Video Games

The Sims Project Rene leaks have some fans worried about microtransactions and F2P grind

The Sims Project Rene leaks are starting to circulate, as players get their hands on an early build of the life game, and they’re sparking concern 

Josh Broadwell

EA/Maxis

The Sims Project Rene leaks are starting to circulate, as players get their hands on an early build of the life game, and they’re sparking concern among some about what Maxis has in store. It’s worth noting that this is an early build, though, and playtests like these are designed to spot problems in structure and style so the developers can make improvements later. There’s also no indication how recent this build is.

Leaked Project Rene screenshots show, not quite the Create-A-Sim screen, but the end result including several body types, character models, and clothing options, and they’re pretty basic. “The Sims 3 looked better” is a common refrain on Twitter, and while that’s definitely an exaggeration, Project Rene’s Sims in their current state lack a certain nuance of expression that characterized creations in The Sims 3 and The Sims 4. 

As one Redditer noted, they look more like cartoon characters than Sims. That might seem like an odd thing to say given how cartoonish The Sims is, but Maxis usually balances the goofy elements with something more human and relatable, something that’s just not in Project Rene yet.

What worried more folks who saw the leaks on Reddit and Twitter was how The Sims Project Rene is structured. The early build some people tested dropped you in a Parisian neighborhood with a goal of getting a cafe up and running. You have daily objectives to complete, earn Simoleons as a reward and then do it all over again. Tasks ranged from things like completing a shift at the cafe – which, to be fair, did seem slightly more interactive than most Sims 4 jobs, since you can at least operate the coffee machine and “work together with other players” – to buying an outfit. 

It’s something I'd expect from an F2P game with a battle pass to grind out, and it's the least Sims-like experience I can imagine. That goes double when you consider that you can also earn XP from completing actions such as talking to other Sims or wishing at the wishing well. Some fans speculate that Maxis plans on adding microtransactions that give you more Simoleons to spend on customization items, presumably cosmetics and hopefully not build mode items. Part of The Sims’ appeal is doing whatever you want, however weirdly and ineffeciently you want to, and the prospect of ticking off chores with no real reward or personality involved just seems wildly out of touch with the series.

Still, these concerns might be for nothing. EA and Maxis acknowledged The Sims Project Rene in a recent Sims celebration roundup, where they also announced a Sims movie with Margot Robbie, but they’ve yet to show any official footage or explain how Project Rene works. It might be this bad, but it could also just be one early build taken entirely out of context.

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Josh Broadwell
JOSH BROADWELL

Josh is a freelance writer and reporter who specializes in guides, reviews, and whatever else he can convince someone to commission. You may have seen him on NPR, IGN, Polygon, or Rolling Stone shouting about RPGs. When he isn’t working, you’ll likely find him outside with his Belgian Malinois and Australian Shepherd or leveling yet another job in FFXIV.

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