Wasn’t it the last Sims games made by Maxis as a separate studio? Isn’t that why everything after it felt so lifeless?
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It was the last major Sims title released while Will Wright was still with the company. That would explain it.
Maxis continues to exist as a studio under EA, but most of the original people are gone, including the founders.
Continues to play The Sims 2 like a boss