Sims4 vs sims3 in 2026

[just_dominic]

Got a hankering for the sims again and remembered how lacking sims4 was when it released vs the sims3 (esp hated that the worlds got neutered) but been modding sims3 for last few days and seeing all the mods for sims4 got me thinking about it (modding sims 3 is kinda a pain in the ass cuz there is also so many broken/outdated links). i guess what im asking is did they ever improve sims4 enough to measure up to sims3 worlds/towns? i loved being able to take your sim and just kinda wander around town/nature and find shit or interact with peeps

[Faolon]

Sims 4 probably wont ever come close to Sims 3 towns.

The games are just different experiences. With Sims 4, you gotta get used to stuff happening on a per-lot basis. But you can do fair bit on each lot depending on which mods you download and how you build the lot.

[just_dominic]

17 hours ago, Faolon said:

Sims 4 probably wont ever come close to Sims 3 towns.

The games are just different experiences. With Sims 4, you gotta get used to stuff happening on a per-lot basis. But you can do fair bit on each lot depending on which mods you download and how you build the lot.

ah thats kinda a shame, thanks though.

[Jaysply]

That was absolutely the biggest issue I have between Sims 3 and Sims 4.  The open world dynamic that Sims 3 had, that was lost when Sims 4 switched its core engine.  The lot-based gameplay feels always felt, and still does, like a major step backward.  With that said, even in a base game environment (base game just meaning unmodded), Sims 4 does have a lot less restrictive gameplay from the other two entries.  There's off-lot activities that sims can use, like playgrounds and skating rinks.  San Myshuno is a perfect example since the majority of that expansion revolves around the neighborhood community areas.  Same with the Copperdale Amusement Park.

But no.  The limitations of the engine itself, and switch to python as the programming language, really limited the game in terms of its ability to be an open world.  It just does not support that, at all.  You can increase lot population size through MCCC, to allow public areas to have more sims (provided your rig can handle it), but that's about it.  You'll never have that feeling of driving from The Cliffs all the way to downtown to go to the theater.

Edited April 7 by Jaysply
Forgot a sentence