Keke Palmer Has A Much Better Idea Than Sims 5 For The Next Sims Game

Summary Keke Palmer desires a return to narrative-oriented gameplay for the Sims series, akin to older entries like The Urbz.

The actress emphasizes the lack of concrete story beats in modern Sims games, calling for a revival of RPG-like elements.

A return to the franchise's roots would be beneficial amid the rise of promising competitors.

Ever since the announcement of Project Rene in 2022, the newest entry in The Sims franchise, the community has been abuzz with opinions on what an ideal version of the game would look like. However, in a recent interview, actress Keke Palmer revealed she'd prefer if the series went in an entirely different direction with its next title. Though Project Rene is still in the early stages of development, there is still new franchise content on the horizon, with a new Sims 4 Expansion Pack slated for this summer.

During recent red carpet coverage for the Amazon Upfronts, where Palmer was promoting her upcoming film The Pickup, Screen Rant spoke with the actress to get her thoughts on where The Sims is headed.

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Palmer expressed her desire for a return to more narrative-oriented gameplay, harkening back to classic entries like The Urbz: Sims in the City. Check out the full quote below:

Keke Palmer: What would I like to see next? You know, I think a big thing for me with Sims - I used to love Urbz and Bustin' Out for the Nintendo DS. I always wanted it on the computer, and I know they have some of it available now, but it's not the same thing, in terms of the story, or narrative, mission-based opportunities. I think in the newer version you can do some of it, but it's not in the same way as it was on those Nintendo games. So, I wish that I could actually do more of a story and like a challenge, and that kind of thing.

Related Everything We Know About Sims 5 & Project Rene (So Far) Even though the next game in the Sims franchise, Project Rene - which many call The Sims 5 - is years out, there is plenty of known info already.

Keke Palmer Is A Long-Time Sims Fan

The Actress Had A History With The Series Long Before Streaming

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While the Nope actress only began streaming The Sims 4 last year, this interview makes it clear her history with the series far predates her public gameplay. The Urbz: Sims in the City was released in 2004, and the handheld version Palmer refers to had an entirely fleshed-out storyline that was much different than the gameplay newer players are familiar with. In the franchise's infancy, there were several games of this narrative nature, with spin-offs like The Sims Life Stories and Castaway Stories that still allowed for player freedom while balancing concrete story beats.

A Return To The Past Would Benefit The Sims

The Franchise Is Due For A Return To Its Roots

In modern-day Sims games, fans will be hard-pressed to find any outright narrative content that they aren't creating themselves. Arguably, the closest players can currently get is through The Sims 4 Scenarios, which are special challenges that sometimes involve existing relationships between Sims as a loose storyline framework. While the sandbox play the game is geared toward is an undeniably important foundational element of the series, it would be a wonderful change of pace for the franchise to reintroduce some of the more RPG-like facets seen previously.

Perhaps the worst part of these features being absent is that fans aren't even able to purchase older entries easily, with many games like The Urbz only available through secondhand sellers. Promising franchise competitors like Paralives and Life by You loom on the horizon, and have already gained traction partially through implementing features missed in modern Sims releases. Currently, very little is known about the next Sims 4 Expansion Pack besides a vague romance theme, but the series returning to its narrative roots would do a lot to serve its overall longevity.

Source: Screen Rant Plus/YouTube