New Sims 4 Expansion Pack Adds Romance Features & Fan-Favorite Dating Mechanics

Summary

The Sims 4
‘s
Lovestruck
expansion pack reintroduces the Turn-Ons/Turn-Offs system and a dating app for more detailed romance mechanics.
Players can now customize traits and interests for what their Sims are attracted to and repulsed by.
The expansion also includes customizable dates and new Romance interactions, enhancing storytelling possibilities.

Things are getting spicy in The Sims 4 with classic dating mechanics and even more romance options on the way thanks to a new expansion pack, which leaks indicated would include classic Sims 2 features. The Sims series has always been full of a variety of options for dating and romance, but things haven’t been as fine-tuned as players have wanted. With the help of mods, players have been able to add in things like attractiveness, compatibility, and even a Sims in-game dating app, but now these will be options that all players can explore regardless of where they are playing.

In a press release from EA, the full details of what to expect from this new expansion pack, called Lovestruck, were announced, alongside its release date of July 25, 2024. Players will now have the fan-favorite Turn-Ons/Turn-Offs system, which allows them to choose the traits and interests their Sim finds attractive, and will also dictate whether the other Sim reciprocates their feelings.

The Sims 4: Lovestruck expansion pack also includes a dating app called Cupid’s Corner, which lets the Sim customize their preferences, swipe through other Sims, and then meet each other on dates, all from inside the app. It also includes a new dating system with customizable dates and new Romance interactions.

Love Is In The Air For The Sims 4: Lovestruck Expansion Pack

Players Can Have Even More Detailed Storylines

A young Sim, wearing a white top and white flowery pants, sits on her pink bed looking at her pink phone. Above her are three different Sims all in different colored bubbles, one is a cowboy holding a fish, another is a suave woman holding her hand to her heart, and another is a man holding a weight.

Bringing back the Turn-Ons/Turn-Offs is an exciting feature for longtime fans, since it was a popular mechanic during the Sims 2 days, where a player was able to pick and choose characteristics that their Sim was attracted to and conversely disgusted by. Currently, The Sims 4 has no such base-game mechanic, but thankfully, this Lovestruck expansion will fix that for players who are able to spend the extra money. PC players can still use the tried and true Wonderful (or Wicked) Whims Mods if they do not want to purchase the Lovestruck expansion and, hopefully, this feature will become a base-game option sooner rather than later.

Plumbella Interview: Jesse McNamara Talks The Sims 4, Pastel Pop, & More

Jesse McNamara, also known as Sims content creator Plumbella, sat down with Screen Rant to discuss her Kit collaboration, Project Rene, and more.

One feature that is included in the base game of The Sims 4 is the Romantic Boundaries feature. This feature gives players the option of choosing the level of jealousy their Sim has, which opens up the options for more polyamorous relationships. These features will let the Sim be open to their partner having romantic interactions with other Sims, instead of making them instantly jealous and getting any of the negative Moodlets associated with these interactions.

There is no doubt that players know the Romance mechanic in The Sims 4 is nowhere near as good as it used to be in previous installments, but thankfully, the Lovestruck expansion pack seems like a step in the right direction. Players will likely be excited about these new additions, especially those who love to create drama in the game, and they will now have the option to create even more detailed stories for their Sims. Despite the work on The Sims 5, it doesn’t look like The Sims 4 team is slowing down anytime soon, especially with all of these new additions and fixes coming to the game.

Source: Electronic Arts, The Sims/YouTube