The Sims 4: Island Living Review

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Fast Facts

Title: The Sims 4: Island Living
Developer: Maxis Redwood Shores
Publisher: EA
Website: https://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/packs/expansion-packs/the-sims-4-island-living
Genre: Simulation
Platform: PC
Age Rating: PEGI 12
Release Date: 30/07/19
Price: £34.99 – Rapid Reviews was very kindly provided with a review code for this title.

I’m an infrequent Sims-goer, ebbing and flowing into periods where I’m hooked and times where other games steal away my attention. The newest expansion to The Sims 4, though – Island Living – piqued my interest once more with its cool island breeze and gentle lapping waves. 

The new area added to The Sims 4 in Island Living is a tropical island called Sulani, which has three smaller neighbourhoods within it. The theme is obviously very important to any Sims expansion, and the tropical beauty of Sulani doesn’t disappoint. 

The new beach-houses you can build fit the theme brilliantly, and you can even build docks and expansions into the water if your property is sea-adjacent. Of course, the new hairstyles, clothes, and other build mode additions are all wonderful as well, whether it’s a Tiki-themed piece or a regular surfer vibe. 

It’s a shame, though, that a big chunk of the additions to Island Living are restricted to Sulani, rather than carrying over to your existing Sims neighbourhoods. Still, it makes for a good holiday getaway if you just want your Sim to take some time off. 

If you decide to stay there long term, you can pursue the new career path of a Conservationist, or even take a part-time role as a diving instructor or lifeguard, but the best addition to The Sims 4 in Island Living are the ‘odd jobs’. These one-off jobs pay handsomely for individual tasks like mowing a lawn or fixing a broken TV, though you may still require a certain skill level to complete them. 

The new additions aren’t all winners, though, with the latest aspiration – Beach Living – being a massive let down. It’s exceptionally short, with the final goal just requiring you to fall asleep in the sun. It might embody the tranquil, easygoing theme that Island Living strives for, but it just feels like a missed opportunity to add something less trivial. 

Mermaids are the other big addition in Island Living, and there’s a pleasant variety of options available to customise your mermaid as you see fit. They’ll appear to be regular humans while on land, mind, but once they enter the water, their true colours really shine. Mermaids don’t quite have the same impact as other creatures such as vampires, but there’s still a lot of unique powers given to them. 

Mermaids can control the weather, lure everything from fish and dolphins to Sims, and even drown unsuspecting prey. Their Hygiene bar is also replaced by Hydration, which is a nice touch, and I found that the suite of abilities and customisation available for mermaids went a long way towards justifying the price tag of this expansion pack.

That being said, it is still the same bitter pill to swallow to long-term fans of the series, who need to part with £15-£35 every time a new piece of DLC is released. Everyone evaluates value differently, so I’ll ultimately leave that decision in your hands, but it goes without saying that many people are priced out of enjoying all of the expansions EA releases for The Sims 4. 

Island Living is another great expansion pack for The Sims 4, perfect for anyone looking for a relaxing addition to their Sims experience – or just someone that loves the beach! Unfortunately, it still suffers from the classic problem of being expensive for what it offers, with other expansions such as Seasons being more impactful overall. 

Rapid Reviews Rating

You can purchase The Sims 4: Island Living from the Origin Store with the following link. Origin