The release of Sims 4 wasn’t a secret in any sense of the word. We all knew it was coming from as far back as May of 2013 when Maxis announced that the game would be released for PC and Mac. Various aspects have been teased since then but here at E3 we actually get to see the game in action.

Some new features coming to Sims 4 includes a broader variety of options that you can give your Sim. Whether that be a new dream job, an out of the ordinary cause of death, or extreme character traits, Sims 4 is expected to grow upon Sims 3 in terms of your Sim.

No more sliders!

During EA’s presentation at E3, Rachel Franklin (Executive Producer of Sims 4) showcased the character creation’s replacement of the typical feature sliders. In Sims 4 you customize your Sim by pulling at the parts of the body that you wish to be altered.

Now, more so than ever, the personality traits that you choose for your Sim will matter. Personality traits dictat how a Sim will react to situations even going to the extent that it will affect actions and emotions the next day.

EA demonstrated the effect of traits on emotions and actions through “Chuck” a Sim that was created for the purpose of this E3 presentation. Chuck is a hothead athlete that loves literature. Chuck first appears in a gym, furious and is verbally abusing other Sims around him. In the presentation it is revealed that Chuck is angry because, the day before, he had recited a poem he had written to another Sim. She hated it and even went on to beat him up because it was so bad.

In order to “cheer him up” Chuck is instructed by the player to go to a party. The Sim who had ridiculed Chuck the day before shows up to the party still looking for a fight. The party-killer’s bad mood effects everyone elses mood, making the party less fun for everyone. The player (which in this case is EA) uses a new feature in which you can pull in and use other player’s Sims to make the party more fun. The character pulled from the Sim’s “gallery” instantly makes the party more fun and the moods of every Sim is instantly raised.

Returning back to Chuck, his mood is better. Chuck is having fun again and

Poor Chuck . . .

is laughing like a normal and happy Sim. EA doesn’t stop there though. They push Chuck to his limit and he dies of laughter . . . literally.

Surrounded by sports game announcements the Sims 4 announcement was one of the few high points in EA’s press conference.

The Sims 4 will be released September 2, 2014 for PC and Mac. Pre-orders are available now.

Check out all of Nerd Bacon’s E3 2014 coverage right here.