Parents' Guide to The Sims 3: Into the Future

Game Mac , Windows 2013
The Sims 3: Into the Future Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Mark Raby By Mark Raby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Time-traveling expansion gives base game futuristic look.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 2 parent reviews

What's It About?

With the expansion pack THE SIMS 3: INTO THE FUTURE, players are greeted by a man who claims to be from the future but who needs help repairing his time portal to get back home. Once players help repair the portal, they are free to travel into the future. Players are able to visit one of three possible futures: an optimistic future in which the world is a veritable utopia, a much more grim version of the future where everything is barren and desolate, and the \"Normal Future,\" which is only a slight modification from the present world. In addition to players being able to explore these new areas, the expansion contains a lot of new, futuristic items that can be used to decorate a Sim character and its virtual home.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 2 ):
Kids say : Not yet rated

The Sims 3: Into the Future breathes new life into a game that's already chock-full of interesting gameplay elements. The concept of time travel is one of endless intrigue, and this expansion takes a very interesting twist on the concept by allowing players to visit three potential futures, based on whether the virtual Sim world is taken care of or not. The Sims franchise has always been about choosing between good and bad decisions. This expansion presents that idea in a new light, allowing players to see drastic differences in their virtual world, presumably based on what would happen if the right or wrong decisions were made during the next several decades. In short, for players who need a new twist on The Sims 3, this expansion pack delivers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the importance of balancing their real and virtual social lives. Why is it important to set computer limits?

  • There are three depictions of the future in this game: the optimistic "Utopian Future," the desolate "Dystopian Future," and the generic "Normal Future." Which one do you think is most likely to be like the future in real life, and why?

  • Does your Sim character do anything you would like to do in real life? Do you let it do things you would never do? Why, or why not?

Game Details

  • Platforms : Mac , Windows
  • Subjects : Hobbies : building , collecting , fashion
  • Skills : Self-Direction : self-reflection , time management , work to achieve goals
  • Available online? : Available online
  • Publisher : Electronic Arts
  • Release date : October 22, 2013
  • Genre : Simulation
  • ESRB rating : T for Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
  • Last updated : November 11, 2020

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