User blog comment:Knc1w2h3n4c5t/The Sims 4 is NOT Open World - Thoughts?/@comment-2201555-20140617195712

"The game will run better on lower end systems" = we've restricted how much can be loaded at once so that older PCs can keep up. Sound familiar?

"The Sims 4 will run on a brand new engine". Judging by those Tweets below and the map sizes, I can tell you that it exactly doesn't run on a new engine. It runs on...

(wait for it)

GlassBox, from...you guessed it!

They've clearly recycled the tech and kept quiet about it so that nobody will moan in light of SimCity. The exact same restrictions apply between both games in terms of map sizes and how much can be loaded at once. I can see why Maxis recycled the engine, or at least portions of it, as it's clearly part of a long-term strategy for them but why all the lies? It is possible to have an open world with no load screens and keep it performing well on lower-end systems but clearly Maxis don't know how to do that.

Anyway, the lack of a fully functional open world is a deal breaker for me so it looks like I'm not buying TS4 at full price.