First, note that this review is based on the game itself and compared only to other sims base games...no expansion packs. The reason is that with every new Sims iteration, the content is always small in comparison to the previous game with 11 expansions...and this should be obvious to everyone from the beginning.
The second you start playing, this obviously feels like a Sims game. But it is something more, it feels more like a Sims game than the Sims 3. The Sims 4 returns to the wonderful world of Sims 2 and how Sims should be done. They are funny, goofy, awkward, inspiring and cute. In the course of a 12 hours play session, the game made me smile, laugh, be sad, angry and embarrassed. The emotion system that now governs a sim's mood is wonderfully done here and makes the Sims themselves come to life like never before. They have so much personality within them that just watching them interact is entertaining. While you do have loading between each lot you visit, the loading time is markedly reduced from previous games...its not tedious anymore. Hopefully they can keep that up after 2-3 expansions.
Now, that being said, the best thing about this iteration is the big leap in build/buy mode which have been completely overhauled...for the best. It is now so easy to build the house of your dreams. While I would have wished the graphics to be more detailed, I understand why they went for a cartoony feel. This is a Sims game, it is meant to be cute and funny, not realistic. And in my opinion, they have achieved it. The animations are much smoother than they were in Sims 3 and facial expressions are very much improved.
In terms of actual base game content. Yes, we don't have pools, but somehow in all the time I played, I have not missed them at all. There is so much for your sims to do that going to the pool was not even in my thoughts throughout the entire playthrough. As far as toddlers are concerned...well I think they were not necessary in the previous game anyways. They were very time consuming and interactions were limited and tedious. It is now much more fun to interact with grown up children. Yes, terrain tools are absent, but I rarely used them before anyways, so for me its not a great loss.
While the sims 4 does not offer the sheer amount of material introduced in the past few years, it does set a very firm and stable ground for what will be great expansion packs in the next few years to come. Until then, there is enough crazy things to do in the base game to keep you entertained for a long time. Also, some cool elements introduced in expansion packs make a come back, like musical instruments, digging for treasure and setting up gigs at the lounge are really fun. The Sims have finally returned to Sims 2...where they are meant to be little goofy and crazy versions of human beings. Now excuse me, while I return to play my awkward Sim that lives her life by telling jokes to people and get tips...