Paralives is a simulation game on Steam, which MeinMMO author Linda Knabe has been keeping an eye on for a long time. Now, a new trailer showcases the first gameplay and delivers everything that was hoped for and more.
What game is this about? Paralives is a simulation game that is set to be released on Steam in 2025. The development started as a one-man project, with the desire to create a life simulation that offers everything that The Sims lacks and to change the aspects of the franchise that have long been bothersome.
A trailer now shows over 7 minutes of gameplay, and the game has absolutely convinced MeinMMO author Linda Knabe:
Why could this game be exactly what I wish for? Since my childhood, I have spent countless hours playing various life simulations and I must say that it certainly belongs to my favorite genres.
I feel like I’ve been playing The Sims since day one, and since then, I have invested a lot of time, energy, and money into every installment. However, I must admit that the games have disappointed me more and more over time. I miss many things in the newer versions, and I could have done without many aspects as well.
And this is exactly where Paralives comes in and could finally offer me what I love about this genre again.
She has been following the development of Paralives privately for a long time and already knows that she will invest countless hours into it.
The current gameplay trailer has convinced me with so many points and small details that I am actually already sure: It will replace The Sims for me.
Starting with the graphic style, which I think strikes a good balance between realism and comic. I had already thought so with older videos about character creation, and it was confirmed again here.
This trailer also gives a small insight into character creation, and here I find the first feature that directly convinced me. Being able to distribute points for character traits such as charisma or creativity is something I have missed since The Sims 2. I also like that in Paralives, I can set the “vibe”, social behavior, or even the sleeping behavior of my character.
Paralives impresses with good features and attention to detail
The trailer then shows the gameplay, which at first glance seems to run similarly to many life simulations. You move into a new apartment and suddenly have bills and taxes to pay. To manage this, a job must be sought and money earned.
At this point, I simply like that you really need to be qualified somehow to find a part-time job, instead of just selecting a career branch on your phone. In general, it seems that Paralives is keen on allowing you to determine your career through decisions and skills.
Whether you prefer to earn more or wish to develop your musical skills while working is left to the player’s discretion. Both can have their pros and cons here. Because the better your skills, the greater the chance of other, perhaps better job offers.
The trailer also showed quite a bit regarding social interactions. From what we can see so far, these seem to go much deeper than in other games of this genre. For example, I can choose for my character to have a secret crush. Actions like flirting or kissing are displayed with a possible success rate.
Exactly what a life simulation should be about seems to be done right by Paralives. Not everything in life works out easily, even if you intend it to. Some decisions must be made, and they don’t always bring the success you desire.
Finally, I was also convinced by small details, such as a character shaking their head and giving up after a few push-ups, which just made me smile a little.
In conclusion, the developers lure with a pretty big announcement. Because Paralives will not get any paid DLCs and will instead work only with free expansions. Especially the DLCs often hit hard with Sims fans. They are not exactly cheap and do not always provide justified content for the price.
I myself have not acquired all expansions for The Sims 4 to this day and probably never will. The more I hope that the developers can really keep their promise with Paralives.
Overall, I really like everything I see from the gameplay and I can hardly wait to spend my time in Paralives.
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