A few interesting new features, but some aspects feel like a step backwards
There are some new create-a-sim features such as a weight slider and a colour wheel that allows you to choose the exact colour skintone, hair and clothes you want your sim to have. There is also a new trait system. A sim can be a workaholic, a snob, have a good sense of humor, be a natural artist or a number of other things, and these traits affect the way the sim interacts with others and the environment. While these were nice touches, I couldn't make a sim that I liked. No matter how hard I tried to adjust the slides of the sim's physical features, they were still ugly! I am sorry, but I think that the sims looked much better in number 2.
The open world sounds nice in theory, but not when you aren't even able to see what happens in buildings! Unlike past games, you simply click on the venue and your sim enters it. You end up fast-forwarding the game while waiting for your sim to finish their activity. Don't I do enough of that when they're at work or sleeping? I really miss designing stores too. So much of the neighbourhood customization is gone.
The ability to customize the colour of each piece of furniture didn't really do it for me. While building a house and furnishing it has always been one of my favourite aspects of the game, it just seemed too time consuming, trying to get everything to match.
There is more realism in this installment, which is an improvement. Women have to go to the hospital to give birth and you need certain ingredients to make different meals (general groceries are no more). You have to buy the books you need for skill building.
The wants of your sims have also improved. There is more variety so they feel more enjoyable to complete. Yet I didn't feel that these changes were enough to make up for the things I didn't like.
The kissing certainly isn't as raunchy anymore.. maybe EA is trying to make it more family friendly or something.. but I miss it xD
So, some good things, some bad things. The stand alone game does feel a little sterile, and there aren't too many choices of different clothes and such. Maybe I just miss the vast amount of things to do in The Sims 2 when you had all the expansions. It might grow on me, but for now I'll stick to The Sims 2.