Maxis and Electronics Arts' beloved series has tried many different formats over the years, including some more off-the-wall ones likeThe Sims Medieval. More recognizable for its contemporary iterations of the life simulation genre,The Simsstill hasn’t shied away from reinventing itself or pushing the boat out in more ways than one, including with the upcoming “Project Rene.” However, some fans think it’s high time that the developer revisitsThe Sims Medieval– undeniably one of its more forgotten properties.
First released in 2011,The Sims Medievalwas anunexpected twist onThe Simsformula. Over the decades since the first game launched,The Simshas experimented with other avenues, likeSimCity,The Sims Stories, andThe Urbz: Sims in the City, as well as branching out onto numerous platforms. It’s one of the best-selling video game series of all time, and it has almost too many iterations and expansion packs to count. However, some areas of the extensiveSimsback catalog definitely deserve a second look, and perhaps none more so thanThe Sims Medieval.
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The Sims Medieval’s Unique Focus
Even before its release,The Sims Medievalfelt like a huge departureforThe Simsfranchise. Fans might have expected to be able to design their own castle or cottage and control a family of medieval peasants or Middle Ages royalty – basically, the same oldSimsbut with an old-timey twist – butThe Sims Medievalwas something quite different. There were elements that would have felt familiar to players, but these were mixed in with RPG features, options to send Sims out on quests and level up, and a communal kingdom ambition instead of more personal goals for each Sim.The Sims Medievalwas quite a radical step away from otherSimsgames, but it hasn’t been explored to its full potential.
Instead of building up their household and focusing on individuals or family groups,The Sims Medievalcast the net a little wider. Players could increase the population of their kingdoms, adding everything from blacksmiths to wizards, and select certain subjects to help them with their questing. Different professions yielded different skillsets, and these would give gamers a number of different options when it came to solving problems and completing quests. Personalities were trimmed down to two traits and one fatal flaw, but these still gave Sims unique characters and even questlines related to their flaws. Unlocking and building certain structures led to the creation of more townsfolk, so over time players were able to craft their kingdoms into formidable and diverse regions.
The Case For The Sims Medieval 2
It’s been over a decade sinceThe Sims Medievalfirst launched, and there hasn’t been so much as a whisper of a reboot or sequel. However, that doesn’t mean that fans of the castle-focusedSimexperience should give up hope of ever seeingThe Sims Medieval 2. With its intriguing RPG approach and fantasy focus,The Sims Medievalenticed playerswho normally wouldn’t have picked up aSimstitle and expanded the player base. Giving gamers the freedom to choose how and with who they completed quests let them shape the story of their kingdoms, as well as choosing how they expanded and what Sims took up each post in their growing realm.
The Sims Medievalwas a fun romp that wove together new and familiar elements to create something truly unique within the popular franchise, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t also room for improvement.The Sims Medieval 2could take the solid foundation of its predecessor, but bring in more of the creative flair present in laterSimstitles. With thedepth of customization inThe Sims 4,The Sims Medieval 2could let players really run riot when it comes to creating a special kind of kingdom. More varied quests with higher stakes, different decisions, and more significant consequences would help differentiateThe Sims Medieval 2from the first installment, and maintaining that quirky sense ofSimhumor would set it apart from other similar releases as well.
The Sims Medievalis available on Mac, Mobile, and PC.
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