Release Info:
- Developer: The Sims Studio
- Publisher: Electronic Arts
- Platform: PC, Mac
- Format: Digital Download
- File Size:
- ESRB Rating: Teen
- Release Date: June 28, 2012
Key Features:
- Includes enhanced textures for water, stone, greenery and other objects
- Features more empty lots for your Sims to move in
- Visit mansions complete with decorative pools and fountains
- Make your Sims' secret desires come true with the Wishing Well object
- Experience the quirky new families and residents of Lucky Palms
- Features a retro suit for men and a mod-style dress for women
- Solve the mystery of the disappearing lakes
Lucky Palms is the fifth downloadable world for The Sims 3, featuring an Arizona-style theme and locale. Your Sims will be transported to a desert city surrounded by mountains and located adjacent to a lake and river. It is a world home to a number of colorful personalities and families with various back stories that you can either play as or interact with while playing other Sims.
One storyline featured in Lucky Palms is a drive for certain Sims to become the top chef in the area. Competing to tickle the taste buds of the local community are Lennon Sosa, a young and successful culinary expert who likes to host lavish parties, and Ethan Tanner, a teenager who comes from a long line of chefs, including his father.
Another storyline involves the mysterious disappearance of the lakes around a certain part of town. What once looked to be a vacation hotspot has now completely dried up, literally, causing the houses to plummet in value. Now poor Sims have taken up residence in converted shops, as businesses have all but abandoned the area. Was it a result of a natural phenomenon? Could it have been sabotage? Perhaps you'll find out.
The center of town is home to a public botanical garden lot complete with a cactus-shaped pool and home to a variety of the game's new cacti and trees. Among the new vegetation options introduced in Lucky Palms are Yucca plants (with or without blossoms), prickly pear cacti with orange-, yellow-, and fuchsia-colored flowers, a Joshua tree, a mesquite tree, desert palm tree, and a palm "royal" tree.
Clothing options are limited to one suit type for men and a dress for women with two stencil types. Veteran players of The Sims 3 will notice a number of new details in Lucky Palms, as there are new textures to the water, rocks, and surfaces of many objects and items. The number of open lots has also increased from previous worlds available for The Sims 3, allowing players more options and locations to build or move in.
There are lakeside retreats, homes located on a pier, that offer Sims a view of the water and walking distance to some of the world's attractions. A bistro rabbit hole is included, featuring a distinctive, angular look, allowing Sims a place to dine either inside or outside. Also included is a revamped movie theater with a flashing marquee sign, different posters advertising new films, and a variety of architectures for homes.
One of world's signature attractions is the Wishing Well, an interactive object in Lucky Palms that offers a number of surprises for owners of The Sims 3 and certain expansions or downloads. Sims who visit the Wishing Well, located in the botanical gardens area, can wish for wealth, happiness, love, or a child. Sims can even go fishing in the well, which can lead to some surprising catches.
Those owning the Tree of Prosperity (found in Lunar Lakes) will be able to see pixies and fireflies in the Well, while owners of The Sims 3 Pets might be granted a bundle of joy with fur. Sims can also attempt to steal coins from the Well, with each Lucky Coin taken letting you play for higher stakes at a slot machine in the Lucky Simoleon Casino venue (either sold separately or available in the Lucky Palms Gold Edition).
System Requirements
- Operating System: Windows XP SP2, Vista SP1, Windows 7
- CPU: 2.0 GHz P4 processor or equivalent for XP; 2.4 GHz P4 processor or equivalent for Vista and Windows 7
- RAM: 1 GB RAM (XP), 1.5 GB RAM (Vista and 7), 2 GB RAM for NVIDIA Ion computers
- Hard Drive: 3.5 GB of free hard drive space with at least 1 GB additional space for custom content and saved games
- Video: 128 MB video card with support for Pixel Shader 2.0
Supported Video Cards: NVIDIA GeForce 6 series or better, and all NVIDIA G, GT, GTS, and GTX video cards. ATI Radeon series card 9500 series or better, and all ATI X, X1, and HD video cards; Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA): GMA 3-Series, GMA 4-Series.