The Sims 4 Lovestruck has finally arrived. The latest Sims 4 expansion pack is all about the romantic side of the life sim, and introduces new romantic boundary settings for your digital denizens alongside a wealth of ways to date, delight, and settle down with other Sims for the long-term. Ahead of the launch of Lovestruck this week, PCGamesN spoke with production director JoAnna Lio and senior game designer Josh Contreras about what makes the new DLC tick, and where we could see things go next.
During my initial time with The Sims 4 Lovestruck, one of the things that stands out most is its more dramatic and over-the-top animations. While it’s certainly got a lot to love, The Sims 4 can sometimes feel a little dry compared to some of the older games in the series, but that’s something that the life game seems to be rectifying in its new update. I ask Lio and Contreras if the team were deliberately looking to push the boat out a bit more.
“I’m glad you are getting a kick out of them – our animators certainly had a blast creating them,” Lio says. “We are blessed to have many fans who played earlier games, so we certainly considered their nostalgia for those experiences. That was the impetus for bringing back the heart-themed bed, complete with optional vibration that now modifies the voices of Sims who are using the bed.”
So with love always being core to The Sims, why did the team decide to expand on it now? “Dating and romance are always evolving and we are always looking to give our players more tools to tell their stories,” Lio explains. “Based on what we saw from The Sims 4 Growing Together expansion pack, we knew they were really interested in telling stories of connection. We love how our players create drama in their stories and we wanted the game to reflect more relational dynamics and challenges inspired by real life.”
We’re now a decade on from the launch of The Sims 4 (I write, turning at once to dust), which has since transformed into a free Steam game. With so many add-ons out there now, I ask if it’s become increasingly challenging to find new spaces to build on the game. “The Sims 4 reflects an optimistic outlook on life,” Contreras replies. “The real world holds so many different experiences that it’s hard to imagine reaching a point where we, as developers, feel like we’ve explored all things possible.
“It’s incredibly exciting that we continue to surprise and delight our players, and we’re always listening to their feedback and exploring new spaces to develop expansion packs to further their gameplay experiences.” So are there any particular parts of the game Contreras would particularly like to build out further? “One core element of the game that I would be thrilled to expand upon is Sim moods and moodlets.”
I’d certainly love to see the emotional system broadened. As a big fan of The Sims 3, I love what that game’s moodlets brought to the table, and it’s something The Sims 4 also places heavy emphasis on. After so many years, however, it can feel rather predictable – and perhaps a little too nakedly mechanical to manipulate in your favor – so an overhaul to the system or even a range of fresh additions would be very welcome.
Another Lovestruck feature that Contreras is proud of is that it can handle “relationships with mismatched expectations, relationships where one or both Sims are still figuring out where their boundaries lie, relationships where both Sims do in fact know and are firm with their boundaries, and so on.” After all, meeting your own needs can be tough enough, let alone coordinating that with those of another person.
In closing, I ask the pair what their favorite new interactions are in Lovestruck. Lio brings up the ‘kiss behind bookshelf’ ability that now shows up in libraries, while Contreras mentions the ‘seductive dance.’ “As a team, we laughed so many times seeing it during development and knew it would catch players’ eyes.”
“Even the text [in Lovestruck] tickles me,” Lio adds, “like the description for the Birds and the Bees Moodlet for “romancing” in nature: “Ahh… the fresh breeze, the open sky. Not only is [Sim name] touching grass, but touching another Sim in the grass. Life is good.”
The Sims 4 Lovestruck is out now, and is priced at $39.99 / £34.99. And don’t worry, EA has already been quick to jump on the surprise Sims 4 incest bug that reared its head following the new update, so you can enjoy your romantic adventures in peace.
However your virtual love life is going, at least you can always help resolve your most immediate problems with help from all The Sims 4 cheats. You could even dip your toe into the best Sims 4 mods or, if you’re feeling particularly spicy, the best Sims 4 sex mods.
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