The Sims fans aren’t in ‘love’ with new Lovestruck expansion
Love is in the air when it comes to The Sims, but with Valentine's Day being a few months ago, it seems the roses have wilted, and the chocolates have gone off. Despite The Sims 4 being nine years old, there's seemingly no end to its constant release of expansion and stuff packs.
At current count, The Sims 4 has released 15 expansion packs, with the latest being December 2023's For Rent. With The Sims 5 still being some way off, it seems Maxis is still trying to get us into bed. Hoping to top the release of The Sims: Hot Date all the way back in 2001, Cupid is drawing back his bow.
The Sims 4 Lovestruck leaked as its next expansion pack
There are leaks everywhere that The Sims 4's next expansion will be called Lovestruck. X (formerly Twitter) account @anadius leaked all the information, and with them quickly being hit with a copyright takedown, it looks like this is the real deal. If this is the case, Lovestruck should be released on July 25.
Preorders are apparently going live on June 27, and while the artwork has since been taken down, it shows off a variety of preorder bonuses. If the preorders are going live on June 27, you can expect a full announcement then.
As for what's included in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, there will be a new Cupid's Corner dating app, sounding like The Sims 4 is becoming its own dating sim with its own Tinder-inspired system. There will be new 'intimate' interactions like cuddling in bed and a seductive dance, but pay attention to turn-ons and turn-offs.
There's a new Romance Consultant career path, while Ciudad Enamorada has three neighbourhoods where you can test your new skills as a casanova. Preorder bonuses include the Cry Me a River eyeliner, Herbert Heart Plushie, and Basic Breakup Double Bed. But, is all of this really worth the price tag?
The Sims 4 fans aren't lovestruck by Lovestruck
Click to enlargeUnfortunately for fans of the simulation series, they've had enough of EA milking the cash cow. For many, they think these features should be a free upgrade instead of having to shell out the typical $40/£35 for another expansion. When the leaks appeared on The Sims subreddit, there wasn't exactly a warm reception.
The top comment has over 2.4k upvotes, with one disgruntled gamer writing, "A mess, you can already tell it’s gonna be another empty expansion pack that feels like a game pack." Someone else agreed, adding, "I have all of this already covered through mods and they don't have bugs so I guess I will skip on that one."
Hardly setting hearts aflutter, another suggested that this should've been a stuff pack of items rather than a full-blown expansion: "The worse part is, because it’s an EP the gameplay will be a wider scope but more shallow than if this was a GP that focused on romance."
Even if The Sims 4 Lovestruck hadn't leaked early, chances are it would've faced a similarly cold shoulder. However, now that the details are out there ahead of time, EA will likely have to do some serious damage control to mend this broken heart.
