Could the Sims 4 ever go open world?

I think it’s fair to say that, wherever you want your Sims to live that The Sims 4 has a lot for everyone. Whether that’s strange conspiracy-ridden towns or spooky locales full of ghouls and ghosties.

But considering the innovations by competing life sims such as Inzoi, could The Sims 4 go open world?

Why a Sims 4 open world would be good

We’ve already seen similar systems in The Sims 3, where your Sim can move out from their Lot and into Community lots while under your control. It adds more of a sense of freedom and realism to the world since in real life you don’t have to experience loading screens (I hope) to move around.

This can also mean more space for interaction and oddities. Having a vampire Sim that follows you home for example would be spooky, but a lot more immersive than just an ‘event’ where one pops onto the Residential lot from outside. And since there are worlds such as StrangerVille which already lean into the idea of storylines and exploration it’s not unprecedented in concept.

Why it wouldn’t work

In short? Technical and gameplay limitations. What I’ve mentioned above is pretty much pie-in-the-sky thinking from someone who will admit to having no game development experience. But even I know that designing an open world is a technical nightmare.

Behind even the smallest lot in The Sims 4 is a huge number of technical systems managing your Sims, the townies and all their needs, wants and desires. Even being able to travel to other destinations for visits or vacations is a huge technical undertaking already.

And as we’ve seen before the technical limitations of The Sims 4 engine means that EA doesn’t quite have the leeway other live service-style games might have.

I think the major departure and redesigns from the ground up it’d require aren’t exactly small potatoes either. The Sims 4 is designed around its limitations after all, and switching that up would be part of a larger change if it happened at all. Expansions such as Adventure Awaits (out today) also capitalise on travelling between lots as a key part of their mechanics.

What features could be integrated

Of course, on a smaller scale a more ‘open world’ style system for Lots would be welcome. Not having to transfer between residential and community lots for example, which is something we’ve already seen with stuff such as businesses that combine your workplace and living space.

And it certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented for The Sims. As I noted above we saw the open world style in The Sims 3 previously, and I do have a sneaking suspicion that the limitations of The Sims 4 and its lot system may have to do more with backpedalling from a planned multiplayer focus than anything else.