Rate: 4 stars

While the wilderness has never the most attractive place, with bugs chewing on skin, noisy birds and crickets and the flesh-eating animals, a new game pack may make Sims fans willing to take on the outdoors. Origin released Sims 4 The Outdoor Retreat earlier this month.

The Outdoor Retreat can only be purchased through Origin with a credit card of some type. This restricts the gamers who are younger and don’t have a credit card. The downloading process is much easier without having to put in the disc. The downside of not having a disc or case is that they can’t be displayed.

With this game pack (not an expansion pack or stuff pack) comes a new world, Granite Falls. Based on previous experience, this third world was expected to arise. The base game only came with two worlds, and the creators would never leave the gamers with two worlds. This new world is for vacations only. The Sims cannot live there forever. Getting around Granite Falls is tricky because of all the trees. It’s hard to get the the lake and then back to a cabin or camping ground.

When vacationing, Sims can stay in a cabin or on a campsite. The cabin is a home with little technology and has a bathroom and kitchen. In the cabin, the player cannot place anything unless it’s in the Sims’ inventory. If a Sim doesn’t have a necessary camping item, there is a selection of items that are outrageously priced for Sims to buy. The same is true of the camp site. There is a table, horseshoe game, grill and trash can. Sims have to provide everything else. Spending the night at Granite Falls is expensive—upwards of 400 per night in Simoleons.

While providing Sims with furniture can be pricey when camping or glamping (glamorous camping), the furniture can fit nicely into most homes. Upon initial download, all new items glow a dim yellow, just like when building a new Sims character. It’s helpful so players know what came with the game.

The new hairstyles, clothes and shoes are fabulous and fit the outdoor theme. Every age of each gender has new stuff. Five or six shirts in the everyday category gives players even more options. The woman comes with several new hairdos, and men come with two. It’s great that women have more hairstyles, but the men seemed tossed to the side. Additionally, the selection of new shoes was impressive (this many shoes has not come with an addition to the base game since Sims 3, Late Night). This vast array of  clothes, hairstyles, accessories and shoes should come in every game pack.

In addition, the player receives a free download of swimming pools and swimsuits. The Outdoor Retreat added to the clothing portion of the Create-A-Sim within the pool-wear section. Origin finally added pools and, to the player’s advantage,  it was free.

While the game’s downside is paying online, the game pack more than makes up for it in its Create-A-Sim options, activities, new furniture and accessories. This has set a high standard for the rest of the game packs.

Sims 4: The Outdoor Retreat

EA

Windows XP (SP3), Windows Vista (SP2), Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1

Jan.  13 2015

T(teen)