The Sims 3 iPhone was a great success <Borat voice>. We highly enjoyed that title and of course a sequel is always welcome, like this one…

The Sims 3 World Adventures ($6.99)

The Sims. The original 3D RPG, the one that is the best selling PC game in history. But, how does that success in that market transcend onto the iPhone? Keep reading to see how this new title – World Adventures works out.

Presentation

The Sims 3 World Adventures is the next step in the logical progression of The Sims 3 series, it’s basically an expansion pack for the original title on the iPhone. As with other The Sims games, it has open ended gameplay, allowing you to do with your Sim whatever you want.

The Sims as a game is a 3G RPG real world simulation, where you play as a custom made character, in a suburb of SimCity. This is a classic game that is instantly recognizable for nearly anyone from 13-40 years old; everyone with a PC in 2000 has played The Sims.

Controls

The controls are fairly simple and appropriate for the iPhone. You guide your character through tapping – your Sim will move to that location and bring up an action dialogue if appropriate. You can turn your perspective using two fingers. You can swipe in all directions to rotate 360 degrees around your area. You can scroll with single finger swipes. These have a slight learning curve, but are very good once you adapt to using them.

Gameplay

As with all versions of The Sims, the gameplay is diverse, but completely open ended; meaning that it is not physically possible to “beat the game.” You simply guide your Sim around your world, speaking with other Sims, and engaging in mostly realistic activities. Also, you get the ability of treasure hunting and landmark exploring – new in World Adventures.

This adds significant depth and value to the game, but doesn’t change the fundamentals of the game. You have no goal, no purpose, no point. But sometimes, that is exactly what a game needs, and here it is simply perfect. Do what you want, when you want. No pressure, no purpose, just do what you want.

Suggestions

* iPad version! That would take this game to a whole new level. More screen real estate would enable so many more options and potential.
* Retro mode. That would be simply awesome, as either in-app purchase or a free update to be able to go back to the graphics of the original version of The Sims.

Conclusion

The Sims 3 World Adventures is a great game, and is an excellent example of what The Sims wants to be. But, for many people, they already own The Sims 3 on their iPhone, so why should they buy this? With the new destinations, challenges, and content, this is a great buy. New buyers of The Sims on iPhone shouldn’t even consider the original – this is 100% of that game and more.

Previous buyers should consider this as an excellent value, as you can import your existing progress and get every bit of $7 in added value from this game. It’s not possible to DISLIKE The Sims. This game is well worth the rating of 9.5/10.