Once bitten by this time vampire you'll be lucky to have half the life your Sims are having.
It's like all the others in the series, which means overly charming virtual doll house. We've sunk weeks and weeks into playing these games in the past and every time we say that's it we still find ourself reinstalling it when an expansion comes out. We weren't even going to get this game, but there we were with it in the checkout line as if someone had clicked on our face bubble and chose "buy it."
It's a good game for what it does. We'd be a hypocrite to say we don't like playing it because we keep coming back to these games every other year. They're addictive, but there's something fun about them.
The Sims 3 streamlines a few game mechanics from previous expansions from previous games in the series. It's easier to get around your Sims' town, they all carry cell phones, there are these wishes that earn points like the last game. We don't know though, we were noticing a lot of stuff they cut back on. There are a few less ways your Sims can die, fewer skills, some of the career and skill bonuses from maxing them out aren't that great. They have a few unofficial careers like collecting things, fishing, and gardening that require a lot of micromanaging. Not an Alien to be found either.
The best thing about this installment has to be the create a Sim, build, and buy modes. They added a feature where you can skin/retexture the vast majority of objects, clothes, and hair. If you played the previous game you probably remember how annoying it was fighting between what matched ascetically and what conferred some sort of environmental or mood bonus.
A minor annoyance is aging. While they give you the option of turning it off and on, when it's on it ages all Sims everywhere. Doesn't seem to be a way to just have age on in your lot. If you're playing a couple active households and aging is on the Sims you had in the other house could die of old age.
We sort of think we liked the last Sims more if only because we remember there being a lot more to do even if it was a little convoluted and didn't have as much in the way of customization options. They'll probably start building it all up again in the first expansion and just like the digital dolls we'll be compelled to go do what the unseen puppetmaster in the sky commands with its cursor.
Another source of displeasure is watching your Sim clean its house as you realize you should be cleaning yours.
Ugh.