The Sims 4’s latest expansion is an odd one out. It’s a release that takes a similar approach to last year’s Growing Together, which was largely successful in fleshing out and expanding on existing core gameplay. While that pack focused on family dynamics to expand storytelling possibilities, Lovestruck is all about romance.
Lovestruck’s features definitely make dating and romantic relationships more interesting. It’s a welcome change and I plan on using many of the new systems in my save games going forward.
However, after my extensive study of the expansion, I also had the impression that the overall effect left something to be desired and fell short of what “Growing Together” and certainly “Seasons” were able to achieve.
In the base game, romance can feel monotonous. There’s little challenge and little reason for your Sim to deviate from the same moves and interactions with each love interest.
Lovestruck emphasizes the individual qualities and preferences of each Sim. Compatibility and the process of getting to know each other are the main focus.
A new system that expresses attractions and dislikes, building on the existing Likes and Dislikes feature, goes a long way in ensuring that Sims react differently. From hair color and fashion style to personality traits and lifestyle choices, various elements can fundamentally affect how attracted one Sim is to another.
That’s not to say it’s impossible for a Sim who finds several aspects of another Sim unattractive to fall in love with them. It just takes more work.
Romance styles and satisfaction have a positive effect on attraction. Sims respond differently to different romance styles such as flirting, affection, gift giving, physical intimacy, and flirting, while two Sims in a relationship have an independent romance satisfaction that indicates how happy they are in the relationship, which can change depending on their interactions with each other.
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There are also different love dynamics that affect how autonomously two Sims behave towards each other. “Healthy” couples will probably be the most common, but “tense” and “unpredictable” couples – where Sims occasionally behave hostilely towards each other – offer some variety. In addition to this, couples can even seek relationship counseling to change their dynamic.
All of these additional nuances make navigating romantic relationships quite enjoyable. There’s more to consider and more to respond to.
This is undoubtedly an improvement over existing systems, but I believe the end result is compromised by the fact that some aspects can feel a bit formulaic over time.
For example, if your Sim asks their crush about their preferences, a pop-up will appear that lists several things at once that turn them on and turn them off. It’s moments like these that make romance seem “playful” and a little more predictable.
On the other hand, the expansion’s best moments are when things unfold more naturally. I really like how, after an innocuous conversation, a Sim’s attraction to their partner can change when they learn something new about them.
It’s a balance that the expansion is trying to achieve, and to be honest, that depends a lot on each individual player and their preferred playstyle.
This is also one of the reasons why the new “create a date” feature didn’t do much for me. There is some flexibility when planning your romantic date. You can choose from a number of activities – the list is pretty extensive, ranging from drinks and stargazing to options that allow Sims to “Netflix and chill” – and that forms the basis of what is essentially an evolving to-do list that you need to work through to make the date a success.
But it felt a bit too rigid to me. It lacks the incentive to be a bit more free-spirited and can make the dates feel quite predictable. It doesn’t really help that they feel like a repeat of the events of My Wedding Stories.
I appreciate touches like asking your Sim’s crush if the date can be extended if it goes well, and the date feature probably wouldn’t have hurt to have more of them, at least in my preferred playstyle.
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There are a number of other smaller features, but they don’t stand out particularly and their existence serves more to flesh out the theme of the expansion.
Your Sim can now go on blind dates, and an in-game dating app, while fairly basic, offers a fun change of pace and a new way to meet Sims.
The new traits, aspirations, romance skills, and romance counselor career aren’t the most interesting, but the Mexico City-inspired world of Ciudad Enamorada is very pretty and, aside from the core features, is one of the stronger aspects of the package. It offers new places for singles to hang out and couples to meet.
But don’t be surprised to discover that the run-down motel is actually just a rabbit hole.
The expansion’s biggest selling point isn’t its asides, but its attempt to reinvigorate the core game systems. If it succeeds, the fun and replay value that comes from doing so will make it worthwhile.
While I would argue that Lovestruck missed some opportunities, it’s an expansion that both deepens and refreshes the romance-based gameplay, and I’ve had a lot of fun reenacting my Sims’ romantic (mis)adventures.
It’s a coherent (and, given the game’s standards, quite cheeky) expansion, but it doesn’t quite get all of its ideas across.
We all know that The Sims 4 is an incredibly expensive game overall, so keeping that in mind, you might be better off waiting for a sale if you’re interested.
Platform reviewed on: PC
The Sims 4 Lovestruck is now available for PC, Mac, PlayStation and Xbox.
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