Reviewed: April 21, 2011
Reviewed by: Mahamari Tsukitaka

Publisher
Electronic Arts

Developer
The Sims Studio

Released: March 22, 2011
Genre: Simulation
Players: 1

8
8
9
9
8.6

System Requirements:

The Sims Medieval experiments with a combination of features from The Sims 3, the roleplaying genre, and a kingdom simulation game with mixed, though generally positive, results. For starters, The Sims Medieval is a much more linear game—at least at first, but more on that later—and involves building a kingdom from the ground up. Unlike the entirely open-ended The Sims 3, The Sims Medieval is almost entirely achievement and quest-based. In fact, you’ll find that you can’t play with your Sims unless you’re on a specific quest, and even then, only one Hero Sim can be played at one time. At any given moment, you’ll only be in control of your kingdom’s Monarch, Knight, Spy, Wizard, Physician, Blacksmith, Bard, Merchant, Peteran Priest, or Jacoban Priest. Moreover, you can’t start a quest without spending finite Quest Points, which are earned through completing Achievements (in-game milestones) and Ambitions (your kingdom goal chosen when that kingdom is created). Later in the game, some strategizing is sometimes needed for the best return.

If you’re an old hand at the Sims games, it’s possible you might be reading all of this with marked distaste—and frankly, if that’s the case, this might not be the game for you. In fact, if you’ve played the World Adventures expansion and absolutely hated the quest system, this might not be the game for you, since The Sims Medieval mostly revolves around exploring and completing preset quest objectives. The game allows for different approaches to every quest, usually depending on the Heroes you have available to choose from, but the steps for each approach are predetermined.

That’s not to say that players don’t have some latitude in between quest objectives. You can still fit in a lot of freeform Simming in between tasks, like fishing, collecting herbs, cooking, practicing skills, wooing another Sim, or even having a family. Unfortunately, though, you can’t drag your toes too much, or your quest performance will degrade and earn you fewer rewards (like loot, Resource Points for building your kingdom, and experience points for your Hero). The same may not be true for everyone, but it put a bit of a damper on my laidback approach. Later on, though, after you complete a kingdom’s Ambition, that kingdom will be open for classic open-ended Sims gameplay.

The Sims Medieval has some other familiar features from The Sims 3. Hero Sims, for instance, can be customized in just about as much minute detail as their modern counterparts (except for glasses and makeup, which probably haven’t been invented yet in the Middle Ages), down to the height of the nose or size of the jaw. Clothing and furniture is also fully customizable much in the same manner as in The Sims 3, allowing players to choose textures and colors.

In terms of life simulation, The Sims Medieval gameplay has been somewhat simplified. There is no aging system, so though your Sims can have children, they will remain children forever. Hero Sims’ personalities have been simplified to two traits and one fatal flaw. These don’t seem to impact gameplay too heavily, but it’s kind of amusing when your Bloodthirsty Sim randomly punches someone out. You’ll also find that Medieval Sims only have two needs (hunger and energy)—everything else has been boiled down into mood-affecting status effects. That’s right; you’ll never have to watch your Sim use ye olde chamber pot again. Still, taking care of those invisible needs seems to raise Sims’ Focus, increasing their chances of success with tasks.

The Sims Medieval introduces some potentially intriguing other features, as well. For instance, Monarchs can pass Edicts that require votes from various domestic administrators and foreign dignitaries, and getting people to vote your way often requires some schmoozing. Passing edicts and holding court can affect the state of the kingdom, including foreign relations. In turn, good foreign relations can actually affect your options in the game, since other kingdoms might provide certain resources or unlock recipes as a result of trade. Given all the choices available to play a benevolent ruler or tyrant, peaceable neighbor or conqueror, there’s really more to The Sims Medieval than first meets the eye.

Of course, The Sims Medieval also has its flaws. As of the time of this writing, despite a patch, Sims still get stuck when path-finding, and the more limited camera can be problematic. I’ve also found a few glitches that prevented me from fulfilling certain Hero responsibilities. Additionally, you won’t find any lot-buying or home-building in this game, so folks who most enjoyed that aspect of The Sims 3 will be disappointed. (You can, however, select the décor style of the throne room and festoon the predesigned buildings to your heart’s content with medieval-themed furniture.) It would have also been nice to have the option to save the game during the somewhat lengthy tutorial.

In any case, The Sims Medieval is beautifully presented, with a pleasantly bardic soundtrack and an attractive art style featuring comic book-like ink illustrations and hand-painted-looking textures. The endearing humor of the original games is also intact in this incarnation. There were times I couldn’t help but laugh—like when a nurse threw leeches in my king’s face, or when my wizard smacked himself in the face with a staff to forget a spell. Tying it all together is an easy-to-use interface that somehow manages to be sleekly modern and quaintly medieval at the same time.

At the middling suggested retail price of $49.99, the game provides potentially endless hours of entertainment (if you enjoy sandbox games), and even playing through the Ambitions will take quite a few hours. As with previous Sims base games, it feels as though some features were held back in The Sims Medieval, but I’d wager that we’ll see them in a future add-on.

In summary, The Sims Medieval provides an unexpected jumpstart to a series that, while still well loved, was probably due for a refresher. The condensed, more directed gameplay might be hit or miss with Sims veterans and might be different enough from previous Sims games to attract a different demographic. While it’s not perfect, however, The Sims Medieval plays well and introduces many new features and exploration options alongside the familiar, all delivered in an attractive package.