The Sims 3 has had a long run, and now with Sims 4 amping up for a release, Sims 3 content is reaching an end. As the final expansion, Sims 3 Into the Future does more than just offer additional content, it reimagines how you play the game.

Into the Future offers an excellent way for players to get even more out of their game without forcing any changes on the player. Oasis Landing is a city in the future that you can visit, much like University or vacation destinations. Characters receive portals to the future when they first start a game. They can then decide to travel into the future at any point, which pauses all game activity during the present. Aside from learning how to use future technologies, Sims can visit their descendents. Since time pauses in the present, your Sim can go back and forth between both times, watching their descendents either rise or fall with the success level of your Sim.

All that back and forth means serious issues for some Sims. If you give your Sim the Unstable trait, that Sim has a chance of being severely agitated upon waking each morning that they do not sleep in a futuristic Dream Pod. Dream Pods are special beds that offer enhanced dream features. When your Sim is distressed, you will need to either let them breathe in a paper bag, or even have them commit themselves to a hospital. If a Sim is not helped in one of these ways, they will then have a mental breakdown and forget who they are, leaving their other traits to change at random. This is one of the most challenging traits to play with, and it also provides an extra element of intrigue for gamers who like to keep things unpredictable.

The fact that your Sim has to travel to the future doesn’t mean that everything futuristic has to stay there. Sims can spend their time in the future learning to use advanced technology, which they can then purchase in the present and use within their own homes. There are also plenty of futuristic hair styles, make up, and wardrobe additions to help your Sim look like other people from the future. The future styles are seemingly inspired by a mishmash of some of the most prevalent works of science fiction, such as Star Trek, Tron, and Hunger Games. Some of the more impressive additions are the Oculo Holo- Computer, which lets you manipulate a projected screen with your fingertips; the FoodForge Cuisine Synthesizer, which instantly serves meals without the need to cook them; and the Fantastical Facade Projection Paneling, which brings the majestic wonder of the beach, woods, or even an active volcano to your living room walls. Modes of transportation in the future are also upgraded, meaning you can use a jetpack, flying car, windcarver (think hoverboard), or whip by buildings on the monorail.

Aside from items, there are also skills and professions. Those who love technology should look into the Bot Fan trait, which helps them with the task of creating Plumbots using a Bot Workshop. Plumbots can be specialized by installing various trait chips. There is even a Bot Arena, where Sims can pursue a career as either an arena official or bot mechanic. The future also introduces the collection of Nanites, which are essential for Bot production. They can either be obtained in the wild in Oasis Landing or synthesized using the Bot Workshop. And if robots aren’t your thing, you could send your Sim over to the Observatory to pursue their dream of studying outer space. Sims can now become Astrophysicists, or even Space Explorers.

Influencing your descendents isn’t the only impact you can create in the future. Characters are given an Almanac of Time, which assists in monitoring changes across both time periods. Oasis Landing is initially a representation of the “Normal Future”. However, your Sim may decide to activate either a Dystopian or Utopian Future Event. They, as one would guess, result in drastically different versions of the future that are different enough to merit exploration. If your Sim performs certain specialized tasks well enough, they may even have a Legacy Statue erected of themselves in the future. These are awarded for achievements such as creating high quality Plumbots, donating many Simoleons as a philanthropist, or even just being super fashionable while in the present.

Into the Future is an expansion pack that is brimming with content to explore. As one of the heftiest expansion packs for the game, it certainly does not slack off despite how late in the game’s lifecycle it was released. While I don’t even have time to list every new item and feature here, I do feel one of the strongest points of this expansion, even beyond all it has to offer, is the ability for the player to enjoy the game in a non-linear fashion. The game mechanics of this expansion open play style to allow more freedom in player advancement. Impressive attention was paid to all of the design decisions, and nearly every possible area that could be enhanced was tackled here. All of this means Into the Future is one of my highest recommended expansion packs to be released for Sims 3.

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