The Sims 4 Paranormal Stuff Pack Has Tons of Gameplay Potential
The Sims 4 turns 7 this year yet shows no signs of slowing down. Its newest stuff pack, Paranormal, releases at the end of the month and a new dev blog from SimGuruConor has revealed quite a bit of information about the upcoming pack. While the reveal trailer already advertised the pack as being quite spooky, it seems The Sims 4 will be getting even more scary additions than many fans realized.
The Paranormal stuff pack seems like a perfect gameplay opportunity for those who are fans of the occult, especially ghosts and specters. Prospective players have only seen bits and pieces of the new Build/Buy mode and CAS items, but the aesthetic of the items seems to be on par with the spooky, boho feel of the pack itself. Equally as exciting, The Sims 4 will see the return of the skeletal maid Bonehilda thanks to this pack. What’s most intriguing, though, is the cross-pack gameplay potential that seems to have been well-thought out with the Paranormal stuff pack.
Many Sims players know that the game gets an update before the release of any new pack, whether it’s an expansion, game, or stuff pack. This is to minimize any bugs or problems that may occur when the new pack is finally available for download, but most of the time, the developer adds in a few base game bonuses for players to enjoy. The most revolutionary addition to date has been platforms prefacing the release of Snowy Escape, but the Paranormal stuff pack seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve.
The base game will be updated with the new “Scared Mood,” which is obviously a perfect tie-in to the new stuff pack. However, this new mood will also take the place of certain Uncomfortable Buffs, so Sims will become Scared instead of Uncomfortable depending on the situation. To prevent Sims from being Scared as easily, players will have the opportunity to purchase the “Brave Trait” from the Satisfaction Reward Store—a nice callback to the “Brave Trait” of The Sims 3. The developers have also gone through and changed tons of Uncomfortable Buffs to Scared Buffs, like the “Thalassophobia” Buff from Island Living, so players can expect their other packs to be affected by the base game update as well.
As advertised, players already know that the Paranormal stuff pack will include a “Haunted House,” but it’s been revealed that this is a lot type, not just a lot trait and will function similarly to Tiny Living. This trait can be toggled on or off at any time, just like the Tiny Home Residential lot type. The spectral occurrences in Sims’ homes will also affect their pets, who will probably react pretty negatively to accursed objects randomly popping up.
Ghosts don’t seem to have changed much, but the Paranormal stuff pack will introduce Claude Rene Duplantier Guidry, known as Guidry the Ghost, who helps Sims navigate their paranormal circumstances. He’ll even help Sims become certified Paranormal Investigators. Specters are different from ghosts and are definitely cute, but have unknown motives. It’s hard to tell if a Specter will be nice or wreak havoc on players’ Sims. As an extra precaution, players might want to invest in a few Sacred Candles to protect their Sims from the things that go bump in the night.
While it’s too soon to say for sure, The Sims 4’s new Paranormal stuff pack seems to be shaping up to be quite the ghastly experience. The wait is nearly over for players who are occult enthusiasts, but until its release, players can always create spooky-looking houses in the meantime.
The Sims 4: Paranormal will be available January 26 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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