The Simsfranchise has been around since 2000, and since its beginnings the occult and supernatural have been a part ofThe Sims, whether it be Bonehilda, the grim reaper, genies, or magic. It wasn’t until the very last expansion pack ofThe Sims 1in 2004, however, until the developers decided to focus on the supernatural part of the series withThe Sims: Makin' Magic. While subsequent games in series likeThe Sims 4have tapped into the supernatural theme, they haven’t quite captured the same theme of otherworldly wonder that featured inThe Sims: Makin' Magic.
The Sims 4has been out for several years with numerous expansion packs, game packs, and smaller content updates. Supernatural content additions toThe Sims 4include mermaids, vampires, spellcasters, werewolves, aliens, and ghosts. Most of these occult life states come with their own worlds, looks, and overall themes, with spellcasters, werewolves, and vampires having their own dedicated content packs that include skill trees, new gameplay, the worlds of Glimmerbrook and its sub-neighborhood the Magical Realm, Forgotten Hollow, and Moonwood Mill. Despite these additions, these life states and content themes don’t quite capture the same magic that was present in the original Sims magic expansion.
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The Sims 4 Needs More Magic
The Sims: Makin' Magicintroduced spellcasting toThe Simsbut embraced a 19th century carnival aesthetic, more like Houdini than the goth style that dominates spellcasting inThe Sims 4. This is most prominently seen in the game’s magical sub-neighborhood, Magic Town, which is accessible through a literal Hole In The Ground. Any Sim can access this world, but it’s especially useful for spellcasting Sims, as they can get access to special ingredients needed to cast spells. Magic Town has different sections, each with its own distinct theme including a fairy grove featuring an NPC fairy Sim, a carnival, and a dark forest where Sims can purchase dragon eggs, which will hatch into tiny, flying dragons that behave like pets.
Some features ofThe Sims: Makin' Magichave been carried over toThe Sims 4, such as magical duelsand Bonehilda the skeleton maid – who, when asked, says she works at the Makin' Magic Maid Mausoleum, a reference to her original appearance. Despite this,The Sims 4hasn’t tapped into the same content that madeThe Sims: Makin' Magicsuch a hit among players. None of the games inThe Simsseries has since made content with similar themes, andThe Sims 4has an opportunity to do just that with its modern graphics, updated art style, and removing content that hasn’t aged well.
Why The Sims 4 Needs to Look Back
Even more important than tapping into player nostalgia is the depth of gameplayThe Sims: Makin' Magicgave to players. Rather than an empty world, Magic Town was vibrant and alive; the carnival setting had creepy roller coasters and other elements that were unsettling, but it added to the otherworldly charm. Players could interact with nearly everything on the map; even the hot air balloon in the world view was the mode of transport for Sim families traveling to Magic Town. In comparison, theMagical Realm inThe Sims 4is pretty, but painfully empty. Like many of the other worlds inThe Sims 4, it’s largely an empty shell.
RevisitingThe Sims: Makin' Magicin could be just thecontent refreshThe Sims 4needs, especially as it’s an expansion that players still remember fondly 20 years after its release. While other content packs such as pets, fame, and travel have been revisited more faithfully since their originalThe Simsappearance, fans who rememberThe Sims: Makin' Magicare still waiting to see it reimagined.
The Sims 4is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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