Summary
Project Renesupposedly has a return toThe Sims 3’s emphasis on community, where Sims-based communities were more possible thanks to the seamless transitions from Sims' houses to community lots. WhenThe Sims 3: Seasonswas launched, it introduced seasonal festivals, which took place at a large, outdoor community lot, and featured different activities.The Sims 4closed off the open-world, and withThe Sims 4: Seasons, the community aspect of festivals was removedin favor of at-home, family-oriented holidays.
The Sims 4: City Living,The Sims 4: Snowy Escape, andThe Sims 4: Cottage Livingreintroduced community festivals. Rather than being based on the weather or the time of year, they tend to be more cultural or regional. While the themes of these festivals are a step in the right direction, the gameplay is often limited to buying food or items from festival stalls.Project Renehas the opportunity to overhaul festivals and make them a key feature of community gameplay, especially if it makes festivals truly international and multicultural.
Project Rene Should Become More International
Different Festivals in Different Worlds
Seasonal events should take into account different hemispheres, which could beimplemented in different worlds inProject Rene. For example, much of the Global South and its cultures celebrate holidays that are similar to the winter holidays in the Northern Hemisphere, but these holidays take place in the middle of summer. WhileThe Sims 4’s leaning into multicultural festivals and neighborhoods has been a good start,The Sims 4hasn’t done enough to be culturally diverse. There is very little, if any, content inspired from Africa, and the vast majority of the worlds, festivals, and events in-game are America-centric.
The Problem With The Sims 4 Festivals
Festivals inThe Sims 4suffer from the same problem seen across other areas of its gameplay, in that it focuses on one aspect of gameplay and sorely neglects the rest. For example, festival days inThe Sims 4: Cottage Livinginvolve a judging contest and possible discounts on the permanent garden stalls, while other festivals feature themed food and some limited themed activities. Festivals inThe Sims 4also behave strangely in that few Sims show up to festivals, giving the festival grounds a dead atmosphere, or Sims from completely inappropriate or different worlds, such as celebrities or Sims from Sulani, the island world fromThe Sims 4: Island Living, will appear.
How Project Rene Can Revolutionize Festivals in The Sims
Project Rene Needs to Tap Into Community
LikeThe Sims 3, holidays need to become community-centered once more, with a community lot becoming a hub for festival activity.Project Reneshould take inspiration from bothThe Sims 3andThe Sims 4, in terms of the scope ofThe Sims 3and themulticultural aspirations ofThe Sims 4, and combine them to make culturally significant festivals with meaningful gameplay. Another important aspect to consider will be community: the festivals should be a hive of activity, and incorporate the multiplayer component ofProject Rene, with festivals behaving as a possible hub.
Creating a More Diverse World in The Sims
AsProject Reneseems to be shaping up to be a collaborative game where friends can design spaces together, borrowing aspects ofThe Sims 4’s holiday creationfeature could be possible. Players should be able to create their own holiday events as inThe Sims 4, and share those events with their friends, but also design their own festivals for specific worlds. Combined with more powerful creator tools, this would be a massive step forward in makingThe Simsmore multicultural, as Simmers from all over the world would be able to create and share festivals that reflect their own, real world cultures.
