You can fist-fight a shark in The Sims 3: Island Paradise
Come sail away, come sail away
Seriously, like Jaws
Earlier today, if we told you that you'd be reading a preview of a Sims expansion, we bet you'd have thought we were crazy. But guess what? That was before you knew that the next expansion was The Sims 3: Island Paradise, wherein you're allowed to become the manager of an island resort, build a houseboat, have sex in an all-in-one bathroom, and beat the hell out of a shark. Well, you can do all of those things and more, so maybe it's about time you locked away your Sims 3 prejudice and prepared to embrace the island life.
Island Paradise is a massive departure from past Sims expansions. In it, you're sent off to the world of Isla Paradiso, a set of tropical islands covered with secrets to find and vacations to be had. After building your house boat you can sail around the different islands, choosing to dock and explore or simply wander around in any one of the ocean-ready vehicles in the game. If you're feeling entrepreneurial you can even start your own resort, building it from the ground up to create the perfect getaway.
And if you're feeling so bold you can cruise out to the sea with your boat, drop anchor, and dive into the deeps. There's coral to find, fish to capture, and... sharks to fight. We watched as a Sim tried to avoid a shark, but was thrust into a vicious fight with the predator. After a few ferocious seconds of slashing and clawing the Sim remained. The shark? Not so lucky. Looking forward to battling some sharks of your own? Well, then you should swing back this summer for our full review of Island Paradise.
Check out the following slides for additional images and more information.
Build and improve your resort in any way you see fit.
You can even customize your employee's outfits.
The Limited Edition comes with some cool items, in case fighting sharks isn't enough incentive.
Bored? Pick up some shells!
Changing the chlorination of your pool is allowed, proving how deep this simulation goes.
Customize your pool with waterslides to get more visitors.
Good luck not belting out "Come Sail Away" while you ride around in your boat.
Look out for sharks! Or, rather, look for sharks!
You can own multiple houses on Isla Paradisa
Waterskiing is a skill, and the more you do it, the better you are.
Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of 12DOVE between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade.