The Excitement of Paralives and It's Comparison To The Sims

A New Life Simulator: Paralives and It's Comparison To The Sims

Picture from Paralives Steam Page

Are we finally ready for a worthy component to dethrone The Sims as the best life simulation game to exist? Alex Masse and Paralives Studios seem to think yes! I have been eagerly awaiting more updates regarding the highly anticipated *new* life simulation game called Paralives. This game created by Alex and the Paralives Studio team is set to be an exciting addition to the simulation gaming genre. As a fan of games like The Sims and Animal Crossing, I'm intrigued by the promise of a new experience that allows players to create and customize their own virtual lives.

Customization options from Paralives webiste: https://www.paralives.com/development

According to steam, this game is set to release in the year of 2025 with no official date. Though that seems like a painfully long time to wait for a release, my excitement has not hindered. If you're curious to find out more about this game and how it  compares to The Sims, keep on reading!

How I stumbled Across Paralives & First Impressions

One day, about 2 or 3 months ago my You Tube algorithm randomly put a Paralives gameplay in my recommendations. As stated, I am a huge fan of life simulation games so my curiosity got the best of me and I had to click on the video to see what it was all about. Since watching a few videos on the Paralives YouTube channel, I've honestly been curious about what to expect from them and how it'll compare to it's super strong competitor The Sims since. Upon viewing some videos of Paralives gameplay on their YouTube page (insert you tube page), I believe the graphics in the game look pretty darn impressive. I especially enjoy the realistic depiction of character faces and expressions. The vibrancy and customization possibilities with this game also truly shine for me. It seems the developers have been working on this game for at least 4 years so it's safe to say a lot of thought and dedication is being put into this project. After learning about Paralives and viewing some videos on their You Tube page, I noticed that there has been a lot of discourse surrounding Paralives and how it compares to The Sims. So let's take a moment to see how Paralives may compare and differ from our beloved, The Sims. 

Paralives VS The Sims

In this part of the blog, we are going to take a look at how Paralives may compare (or contrast) to The Sims. I may not include every comparison especially given that Paralives has not released to the public yet. These opinions will solely be based off of the game footage that I have seen on the Paralives You Tube and Steam page and my basic game knowledge of The Sims specifically, The Sims 4. Let's get into it!

So as mentioned, The Sims and Paralives are both life simulation games that allow players to create and control characters and their environments. Starting out with The Sims, it was developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. This game is a well established franchise with a focus on character interactions, an array of expansion packs, and a strong community of modders. Something that stood out to me while researching about these games is almost anyone who plays The Sims, play a *heavily* modded game. These game mods can be costly, however it is a great way to elevate your gameplay and leave room for better customization when it comes to skin color, hair, and modern clothing options. I've also seen mods that add customization to storylines making room for a super immersive Sims experience. Though this is a fun way to enjoy the game, I've always wondered why players felt the need to mod the game so heavily in order to fully enjoy the game. I personally have not played a heavily moded sims gameplay. I honestly would not even know where to start. However, based on what I've seen, the mods definitely elevate The Sims experience versus my vanilla gameplay. Nonetheless, I still find ways to enjoy The Sims 4 as it is.

source:https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/dev-diary-vitiligo

Now let's get into Paralives. As mentioned, this is an indie game developed by Alex Masse and his small team of Paralives developers. The game seems to be focused on building and character customization. It seems players will have the ability to scale walls, resize furniture, and utilize some advanced customization options for character options. All of this customization, especially when it comes to building, seems to offer more freedom to players than The Sims. Ultimately, I can't say much about Paralives yet but I've noticed a heavy emphasis on customization which may leave players not wanting to mod this game at all. A few years back, I recall seeing some controversy when it came to The Sims expansion packs and why some players may actually dislike those. This begs the question if Paralives may offer expansion packs or other in-game services players may have to pay for. If the concept of the in-game purchase is executed well elevates the game, I personally would not mind the in-game purchases. Then again, I understand how some companies can become greedy and offer something mediocre instead of something substantial to make a quick buck. 

Final Thoughts

While I'll continue to enjoy the depth and partial variety offered by The Sims 4, I am excited to see how Paralives' unique building tools and character customization options will compare and contrast with the established features of The Sims. The idea of having two dynamic life simulation games to explore is thrilling and I definitely look forward to experiencing the new possibilities that Paralives will bring. Overall, the future of life simulation gaming looks pretty bright and I'm feeling optimistic about the enriching experiences both games will offer. Also.. where sims 5? xD

Are you excited for Paralives? Get loud in the comments!