Recent reviews by MageofMail

Unexpectedly atmospheric for a game in the simulator genre. Calming and peaceful gameplay (Except the horror level, actually pretty tense) contrasted with gruesome scenes. EXTREMELY satisfying mechanics that improve upon their inspirations well. Story is simple, but again, not at all something I expected from this game and very welcome. Also, the dog doesn't die. Major props.

Wonderful soundtrack, very polished (besides the occasional glitchy corpse physics, which are more silly than annoying most of the time), fun to 100% with some clever secrets. Made me laugh out loud at least twice.

Highly recommend for those who enjoyed house flipper, powerwash simulator, and other games of the sort.

Barely works for most people, A cash-grab, and the higher-ups clearly don't care for the player base. Wedding Stories and High School years had horrible bugs upon release and still don't work quite right, and Crystal Creations caused a bug only reversible by loading saves!

TS4 is way more mechanically limited, buggy, and soulless than any of the previous games in the franchise, and it's only saving grace is it's modern appearance. I understand a game being a hodgepodge with TS4's history, (It was originally a spin-off MMO, but was quickly changed into a mainline sequel after the crash and burn of Simcity.) but this is salvageable, and it just isn't being salvaged.

I hope EA decides to sell the franchise, and the Sims Team (The people who are trying their best) to someone who actually cares, because they clearly do not.

I became tired quickly. Potion Craft works quite well in making you feel like an alchemist, but the whimsy soured when I started to struggle with the implementation of crystals, spikes, and the philosopher's stone. A lot of work clearly went into this game and it's gorgeous graphics, but It just didn't click with me.

Generally: I had fun. House Flipper is certainly not the most polished or optimized game, and it does take a while to load on my gaming laptop, It's a good time as long as you are okay with going with the flow. I imagine someone with a more strict idea for a home is going to get frustrated at the mechanics, but I never go into a house to design with more than an aesthetic in mind. The game lacks a free-build mode, skills must be unlocked, and even building creation is relegated to the Farm DLC (You can't edit pre-existing buildings, anyway), but I didn't mind the roadblocks at first. You can't buy or work on bigger houses until you've fixed up a few smaller houses and saved up, and running out of money is nearly impossible. The game is not hard at all (it's a sandbox, it can't really be), but the rewards for finishing your builds and taking on jobs are rewarding.

Nitpicks:
- Many of the paint cans are not organized into the color filters on the side.
- Older objects may be categorized strangely (Couches that are categorized as beds, which upsets buyers who only want one bedroom.)
- The filters are more complex then helpful. I think I'd rather have categories based on use rather than room: "Storage"/"Seating"/"Tables"/"Hygiene"/"Sleeping"/"Dressing"
- The load times are... occasionally manageable.
- All the jobs between each DLC are wildly diffrent in style and mechanics (The TV DLC has semi-realistic, 3d, uncanny valley characters, while the rest of them have custom artwork.)
- Having to load up the office every time you open the game before going to another home or picking a job can be tedious.

Highlights:
- The Units System (1 Wall unit = 25cm) is a joy once you figure it out. I love putting down cabinets.
- The expanded wood types (Coarse dark oak, Light oak, Cedar) make creating a color scheme a ton of fun
- Cutting grass and picking up trash specifically are extremely satisfying to me.
- SO MANY ITEMS!
- I appreciate the work put into the animal welfare in the Pets DLC. Setting a good example of safe, comfortable habitats for animals is always appreciated.

Overall: House flipper is Janky, but addictive.