Summary
It’s been an exceptionally rocky and tragic road forLife By You. Originally announced back in March 2023,Life By Youwas set to be an ambitious open-world life-sim from the former EA Play executive Rod Humble, who worked a great deal onThe Simsfranchise back in the day. Unfortunately,Life By You’s early access release date kept getting delayed, and on June 18,Life By Youwas officially canceledby publisher Paradox Interactive, and its 24-person studio was closed along with it.
The cancelation of any video game and shutdown of any studio is always tragic to hear about, butLife By Youis a particularly big loss for those hoping for a true competitor toThe Sims. There is a silver lining to this dark cloud, however.Life By Youwasn’t the onlySimscompetitor in the works, and if all goes to plan during development,Paralivescould end up being a serious match for the life-sim pioneer.
Paralives Is Shaping Up to be a Strong Sims Competitor
Paralives' Confirmed Features Are Already Quite Impressive
Currently set for an early access release in 2025,Paralivesis aSims-like gamethat’s been in development since 2019. For the vast majority of its development period,Paraliveswas being worked on by just one person, but in May of this year they announced that the game now had a studio of 12 working on it.Paralivesis still a very small game, being funded primarily via Patreon, but it’s an incredibly ambitious one, and those wanting a true competitor toThe Simsmight start pinning some of their hopes on it.
Based on the information available on its Steam page,Paralivesis already shaping up to be quite an impressiveSimscompetitor.Paralives' gameplay will be roughly split into three distinct sections: the “Paramaker” character creation tool, the Build Mode, and of course, the actual life-simulation part. Each of these areas has its own list of confirmed features already, some of which could end up givingThe Simsa real run for its money. Some of the most excitingParalivesfeatures confirmed so farinclude an open-world town, vehicles, pets, weather effects, a grid-less construction system, resizable furniture, and the ability to equip any item of clothing regardless of the avatar’s gender.
Paralives Is Exactly The Type of Competition The Sims Needs
WhileThe Simsessentially pioneeredthe life-simulation genre, at least in its modern form, the franchise has started to rest on its laurels a little. For decades,The Simshas been the top dog in the life-sim scene, but it’s only gotten more complacent as time has gone on, with each new entry bringing with it fewer innovations and, shockingly, less content overall, only for it to be brought back at a later date via paid DLC.
Hopefully, games likeParalivescan spark a fire underneathThe Sims, and encourage the long-standing franchise to put its much higher budget to good use. Competition should spurThe Simson to bring about some major changes and innovations and hopefully include more content in the base game from the get-go, as opposed to locking it behind a paywall like it’s done over and over again with fan-favorite features like pets, whichParalivesis offering for free, along with a wealth of post-launch updates.
Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day.Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures.Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless.Download for free — The base game of The Sims™ 4 is free to download. Get a plethora of options for building homes, styling Sims, and customizing their personalities. Craft their life stories while exploring vibrant worlds and discovering more ways of being you.
