Paradox Interactive’sLife by Youis taking the opposite approach to many of the gaming industry’s modern fads, as the developer has revealed the game is going to be totally offline and completely customizable. A veritable competitor to Electronic Arts’The Simsfranchise, this newcomer to the genre promises to provide a stable, yet flexible gaming platform for those who want something new and exciting.
Announced as part of therecent Paradox Announcement ShowalongsideCities: Skylines 2andKnights of Pen and Paper 3,Life by Youaims to empower the player with more control than one might’ve expected. In an attempt to illustrate what makes this particularSimscompetitor such a big deal, one of the lead developers has explained what the game will be all about.
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Rock Paper Shotgun spoke withParadox Tectonic’s general manager Rod Humble at GDC 2023, which revealed a whole slew of important information about the game. According to Humble,Life by Youis being built from the ground up to last for as long as possible “because [the developers] want players to be able to lean on this game.” Humble also explained thatLife by Youwill be entirely offline and will fully support modding and community creations from the very start. It’s important to Paradox Tectonic that the studio doesn’t invalidate the players' experience, Humble claimed, and giving them full control over their game files is a crucial aspect of this approach.
Life by Youcould improve uponThe Simsin many different ways, of course, but it’s worth highlighting that the game may launch in a somewhat rough state. Specifically, it’s due to come out as an Early Access project that will improve as time goes on. Considering Humble’s commentary, however, this approach could work wonders for the game, especially since Paradox is well known for its long post-launch content plans and comprehensive modding support.
Older fans ofThe Simsfranchise may remember that Paradox Tectonic’s Rod Humble worked onThe Sims 2back in the day, which is bound to be felt inLife by You’sSimsvibes. If the developer successfully captures that same atmosphere and appeal, with the added bonus of fully supporting community content and modding, the game could quickly grow to become a serious competitor to EA’s gargantuan franchise.
Indeed, most fans agree thatThe Sims 5needs to be ambitiousto properly enamor its audiences. It’s all but certain that Paradox will end up biting off a chunk ofThe Simsplayer base in due time, with the only remaining questions being just how big of a chunk that might be and how quicklyLife by Youmight evolve into a complete experience, rather than an Early Access experiment.
Life by Youis in development for PC and enters Steam Early Access on September 12.
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