TSR Sims 4 Snowy Escape Review Part 3: New Game Features
This review is courtesy of the Game Changers Program
The Sims 4 Snowy Escape Expansion has a lot of new features. Even excluding all of the other content that I have addressed specifically in other articles, there is still a lot of new things left. These specific new features and mechanics offer a lot of opportunities for more dynamic Sims, stronger relationships among Sims, and more player immersion.
New Traits: Proper & Adventurous
Proper Sims dislike and disapprove of mean or mischievous social interactions, these Sims even get a negative moodlet from witnessing these interactions. Proper Sims like to be dressed in formal attire and perform and witness friendly and romantic socials.
Adventurous Sims are easy to please, they crave thrills. These Sims seem to get bored and tense easier than other Sims and they just do all-around better staying active and engaged in activities.
New Aspirations: Mt Komorebi Sightseer & Extreme Sports Enthusiast
The Mt. Komorebi Sightseer Sim wants to visit all of Mt. Komorebi. These Sims live for the moment and learning about everything Mt. Komorebi, especially the culture. The reward trait for Mt. Komorebi Sightseeing Sims is ‘Home Turf,’ which makes Sims happier when they are in their home neighborhood.
Snowy Escape is perfect for Sims who are Extreme Sports Enthusiasts. These Sims gain the survival reward trait for extra protection. They love to ski, snowboard, and rock climb and seem to avoid injury more than other Sims when doing these tasks. Extreme Sports Enthusiast Sims also have better resistance to inclement weather and wildlife attacks.
New Career: Salaryperson
With a new world comes a new career, the Salaryperson. Salarypersons (people) have two tracks to select from Supervisor and Expert at the Farseer Data Corporation. Both paths lead to long hours and more stress. With this new career comes new interactions and business outfits. There is also a new reward trait called Legendary Stamina, this helps the Sim be able to work longer hours without becoming stressed out or tired.
New Weather Conditions
Included in the Snowy Escape Expansion there are two new weather conditions that occur in the Neighborhood of Yukimatsu; blizzard and icy conditions. With the blizzard, you can get snow thunderstorms and with icy conditions, well you get ice. Both can be dangerous and of course, lead to death. Snow depth is also now a thing, (YEAH!) and if your Sim may have more issues moving through deeper snow.
New Death
In the Snowy Escape Expansion pack, there are two new ways for your Sims to die. There are multiple other ways to die with this content, but two new death animations; Death by falling and death by vending machine.
Death by falling can happen when climbing. The lower the skill, the more intense weather, and the lack of good equipment increase the chance of death. Most of the time your Sims will be just fine and be able to hang tight, but not always. The trick to making this death really work is to go to the top of the mountain with the least experienced climbing sim you have in the worst weather possible with no supplies. Having a previous injury also seems to speed up death.
Death by Vending Machine
Death by vending machine, this is for all those times you were told not to shake the vending machine when an item was stuck inside. Well, the fear your teachers and parents had, can happen to your Sims. If you aggressively shake that vending machine you may get squished! For Eliza to die it took over one hundred and twelve vending machine purchases of Simmi Capsules.
New Lifestyles
You can locate your Sims’ Lifestyles by going to the Simology tab. Once in Lifestyles you can also easily switch over to the rewards screen. One of the bigger elements of the Snowy Escape Expansion pack is the inclusion of the Lifestyles. Lifestyles are a similar system to the vampire, spellcaster, and celebrity system, but also different in comparison to what we have seen and experienced.
There are a total of sixteen Lifestyles that a Sim can earn; Adrenaline Seeker, Close-Knit, Coffee Fanatic, Energetic, Frequent Traveler, Health Food Nut, Hungry for Love, Indoorsy, Junk Food Fiend, People Person, Single and Lovin’ it, Outdoorsy, Sedentary, Techie, Technophobe, and Workaholic.
Lifestyles are determined by your Sim’s behaviors, actions, and habits. This can impact relationships, whims, and interactions.
For Legacy and Story players Lifestyles should be a real game-changer. This concept of Sims having defined Lifestyles gives the game a bit more feel for unique personalities in Sims. Lifestyles do not happen instantly as your Sim must meet requirements and build them. Don’t worry if you do not like a specific Lifestyle for your Sim, you can always start a new one and have three at a time. There is also a Lifestyle menu that will keep track of your progress.
Sentiments
Sentiments are a feeling or memory of things that have happened for your Sims. Sentiments impact relationships in both positive and negative ways. There are long term and short term sentiments. These shared moments that create Sentiments bond Sims improving or damaging the relationship.
When I first began to read about the new expansion the idea of Sentiments was hard for me to really understand how it would play out in the Sims. The easiest example I can think of is If Eliza treats Bob badly and cheats on Bob, rather than Bob forgetting he remembers. Now when Eliza is around Bob it makes him feel bad because he has Sentiments from bad experiences with Eliza.
In Snowy Escape there is so much invested into building relationships between Sims, and this is wonderful! It has me very excited to actually play the townies and watch their stories unfold.
