And it\u2019s not surprising: Anyone who has booted up any game in the series since it first began in 2000 knows the sheer joy that the life simulator\u2019s boundless options can provide.<\/span><\/p>\n Crafting a career for one Sim in the police force while they\u2019re living under the same roof as a career criminal. Making them learn magic tricks in the morning before sending them on a trip to Vacation Island in the evening. Even getting bored and trying out different ways to kill them off<\/a> to create some drama \u2013 the game really<\/span> has it all. (We\u2019ve all done that final one\u2026 right?)<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever you fancy getting up to, The Sims<\/a> is your oyster. That\u2019s the appeal of the title \u2013 it\u2019s a chance to push boundaries in new and unexpected ways. And this must also be a major appeal for filmmakers.<\/span><\/p> In the wrong hands, of course, this absence of constraints could easily lead to nonsensical dross. When the options are so limitless, when the potential scope for a movie is<\/span> so vast, the storytelling could easily fall by the wayside in favour of flashy visuals and a disjointed sequence of unconnected <\/span>goings-on \u2013 as 2018\u2019s rather shallow Ready Player One<\/a> proved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, under the watchful eye of Loki<\/a>\u2018s Kate Herron, this wild idea might just come good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the first season of the god of mischief\u2019s<\/span> Disney Plus<\/a> show, the director proved she has all of the skills and sensibilities to take a giant blank canvas and craft something focused and engaging.<\/span><\/p>\n In that show, the introduction of the Time Variance Authority opened the door to literally endless possibilities, countless timelines and realities, and Herron and her team made the most of the insanity<\/span> that could provide.<\/span><\/p>\n [squirrel-affiliate-playlist squirrel_playlist_id=\u201d608\u2033 \/]<\/p>\n Whether it was Tom Hiddleston\u2019s Loki bumping into a reptilian version of himself at the end of time or Richard E Grant sporting dodgy cosplay to take down an ethereal being, that first season took bold swings whenever it could, leading to several of the MCU<\/a>\u2018s most memorable moments in the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Yet for all of the madness, it was the admittedly slightly odd relationship between Loki and his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and the blossoming friendship between god of mischief and TVA agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), that really hooked audiences in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This same formula could work wonders in The Sims. With countless expansions<\/a> and mod packs across the past two decades \u2013 bringing magic and \u2018hot dates\u2019, all manner of pets and actual alien life forms \u2013 there hasn\u2019t been a concept that the Electronic Arts franchise hasn\u2019t covered.<\/span><\/p>\n As with Loki, this provides Herron with a broad field to play in; more so, perhaps, as there are no restrictions from established comic book lore and no pressure from fan expectations \u2013 which Marvel stars like Anthony Mackie have admitted can <\/span>limit storytelling possibilities<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Simply put, there is the opportunity to do <\/span>anything <\/span><\/i>with this film, which for many creatives could be a terrifying thought \u2013 but for someone like Herron will no doubt be a thrilling prospect, and it should be exciting for us viewers too. I, for one, can\u2019t wait to see the Sims equivalent of a spandex-clad Grant shouting, \u201cGlorious purpose!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Yet it isn\u2019t just the creative potential that\u2019s exciting \u2013 it\u2019s the storytelling opportunities. For all we love to take risks<\/span> with our Sims, getting them to try out outlandish activities that we\u2019ll never get to experience in real life, it\u2019s the human aspect that keeps us glued to our computers.<\/span><\/p>\n For whatever reason, it\u2019s impossible not to get connected to these pixels on the screen, feeling embarrassingly overjoyed when they make a big relationship breakthrough, and welling up after an all-night gaming session as one of them reaches the end of their life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is where Herron can elevate the material. As mentioned, the Loki-Sylvie dynamic proved that she can take even the most eccentric characters, the most bizarre relationships, and make them fascinating. <\/span><\/p>\n And she\u2019s shown her ability to put emotion first even outside of her biggest gig to date \u2013 her episodes of Sex Education<\/a> proving prime examples.<\/span><\/p>\n For a movie like this to truly hit home, it has to hit you in the feels, as Barbie proved with its tear-jerking journey for Margot Robbie\u2019s lead character (What Was I Made For?<\/a> is still a sore listen), and under this director, you\u2019d fully expect to find central relationships and dynamics that connect with the audience, regardless of whatever madness is taking place in the background.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, this could all end horribly and we may well wind up with yet another poor video game adaptation. But, much like my wayward Sim putting himself forward for that big promotion to \u2018Criminal Mastermind\u2019, I\u2019m going to live in hope.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Richard](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2021\/07\/Old-Loki-33cb929.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Old")
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