The Sims 4 Lovestruck is the newest expansion for the longstanding simulator, and guess what we are exploring this time? Love, dating, and, you guessed it, WooHoo!
Going on its 10th year, The Sims 4 has consistently been one of the most progressive games out there, especially when it comes to inclusivity. Now, in 2024, they are pushing that one step further with The Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion. Not only will this expansion bring all new content to the long-running life-simulator, but it will also bring more ways to customize the way you experience love. Whether that is true to life or not is all up to you!
The Sims 4 Lovestruck: Create a Sim Additions
The first thing they showed us in our hour-long preview of The Sims 4 Lovestruck is something that will be coming to the base game whether you pick up this expansion or not: Romantic Boundaries. These boundaries help determine the level of jealousy your Sim will experience and whether or not it can be overcome. In this menu, you’ll find questions asking how your Sim feels about certain interactions your romantic partner has, including WooHoo, with other Sims. It also asks if this is something your Sim can get through by talking to other Sims about it.
Also, a part of the base game, not just the Lovestruck expansion, is more inclusive language, like Partner and Spouse. Here, you will also find Romance Dynamics. These include Steamy, Strained, Unpredictable and Wholesome, allowing you to control the Sim’s autonomy when it comes to romance.
Attraction is a new part of Create-a-Sim specific to The Sims 4 Lovestruck, which includes turn-ons and turn-offs. This starts right from the basics, as you would in real life, with a general visual attraction. You can choose from a hair colour or outfit colour/style you want your Sim to find attractive at first sight. There are also Way-of-Life—which talks about the skills or traits (and even includes “Taken”) that your Sim finds attractive—and characteristics—things like Hardworking, Ambitious, or the less-popular, Messy.
During setup, you’ll also come across Romance Styles. The options there include Affection, Flirting, Gift Giving, Physical Intimacy and WooHoo—yes, they are different. These are about how your Sim prefers to experience romance and will directly affect your Romance satisfaction level.
The Love Aspiration section has two new sections. Romantic Explorer and Paragon Partner, and there can’t be a Lovestruck expansion without new love traits. Romantically Reserved describes Sims, who are safe in love and prefer deep emotional connections before developing something more. Lovebug, on the other hand, describes your more love-crazy Sims, who get swept up in romance.
Something I wanted to take note of, specifically, though, is that The Sims 4 has always been about inclusivity and creative freedom. Someone asked if polyamory would be included in these settings, and though there has always been some form of “Sure, why not?” the Relationship Boundaries let you specifically set what your Sim is or is not interested in. The dev said it best in the preview chat, however, “The Sims aims to avoid labels, so players can be who they want to be, and love whoever they want to love.”
The Sims 4 Lovestruck: New Neighbourhoods
The Sims 4 Lovestruck introduces a whole new world map called Ciudad Enamorada, which is completely designed around Mexico City with the help of three Sims creators.
Here, you will find Nuevo Corazon, the big city. Sims in the city can have a night on the town at Mirador del Amor, a club well-known for love and steamy affairs. The vibe is red and dark and a bit sexy if you ask me. This is also where the gym is located. This is one of the more built-up and populated areas, especially on this world map.
Vista Hermosa is a more suburban area featuring romantic experiences like Laguna del Abrazo. The Laguna del Abrazo was actually designed by a Mexican creator, which speaks to the authenticity of this Mexican-inspired world map.
You’ll also find the Wall of Love, a place where lovers can declare their romance for one another. Each area comes with a Sims history, making these locations well-known for specific activities. For those more in lust than in love, it is also where the Beso Rapido is—a 24/7 motel. You can guess what goes on there.
Plaza Mariposa is the third new neighbourhood in Ciudad Enamorada. Here, you will find some empty lots and a romantic vacation spot. There is also the Dynamic Dater household, which houses new dateable characters. We got to see a closeup of a beautiful park here, with the Fountain of Dreams, where you can wish for things or spend a romantic date at a beautiful part bar and part gazebo that looks really cute!
