What to Expect From The Sims Labs: Town Stories

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What to Expect From The Sims Labs: Town Stories

As a seasoned gamer who’s been through countless iterations of The Sims since its inception, I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I heard about The Sims Labs: Town Stories. The city-building gameplay is a refreshing twist, but it’s got some big shoes to fill, given the legacy of the franchise.

A fresh spin-off of the beloved game series, “The Sims,” titled “The Sims Labs: Town Stories,” has now appeared on Google Play Store. As per recent updates, the game is currently in its testing phase. Unlike traditional games under the same franchise, this one emphasizes town building, management, and enhancement rather than focusing on a single household. Its gameplay leans more towards “MySims” style rather than the standard “The Sims” series. Preliminary tests suggest that customization options might be limited in “The Sims Labs: Town Stories“.

In contrast to the belief that “The Sims Labs: Town Stories” is their initial venture into mobile gaming, it’s important to note that they previously introduced “The Sims FreePlay” in 2011 for various platforms such as iOS, Android, Blackberry 10, and Windows Phone. Additionally, there’s “The Sims Mobile,” a game based on “The Sims 4,” which was released for iOS and Android devices in 2018. Although both games received criticism over their microtransactions, they generally garnered positive reviews. With its unique city-building gameplay, “Town Stories” is stepping into a new niche, but it faces the challenge of living up to its predecessors’ legacies.

The Familiar Characters and Unique Quirks of The Sims Labs: Town Stories

Bella Goth, and Other Familiar Faces, Return

In “The Sims Labs: Town Stories,” there’s a nostalgic nod to its origins as it reintroduces familiar faces. However, this time around, the narrative flow is more concentrated, and it boasts an unique artistic flair. This game brings characters from past mainline and spin-off “Sims” games into the picture, such as:

  • Bella Goth: This fan-favorite character seems to be the main mascot of The Sims Labs: Town Stories. She and another pre-made Sims character Bob are the players’ college roommates. Bella is known for her love of the paranormal and strange history throughout the franchise. Aliens abducted Bella during The Sims 2, and she has a career as a secret agent in The Sims 4. She’s made multiple appearances in Sims games, donning her iconic red dress and long black hair. She’s back to her young adult self in The Sims Labs: Town Stories, before she had a family with Mortimer.
  • Bob Pancakes: This premade character was introduced in The Sims 4 as an uninteresting loser and a failed husband with an aspiration to become a Master Chef. The players see his love for cooking in the game’s promotional materials. It seems that he’s also turned into a young adult version of himself bunking with Bella while he gets his life together.
  • Ms. Nicole Vogue: This fashion expert, clothing business owner, and runway model debuted in MySims (first released in 2007), a city-building game with similar gameplay to The Sims Labs: Town Stories. She’s back to being a young, fledgling designer during the events of this new game.
  • Torajiro: This is a MySims Kingdom character who’s made a career as a carpenter who can build any kind of house as long as he has the blueprint for it. He’s a young and short-tempered recluse in The Sims Labs: Town Stories, and the player will likely help him come out of his shell and reach his full potential.
  • New Character – Gizmo Cogspin: This character seems to be created for this new title. He’s described as an eccentric inventor whose creations often go haywire.

Limited, Yet Diverse, Character Customization

Players participating in the trial run of “The Sims Labs: Town Stories” might find that the game begins with a character selection menu. In this menu, players can pick from a variety of pre-designed characters, each with distinct appearances, clothing styles, body types, and traits. Additionally, they have the option to select names for their characters from provided lists, both first and last. Although the customization options are somewhat limited, the game provides a diverse range of racial backgrounds among its characters, and even allows players to choose They/Them as their preferred pronouns. The developers also mention that more extensive customization features will be added in future updates.

A More Linear, but Familiar Gameplay

Town Stories” simplifies its gameplay by providing pre-designed home layouts and a limited range of exterior colors. Yet, it still allows players to manage each character’s routines and arrange furniture, similar to the in-depth customization found in traditional “Sims” games. Additionally, during early access, the game uses SimCash as a reward for quests, hinting at in-app purchases like those seen in “The Sims Mobile,” once the game is officially released.

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2024-10-14 00:05