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EA keeps finding new ways to repackage content for sale in the Sims 4, which is becoming somewhat confusing and controversial within the community.
Over the years, The Sims has only been expanded on how much content it offers in each generation. Successful DLC expansions only served to make the franchise more lucrative to EA, so when the Sims 4 was released, it took a sharp turn with how DLC and update packs were distributed. The Sims 4 is not only the longest-running Sims game but one with the most DLC in a variety of types and prices ranges that can seem a little ludicrous.
Since The Sims 2, each generation has received its own bit of paid DLC outside of expansions. The Sims 2 saw the first appearance of Stuff Packs, and while The Sims 3 continued with Stuff Packs, it also added an online store where players could purchase individual Sim objects, clothing and even neighborhoods. While The Sims 4 has removed the online store, it made up for its absence by going completely off the rails with its DLC offerings. Here’s how each DLC tier for The Sims 4 shakes out.
Expansions
Expansions have traditionally added more content to The Sims in the form of new activities, gameplay, as well as adding new objects, outfits and more. For example, Seasons adds, well… seasons but also weather, holidays, new activities and items that tie into the theme. Some even add totally new neighborhoods like City Living or places like Get to Work’s job sites. They add the most content for your money, although this isn’t the case for every expansion. Some content traditionally included in previous expansions was removed and repackaged into one of the other DLC categories. For example, Cats & Dogs removed many small pet options that were later placed in a separate Stuff Pack. Similarly, the Outdoor Retreat Game Pack could have been part of Cottage Living from the beginning.
The first few years the Sims 4 was out, many in the community found the expansions incredibly underwhelming. Get to Work added the ability to play Sims at work rather than have them disappear for a time but only added three jobs, two of which were part of base games in previous generations. Get Together also lacked content, only adding a world and the ability to make social clubs. More recent expansions are finally returning to form, adding the content players have come to expect from Sims expansions. At $40, these are also the most expensive DLC for the game, so make sure you’re getting a good amount of content for your Simoleons.
Game Packs
These are lite versions of expansions that have arrived with the Sims 4. They add a small amount of gameplay content, some objects and clothing, and occasionally a new neighborhood to explore. For example, Dine Out adds fully playable restaurants; players can build their own, Sims can own them, and you can even customize things like menus. These are for players who don’t want to purchase an expansion but still want to add more to the base game. Like expansions, not all of them add a worthwhile amount of content or could be combined to make an expansion or be part of one. An example of this is Vampires, which was previously included in Sims 3‘s City Living equivalent, Late Night, and Supernatural, which combined Vampires and Realm of Magic.
The community is divided on Game Packs. On the one hand, they provide a cheaper alternative to full expansions, but some contain cut expansion content or just don’t offer that much for the price tag. While some are questionable, like Spa Day, this tier isn’t all bad. StrangerVille is a perfect example of a great Game Pack. It brings a new neighborhood with new objects, clothing and some gameplay. It also has a story and questline for Sims to follow that can be played more than once with different outcomes or ways to arrive at the end. At $20, Game Packs are a compromise.
Stuff Packs
Stuff Packs have been around since the Sims 2 and add new objects, clothing, architecture; more recently, these added a new skill. Stuff Packs have always been controversial since the Sims has a diverse and extensive Custom Content community. There have been some collaborated Stuff Packs with big names like Diesel and Ikea, but for the most part, the CC community provides whatever you can dream and always has – making these Packs unnecessary. Some Stuff Packs in this generation are seen to be further dividing up what could have been expansion or Game Pack content like the Toddler and Laundry Stuff Packs. However, there are a rare few that offer new gameplay making it worthwhile, like Nifty Knitting. These sell at $10, but their actual value is pretty lacking.
Kits
The newest and least expensive tier in the Sims 4 DLC, Kits are essentially bite-sized versions of Game Packs. These further break up content to resell rather than including it in expansions or even Game Packs. For example, Bust the Dust adds another level of cleaning to the game, in the form of vacuums, mops and dust bunnies that could have been included with the Laundry Stuff Pack. Others are simply cheaper Stuff Packs like Country Kitchen, which essentially adds country-style kitchen objects, which more or less ended up in the Cottage Living expansion anyway. While they are the cheapest options for DLC at only $5, they really only add the amount of content a free major update does.
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