Few franchises have demonstrated the potential of expansions like The Sims one, coming from developer Maxis and Electronic Arts. Each major iteration saw the appearance of many smaller add-ons, DLC packs, or full-fledged expansions that enhanced the base game .

Stellar visuals and animations; Smarter Sims; Better interactions; Simple yet comprehensive Create-A-Sim and Build Mode

Plenty of missing mechanics or systems; Soundtrack is sometimes a bit too generic; Quite a few bugs and glitches

There are two ways to play The Sims . There are those who prefer build mode, and those who prefer live mode. The expansions for the fourth iteration of the venerable dollhouse series have focused much on the living aspect of the game. You want to increase your dress-up options Grab a stuff pack.

Winter and summer wear add fun; Custom holidays are a ton of fun

Weather systems do not add much; Expansions packs getting a bit much

Changing weather and festive traditions enrich the four-year-old life sim.

Transitioning from The Sims 3 to is a little rough. The Sims 4 seems barren of content and features by comparison, especially with regard to the severely limited scope of the world and frequent (but much shorter) loading screens and noticeable absence of toddlers, pools, and cars.

Build Mode improved; Great emotions; Strong Create-a-Sim

Frequent loading; Lacks content

The Sims 4 celebrates the heart and soul of the Sims themselves, giving players a deeper connection with the most expressive, surprising and charming Sims ever in this single-player offline experience.

The Sims – one of the most recognisable series in the industry, and one of the most successful too, has boasted sales of over 120 million copies in total. 2014 marks the franchise's 14th birthday, followed by the 4th instalment in the series; The Sims 4 .

New and interesting mechanics; Very clean; attractive and nicely presented U.I; Build & Buy mode has been lovingly re-done; Wonderful art style; Community sharing is quite fun; Neighbourhoods are busy & feel alive; Lots of new & different career paths; each with unique rewards

Some old features are missing; The new mechanics aren't massively compelling; Not enough 'normal' jobs; such as police officer & athlete; Lighting in houses can be quite dreary; Some excessive load screens; No ability to choose your Sim's favourite's; 2D Map screen is too small

The Sims is a long-lived series not only because of its history - it was born almost 20 years ago - but also due to the great support that Electronic Arts and Maxis have given each iteration through the years.

Almost a great sequel, but the improvements to the sims are overshadowed by the shopping list of peculiarly random missing features.

Multitasking, moodlets, and the revamped career systems are all great; Much more subtle community integration, and improved house and sims customisation

The missing features will seem obvious even to newcomers to the series, and at times the game feels like nothing but a dumbed down The Sims 2; Some relatively minor AI issues

The Sims has returned once again. But does The Sims 4 offer something new or something better than its predecessors Read along as we give you our verdict of this fourth installment in one of the best-selling franchises of all time. The Sims 4 doesn't have a story in a traditional sense.

Great Visual Presentation; Addictive Gameplay

Lack of Many Core Features; Isolated World

For more than a decade, The Sims games have allowed gamers to experiment with digital realities where anything can happen. After creating a Sim, you are in charge of shaping their evolution and development, as well as relationships and community involvement.

High level of customisation; Installs well and runs good

Camera could be better in spots; Missing features from past games