Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Summer Game Fest
  • New games for 2025
  • Upcoming Switch 2 games
  • Switch 2 stock

Recommended reading

inZOI Character Studio trailer screenshot showing a young woman with ginger-y hair and a light baseball cap smiling to the side
Simulation Games If you can't get enough of killing Sims in The Sims 4, iNZOI offers "16 different types of deaths" to inflict upon your poor unsuspecting Zois
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature fairy
The Sims After weeks of speculation, EA officially unveils new Sims 4 expansion Enchanted by Nature – and all fans can think is how it'll up their challenge game: "Rags to Riches is gonna go crazy in this world"
Hollywood Animal screenshot of the script department menu screen
Simulation Games 1920s showbiz sim Hollywood Animal is my long-awaited replacement for The Movies, now with added blackmail
Neighbors: Suburban Warfare appearing in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
Action Games Turn quiet streets into a comedic combat zone with slaphappy PvP Neighbours: Suburban Warfare
The Sims 4 Realm of Magic
The Sims New Sims 4 teasers have fans convinced one of the most hotly anticipated features from The Sims 3 is finally making a return: "Yep, it's definitely fairies!"
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe and Yasuke outside Hideout
Action RPGs Assassin's Creed Shadows reviews are in but the only thing I care about is all the adorable monkeys you can buy and have live in your hideout
Lost Skies screenshot of the player-character looking out over a vista of floating islands above the clouds with the Indie Spotlight logo in the top right corner
Adventure Games Lost Skies is a skyfaring indie survival game that somehow manages to have better web-slinging than most Spider-Man games
  1. Games
  2. Simulation
  3. The Sims
  4. The Sims 3 Island Paradise

You can fist-fight a shark in The Sims 3: Island Paradise

Features
By Hollander Cooper published 30 May 2013

Come sail away, come sail away

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Seriously, like Jaws

Seriously, like Jaws

Earlier today, if we told you that you'd be reading a preview of a Sims expansion, we bet you'd have thought we were crazy. But guess what? That was before you knew that the next expansion was The Sims 3: Island Paradise, wherein you're allowed to become the manager of an island resort, build a houseboat, have sex in an all-in-one bathroom, and beat the hell out of a shark. Well, you can do all of those things and more, so maybe it's about time you locked away your Sims 3 prejudice and prepared to embrace the island life.

Island Paradise is a massive departure from past Sims expansions. In it, you're sent off to the world of Isla Paradiso, a set of tropical islands covered with secrets to find and vacations to be had. After building your house boat you can sail around the different islands, choosing to dock and explore or simply wander around in any one of the ocean-ready vehicles in the game. If you're feeling entrepreneurial you can even start your own resort, building it from the ground up to create the perfect getaway.

And if you're feeling so bold you can cruise out to the sea with your boat, drop anchor, and dive into the deeps. There's coral to find, fish to capture, and... sharks to fight. We watched as a Sim tried to avoid a shark, but was thrust into a vicious fight with the predator. After a few ferocious seconds of slashing and clawing the Sim remained. The shark? Not so lucky. Looking forward to battling some sharks of your own? Well, then you should swing back this summer for our full review of Island Paradise.

Check out the following slides for additional images and more information.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Build and improve your resort in any way you see fit.

Build and improve your resort in any way you see fit.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
You can even customize your employee's outfits.

You can even customize your employee's outfits.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
The Limited Edition comes with some cool items, in case fighting sharks isn't enough incentive.

The Limited Edition comes with some cool items, in case fighting sharks isn't enough incentive.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Bored? Pick up some shells!

Bored? Pick up some shells!

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Changing the chlorination of your pool is allowed, proving how deep this simulation goes.

Changing the chlorination of your pool is allowed, proving how deep this simulation goes.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
Customize your pool with waterslides to get more visitors.

Customize your pool with waterslides to get more visitors.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Good luck not belting out "Come Sail Away" while you ride around in your boat.

Good luck not belting out "Come Sail Away" while you ride around in your boat.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Look out for sharks! Or, rather, look for sharks!

Look out for sharks! Or, rather, look for sharks!

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
You can own multiple houses on Isla Paradisa

You can own multiple houses on Isla Paradisa

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Waterskiing is a skill, and the more you do it, the better you are.

Waterskiing is a skill, and the more you do it, the better you are.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Platforms
Hollander Cooper
Hollander Cooper
Social Links Navigation

Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade. 

