Before going into the heart of the matter, namely the groups, let's start with a quick overview of the few other new features present in this extension. In the cosmetic additions department, there are naturally a few new hairstyles, outfits and shoes (and even a beard for the gentlemen). Nothing groundbreaking or genuinely hearty, but it's still good to take. The step of creating a Sim also allows us to assign our characters a new aspiration in relation to groups. Entitled "Head of the band", it consists of taking the lead of the best band in town. Two character traits are also appearing: "Dancing Machine" (for Sims who like to party in bars and nightclubs) and "Initiate" (for those who like to be part of a group). Clearly oriented towards social interactions, The Sims 4: Living Together also gives us access to two new festive skills. Only two, one would be tempted to say… As you level up in the Dance skill, you will learn new steps and movements, while progressing in the DJ skill will give you access to new genres of music, the creation of mixes and even a few tips from time to time.
More anecdotally, this extension also allows your Sims to wade in natural pools and play "Don't Wake the Llama", a Jenga clone. If all these little novelties are rather nice, their number and their influence on the gameplay are still very low for an add-on sold at a high price. We would clearly have liked to have more substantial content. Fortunately, Maxis and Electronic Arts have not overlooked a new city. Of a European type (which sometimes even has its eyes squarely on the side of Germany), Windenburg comprises above all bars, cafes and other nightclubs. There is also a swimming pool, a gym and a library. Specific highlights include the haunted Von Haunt Estate with lavish gardens, the Cliffs, home to a natural pool, and the Ancient Ruins, where collectables are collected during the day and events are held. dance parties some nights. Once again, we welcome these additions, but we regret that they leave an aftertaste of too little.
STAY GROUPED!
The big piece of this extension is therefore undoubtedly the functionality of groups, and it is only your interest in the latter that should decide whether or not to open your wallet. Concretely, you can gather up to eight friends (six initially) in the same club. The game offers eleven of them, with more or less telling titles: the gang of revelers, the cream of the crop, the league of adventurers, the avant-garde, the knights-errant, the regulars, the models, the garden gnomes, turntable pros, rebels and sportsmen. Some are interested in food, others spend their time looking for frogs, fishing and tending their garden, and still others like to laugh so much as wearing knight's armor. Do you find that silly? Well know that you can do even "worse", since it is actually possible to create your own group from A to Z. It's up to you to choose your name and logo, enter a detailed description, leave it open for all or require an invitation, add members and indicate your favorite place to meet. It can be a generic place (museums, for example) or a particular one (the Pan Europa nightclub in Windenburg).
All these choices are made thanks to a clear and practical interface, which makes it possible to refine the constitution of the group to the extreme. It is thus possible to restrict access to certain categories of people (according to their age, their career, their family situation, their financial situation, their character traits, etc.) and specify preferred or, on the contrary, hated activities. In other words, if you want to create a group reserved for old people, astronauts, singles, poor people, geeks, who like to take showers and hate to crack, you can! Once your group is created, all you have to do is start a meeting so that the members get together immediately. All you have to do is practice the activities of your choice, especially those that are part of the group's preferences. You will then earn points, which you can spend to acquire various advantages (increased maximum number of members, new handshakes, social bonuses, skill bonuses, clothing, etc.). Conversely, practicing activities hated by the members of the group will lead to dissatisfaction, even resignations. This very sandbox gameplay (there's no storyline to entice you to use this feature) fits well with The Sims audience and is therefore a very welcome addition. But shouldn't it have been part of the base game?