The Sims 4 Lovestruck Gameplay
The first thing you’ll notice when you highlight over a new Sim in The Sims 4 Lovestruck is an Attraction notice. To find out if a Sim is attracted to you, you’ll need to access the Relationship tab when you interact with them. Here, you can learn more about their romantic boundaries, interests and even WooHoo interests right off the bat. How forward! There is also a Romance tab, which allows access to all of the romance-related things in one spot, like Sexy Pose, Emotionally Connet and more.
In case you forget, you can head to the Simology panel to check on your Relationship Preferences, Likes and Dislikes, and Traits, just so you aren’t setting yourself up for romantic failure. The Sim Info panel will show the Turn-Ons and Turn-Offs of a Sim as well, so you can keep an eye on how to woo them, as well as their Romantic Feelings.
Sims are pulling no punches in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, as they have full autonomy in love now and can break your Sim’s heart without a care. If you are chatting with someone your Sim is attracted to, they still may not be interested because their characteristics determine attraction as well as yours. This Romantic Satisfaction works unilaterally, so if one Sim’s needs aren’t met, things won’t be able to progress.
You can watch your relationship fade or flourish on the notification wall. In our example, a Sim we were attracted to was flirting with another one at the gym. This made our Sim jealous, and a notification popped up noting that he found one of her Romantic Boundaries. As the flirting continued, more notes popped up telling him that if it continued, she would break up with him.
As I mentioned, Sims have complete autonomy over their romantic relationships, so in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, Sims can initiate a breakup or divorce all on their own. There will be multiple warnings before it happens, but it can happen. Luckily, if you really want to create chaos, this is a setting that can be turned off if you want to be able to live your best life without consequences.
“…so in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, Sims can initiate a breakup or divorce all on their own.”
In your menus, you can also find something called Cupid’s Corner. It is meant to be like a dating app, but it can do a few different things. Cupid’s Counselling will allow for repairing a damaged relationship due to jealousy and broken boundaries. You can also use Cupid’s Corner to go on a blind date.
When you go all the way into the Cupid’s Corner app, you will see My Bio, Matches and Saved, much like an actual dating app. Here, you can add a photo of your Sim and what they are looking for, including their attractions and orientation, which separates romantic and WooHoo interests.
Young Adult Sims and up can use the app, and it is meant to find Sims who share your interests and boundaries instead of playing a guessing game out in public. You can set your choices to be anyone in your Sim universe or even Sims from The Gallery, which are Sims created by other players.
If you choose to go on a date, you can bring up to six Sims, so bring a wingman or create some drama, if you so choose. You have to select at least three activities, and these can come from the base game or different packs you have added to The Sims 4. The activities will let you know if you have access to them or which pack you need to gain access. Some examples were Drinks, Dance, TV, Board Games and more, and then you choose a location.
“Sims are pulling no punches in The Sims 4 Lovestruck, as they have full autonomy in love now and can break your Sim’s heart without a care.”
Something I found interesting was that these dates are timed. As you go about the activities you want to try, you will see more details pop up on the notification wall, like when someone reveals their interests to you. If a Sim is having a good time with you, they can request to keep the date going, which you can accept or decline. This adds more time to the clock for you to continue. On these dates you can even buy romantic items like flowers, chocolates and even a costume truck to use to your imagination.
Side note: Perhaps the most important addition is the heart-shaped bed that vibrates. Just sayin’.
One more fun addition is creating a new WooHoo spot by bringing the WooHoo blanket out in outdoor locations or adding the WooHoo closet to your builds. To counteract that fun, however, there is a new Lovestruck-related death: Death by Broken Heart, which can be triggered by breakups and extreme jealousy or rejection.
The Sims 4 Lovestruck is a very in-depth expansion, but it comes at the cost of almost a full-priced game. Though there are some new additions to the base game for everyone, if you are a player who wants to explore relationships in The Sims 4, I think it is a great addition and well worth it.
You can pre-order The Sims 4 Lovestruck now for $54.99 over on EA’s website.