See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
inZOI Character Studio trailer screenshot showing a young woman with ginger-y hair and a light baseball cap smiling to the side
If you can't get enough of killing Sims in The Sims 4, iNZOI offers "16 different types of deaths" to inflict upon your poor unsuspecting Zois
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature fairy
After weeks of speculation, EA officially unveils new Sims 4 expansion Enchanted by Nature – and all fans can think is how it'll up their challenge game: "Rags to Riches is gonna go crazy in this world"
Hollywood Animal screenshot of the script department menu screen
1920s showbiz sim Hollywood Animal is my long-awaited replacement for The Movies, now with added blackmail
Neighbors: Suburban Warfare appearing in the Future Games Show Spring Showcase 2025
Turn quiet streets into a comedic combat zone with slaphappy PvP Neighbours: Suburban Warfare
The Sims 4 Realm of Magic
New Sims 4 teasers have fans convinced one of the most hotly anticipated features from The Sims 3 is finally making a return: "Yep, it's definitely fairies!"
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe and Yasuke outside Hideout
Assassin's Creed Shadows reviews are in but the only thing I care about is all the adorable monkeys you can buy and have live in your hideout
Latest in The Sims
The Sims 4 Enchanted by Nature fairy
After weeks of speculation, EA officially unveils new Sims 4 expansion Enchanted by Nature – and all fans can think is how it'll up their challenge game: "Rags to Riches is gonna go crazy in this world"
Indie Sims-like Paralives is getting everything from modding tools to cooking and house fires right at its early-access release, but stuff like weather and pets will be added in free updates
The Sims 4 Realm of Magic
New Sims 4 teasers have fans convinced one of the most hotly anticipated features from The Sims 3 is finally making a return: "Yep, it's definitely fairies!"
inZOI Character Studio screenshot showing a young woman with short black/pink hair, black cat-like ears, and a black blouse with a bowtie
After just 1 week in Early Access, hyper-realistic Sims 4 competitor inZOI has sold over 1 million copies on Steam, with mod support and free DLC underway
inZOI Character Studio trailer screenshot showing a young woman with ginger-y hair and a light baseball cap smiling to the side
After just 4 days of inZOI early access, The Sims 4's most notorious NSFW mod has come to the hyper-realistic life sim
inZOI Character Studio trailer screenshot showing a young woman with ginger-y hair and a light baseball cap smiling to the side
If you can't get enough of killing Sims in The Sims 4, iNZOI offers "16 different types of deaths" to inflict upon your poor unsuspecting Zois
Latest in Features
A monster in Wuchang Fallen Feathers pounces on the main character against a giant moon and misty sky
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is the hardcore Soulslike you'd get if you tried to turn Sekiro into Chinese Dark Souls 3, and that devotion to FromSoftware is exactly why I like it
Out of Words
This co-op platformer was a "boyhood dream" for the self-taught stop-motion animator now directing it, and it might just rival It Takes Two with a more earnest story and action less likely to destroy your relationships
A Towa screenshot shows a character performing a bright orange attack in a green field at dusk
Bandai Namco's first-ever roguelike is an entertaining, direct descendent of Hades with anime girls, but I wish it really was "unlike any roguelike" the way its devs promised me
Dakota Johnson as Lucy and Pedro Pascal as Harry in Celine Song's Materialists
Marvel stars' A24 rom-com Materialists has great reviews, but many are repeating the 'elevated horror' mistake of the 2010s – and we need to dump it before it's too late
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle screenshot of Indiana
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has quickly become one of favorite adventure games of all-time, and the DLC promises to give me exactly what I want - more of it
The Outer Worlds 2 screenshot of the Spectrum Dance Saber being used against an enemy
The Outer Worlds 2 is fixing the first RPG's biggest weakness by improving guns "in every way", and the sci-fi nerd in me is already screaming about the Shrink Ray
  1. Jan sadly presses a hand on a screen that says 'deceased' in The Alters
    1
    The Alters review: "More tactile and story-heavy than the Frostpunk dev's earlier games, but the fight for survival is just as fierce"
  2. 2
    Splitgate 2 review: "A slick and enjoyable free-to-play FPS, but a disappointing sequel"
  3. 3
    Date Everything review: "A masterclass in character design full of wonderful faces I love meeting, but juggling so many means sacrificing depth"
  4. 4
    Deltarune review: "This Undertale successor is an unapologetically weird RPG epic, where each chapter is a new canvas that doesn't have to conform to any rigid rules, style, or logic"
  5. 5
    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege X review: "Bigger, better, and more user friendly than it's ever been – it's the perfect time to dive in"
  1. The Yautja in Dan Trachtenberg's animated movie Predator: Killer of Killers
    1
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  2. 2
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  3. 3
    Karate Kid: Legends review: "Better than Karate Kid (2010), nothing on Karate Kid (1984)"
  4. 4
    Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review: "Wraps up this spy franchise in spectacular style with Tom Cruise in peak condition, even if its villain lacks terror"
  5. 5
    Final Destination Bloodlines Review: "Meticulous murderous mayhem"
  1. Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim, Ruth Madeley as Shirley, Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge Stewart, Varada Sethu as Belinda, Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Millie Gibson as Ruby, Bonnie Langford as Mel, Susan Twist as Susan Triad, and Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble in Doctor Who: 'The Reality War.'
    1
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  2. 2
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision
  3. 3
    Rick and Morty season 8 review: "Largely plays it too safe after years of crossing boundaries"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 6 spoiler review: 'The Interstellar Song Contest' is "a blast and sets the stage for a thrilling season finale"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 5 spoiler review: 'The Story & The Engine' is "one of the most original and ambitious episodes this show has produced in years"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...