The Sims 4 is striding purposefully into the verdant splendour of summer with a new nature-loving expansion, which also happens to mark the return of fairies as a playable Sim-type.
In fact, for all its talk of the natural world, EA’s Enchanted by Nature expansion reveal suggests fairies – last seen in The Sims 3’s 2012 Supernatural expansion – are very much the focus this time around. Mother Nature, it seems, is recruiting Sims to swell her fairy ranks, and players that opt to heed her call will find their Sims graced with abilities enabling them to nurture plants, manipulate objects, change the moods of others, and more.
A wide range of wings, skin tones, ears, teeth, head accessories, glowing tattoos, and more are promised so players can create the fairy that suits their whims, and once that’s taken care of, they’ve the option of following two distinct fairy paths. Harmonious Fairies are all about helping others find health and balance, while Discordant Fairy are the chaos gremlins of the fairy world, flitting around and making life just a little more more difficult for other Sims with their mischief.
Regardless of the path they choose, players will need to be mindful of their fairy Sim’s specific needs: rather than food, fairies are sustained on the emotions of others, so you’ll be hoovering up all sorts of feelings to avoid Emotional Starvation. On the upside, you get a special fairy WooHoo to impress the neighbours with, so there’s that.
And speaking of neighbours, Enchanted by Nature features a new world in the form of Innisgreen, split into three distinct districts. The Coast of Adhmor is a peaceful seaside village, while Sprucederry Grove promises a “vibrant blend of friendly shops, cosy homes, and draping ivy that blur the line between civilisation and the natural world”. Fairy focused players, meanwhile, will be wanting to make a beeline for the enchanted woodland sprawl of Everdew. One word of warning: luck is its own force in Innisgreen, and Sims choosing to live here will experience good, bad, and ordinary luck, impacting their career, love life, and more – so luck-modifying charms may come in handy.
Amid all this, there’s talk of new adventures, skills, traits, and a new mechanic in the form of balance. Sim that fail to stay emotionally grounded will gradually grown imbalanced, which can make like a little trickier. They might, for instance, start to learn skills more slowly, and if their balance continues to be out of whack, they might stay into very imbalanced territory, at which point they’ll start developing Ailments like Emotional Void, Simoleon Fever, Sonic Sinuses, and Greenie Meanie – which makes them a better gardener, but really, really angry.
Sims struck with Ailments can get respite by crafting cures and elixirs using the new Apothecary Table. By foraging and gardening for new ingredients, players can follow treatment recipes with “fantastical effects”, and all this ties into the new Elixir Enthusiast Aspiration, and the Naturopath profession, enabling Sims to monetise their newfound Apothecary skills.
And that’s pretty much everything EA has revealed so far. The Sims 4’s Enchanted by Nature launches for all platforms on 10th July, and costs £34.99/$39.99. Players who purchase the expansion before 21st August get get a couple of additional items, including the Lofty Leaf Pond, the glowing Mycena Lantern, and the Disguised Dwelling Fairy Home.