Granted I am one of those people eagerly awaiting news on the long-rumoured announcement around The Sims 5, the development teams at Maxis are continuing work on their fourth mainline instalment in the franchise which first hit store shelves in 2014. More than six years into its development cycle, publisher Electronic Arts has confirmed that the 10th Expansion Pack – titled The Sims 4: Snowy Escapes – will be released on the PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on 13 November 2020.
With Snow being introduced in The Sims 4: Seasons, it comes as a surprise that they would dedicate an entire expansion pack to a fraction of the content in this expansion. But with snow never really being effectively utilised in a Sims expansion since The Sims: Vacation, perhaps this might give players more reason to enjoy the features and inconvenience of the colder months faced by their Sims.
The Sims 4: Snowy Escapes introduces the world of Mt. Komorebi, a new location for Sims looking for a getaway from their everyday lives or a new dream home. The Japanese-inspired world offers a variety of activities for Sims to enjoy, from unwinding in the mountain’s onsen bathhouse, meditating on mindful walks or testing their limits with exciting, and sometimes dangerous sports activities like skiing, snowboarding and rock climbing.
Mt. Komorebi will be the first world in The Sims 4 to offer a world enabling players to both purchase homes in it but also rent lots there as temporary vacation homes. It offers three new primary neighborhoods for Sims to entertain themselves in or make the winter locale their home, which is less than the usual 5 districts, but hopefully made up for in quality!
Sims will discover snow fun for everyone on Mt. Komorebi, including a multitude of high-energy winter sports, where they can tear up the snowy slopes with skiing, snowboarding and sledding. The bravest of Sims can build up their rock climbing skills to conquer the daring and treacherous climb to reach Mt. Komorebi’s peak. Those who prefer to take a more laid back approach can enjoy relaxing hiking trails with beautiful, scenic views of the mountain and bamboo forests, soak their problems away in the natural hot springs or indulge in new foods and drinks including tasty hot pot around the kotatsu table.
The Sims 4 Snowy Escape also introduces Lifestyles and Sentiments features, adding more depth to Sims’ personalities and relationships. For the first time, up to 16 Lifestyles will manifest in response to a Sim’s actions and habits, changing their behaviors significantly more than Create a Sim traits as they reflect a Sim’s lived experiences. Sentiments represent how two Sims can feel differently about the outcome of a shared experience and have a lasting impact on Sims’ relationships to each other, affecting their social interactions.
In addition to the new features one would expect with any expansion pack, The Sims 4: Snowy Escape also comes with a suite of more than 130 create-a-sim items and a range of traditional and modern furniture items.
The Sims team is constantly exploring new ways Simmers can play with life, and The Sims 4 Snowy Escape will offer them the freedom to choose their own adventures in the new world of Mt. Komorebi.
Whether Sims want to hit the slopes and go on daring excursions on the mountain, prefer to unwind with scenic hikes and indulge in a day of relaxation, or even build their new dream home, this expansion pack provides something for everyone to enjoy.
Graham Nardone – Producer of The Sims 4: Snowy Escape
