The Sims 4 Lovestruck Expansion Pack Brings Flirty Neighbors and Complex Courtships

Sims 4New Expansion Pack In love piqued my interest and I started a fresh round in the life sim. I thought the added polyamory options would come later in the round, after I had settled in and found my match, but to my surprise the energetic of the game changed immediately. If you have other expansion packs installed, such as the supernatural or celebrity updates, the events and interactions from those packs can make dating even more complicated. My fresh sim, Elise, moved into a crappy apartment in the gigantic city and was immediately embroiled in constant drama.

I started with the usual tasks: decorating Elise’s fresh apartment, finding her a job as a barista, and making a few friends. The next-door neighbors, a married couple, immediately dropped by. Elise had a great time with them, but I was concerned when the mood immediately turned flirtatious. This man and his pregnant wife weren’t just welcoming Elise to the building; they wanted her to know that they’d seen her move in and really liked her spirit.

Luckily, other neighbors came over and Elise ended up chatting with a charming adolescent man named Raj. The mood turned a bit flirtatious and I quickly forgot about Elise’s promiscuous, married admirers.

Just when I thought Milhouse was coming, Raj’s mother called Elise and asked if she could stay the night with her in case of an emergency. Sure, said Elise, always willing to facilitate as a housekeeper. To my dismay, she arrived With Heaven. The guy Elise had flirted with at the housewarming party was now her roommate, along with his mom. They lived in the same building, just a floor away! What could have possibly happened to them that made Elise’s one-bedroom apartment the perfect place to crash?

In retrospect, I can only assume that this was an extreme measure of courtship. Perhaps Paradise is compatible with DENNIS systemor maybe he decided that the best way to sell himself as a romantic partner was to spend as much time in Elise’s personal space as possible. Maybe that would have worked better if Raj wasn’t such a slob, while Elise was programmed to be neat. Soon, Elise’s spotless but eclectic apartment became a total pigsty.

The dynamics of the household were strict. Elise slept on the couch, while Raj and his mom shared the only bedroom. Raj’s mom was also fascinated by Elise’s DJ equipment, turning on the stereo and booth at all hours. Elise missed her first day as a barista because she was so sleepy. She woke up overdue, furious, and then started a fistfight with Raj’s mom in the living room.

In love introduced a lot of romantic possibilities, even when my character was trapped in a Cinderella-like situation where she cleaned up after an ungrateful mother-son duo. After leaving work, Elise’s friend invited her to the Romance Festival downtown. Great! Elise ended up painting a stunning portrait, eating exorbitant food, singing karaoke, and meeting a handsome adolescent DJ named Jacques Le Chien.

Just as Elise was getting into the groove and flirting with Jacques, another Sim transformed into a wild werewolf and rushed the dance floor. Another romantic moment thwarted by circumstances beyond my control! Elise returned home in a huff, promptly started punching Raj’s mom again, and then threw them both out.

I thought that was it until a few days later. Elise started cooking a miniature meal, but Raj showed up at her door and asked if he could join me for dinner. I reluctantly let him in, and to my surprise Elise was still open to his romantic advances. I like to exploit the ant farm approach to play Sims 4; I make the general decisions, but let the Sim act however they want in the moment. Personally, I wouldn’t want to cuddle on the couch and kiss the guy who moved in with his mother and conquered my apartment, but I think Elise is more understanding.

Photo: Maxis/Electronic Arts via Polygon

After a romantic evening with Elise’s fresh love interest, I started to feel like things were starting to look up. But then Raj called Elise the next night and confessed that he was in love with another Sim, and asked for advice on their next date. Another cruel barrier between Elise and happiness!

Both In love and the update to the base game that came with it makes romance and dating feel more nuanced. Sims have things that turn them on and turn them off, as well as jealousy triggers and personal boundaries. Jacques Le Chien was super ecstatic flirting at a music festival, but in broad daylight, in front of his friends, he rejected Elise. Before, romance could be a little awkward—you’d find a target, establish basic chemistry, then flirt, flirt, flirt, flirt, confess attraction, first kiss, hug, flirt, flirt, flirt, flirt, flirt, flirt, get to a partnership. Now, it’s all a lot more complex.

So far I’m really enjoying the nuance this brings to the early gameplay of a fresh game. Sims 4 run. I intend to continue to strive for Elise’s professional success and personal happiness—I just hope I can find Elise a more compatible partner than the sloppy, mama’s boy, unmotivated Raj, since his awful mother still hangs around Elise’s apartment and screams insults at her every time they interact.