In The Sims 2, if a Sim's social need hits zero, a hallucinatory bunny will appear, and other Sims will become concerned. Specific mental effects appear with low needs. For instance, in The Sims 4, the 'Gloomy,' 'Hot-Headed,' and 'Erratic' traits appear to have been added to simulate mental health conditions that affect a Sim's daily life. While The Sims franchise has never had explicit mental health mechanics, certain traits, emotions, or needs can be manipulated to change a Sim's mental state. RELATED: The Sims 4 Going Free-to-Play Could be Huge for the Series How Sims 5 Mental Health Mechanics Could Build On Existing Franchise Elements Given the franchise's commitment to realistic gameplay, it makes sense to add a layer of gameplay in The Sims 5 that keeps track of a Sim's mental health and introduces a variety of mental health conditions and healthy habits. Although The Sims 4: Get to Work introduced an interactive medical career that simulates a variety of illnesses, there is no actual need to keep track of a Sim's overall health. While Sims can get sick, die, and experience the natural effects of aging, their mental and emotional states are relatively predictable.

With the development of The Sims 5 - aka 'Project Rene' - The Sims' gameplay could be made more realistic by adding mental health mechanics.

Outside the traditional 'traits' system that players can use to determine their Sim's personality, The Sims 4 introduced the 'emotions' mechanic that changes a Sim's emotional state. From The Sims to The Sims 4, changes and additions have been made to create an immersive and realistic gameplay experience - even with the addition of magic and Star Wars lore. The entire Sims franchise is designed to create experiences that simulate life.

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