There are so many things to love about The Sims 4's new Life and Death expansion that it's almost impossible to list them. That doesn't mean I won't try: it has ghosts, funerals, a brand new way to chart a Sim's soul journey through life, and even the ability to get a job with the Grim Reaper (as well as having his babies). If EA proudly shouting "goth rights" into the wind wasn't enough of a treat, though, the publisher's best pack in a decade doubles down on the cool factor by doing something meaningful for a change.
I don't mean to be flippant. Anyone who's seen the extended gameplay trailer knows that it's hard to look at Life & Death alongside Horse Ranch and see the same value being added. Sure, there's cool goth stuff in Ravenwood – a town modelled on Romanian architecture – but there's a lot more to the expansion pack than lace and black candles. Extending the lives of Sims beyond the mortal coil and adjusting how they approach and grieve death feels both subtle and profound, promising substantial changes to an everyday playthrough that will feel useful rather than cosmetic. The base game update adds ghosts to Create-A-Sim for those who favor the occult, but behind its eerie supernatural aesthetics, Life & Death shows a far more serious side to The Sims than we've seen in years – and it's officially restored my faith in the franchise.
Professional griefers
It's hardly a coincidence that the first Sims 4 expansion to launch following the demise of Sims 5 is all about death. Coaching our Sims – and ourselves, by default – through the process of grief, the potential of an afterlife, and the memories we will keep forever… Listed out like that, EA's role in handling its playerbase's mourning might sound a little on the nose.
To me, Sims 4: Life & Death speaks to the publisher's dedication to finding new ways of evolving the game in perpetuity as it becomes an ongoing legacy project. This pack proves that with the right balance of familiarity and novelty, it's possible to get fans interested in a ten-year old game again. It also shows EA's respect for the people it hopes to still be playing the game a decade on from now. I was certainly on the fence when the news initially broke, but perhaps this is all the encouragement I needed to get me fully on-board for ten more years of Sims 4.
The existence of a pack like Life & Death is already a huge step toward the game's maturity. The Sims 4 has never taken itself too seriously, and that's always been something of a double-edged sword. Its infamy as the most troubled iteration of EA's life sim is known far and wide, making the odd goofy glitch more funny than frustrating. It should be more concerning that players have laughed off even the worst Sims 4 bugs with little more than an eye roll for the last ten years and counting, but the off-kilter, zany humour of The Sims 4 has always afforded it some degree of forgiveness. But I sincerely hope Life & Death enters our hands at least relatively bug-free, because its importance to the grand scheme of things is no joking matter.
In this life and the next
Life and Death feels like a promise from EA that it intends to hold our hand throughout the coming journey, no matter what lies ahead.
The upcoming expansion presents a unique opportunity for reinvention, let alone reincarnation. It's EA's chance to show fans that it wants to fix its bad reputation, and there's no better way to do that than with a clean, bug-free launch. A key reason why me and many other Sims fans were hesitant about the prospect of Sims 4 as an ongoing central project with no future generations planned is because faith in EA has waned over the years. How can I sign up for another decade of trivial game packs that have no overarching purpose, pertaining to interests so niche that they have little longevity outside of the core functions offered? I mean, has anyone played in Strangerville since solving the mystery that one time? Perhaps, but I have always been more fond of packs that enrich the overall experience. Seasons is the best example of an expansion pack that feels pretty much a staple, adding so much world-building and realism to an otherwise bland shell of a game. It's all happening in the background, barely acknowledged from session to session, but I know my Sims games would be noticeably different without it.
In that sense, I see Life & Death as having the potential to be another Sims 4: Seasons. Death is merely a fact of life, and a life sim seeks to emulate that cycle – whether naturally as a human's lifespan ticks across, or supernaturally if your vampire Sim decides to go sunbathing. An expansion pack that directly addresses such a delicate yet intrinsic part of simply being alive is a genius move from EA right now, not only making a powerful comment on our own human condition, but telling players that it acknowledges room for growth as it forges the series' future. Much as our Sims learn to embrace all parts of their existence, Life and Death feels like a promise from EA that it intends to hold our hand throughout the coming journey, no matter what lies ahead. Here's hoping that promise is kept.
Ready to move on? These games like The Sims will have you covered.
