Occasionally, new games are released that look like they could tempt players away from their go-to title. An exciting new kid arrives in town and everyone wants to get to know them. In the life simulator world, The Sims has been the big-name title for the past two decades. Will Life By You or Paralives be the bigger Sims killer?
Paralives vs Life By You – Could They Take On The Sims 4?
It takes a lot for a big title to be killed off by a new arrival. Asymmetrical horror game fans debated for weeks whether the Texas Chain Saw Massacre game would kill Dead By Daylight. Previous to that it was Video Horror Society (VHS) that made its move into that territory. Neither game was successful in taking on Dead By Daylight. This was mainly due to the huge following DBD had established over the years. So will The Sims 4 survive the arrival of two new life-sim games, Paralives or Life By You?
These games must be able to offer something The Sims 4 does not if they want to draw away its fanbase for any substantial length of time. The issue is that people who play The Sims have invested a lot of money and time into their games. With more than $1,000 of DLC content, some players see their game as an investment. It will take something amazing to tempt a dedicated Sims player away.
The Sims is not perfect by any means. Even the most loyal Sim players bemoan the bugs and the occasional lackluster DLC pack. Many use mods to craft a Sims world they desire, which is a bonus of playing The Sims, but they still feel restricted in many gameplay aspects. This is where I think trying a new game like Paralives or Life By You may be a tempting draw.
Paralives vs The Sims 4
Paralives is due for release on early access in 2025 for PC and Mac. The fact it will be available on both PC and Mac is particularly pleasing for many Sims players. Just like The Sims, players can build homes, create characters, and manage their lives in the home. Unlike The Sims, Paralives doesn’t require you to buy a separate DLC if you want to go to work or explore new areas as the devs promise it will all be free.
Paralives’ house plots are fully customizable with far more freedom to change the shape and square meterage of the land. The Sims offers restricted plots where you can build a home for your Sim, but in Paralives it looks like you can craft each plot yourself and have complete control over the design of your build. One complaint heard often in Sims community forums is the lack of a color wheel. Thankfully, Paralives offers a full color wheel to customize each element of your Para and home, from the carpets to the color of the lightbulbs.
Building isn’t limited to a grid as it is in The Sims, and each object is fully customizable. Textures, size, color, and more can be altered to suit your needs.
The general aesthetic of Paralives is very appealing. It is vibrant but not garish, and has a sense of realism without being dull. The game gives players more of a chance to explore cities and towns and meet other characters than The Sims, with no need to purchase extra DLCs to access more areas. It is much more of an open-world concept than we have ever had in The Sims. You can take your Para on a shopping spree, visit friends in the cafe, and walk through the parks freely.
If I worked for EA Games I would be keeping a close eye on Paralives, and taking a few notes.
Life By You vs The Sims 4
Life By You is coming to PC on June 4, 2024 with the possibility of expanding to other platforms later. It promises to be “the most-moddable and open life-simulation game,” and to give you as much control over virtually every aspect you could have.
One of the worst things about The Sims is the constant loading screens when going from one area to another, or even just visiting a neighbor or tenant. In Life By You there promises to be no loading screens whatsoever, leaving you with more time to create amazing worlds and relationships between your characters.
The world is completely open and fully customizable. You can demolish and rebuild whole towns, design your buildings, and redecorate to suit your aesthetic. Even the gameplay is changeable, as you can control content through mods and the extensive Creator Tools. It truly feels like the most moddable life-sim yet.
Unlike The Sims where you can only control the members in your family, in Life By You it is possible to control anyone at any time. You can also move completely freely around the world on foot or by using a vehicle. Ride a bike, jump on a skateboard, get in a car, and explore!
Aesthetically it looks decent, the graphics are okay, and the detail in the world is pretty good. Life By You looks like the life sim to address many of the issues Sims players face every day: lack of control, lack of design options, and restricted gameplay. Life By You will no doubt prove to be a real contender in the life sim genre, especially if it expands to other platforms. Although Simlish is cute, it is a bonus that Life By You has the characters all speaking a real language. It makes the game feel a bit more immersive.
So it looks like The Sims might have to watch its back. The two new kids on the block are proving to be serious competition, particularly Life By You, which seems to be taking notes from complaints in Sims community forums. I don’t believe The Sims would be killed off, per se, as the fanbase is far too immense and passionate. However, a good chunk of them could be tempted away.
