Despite the Sims franchise’s long-running success, its players have been waiting for a worthy challenger. Alex Masse’s indie title Paralives looks set to provide that. The game’s open-world nature and developer transparency has sparked interest among fans. But it’s the inclusion of features that The Sims has lacked for decades that have many excited.
One of the most interesting features to make its way into Paralives is houseboats. These quaint water homes have previously appeared in The Sims 3 expansion pack Island Paradise and the mobile game The Sims Freeplay, but now they’ll be available in the base game. These unique houses will allow your Sims to live on the water and enjoy some peace and quiet away from the hustle and bustle of their regular home lots.
Another feature that The Sims has lacked for far too long is pools. While the previous generation of games had pools, the current game hasn’t included them until now with the Seasons and Cats & Dogs expansion packs. But this is set to change with Paralives, which will include the ability to build pools in your town’s neighborhoods.
In addition to pool building, the game will also allow you to customize your characters in a number of ways. For example, you’ll be able to give your Sims a wide range of hair and skin colors. And the game’s color wheel is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, allowing you to pick the perfect shade for any object or piece of clothing with ease. You’ll even be able to save the default color swatches in case you want to avoid the hassle of having to choose each time you start up the game.
You’ll also be able to add a new level of depth to your town by building and decorating the streets, parks, shops, and workplaces. And thanks to Paralives’ realistic weather, seasons, and daytime cycles, you’ll be able to experience a simulated world that will feel like it’s truly your own.
And with a focus on eco-friendliness, the game will let you build anything from solar panels to functional windmills that’ll help your family reduce its carbon footprint. This is a welcome update for the series, which has long struggled to find the right balance between the need to innovate and the desire to keep its legacy intact. As more details continue to be revealed, it seems that Paralives is quickly positioning itself as a true contender to the Sims’ throne. But only time will tell if it’s actually up to the task. For more information, be sure to check out the official Paralives website and follow its development on the game’s official YouTube channel. And if you’re interested in supporting the game, you can do so by contributing to its Patreon.