Partied out?
I like The Sims 4. There are some great additions to the fourth instalment that made my time with it enjoyable. With some clever improvements to the core gameplay mechanics, it removed some of the niggles I used to have, and streamlined a lot of the day to day stuff. It may not have engulfed me in the same way that the original game did, but I found it to be a great way to pass a few hours. That being said, does the latest expansion, Get Together, add a new dimension to the game?
Get Together is the second expansion to be released for The Sims 4; a franchise that historically spawns several expensive add-ons. The previous pack, Get to Work, added quite a lot of content, with fully fleshed out occupations. Unfortunately, Get Together doesn’t really add that much to the experience.
MSRP: $39.99
Format: PC/Mac
The biggest addition is the town of Windenburg; a new place for the Sims to hang out, chill and party together; which is the other main feature of the expansion. Get Together is a new way for the Sims to interact. Sims can meet up at a club, participate in group activities or party through the night with friends. Options added to the main interface allow many of these activities to be arranged at the drop of a hat, while some require a little planning. There’s also that late night text from friends, asking to see if I wanted to hit the town. These alerts happen almost every day, so there was little chance of me missing out on the action. Luckily there are some new skills to learn, like DJ-ing and dancing, while raving away the hours.
Get Together also adds a new function called Clubs. There are pre-set clubs available in game, or they can be created to suit any type of Sim personality. Clubs offer a different way to interact with other Sims, and offer unique options when spending time with pals. Creating my own Club was straight forward enough, but I didn’t really get a sense of accomplishment from doing so; opting instead to choose one of the default ones.
The problem with Get Together is two-fold. Firstly, unlike the previous expansion, there isn’t enough new content to justify the price tag; which at this point is the same price as the main game. But more concerning is that fact that the group social aspect of Get Together feels like it should have been included in the original release. It’s a natural progression from the earlier games and does improve the experience, which only adds to the criticism The Sims 4 received at launch that highlighted missing features and content. It does now feel that EA held back this kind of feature, knowing that it could easily sell it at a later date.
Get Together will no doubt be an essential purchase to those who are fully invested in The Sims 4. But if you are looking for something to add some deep meaningful content, then save your cash.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
