Key Highlights
- Introduces supposedly “active careers” that you’ll probably get tired of quickly.
- Lets you open a retail store, because managing a simulated business in a life simulation game is what everyone wants to do.
- Introduces aliens, but are they any less strange than the regular Sims?
- Adds baking and photography skills, just in case your Sims weren’t already busy enough trying to hold down a job and maintain their sanity.
- Features a new world, Magnolia Promenade, which is basically just a glorified shopping mall.
Introduction
The Sims 4: Get to Work came out in 2015 as the first expansion pack for the game. It promised to add some fun and new features. It aimed to change the gameplay for the better. But did it really meet expectations? After the first excitement fades away, you might find yourself asking if all that “work” was really worth it.
Overview of The Sims 4: Get to Work Expansion
This work expansion pack is all about work. The main feature is Active Careers. You will no longer just watch your Sims go to their jobs. Now, you can control everything they do as you help them climb the career ladder.
In addition to this big change, you can also explore new skills like baking and new photography. After all, what’s a life simulation game without being able to take great photos of your virtual meals? However, don’t get too carried away. While these new features may complicate your Sims’ lives, they don’t always make the game more fun.
Key Features and Excitements
One of the most exciting features is owning and running a retail store, including bookstores. Now, you can let your Sims experience the tough world of retail! You will spend hours figuring out prices, decorating your store, and managing employees. You will hope that some customers actually spend their hard-earned Simoleons.
If running a store is not your style, maybe being a detective fits you better. You can find clues, ask questions to suspects, and try to solve crimes. Just don’t expect much drama or a big challenge.
Then there’s the alien world, Sixam. Is it full of fun and mysteries? Not really. It is mostly a fancy rock garden filled with oddly dressed Sims who like to probe.
Understanding the Expansion Pack’s Scope
The Sims 4: Get to Work tries to give players more options, but it feels more like going sideways instead of forward. You get a new world, Magnolia Promenade, where you can build your own business, but don’t look for a big city. It’s a small and cramped collection of shops focused mainly on retail.
The expansion pack aims to please different players. If you wanted to run your own vet clinic, that’s not possible here. You need the Cats & Dogs expansion pack for that. For those wanting to dive into magic, you’ll have to wait for the Realm of Magic game pack.
Get to Work offers a lot, but it all feels a bit shallow. It’s like a buffet where everything looks nice, but when you try it, you find it tastes bland and doesn’t satisfy, much like the journey of a young man navigating through life’s choices.
Getting Started with The Sims 4: Get to Work
So, you’ve chosen to dive into the world of simulated work. That’s awesome! Get ready for a tough learning experience as you learn about each new career and deal with managing a retail business. The game won’t guide you much, so good luck figuring everything out by yourself.
But don’t stress too much! After hours of trying to keep your Sims’ businesses running and their sanity in check, you can always remind yourself that with a speedrun timer, it’s just a game… right?
Essential Resources and Tools Needed
Before you start your Sims’ work-life adventures, check if your PC can manage the extra load from this expansion pack. If your game is already slow, get ready for more lag, especially if you want to create a large retail empire.
You have been warned. You will need all the help you can find to enjoy this expansion pack, so don’t hesitate to look for some mods. With your narrator by your side, the modding community has come through again, fixing EA’s issues and offering changes to make your gameplay better.
However, if you are going to depend on mods to play the game, you should ask yourself: was buying this DLC really worth it?
Step-by-step Guide to Maximizing Gameplay
Maximizing gameplay in this expansion is a big claim, but here are some tips to make the most of what you have:
- Create the best Sim in CAS: Pick traits that help them work hard, like “Perfectionist” and “Ambitious.” But think about it: is a Sim that works all the time really fun?
- Choose your career carefully: Will it be Doctor, Detective, or Scientist in the exciting new career venues? Each job has its own challenges. Get ready to click a lot to keep your Sim moving forward.
- Get into the retail hustle: Set up your store, hire and fire workers, and hope for customers. Don’t expect to see profits anytime soon, though.
If nothing works, you can dress your Sims in funny costumes and pretend they have exciting secret lives.
Conclusion
The Sims 4: Get to Work expansion shows players what their Sims do in their jobs, including new hairstyles. While this idea sounds good, the expansion does not offer much fun. It adds new careers and workplaces, which is nice, but the tasks feel repetitive and there are not many options for gameplay. Fans of Sims might like some parts of the expansion, but it does not have enough new features to meet expectations. If you want a truly fun experience, you should consider whether to jump into The Sims 4: Get to Work.
