The Sims 4is bringing new life (and death) into the franchise.The Sims 4is no stranger to the supernatural or the macabre, with creepy elements and character lore that extend all the way back to the initial release ofThe Sims. The game could certainly be considered a horror game, especially withexpansion packs such asWerewolves, or evenCareers,which allows a Sim to be an Evil Scientist. TheLife & Deathexpansion packpromises to build upon that even more with the official release of the trailer for the new expansion.
There is a lot of speculation and intrigue regarding the trailer, with hints and nods to certain things that tie into a Sim’s life and death. This is relatively unexplored territory, despite how familiar players are with Death when it comes to playingThe Sims. The expansion pack promises a lot of macabre vibes, butthere is a horror element noticeably absent from the trailer which is scarier than anything included: Zombies, a Sim staple.
The Sims 4 Isn’t Bringing Zombies Back With Life & Death
Zombies Are A Classic Sims Feature
Life & Deathhas a lot of cool thingsthat keep it creepy, such as allowing for more in-depth roles for ghosts and those who love the macabre in general. Players can now have careers centering around death, such as either being a mortician or working for the Grim Reaper itself. Aligning oneself with the Grim Reaper allows the player to work with ghosts firsthand, either assisting or dispersing them. Ghosts also can be exceedingly intimidating and scary, or gentle and loving, so the level of creepy is in the players’ hands.
Yet in a game focusing on the dead, even hinting at a reincarnation arc,zombies are noticeably absent from the trailer. Ghosts have an amplified role, and Sims can even now aspire to be a Ghost Historian, but the other horror staple inThe Simsis just missing with no reasoning as to why.
Zombies Have Been A Key Staple In Previous Sims Games
Life & Death Would Have Been The Best Time For Their Return
Zombies have been around inThe Simssince the original game’sLivin’ Largeexpansion, but have largely been absent fromThe Sims 4. Zombie Sims came about if a Sim died and their loved one could not beat the Grim Reaper in Rock, Paper, Scissors, but the Grim Reaper was in a good mood. InThe Sims 2, Zombies were more prevalent in the game, appearing in multiple expansion packs. Unlike inThe Sims, zombification is permanent inSims 2.
There was a brief appearance of Zombies inThe Sims 3: Supernatural, but these zombies only appear during the lunar cycle or from drinking an elixir. This is usually a temporary state only, and was the final appearance of Zombies inThe Simsfranchise to date, making them absent for over a decade. In the spirit ofLife & Deathand all things Halloween,it might be a smart decision for EA to revisit a classicSimsmonsterthat seems to be forgotten.
Zombies inThe Simsare essential in truly elevating any spooky element the game wants to have. There is plenty of custom content that existing players have made, includingRoxxySims' whole family of Zombie-looking Sims. There arecustomSims 4modsthat allow for zombies, yet EA seems to have abandoned these spooky additions. Zombies are essential toThe Sims, especially as there areno plans forThe Sims 5, as a Zombie Apocalypse mod could provide even more lore and expansions. There are plenty of spaces Zombies could fit into, and EA would be wise to remember this undead addition to the game for futureThe Sims 4content.
