Summary
Project Rene, the in-development follow-up toThe Sims 4, is shrouded in mystery. Despite not knowing much about the game, it’s likely that the next entry in the long-running life sim franchise will expand upon many features inThe Sims 4.Project Renehas its work cut out for it, sinceThe Sims 4has been continuing to build upon itself for a decade now. Through updates and expansion packs,The Sims 4offers a large variety of lives to jump into, which could be hard for Project Rene to compete with at launch.
However, there is at least one major wayProject Rene can meet the expectationsof players when it finally releases. The upcomingLovestruckexpansion is set to finally bring polyamorous relationships toThe Sims 4. After a full decade of demand from many players, polyamory is finally being introduced to the franchise, and Project Rene shouldn’t avoid featuring the romance option when it launches.

Project Rene Should Feature Multiple Relationships From the Start
Embracing a Variety of Relationships
One of the most fun parts ofThe Simsfranchise is that players get to live whatever life they choose, at least for the most part.The Simsoffers the chance for players to have relationships of differing sexual orientations and gender identities, but it took a while for polyamory to be brought into the series.The release date for Project Reneis unknown at the moment, but not featuring a diverse spectrum of relationships at launch would feel like a step back for the franchise.
Relationships play an incredibly important role inThe Sims. Whether it is a friendship, a family bond, or a romantic relationship,The Simshas always put interpersonal relationships at the forefront, and it only makes sense to expand that feature. Not everyone has to participate in the game’s polyamorous relationships, but it’s great that the option is at least there for players who either want to mirror their real life relationships or wish to see a new relationship dynamic. The inclusion of polyamory inThe Sims 4also brings up questions about how that could affectProject Rene’s multiplayer.
Project Rene featuring multiplayerhas been one of the biggest points of speculation about the game, as it’s intriguing to imagine what a multiplayer mode inThe Simscould look like. Multiplayer could easily pave the way for players to build in-game relationships with other players, and that would be brought even further with polyamory. It’s currently unknown how in-depth Project Rene multiplayer elements will be, but it’s a compelling route to consider.
Project Rene Righting Where The Sims 4 Went Wrong
The Sims 4has brought 10 years worth of fun life simulation, but taking a decade to include polyamory is surprising. The point ofThe Simsis to live out a dream life, and not including every type of relationship can hinder the experience for some players. There are a lot ofnotes Project Rene can take fromThe Sims 4, but it would be far better to be offered these many features from the start and not 10 years down the line.
Yes, theLovestruckexpansion is finally bringing polyamory and a variety of other interesting relationship dynamics toThe Sims 4, like the Cupid’s Corner dating app, but there is still one disappointing aspect. The expansion costs a whopping $39.99 to have this relationship option, which makes it even more important that Project Rene features the romance choice from the get-go. A decade of expensive expansions can hopefully be atoned forif EA lets Project Rene boast a wide variety of diverse featuresat the very beginning.