One of the strongest advances of The Sims 3 over the previous entries in the series was the inclusion of a true open world. With the strength of the big mod scene behind The Sims 3, it seemed primed to be exploited and pushed to its limits, and pushed to the limits it was. The ability to wander across an entire town, eventually complete with work places, shops, public places like parks and pools, and civic buildings like the town hall was fantastic. It meant dropping in on the neighbours without warning was a cinch, and you could spend days systematically leaving food on their entire floor! Unfortunately that is no longer the case in The Sims 4, which has chosen to go the way of the more portable entries in The Sims franchise, like the earlier games. In fact, it is unfair to compare this lack of mechanic to the portable Sims games, as The Sims 3 entries on iOS all have an open world town to explore, some complete with driving. Now in The Sims 4, visiting others is done entirely through a travel menu, disappearing in one part of town and reappearing in another. Of course, complete with loading screen.
