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8.2 out of 10

The Sims 3

 

Information found in: from 229 sources in 23 countries

Great Deal: $14.95

  • User Score (1066)
    7.4 7.4 from 1066 reviewers
  • Expert Score (165)
    8.1 8.1 from 165 reviewers
  • Value for money (76)
    8.3 8.3 from 76 reviewers
  • Features (36)
    8.6 8.6 from 36 reviewers
  • Ease of use (141)
    7.4 7.4 from 141 reviewers
  • Sound quality (24)
    8.3 8.3 from 24 reviewers
  • Picture quality (4)
    10 10 from 4 reviewers
  • Gameplay (92)
    9.0 9.0 from 92 reviewers
  • Graphics (240)
    8.6 8.6 from 240 reviewers
  • Sound (42)
    8.4 8.4 from 42 reviewers
  • Storyline (31)
    8.5 8.5 from 31 reviewers
  • Control (12)
    9.4 9.4 from 12 reviewers
  • Addiction (2)
    9.9 9.9 from 2 reviewers
  • Lifespan (20)
    9.9 9.9 from 20 reviewers
  • Overall quality (36)
    9.2 9.2 from 36 reviewers
  • Accuracy (7)
    9.7 9.7 from 7 reviewers
  • Construction (133)
    9.3 9.3 from 133 reviewers
  • Functionality (2)
    7.1 7.1 from 2 reviewers
  • Audio & image quality (24)
    8.4 8.4 from 24 reviewers
  • Appearance (4)
    9.1 9.1 from 4 reviewers
  • Ease of setup (10)
    9.6 9.6 from 10 reviewers
  • Versatility (5)
    5.5 5.5 from 5 reviewers
  • Instructions (7)
    10 10 from 7 reviewers
  • Customer support (7)
    9.7 9.7 from 7 reviewers
  • Atmosphere (7)
    9.0 9.0 from 7 reviewers
  • Game depth (4)
    8.8 8.8 from 4 reviewers
  • Funfactor (148)
    9.3 9.3 from 148 reviewers
  • Lastability (5)
    7.5 7.5 from 5 reviewers
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  • Score Distribution

Experts:
9-10
(60)
7-8
(91)
5-6
(11)
3-4
(3)
1-2
(0)
Users:
9-10
(460)
7-8
(237)
5-6
(121)
3-4
(88)
1-2
(160)

  • Expert Reviews

  1. maximum pc

    maximum pc
    9.0/10
    14 September 2009

    Such a leap forward it feels more like The Sims³ Read more

    • Simulates an entire town of Sims; great home-building tools; complex personalities.
    • Watching Sims sleep every night; unrewarding lifetime rewards; frustrating pathfinding.

  2. Auracore MediaWorks

    Auracore MediaWorks
    8.0/10
    4 days ago

    Brand new options, Brand new towns, All New Sims! Dance my puppets, dance. Read more

    • UBER AWESOME Pattern Customization, Ability to adjust Sim life spans, Sims get to interact with others all over their town, Improved object placement for decorative pu...
    • Inability to edit town however you please, Can't play multiple families in the same town

  3. GameSpot

    15 December 2010

    All of this new content is delivered with the charisma the franchise has long embraced. The gleeful look on your sim's face as he twangs the strings of his double bass is a hoot. The butler that arrives at your door is utterly prim and proper, whipping up lobster thermidor when he's not propped up in bed with a good book. The way your formerly glamorous sim crouches and twists while hunting for a victim is both campy and slightly disturbing. Read more

    • Captures the essence of a night out with friends, You can play new musical instruments and jam with other sims, It's cool and creepy to play as a vampire, Lots of smal...
    • Previous expansions in the series already went down this road, To get the most out of the new content, you have to move or start over, Lingering technical issues.

  4. Softpedia

    Softpedia
    8.0/10
    12 June 2009

    A big complaint about the game is that the loading screens at no point mention “Reticulating bladders,” one of the signature phrases of the original game. It may sound trivial but this underscores one of the underlying issues with the current release. The developers have created a streamlined experience that makes use of recent technology to create a more believable world in which you can do pretty much everything you want when it comes to work, romance, house... Read more

    • Traits in a game change, Wishes add dynamism, Wide variety of choices, Living neighborhood
    • Tedious at times, No dramatic improvements over The Sims 2, Some buildings still off limits

  5. Fragland

    8.6/10
    7 July 2009

    The Sims 3 will probably not convince those that weren't convinced with the previous games. Those that like The Sims, however, will be all too happy with this new edition. The game plays better (thanks to the lack of loading screens), offers the necessary improvements and innovations, and stays with well-known formula. EA managed to fulfill the high expectations and can start working on countless expansions. As long as the cow is there, we'll drink the milk! Read more

    • Bigger and better than its predecessors, Create your own style, Deep character properties, Open neighborhood
    • content-wise it feels pretty basic

  • User Reviews

  1. Needs Patch ASAP!

    Bestbuy
    6.0/10
    Reviewer: RPV173, Bestbuy
    27 October 2011

    OFFLINE FRANCHISE: I like the idea of having a 75 man roster for preseason games. It's what I have always wanted and it was the selling point for me to buy this years Madden. However, it is broke. When playing preseason games, the CPU will automatically make substitutions at the end of the 1st and 2nd quarter. While this is not a bad idea for preseason games, it needs to be fixed. First off, you'll notice your WR playing CB or your punter starting at QB. Read more

    • Expanded rosters. New Animations.
    • Needs better commentary. Too many bugs that NEED to be addressed.

  2. For a demo, it's pretty limited.

    Amazon
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Channing Quinn Carter, Amazon
    7 January 2012 See Product at Amazon ($19.95)

    I've got mixed feelings about this demo. It lets you create a pet which is SURPRISINGLY complicated and allows you to get reeeaaallly specific with detail which I think is awesome! But once you're done creating the pet's character, the demo is over. I personally own the expansion now and think it's kind of foolish how much they leave out of the demo. Read more or see product

  3. The Sims 3, Future Forward or Backward?

    Newegg
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: Pri, Newegg
    23 August 2011

    The Sims 3 defeated the very purpose on why it was created. This is definitely not a replacement for The Sims 2, but rather is from another perspective. A more "what-if" version featuring the things that the previous sims series did not have. However, EA took a lot of things that the sims fan-based community did not want, but it also failed to push the things that we did like. Read more

    • The lighting and shadow is good, although I find it takes way too many windows to light a house up with natural daylight (even when that wing is facing the sun). It ta...
    • Create-A-Sim: I know lately The Sims 3 has been bashed upon despite the big hype that had built up before its release. But I think in this case, EA really pushed it. T...

  4. "Good graphics and low processor usage"

    CNET
    8.0/10
    Reviewer: nicholasaishk, CNET
    14 April 2011

    A great game which uses a surprisingly low amount of PC memory and processor to operate. The game has the occasional glitch and operates very slowly with the use of cheats. After a while the game can get very repetitive and ultimately boring to play. Read more

    • Good graphics Low use of processor and RAM Significant improvement from Sims 2 Lots of expansion packs available
    • Expansion packs cost $$$ and cannot be used with other Sims games (such as Sims 1 and 2) Can sometimes glitch out Can get very repetitive Use of cheats in game slows i...

  5. Just a money-maker

    2.0/10
    Reviewer: knoxvegas, epinions.com
    1 week ago

    If you have never played any of the previous Sims games, then you won't be disappointed with Sims 3. Read more

    • It came with a string of USB plum-bob lights.
    • Disappointing, childish icons, limited options only 1 town to play.

  • WikiFreak Description

The Sims 3

The Sims 3 is a PC game developed by The Sims Studio and published by EA Electronics and is the follow up to the popular Sims simulation game. The Sims 3 allows users to immerse their own custom made Sims (appearance, personality) in an open living neighborhood where they can roam and explore all surroundings. The game includes an optional feature called ‘story progression’, which allows all Sims in the neighborhood apart from those the player is currently controlling to autonomously cont…

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The Sims 3

The Sims 3 is a PC game developed by The Sims Studio and published by EA Electronics and is the follow up to the popular Sims simulation game. The Sims 3 allows users to immerse their own custom made Sims (appearance, personality) in an open living neighborhood where they can roam and explore all surroundings. The game includes an optional feature called ‘story progression’, which allows all Sims in the neighborhood apart from those the player is currently controlling to autonomously continue as if the player was controlling them. Player can also choose to toggle on or off the features to preference.; ie. such as toggling off aging/death if they do not want that feature to be enabled. The game has an ESRB: T, OFLC: M and PEGI: 12+ rating.

