The Sims 4 City Living

Pros

• Greatly expands on the social features of The Sims 4
• Adds a whole new city to explore

Cons

• Requires the core game to enjoy

As the newest expansion pack for The Sims 4, City Living brings a whole new wealth of options that build out the core experience and lend an added level of interactivity to the lives of your sims. As the gaming industry changes and grows in fundamental ways, one series that seems to provide a constant level of stability is The Sims. Since the initial release of The Sims in 2000, the series has consistently churned out new core titles and expansion packs, allowing players to create expansive virtual lives. While the series might not sit at the top of best-sellers lists anymore, it's maintained an enthusiastic community of fans constantly churning out new textures and environments and trading them in online spaces. After almost two decades of existence, the tools are there to create practically any living space you want. The same isn't true for features, and City Living looks to remedy one of the biggest complaints players had about The Sims 4. The game world often felt barren and the characters isolated. City Living creates an environment that actually feels like living in the city, with apartments that have distinct characteristics and friends, associates, and family members that act in more responsive and natural ways.

The centerpiece of this new experience is a brand new world to explore. San Myshuno draws inspiration from Southeast Asian cities like Bangkok, and it does away with the static and often hermetic settings that defined the game up until now. There's a lively feel to San Myshuno, and festivals are held every week, making sure your Sims always have something to do. Additionally, there aren't any loading screens when it comes to visiting attractions out in the city. In the older version of The Sims 4, these spaces would be instanced when you needed them, essentially breaking the fourth wall, but the new city creates the impression that this is a living, breathing place that continues to function even without your input.

But you don't need to leave your apartment to explore some of the coolest new features. Each lot your Sim can live in now has its own traits, and those can have a significant impact on their lifestyle. These can provide your Sims with new traits, give a boost to their ability to develop specific attributes, and create nuisances like noisy neighbors. Similarly, your friends will play a much bigger role in your life. You don't have to wait for a call and then respond right away. Characters seem to lead their own lives, and they'll pop by at random. It's a neat way to integrate socialization in a way that doesn't feel like a hassle. These changes alter how the game plays in a pretty fundamental way, but you can also expect more minor additions like new actions, occupations, and venues.

Pros

• Greatly expands on the social features of The Sims 4
• Adds a whole new city to explore

Cons

• Requires the core game to enjoy