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The Sims 4 is about to reinvent its romance system for good as EA's spiciest expansion pack yet nears launch, with Lovestruck adding everything from love languages to a Tinder-like app for Sims.
There are so many things to look forward to in the Lovestruck expansion for The Sims 4 and its accompanying free base game update - but one feature stands out in particular. Dating has never been easy for Sims, with players having to prompt just about every relationship action and most NPCs just not cutting it as love interests. That's where Cupid's Corner comes in - a Tinder-esque app for Sims that aims to make their dating lives not only easier but actually fun.
Speaking at Lovestruck's recent digital preview event, EA reveals how Cupid's Corner will work. "The old-fashioned way of finding Sims - it takes some time," lead producer Joanna Lio explains. The new app, which Sims can locate via their computers or phones, "really shortcuts the whole process of finding Sims that are compatible with you." Sims' profiles on Cupid's Corner include details like orientation, traits, and what age range they're looking for.
Every aspect of a profile is up to the player - you can even choose which of your Sim's traits to show off rather than using them all. Your Sim will need a profile photo, too - but how good it turns out depends on their photography skill. "If you haven't been practicing photography, you might get some unexpected photos," Lio laughs. As for potential matches, your Sim's future special someone could come from just about anywhere (and anyone).
"Sims come from the worlds that you have in your game," Lio says - but that's not the only place. "They can come from the gallery, or they can be entirely new." If matches stem from the gallery, they're "made only with content that you have installed right now" and "they don't have any custom content." Players can toggle these settings to tailor matches to their tastes, though - if you have a favorite gallery creator for instance, you can choose to only see their Sims.
Or, as Lio states, "You can opt to see no Sims from the gallery" - how Cupid's Corner plays out for Sims is pretty much entirely up to us as players. From the app, Sims can initiate dates and customize just about everything from invited guests (perhaps you can start a polycule to celebrate The Sims 4's upcoming long-requested polyamory feature?) to activities. These can range from star-gazing to expansion-exclusive activities like those to do with animals.
"There are a few activities that involve content from other packs," senior game designer Josh Contreras chimes in. "Those will be noted via a tooltip as well as what packs are required." If you don't have other DLC, don't fret - there's plenty for your lovebird Sims to do regardless. I personally can't wait to see how the actual dates are, especially with the new NPC autonomy that's coming.
After all, "you can't high-five your way to marriage" anymore - Sims now have to genuinely bond and strive to respect each other's boundaries, romance styles, and of course, turn-ons and turn-offs. Basically, Cupid's Corner from The Sims 4 is just like Tinder is in real life while in-game dating is the same as, well, actual dating - or at least much closer to it than it was before Lovestruck.
Want to spice your game up before Lovestruck? Here are the best Sims 4 mods around.
