The Sims: Legacy Collectionposes one major problem for newer players.Rumors of aSims 1and2re-releaseemerged earlier this week, when the officialSimssocial media presence released a series of cryptic images to celebrate its 25th anniversary.EAlater confirmed the rumors with an announcement on its official website, revealingThe Sims: Legacy Collection- a port ofThe Sims 1for modern PCs - for release on June 06, 2025.
ButThe Simshas come a long way in the intervening 25 years, and that applies to more than just better graphics and new content packs. No,TheSims 1re-release will be almost unrecognizable to newer playersin one crucial way, and it’s an issue that’s difficult to get around.
Sims 1 Is Notoriously Difficult Compared To Later Games
What Makes The Sims 1 So Hard
For a plethora of reasons,The Sims 1is widely and rightfully considered the hardest game in the franchise. For one thing, Sims’ needs decrease incredibly quickly compared to later entries, and it takes a lot to get them back up. This can lead to innocent moments of comedy, sure, but it can also make it much harder to achieve things the player actually wants their Sims to accomplish. In certain circumstances, it can even lead to Sim death.
Rumored Sims 1 Remaster Should Learn One Simple Lesson From Sims 3
Any future rerelease of The Sims 1 needs to factor in the lore from the other titles. Many townies have established relations and histories.
And speaking of death,The Sims 1won’t hesitate to kill off the player’s favorite characters in a heartbeat. Fires are much more frequent than inThe Sims 4, and if the player doesn’t respond quickly (or even know how to put them out in the first place), they’re basically a death sentence.
Alot of mechanics inThe Sims 1are overly demandingto the point that they’re unrealistic, and the game does a poor job of explaining exactly how they work. For example, when a Sim picksa career inThe Sims 4, they have a set schedule, clearly stated on-screen. InThe Sims 1, Sims are expected to work every day - they can skip one day at a time, any time they wish, but if they miss more than that in a row, they’ll get canned.
Theoretically, a Sim can work every other day without getting fired, but money may become a problem quickly.
Plus, Sims are especially finicky about going to work if their moods aren’t perfect - and remember how tough it is to meet all their needs - which makes firings even more likely. And with how expensive everything is inThe Sims 1,characters need a good job just to avoid going under.
That’s incredibly time-consuming, and makes it practically impossible to hold down a job, keep the house together, and make friends with just one Sim. To make matters worse, the mechanics of friend-making are inconsistent and arcane, with other Sims changing their preferences on a whim. The list could go on, but suffice it to say thatThe Sims 1difficulty is kind of a nightmare for newer players.
Sims 1 Difficulty Could Be A Problem For Newcomers
Later Entries Were Much Easier
Here’s the thing: even thoughthey have a lot more content now,The Simsgames have gotten much simpler over the years. EvenThe Sims 2represented a massive downward jump in terms of difficulty, doing away with most of the gripes listed above. Things only got easier with successive entries.
InThe Sims 4, it’s easier than ever before to keep a Sims’s needs met, and they decrease so gradually that, once again, it’s unrealistic. A starter home with all the fixings is far cheaper, and maintaining a simple, yet fulfilled, life won’t drain a Sim’s bank account. Jobs have clear schedules with set days off, and pretty realistic schedules that leave Sims plenty of time to make friends or take up hobbies. And careers are no longer tied to moods, so Sims will clock in even if they’re not feeling their best.
Sims 4’s Next Expansion Pack Reportedly Leaked, & It’s Good News For Entrepreneurial Simmers
The Sims 4’s next expansion pack has allegedly been leaked, and it might include some great new features in store for business-minded players.
Newer players have gotten used to all these changes, and may not be expecting aDark Souls-level challenge (Dark Sims, if you will) when it comes to keeping their Sims alive. Many will be completely blindsided by aSims 1re-release, likely losing their characters to some unexpected disaster, only to discover the most jarringSims 1omission: there’s no autosave.
There’s A Downside To Downgrading Sims 1’s Difficulty
The Sims 1 Isn’t The Same With Lower Difficulty
Of course, EA could always put out a sort of nerfed version ofThe Sims 1, cranking down its difficulty to appease newer players who’ve gotten too used to the quality-of-life changes brought byThe Sims2through4. But that doesn’t seem to be the plan, and besides,if it were any less difficult, it wouldn’t be a true re-release ofThe Sims 1; it’d be more like a reskinnedSims 2.
A truly accurateSims 1re-release has to be every bit as difficult as the original, but it can be a little more flexible. For example,a couple of difficulty slidersin the menu would go a long way toward getting new players used toThe Sims 1; turn up the days off, and down the fire frequency, and the game’s a lot more approachable. But of course, even that kind of convenience may be eschewed in the name of faithfulness.
The Sims 4: 20 Best Websites To Find Custom Content
These platforms, including Tumblr and YouTube, are the best places to find the latest and greatest custom content for The Sims 4.
For those new players interested inThe Sims 1, though, don’t be deterred by its difficulty.There are always cheats, and knowing theSimscommunity, there’ll be a whole suite of mods to downgrade the difficulty within 24 hours of release. But even if not,The Sims: Legacy Collectionis still worth playing - just remember to save early and often.
