It promises to completely obviate the old method of selecting from a finite list of generic components to create something that carries the appearance of a custom design, but is usually quite detached from the objective in your mind.

The new Sims editor is the closest thing I've yet come across to a truly comprehensive character creator.

They can be elongated, thickened, repositioned, arched, or straightened. This micromanagement of every single detail becomes most apparent when tweaking the eyebrows. Noses can be crooked or pointy, cheekbones can be prominent or subtle, and you can choose between various skin tones as well as colors. You can completely abandon prefabbed parts in favor of your own designs, because the entire bone structure can be architected to your liking.

Manipulate every single detail of your Sim's appearance and demeanorThe facial features are almost wholly customizable. You can individually adjust the width and depth of your Sim's shoulders, neck, chest, belly, waistline, thighs, calves, arms, forearms, feet, and, of course, head. Two sliders adjust the overall fat and muscle content of your Sim, but they're underpinned by a bewildering breadth of size adjustment for particular body parts. Thus, not only can you select between three different voice styles, you can also set the pitch. While you've always had a rich set of options for tailoring your Sim's traits and attire, the new game ratchets up the level of fine-grained control to pretty much unprecedented levels.Īlmost every setting has a deeper level of control to explore. Gamers at the show can mess around with The Sims 4's character creation tool, which does a great job of showcasing the renewed focus on deeper and more flexible customization. Maxis' fourth Sims title is scheduled for a 2014 release, but a limited alpha version of the game is playable here at Gamescom in Cologne.

Sims 4 character maker