It should be no surprise that my favorite gaming genre is RPGs. Pokémon is my all time favorite franchise, and I just adore any RPG I pick up. However, simulation is probably my second favorite genre. For me, they are alike in a lot of ways which I really enjoy. In The Sims, you have skills you need to raise that will help you progress your Sim’s careers, and in games like Planet Zoo you can complete research to unlock better items or buildings for your zoo. When you think about it, our own lives are a lot like RPGs and simulation games.
There are a few sub-genres in the simulation family like life sims or management sims. For me, I think I love them equally, but usually find myself drawn to management sims more. Animal Crossing: New Horizons will dispute that though with my playtime being over 300 hours and being a life sim, but in this post I wanted to discuss simulation games that are a bit more hands on.
The very first simulation game I can remember playing was actually back on the PlayStation 2. It was called Theme Park Roller Coaster. Me and my sisters spent so much time on this game. It was definitely watered down in comparison to the simulation games that are out right now, especially with it being on consoles, but at the time it was all I knew. I liked that you could start different themed parks, like a Halloween park or space park.
It did let you build roller coasters, too, but you just placed the tracks, there wasn’t much more to it than that. However, I have to give this game credit for being the game that sparked my interest in theme park games, and simulation games as a whole.
Another game I discovered on the PlayStation 2 was The Sims. Again, watered down for consoles, but still a great time. I remember actually renting it from Blockbuster and playing it every morning before school. The PlayStation 2 version had you play through a story that moved you up in the world and into better homes. It also let you build a rather small neighborhood. I played a few of the other Sims titles on PlayStation 2 as well.
Needless to say, when I finally played The Sims 3 on my laptop, I was blown away by how many more features there were. If I had to pick a favorite life sim, it would be The Sims. I’m not sure anything else can even compare to it. I spent a ridiculous amount of time with The Sims 3 and all of its expansions, all on a Macbook Pro so I still wasn’t really experiencing it in the best way possible.
Then came the PS4. Now, still a console but it certainly performs better than the PlayStation 2 and I actually have a few simulation games there. The Sims 4 was a no brainer for me, but unfortunately I just had so many issues with it lagging and freezing up that I eventually had to put it down.
However, Cities Skylines, Surviving Mars, Jurassic World Evolution and the Tropico games were all solid simulation games that performed well for me on my PlayStation 4. I probably spent the most time with Surviving Mars and Jurassic World Evolution. I think the reason for that was the survival aspect of it.
See, Surviving Mars tasks you with the job of populating Mars and keeping your civilization alive. You’ve got to make sure they have water, oxygen, food and jobs. You also need to keep expanding to reach important points on the map like mining sites so you don’t run out of materials. It is an excellent simulation game.
Jurassic World Evolution is similar in the fact that you have to keep your dinosaurs alive and happy. If they are unhappy, they will try to escape and endanger the guests in the park. Trust me, I had plenty of Velociraptors escape and attack people. They freak out every time it storms, just like my dog Mylo. I loved the struggle of juggling all of those things though to ensure that the park ran smoothly. It was also fun to play with genetics in this game and make new dinosaurs.
Currently, I have Planet Coaster for my PlayStation 5 and again, have enjoyed it. It is certainly more in-depth than Theme Park Roller Coaster was and I love it. You can control everything from the prices in each shop, to ticket prices of each ride. There are plenty of object to use to decorate your park and make it your own as well. I’ve been working my way through the career mode, and have enjoyed the challenges.
I FINALLY got a gaming PC a few weeks ago and am eager to jump into all of my favorites and experience them at their fullest. I’ve been playing a lot of Planet Zoo, which for me has been a complete joy. I adore animals and this title has been wonderful. It is so educational, and like Planet Coaster, very in-depth. Having seen Planet Zoo, I can see now that even with the PS5, they had to strip Planet Coaster a bit for consoles. I can imagine the PC version is better, and I might eventually pick it up as well.
For now though, I’m enjoying myself with Planet Zoo and don’t want to mix simulation games because it can get pretty confusing. I’m also still getting used to PC controls so that’s been an experience in itself. However, I’m stoked to finally be able to better experience a genre that I have always loved but never got the chance to fully explore. This year will certainly be another journey and self-discovery.
