Comparison between The Sims 2 and The Sims 3
The Sims 3 is based on The Sims original base game and The Sims 2 original base game, and therefore contains many of the same features.
Completely new features
These features have not existed in any game in The Sims series before:
- Seamless neighborhood
- Bicycles
- New music
- Time passes on all lots on the same time - in The Sims 2 it was frozen on the home lot as long as Sims visited community lots. To avoid exploitation of this, Sims could not learn skills, or sleep, in community lots. In The Sims 3, Sims can do almost everything regardless of where they are.
- Ability to visit other homes
- Story progression - non-active households evolve during gameplay (can turn on or off)
- Create-A-Sim features:
- Continuous body shapes (muscularity/obesity) and skin colors
- Enhanced facial customisation features
- New Footwear
- New Traits
- New Moodlets
- Create-A-Style
- Ability to adjust lifespan
- Ability to turn off aging
- New skills (Guitar, Painting, Writing; Nectar making[TS3:WA] and photography[TS3:WA]
- Skill challenges
- "Rabbit holes" - elementary, opaque civic buildings
- Opportunities
- Enhanced job features
- Job performance options
- Dynamic performance criteria (skills, co-workers, assignments)
- Raises
- Basement, basements tool.
- Being able to sing songs from other countries [TS3:WA]
The Sims 2 expansion features in The Sims 3
Many features introduced in The Sims 2 expansions appear in The Sims 3 base game, to some extent.
- Young adults (University): This life stage was for college years. Now it is a regular life stage.
- Mobile phones (University): Each Sim that is a child and older now has a mobile phone fixed in their inventory.
- Guitar: As many games and expansions featured a fixed electric guitar, The Sims 3 has a portable acoustic guitar with a designated guitar skill.
- Treadmill (University)
- Private cars (Nightlife)
- Personal inventory (Nightlife) - now limited to vehicles and portable objects
- Fish tanks/bowls (Pets) - can be used for caught fish
- Gardening (Seasons) - expanded
- Fishing (Seasons) - expanded
- Storing and eating leftovers (Seasons)
- Jewelry (Bon Voyage) - though many kinds of jewelry (such as face piercings) are left out without the addition of custom content
- Walking between lots (Bon Voyage)
- Activity table (Free Time): Toddlers no longer gain regular skills, but certain activities can give skills as they grow up.
- Bug catching (Free Time): See collecting.
- Ceilings (Apartment Life)
- Toothbrushing (Apartment Life): As it was featured in The Sims base game.
- Playground structures (Apartment Life)
- Influence - combined with Charisma skill
Lost features
These game features were found in The Sims 2 base game but not in The Sims 3.
- Cinematics
- Mechanical skill - replaced by Handiness
- Cleaning skill - much because of the neat and slob Sim traits
- Creativity skill - replaced by Guitar skill, Painting and Writing
- Aspiration - replaced by lifetime happiness
- Slacker career - replaced by part-time jobs
- Fears - much because of the coward and brave Sim traits
- Underwear styles - though underwear can be used as the pajamas style or added in custom content
- Private school
- Visible retail stores - replaced by "rabbit holes". Retail stores reappeared in The Sims 3: World Adventures
- Yoga
- Meditation - re-added with The Sims 3: World Adventures
- Interests- only favourites now
- Memories
- Aliens, alien abduction, alien pregnancy
- Environment and comfort needs (replaced by moodlets)
- The ability to create new neighborhoods replaced by Create-A-World
- Illness
- Inheritance
- Photo album - Screenshots are uploaded to TheSims3.com where stories are created.
- The need to buy clothes - your Sims already have everything.
- Cockroaches - Although they can be collected. See collecting.
- Dreaming during sleep (re-added in patch 1.5/1.6)
- Body Shop
Lost NPCs
NPCs that were in The Sims 2 base game, but not in The Sims 3.
- Exterminator
- Headmaster
- Hula Zombies
- Social Bunny
- Therapist
- Gardener
- Shop assistant
Lost objects
These objects (with unique interactions) were found in The Sims 2 but not The Sims 3:
- Aspiration rewards - replaced by lifetime happiness rewards
- Career reward objects (sandbag, hydroponic garden, obstacle course, etc.)
- Piano - replaced by Guitar
- Diving board/water slide - though swimming pools remain
- Hot tub (re-added in the first Stuff Pack)
- Retail objects - cash register, shelves, etc.
- Farstar e3 Telescope - the simple telescope remains
- Specialised weight machines - the game now has only one combined weight machine.
- Magazines to change interests
- Wedding arch
Changes in Animations
- Giving birth
- Birthday parties / aging up
- Death
- Marriage