The base game for The Sims 4 is currently free from now until the 28th of May. You should get it. Yes, you! If this frees up a little cash for getting an expansion as well, here are a few suggestions.
The Sims 4 base game has been criticized for not having much content in it, which I can understand. Every base game in The Sims tends to feel pretty barren. If youâre not content to add mods and custom hair or make up, getting an expansion or two can make your game feel more lively.
For every Sims game, the developers have released three different tiers of downloadable content. There are Stuff Packs, which are small, cheaper packs that have a limited amount of themed things, like Cool Kitchen Stuff. There are Game Packs, which usually introduce a couple new gameplay mechanics or new Vacation Worlds for your Sims to visit. There are also Expansion Packs, which add a lot of new content and mechanics, and in some cases radically change the game. I own every single item in every single category, and Iâve given a lot of thought as to what I would recommend for people to buy if they arenât in a position to write off game purchases in their taxes.
As far as Stuff Packs and Game Packs go, itâs up to personal preference. Some people might need Vampires in their game, while others are more interested in sending their Sims to Selvadorada. The only one Iâd really recommend is Parenthood, which makes toddlers, children and teens a bit more complex in both their emotions and in gameplay, but even that is up for debate.
Expansion Packs are more cut and dried for me. Some of them deepen the game play, and some add convenience in a way that I think would make any playerâs Sims 4 experience fuller. Here are the ones I think you should buy, in order of importance.
Seasons
When people criticize The Sims for putting essential features in expansions, usually I think theyâre full of it, but when it comes to Seasons, I think theyâre on the money. Itâs not even the addition of seasons that makes this pack essentialâitâs the calendar.
In The Sims 4âs base game, any time you want to have any event of any kind, youâll have to have it happen right away. Wanna get married? Itâs happening now. Wanna have a party? Too bad for your kids coming home from school, itâs party time. Being able to schedule things in advance changes the game radically, and itâs the kind of quality of life improvement that Iâd have hoped would be in the game at release.
Beyond that, having Seasons in your game makes the passage of time more clear. Even if you donât take advantage of seasonal activities, like snowball fights in wintertime or running through the sprinkler in the summer, having your Sims grow up and have birthdays as the seasons change makes the world feel more real. And thatâs not to mention the holidays, which offer a nice opportunity to bring your family together for some bonding.
City Living
This one is all about the world that comes with this pack, San Myshuno. The base game doesnât offer many places for your Sim to live. You have a choice between a bland midwestern world and a bland desert world. City Living adds a Sim version of San Francisco, and not only is it gorgeous, it added a system that makes these worlds seem way more alive.
San Myshuno is divided into different districts that have different characteristics. In these districts, you donât have to load into a new area when you step out of your Simsâs apartmentâyou can just hang out and walk around. In the Spice District, where the artsy hipsters live, you step out of your apartment building immediately into a park where you can play basketball, or you can walk down the road to a cute karaoke place. Sometimes there will be festivals going on in those outdoor spaces as well, which are a great place to meet new Sims. Looking for a mate for your Sim? Check out the Romance Festival, where the Sakura Blossom Tea will make everyone a little bit more flirty.
Cats and Dogs & Get Famous
I like both these expansions an equal amount, and if you have the option to get both, do so. They donât add as much as City Living or Seasons, but if you really want to have celebrities or pets in your game, then you should pick one of these up.
Theyâre about equal to me because these packs are all about the added mechanics, and some people like being able to pet a cat more than they like being able to make adoring fans faint on command. Itâs all down to personal preference, but luckily theyâre both polished enough that either one will be a good experience.
If youâre in the category of people thatâs more into pets, Cats and Dogs is the sure bet between these two. Sometimes, I spend half an hour just noodling around in Create A Pet, because it has a neat feature where you can mix breeds together. Ever wanted to see what a Maine Coon and a hairless Egyptian cat would look like if they had kittens? Or a Weiner Dog and a Poodle? You now have your chance, and your Sim can fall in love with whatever mutt you create. I especially like that Sims can go on a run with their dogs. It helps keep them active.
If youâd prefer adoring fans to an adoring pet, Get Famous may be the best realized version of the celebrity mechanic that The Sims has ever had. Anything that you think your Sim could get famous for, they can. If you start singing in public, or add to your Simstagram Story, or stream yourself playing a game, your Sim can ride that clout into celebrity. What I love is that itâs also a challenge to stay famous once you become so. If you stop streaming for a few days, you risk losing a level of celebrity. I also think the Acting career thatâs been added with this pack is especially creative in its design; it makes the work/life grind a bit more unpredictable. Instead of going to a gig every day, Actor Sims have to audition for gigs and then fulfill specific requirements during a shoot if they pass the audition.
The Sims 4 is a good game on its own, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the puzzle of trying to keep everyone happy after the kids were up all night finishing homework and Dad burns breakfast and, well, the list goes on. If you do have the option of getting an expansion, you canât go wrong with any of these.
If you canât afford any additional expansions right now, the base game is still worth a try. Make someone that looks like youâor looks radically differentâand send them out into the world. Have them get married, have some kids, get promoted. Open yourself up the idea of caring about them as they journey into old age. The Sims 4 might just lodge itself into your subconscious and change the way you think about life, as it has for me many times over.
