The Sims 4: Discover Why This Creature Should've Never Made the Cut!

Highlights

The Sims 4: Horse Ranch disappointed players by offering unicorns that are merely a cosmetic change, lacking the depth and functionality of the unicorns in The Sims 3.

Players are expressing concerns that The Sims 4 offers less content for a higher price, as the developer divides content among various packs, resulting in additional expenses for features that would have been included in a single pack previously. The inclusion of potential future packs featuring unicorns and other occult elements has also sparked frustration among players who feel disappointed and unfulfilled with the current offerings in The Sims 4.

The Sims 4 is famous for its ability to blend realism and unique features. It seamlessly combines everyday activities like family dynamics, relationships, careers, gardening, and skill-building with fantastical elements such as aliens, cowplants, and magic. The inclusion of occults has always been a significant aspect of The Sims franchise, attracting a dedicated fan base. However, fans were left feeling dissatisfied with the disappointing appearance of unicorns in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch expansion.

Unicorns were initially introduced in The Sims 3: Pets. These magnificent creatures would randomly appear in the game world, often near fishing spots during the nighttime. Their distinguishing features, like their horns, glowing coats, and the sparkling trail they left behind while galloping, made them easy to spot. Possessing magical abilities and a profound connection to nature, unicorns had the ability to make plants flourish and grow. They could also teleport, extinguish fires, and bestow blessings or curses upon Sims and other pets.

The Unicorns of The Sims 3 Had More Depth

In The Sims 3, unicorns cannot be created in Create-a-Sim. However, Sims have the opportunity to discover and befriend unicorns, who can then become part of their household. These unicorns can be controlled like regular horses and can even breed with them. The resulting foal has a 50% chance of being a unicorn. It's important to note that when unicorns use their magical abilities, they deplete their energy and must wait for it to recharge before they can cast blessings or curses.

The immersive and fully functional nature of unicorns in The Sims 3 led players to have high expectations for a similar experience in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch. Unfortunately, many of the occult creatures in The Sims 4, including mermaids, have been criticized for their lackluster content and gameplay. Among this group, unicorns stand out as the most disappointing.

The Sims 4 Players are Paying More For Far Less

Unicorns in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch offer little more than a superficial change, allowing players to adorn their horses with a shimmering horn in the Create-a-Sim mode. While these horns may be visually appealing with glitter effects, they lack any practical gameplay value and serve only as a cosmetic feature. In comparison to the deeper role that unicorns played in The Sims 3, their inclusion in this expansion, which primarily focuses on horses, feels somewhat lacking. Perhaps it would have been better to omit unicorns entirely rather than tantalize fans with what they could have had, or potentially may receive in a future pack.

Another concern pertains to the developer's history of fragmenting content in The Sims 4, essentially requiring players to purchase multiple packs in order to access content that was previously bundled together within a single expansion. In The Sims 4: Horse Ranch and The Sims 4: Growing Together, hints of fairies have been revealed, such as a fairy-themed teddy bear riding a unicorn, an infant unicorn onesie, and a mushroom-made fairy house object. It is possible that unicorns may be introduced in the teased fairy pack, and while it may seem logical to bundle occult content together, this approach still results in players having to pay more for content that would have been included within a single pack in the past.

The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.