Project Rene marks the biggest undertaking by The Sims team, made up of Maxis and EA. Though many expected a sequel to The Sims 4 to be the next major installment in the franchise, Maxis and EA have not only introduced Simmers to the mysterious Project Rene, but also pivoted and canceled The Sims 5.
Not much is known about Project Rene, though it was first introduced as not just a single-player simulator like previous installments in The Sims franchise, but an online multiplayer game available across various platforms, including mobile. Much has shifted since the game’s announcement in the fall of 2022, including the cancelation of The Sims 5, which many Simmers had assumed Project Rene was. The distinction between The Sims 5 and Project Rene is something Maxis and EA have been adamant about establishing, making this new project seem like a rebranding for The Sims franchise entirely.
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In fact, the naming of Project Rene was meant specifically to emulate a new route for EA and Maxis. Chosen to “be reminiscent of words like renaissance and rebirth to represent the team's renewed commitment for The Sims' bright future,” many fans of the longstanding franchise are apprehensive of this change, especially upon seeing leaks from the project.
Some features shown in Project Rene’s announcement at 2022’s “Behind The Sims Summit” included apartments, implying the feature would be available in Project Rene’s base game, unlike The Sims 4, and a detailed object designer called “Workshop”, which includes texture patterns, a color wheel, and the ability to customize the size of smaller objects on a larger object (ie: increasing the size of pillows on a bed). These features all build off existing aspects of The Sims 4 like apartments, first introduced in the City Living Expansion Pack, and swatches, the elementary feature of choosing an item’s color.
A Playtester Spills the Beans
A playtester for Project Rene who spoke of their experience and leaked images on Reddit confirmed that aspects of Project Rene will be very similar to preexisting games in The Sims franchise. Like in The Sims 4, the playtester was able to get a job at a cafe and spend the Simoleons they earned at a clothing store. However, these features are available in expansion packs for The Sims 4 rather than the base game. Simmers were first introduced to cafes in The Sims 4: Get Together expansion and retail shops were introduced in The Sims 4: Get to Work expansion, though thrift stores and a more fashion-centric retail career were introduced in The Sims 4: High School Years expansion.
This is different from Project Rene, which seems to have these careers built into its base game. Though having new features included in the base game is typically better for the wallets of gamers, these features could mean a higher price tag for Project Rene than for The Sims 4. This price disparity was always likely to be the case after The Sims 4’s base game became free-to-play. If Project Rene incorporates large aspects of The Sims 4’s various DLC, it will likely have a heftier price than the original cost of the base game plus some DLC packs.
Simmers may not be willing to pay the price for Project Rene after the same playtester showcased images from their experience. The leaker was quick to mention that the game’s visuals were meant for this phase in development and would certainly see improvements in the future. This didn’t stop some frustrated fans from referring to Project Rene as “The Sims Mobile but worse.”
Dataminers Dig Up Some Features
Create-A-Sim
Dataminers have also gotten their hands on Project Rene. One of the biggest features to be showcased was Project Rene’s version of Create-A-Sim (CAS). As the franchise’s version of character creation, Create-A-Sim is one of the most intricate and fun parts of gameplay in The Sims. The leak alleges that Project Rene’s CAS will allow gamers to adjust their Sim’s weight and height, as well as allow Sims to wear multiple layers of clothing. All three of these features aren’t available in The Sims 4. Additionally, a category for mobility aids, which currently only features wheelchairs, was uncovered.
The dataminers also discovered that horses will be available to edit in CAS. Though creating pets is possible in The Sims 4, animals are not included in the base game and are paywalled in packs like The Sims 4: Horse Ranch and The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs. This once again proves, if the leaks are legit, that EA and Maxis are stuffing as much content as they can into Project Rene’s base game rather than setting it up for DLC like The Sims 4. More information about textures suggesting that objects can be dirty or covered in snow affirms this theory. If seasons are available in the game on release, yet another feature can be added to the list of gameplay paywalls in The Sims 4 that is available in Project Rene for free.
Fast Travel
In addition to CAS information, dataminers uncovered references to a functional metro system used for fast traveling between Project Rene’s different worlds. The Sims 4 allows players to fast travel between worlds by clicking a button, after which a loading screen appears. In comparison, this metro station could act as a more dynamic loading screen or have gameplay associated with it, with players having to wait for a specific stop to get off at the world they want.
Multiplayer Mode and The Hub
Most interestingly, datamining shed light on Project Rene’s multiplayer features. The Hub, the central focus of the alleged play test, seems to act as a location where players can participate in weekly events and purchase digital goods, including season passes. If these digital goods and season passes are purchasable using in-game currency, these findings align with EA’s confirmation that Project Rene aims to be a free-to-play version of The Sims.
Many Simmers remain skeptical about Project Rene and its many promises. Rumors have circulated previously about Project Rene being canceled, though this is not the case. Either way, making good on a loaded version of The Sims that is not only free to play but includes multiplayer gameplay remains a tough project to develop. Until more information about Project Rene is released, Simmers will have to investigate The Sims 4’s latest DLC for clues on what will be included in Project Rene.