After going to work with the first expansion pack, The Sims 4 is adding a European-themed world this fall with Get Together. While the intercontinental additions seem nice, the coolest part of the new expansion is a fleshed out friendship system.
The way Sims developer EA describes it on the gameâs website makes it sound like youâll be spending most of your time building out and then managing a posse of friends, and even joining different types of clubs (emphasis added):
Your Sims will be able to join different Clubs, each with their own interests, personalities, and styles. They have defined behaviors that dictate how they tend to act, including how they treat other Sims, and what they do or donât like to do. There will be a variety of Clubs waiting for your Sims when you first load up the expansion pack, but youâre also able to create and customize your own. You can set their requirements, decide what behaviors they have, choose their preferred hang outs, and even give them distinct rewards.
Unclear how many clubs a Sim will be able to join yet. But being able to play around with clubs sounds cool. But being able to create your own clubs? Well, thatâs The Sims for you. Iâd be more surprised if you werenât allowed to do that, to be honest.
Along with the club system, the Get Together expansion is also adding a bunch of new group-specific interactions:
Hanging out with groups of friends makes Get Together feel truly unique. Your Simâs in-game friends will act a lot like your real ones â whether youâre going for a dip in the Natural Pools along the bluffs or just lounging around in the pub, groups will engage in new, exciting ways. Your Sim can take on their friends in a game of foosball, or try on outfits together with the all-new Walk-in Closet. Theyâll hang out and share experiences together in fun, new ways.
Your Sims will also be able to level up Dancing and DJing skills, both of which should make for even more energetic gatherings. Pump up the crowd by creating the perfect mix on the DJ booth, or start busting out some new dance moves in an Underground Disco.
I try not to buy into pre-release hype as much as I can, but finally being able to play around with interactions amongst a whole group of people rather than primarily handling things one a one-to-one basis sounds very exciting. This is exactly the sort of enhanced social system built around The Sims 4âs impressive AI and modeling of diverse types of behavior that Iâve been wanting to see since the base game first came out last yearâthe type of advancement from past Sims games that makes a sequel really seem worth it. If this pans out, I could see The Sims 4 fleshing out many other parts of the game in a similar wayâmaking families interact as a whole unit more dynamically, or adding things like active classrooms that modders have already started to take a crack at.
Along with these new features and gameplay modes, thereâs also a bunch of good old fashioned content coming with Get Together too. Thereâs a new setting called Winderburg, âa European-inspired World with a mix of vibrant, modern architecture and classic buildings and styles.â
The world has an urban city, a countryside, and a sunny-looking island for all your vacationing needs.
And then there are the EDM-fueled dance parties you can put on with a bunch of new DJ equipment. Plus you can have outdoor sex now. Sounds like a lot of raves are about to get started.
Get Together comes out this November. I for one am very much looking forward to it.
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