Not as Medieval as the License

As a longtime fan of The Sims, I was happy when Electronic Arts first announced the release of The Sims: Medieval for the Personal Computer because things are definitely starting to get a little stale with the series. Though I have no doubt that the series could get more innovative with the 4th proper installment since The Sims 3 was a huge improvement from the first two games, at least on the PC version that is mind you, a little deviation from the norm is always a welcomed gesture. Now that Medieval is here, what I originally expected to be Sims-lite is actually shaping up to best Sims game thus far.

Gathering herbs for cooking and crafting.

Medieval is basically The Sims set in a fantasy kingdom milieu. Instead of a bunch of random families in a modern neighborhood, you take control of hero-type characters like a monarch, a wizard, and a bard to name a few. Though the ability to build your homes from the scratch is gone, you still get full access to creating your own unique sims as well as the freedom to do the interior decorating. The game definitely feels somewhat simplified compared to The Sims 3, especially the fact that you only have to worry about maintaining the sims' hunger and fatigue level but this is a welcomed change for the game because managing the bathroom time in the previous games had never been all that fun. The kingdom is presented as a fully explorable open world and the transition between it and the places where the sims dwell is seamless.

Soul-steal just because you can!

Medieval is objective-based and you must complete quests to progress through the game. The characters get to level up like in a role playing game and they can be equipped with weapons. The game has that kingdom-simulation feel to it and the more you play the game, the more developed your kingdom will be. If you like the open-ended gameplay of the main Sims games, don't worry because it exists here as well. Though you must eventually complete the main tasks given to you, what you do before you get there is entirely up to you so you can walk around the kingdom, interact with other sims, and commit mischief to your heart's content. I have only unlocked two character types so far and completed two quests but I took my sweet time getting them done: I was having too much fun hooking up my monarch with one of the castle attendants only to have him ditch his fiance for my wizard character. Fun stuff. Fans of the series should not ignore this title - Medieval feels fresh and new. I hope they will release expansions for this one.

FIRST IMPRESSION: 5 out of 5