The Sims is notorious for releasing many, many expansion packs, stuff packs and extra other forms of paid downloadable content. The Sims 4 is no different, as the game has had 42 different DLC packs and more on the way. However, not all of these are worth the cost or worth the disc space that they take, though certain ones add far more to the game than others.
If there was a single expansion that Sims 4 players should view as essential, it's City Living. As the name implies, it's centered around Sims living in the brand new city of San Myshuno with plenty of new gameplay features and mechanics. While many of The Sims 4's expansions bring something unique to the table, City Living compliments to base game better than any other pack.
San Myshuno is at the center of City Living's new content, with plenty of the expansions new features on display. The most noticeable ones are the addition of apartment lots, different districts in a single town and festivals. These make San Myshuno an incredibly lively city that feels bigger than many of the limited towns in the game.
Apartments go a long way in making San Myshuno feel big, in part due to how multiple families of Sims can all call the same general lot home. Apartments basically function as one large lot that has several smaller ones inside of it, letting more than eight Sims take advantage of the same space. Given how many apartments populate San Myshuno's distinct districts, this allows the city to boast an impressive population count.
San Myshuno's apartments also show off the new lot traits feature that was introduced in a free update that released alongside City Living. Lot traits give homes personality and unique features that change up how Sims interact with their living spaces. Some lots require a bit of DIY work to make them livable, while others may attract supernatural guests. While lot traits are not locked behind the paid expansion, they're best utilized throughout San Myshuno's many apartments.
On top of that, San Myshuno hosts multiple districts, each of which have their own lots inside them. These districts are visually distinct, giving each major part of San Myshuno its own look and feel. The city has four main districts that each host their own seasonal festivals: Spice Market, the Arts Quarter, the Fashion District and Uptown.
Festivals give Sims special events to attend, making the city feel alive. These festivals are only accessible to Sims living in San Myshuno, as much of City Living's content is exclusive to San Myshuno (players, for example, cannot build apartments and penthouses). Other Sims 4 expansions have content that's more universal, but the real star of the game's third expansion is the wide range of content that improves the game's representation of diverse cultures.
City Living adds tons of new food, clothing, hairstyles and music that represent a variety of real-world cultures, which is fitting considering how culturally diverse many cities are. This is something the game has been focusing on more recently, particularly in regards to Create-A-Sim. However, City Living's contributions, such as food stalls and new items, are also significant, and they pair well with the newer content.
While City Living may not have as many game-changing features as expansions like Get Together or Vampires, it does a great job naturally complementing what's already part of the base game. Many of its features end up blending into the background and are only noticeable when they're absent -- and that's what makes it essential. New Sims 4 players looking for a great addition to their game should find plenty of enjoyment in what City Living has to offer.
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