Features

The Sims 3 features an open neighborhood gameplay and an engine that allows players to immerse customized Sims in an open living neighborhood that is constantly evolving, where they can roam and explore all new surroundings. The customizable feature in the game allows players to fine-tune all aspect of the Sims face and determine much more to make lifelike Sims. Players have the option to select from dozens of personality traits and combine up to five traits to create a number of diverse individuals. Based on personality traits, skills and career choices, the Sims have short and long term Wishes that provide challenges to a player. Other than the Create-a-Sim function, players are also required to fine-tune their Sim’s personalities, build and buy mode, an “auto-roof” function that updates the roof of a Sim’s home when walls are built, a “wall drag” tool that allows users to grow or shrink a room, and a “slot” system that gives several choices on where to place decorative objects on surfaces. This game requires Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) powered by a 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent, 1.5 GB RAM, at least 6.5 GB of hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content, and 128 MB Video Card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0 to operate. The game requires at least an Intel Integrated Chipset, GMA X3000 or above, and 2.6 GHz Pentium D CPU, or 1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, or equivalent 0.5 GB additional RAM. Supported video cards include: NVIDIA GeForce series, ATI Radeon™ series, Intel® Extreme Graphics and GMA X3x00 series. Internet connection is required.

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  • Manufacturer's Description

  • Create any Sim you can imagine and give them unique personalities! Fine-tune your Sims’ appearances and personalities. Will your Sims be Evil, Romantic, Paranoid, Kleptomaniacs, or more. You choose the traits to create completely unique Sims.
  • Control your Sims’ destinies. Choose whether or not to fulfill your Sims’ destinies by making their wishes come true. Will your Sims be Rock Stars, World Leaders, Expert Thieves , or more – it’s is up to you.
  • Customize ever…

Specifications

  • Alternative names
    Die Sims 3, De Sims 3, Les Sims 3

Release Date

  • First seen
    11 November 2005

Ask the community

Need more advice? Ask the community a question.

Questions asked: 3 Answers: 5

Previous questions about this product

  • sims 3

    on my sims 3 its an girl name blair my partner at work and i have started an relationship with her and i wanted to know can i move in with her cause she have an big house and mines is small plus she is rich so can i and if so can we share money

    Answered by 07mtingey 2010-10-29:

    Yes, you can move in, but only once you are a young adult. You need to get their relationship high enough then click the other sims and ask the question.

  • Can I go inside community lots?

    When my sim goes to town, he is in the store or the movies and I can't go in. I'm outside. Is this normal? Do I have to wait for my sim? Can I not see anything inside the community shops? How do I get inside the shops with my sim so I can meet people like in Sims 2?

    Answered by Simbacat 2010-02-16:

    The short answer is that you can't go inside with your sims int he building community lots.They are "rabbit holes". I don't know if EA plans to modify this in future expansion packs. If you are having trouble meeting other sims, try going to the park in the center of town in the afternoons and on the weekend. Most everyone in the neighborhood will eventually show up there at some point in time. Read the newspaper and you will sometimes get a notification of a community event such as a cook off. Lots of sims go

    Answered by 07mtingey 2010-10-29:

    No you can't go inside community lots. You may be albe to go into some like the gym, but for most others you can't. This is one of the let downs of the Sims 3. I have the Sims 3 PS3 edition which came out today, so they might make changes since its a very new

  • how long does it take for your sims to age

    Answered by Simbacat 2010-02-16:

    It depends on what age you are tralking about and what lifespan you have set. Normal is the deault mode,and the days for each age as follows: Baby: 2 days Toddler: 7 days Child: 7 days Teen: 14 days Young Adult and Adult: 21 days each Elder: 16 days maximum Elders can sometimes have their lifepans adjusted for a few more days if they are in excellent physical condition and if they have the vegetarian trait. You can also turn aging off if you like,although I have not tested this and don't know if it affests story progression in the neighborhood. Hope this helped

    Answered by youngkiller101 2010-03-15:

    14 to 17 days but you can change it in options

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