The Sims 2 Steam Release Faces Technical Hurdles Amid Mixed Reviews

Electronic Arts’ recent re-release of The Sims 2 Legacy Collection on Steam has encountered significant technical challenges, resulting in mixed user reviews following its January 31, 2025 launch. The highly anticipated return of the classic life simulation game has drawn substantial player interest, but technical issues have dampened its reception.

Steam users have reported numerous technical problems affecting gameplay experience. Multiple reviewers documented game crashes, particularly during character creation, while others encountered more severe issues, including the unexpected deletion of Sim characters. One player with over eight hours of gameplay noted their Sims disappeared without explanation, while another reported consistent crashes following character creation alongside problems with in-game appliances.

Despite these technical setbacks, the game managed to attract a considerable player base, reaching approximately 5,000 concurrent users on its launch day. This figure, while modest compared to The Sims 4’s current numbers, demonstrates significant interest in the classic title’s return to modern systems.

Contrasting Reception Among Legacy Releases

The technical difficulties facing The Sims 2 Legacy Collection stand in stark contrast to the reception of its predecessor’s re-release. The original Sims Legacy Collection has maintained a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam, based on 278 user reviews, though it attracted fewer concurrent players, peaking at around 2,000 on launch day.

These releases coincide with the franchise’s 25th anniversary in 2025, marking a significant milestone for the series that has dominated the life simulation genre for over two decades. While The Sims 4 continues to expand its player base since becoming free-to-play in 2022, these legacy releases represent EA’s effort to preserve the series’ earlier chapters for modern audiences, albeit with mixed results thus far.