The Sims series has always focused heavily on character creation. In a game where the main goal is to live a life well, providing players with tools to create the Sim they want to play with is of paramount importance, and developer Maxis has always done a fine job of making those tools available, highly flexible, and easy to use. For the next iteration in the celebrated series, The Sims 4, Maxis has upped its customization game, offering the most intuitive and robust creation suite to date.

Whereas The Sims 3 featured slider bars for modifying each aspect of a character’s face and body, The Sims 4 will utilize a tactile system, allowing players to simply grab and shape body parts with the mouse. This eliminates the need for the complex nested menus that discouraged some players from using anything more than a template.

The detailed video above shows just how simple and robust the reshaping system is, and how it can now be used to create characters of different nationalities. It also touches on clothing options, including an option to quickly dress your Sim in pre-made outfits.

The new customization suite looks impressive, and should make it easier to create unique Sims that run the gamut from realistic to ridiculous. The examples shown are very accurate, with created Sims eerily resembling their real-world counterparts.

The next update from Maxis will discuss The Sims 4’s building creation suite, and we hope there's a chance to get some hands-on time with the upcoming sequel at E3.

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