The Sims 3 was always going to be a long term project. We all knew that the expansions were going to come thick and fast, and that when it was all said and done and The Sims 4 was announced, the Sims 3 would be a completely different game to the one that launched a few years ago.

This latest expansion is not a game changer like some of the previous ones. It’s more of a gap filler. See, when I play the Sims I hardly ever play as kids. They simply need to do their homework and go to school until their birthdays. This is then followed by adulthood where the real fun begins. But Generations sets out to fill this gap to becoming a grownup with all the fun we remember from our childhood. This one is for the kids!

Kids can now focus on their imagination with new items that will enhance this growing phase of their lives. Toy boxes allow them to dress up and hopscotch pads let them stay active outside. You can also send them to boarding school (something my kids will certainly experience!) to enhance their education and get the creative juices flowing. Some kids even develop imaginary friends!

Following this, their teen years are spent the same way all other rebellious teens spend their time: throwing raucous parties when the parents are away and playing pranks on each other, and also on their parents in moments of rebellion. But luckily teens can be grounded for their bad behaviour.

But Generations does more than just flesh out the younger generation. Young adults and adults are all about social status and relationships, who you meet and who you are seen with. Keeping a love interest going for long enough to settle down and have kids (if you are so inclined) is what this phase is all about. Cheat on your partner and you will be branded a cheater. Conversations are much more fleshed out and background checks allow you to determine where the Sims went to school. It is also possible to throw bigger parties and weddings where you can dare the guests to do all sorts of weird things. In one party I dared my guest to skinny dip in the pool, at which point she did to the delight of all around…except for my wife. At least it teaches you about actions and their effects.

It’s also about providing for your kids and keeping them entertained, balancing careers and a social life. Just like real life then. Elders now enjoy their time looking at their grandchildren and reminiscing about their golden years.

A lot of new items are also included to make this transition into the new expansion a little easier. However, the biggest problem I have with Generations is that it integrates so well with the current Sims 3 that it’s near impossible to know what is new. You can tell which items are new thanks to that expansions golden icon below it, but when you load up a current save game its extremely hard to differentiate new from old.

The whole Sims experience has been enriched in such a subtle way that I will probably only realize what is new when it is no longer there. This means that its value has to be questioned as you do not really notice many changes. When installed on a full Sims 3 installation with all current packs already installed it goes unnoticed by everyone except the hardcore Sims fans. However, it is these fans who will undoubtedly find hours of fun with every new little addition to be found here. It is also these fans that have already bought this expansion which makes this whole review a moot point.

If you are a Sims fan this expansion will surely be of great appeal and I can recommend it for all the little, nearly imperceptible changes. Everyone else should wait for the Sims 3 Complete Collection Chest and install it all at once.

The good: The fun is all in the details; hilarious pranks.
The bad: So subtly and well implemented that is goes by unnoticed.
The ugly: I never threw eggs at people as a teenager, especially my own parents!

Purchase: