessly expandable life sim. The modding community, meanwhile, introduced custom traits, clothes, worlds, UI fixes, and even major gameplay overhauls—effectively allowing players to personalize the game far beyond what was officially offered.

In conclusion, The Sims 3 stands as a landmark achievement in life simulation. It took the sandbox design philosophy to new heights, giving players an unprecedented degree of control over both the minutiae and the grand narratives of their Sims' lives. While its technical limitations and reliance on expansions remain valid criticisms, the core experience is rich, flexible, and endlessly replayable. For players who value creativity, storytelling, and open-ended play, The Sims 3 is not just a high point in the franchise—it’s a defining game in the simulation genre.

Rating: 8/10