As a franchise, The Sims has been around for over 20 years. During this time, there have been a lot of different concepts that have been explored throughout the different iterations of The Sims. Some gameplay concepts have consistently made appearances in each version of The Sims, but others have been left behind or changed with each game generation. There are some items that players can always rely on, like a Seasons expansion pack, while others have been more explorative and new. The Sims 4 is the longest running iteration of The Sims franchise, and while some changes have been revolutionary, others just seem like reused content.
That’s not to say that The Sims 4 is entirely unoriginal or that expected DLC is reused content. Packs like Seasons or even Jungle Adventure and Outdoor Living that add weather or vacation worlds to The Sims 4 base game aren’t necessarily reused because they’re anticipated. However, The Sims 4’s most recent Paranormal stuff pack, and the upcoming game pack Dream Home Decorator, seem more like reused content. Both of these aspects were previously included in The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion pack. At first it seems players are getting a fraction of gameplay with almost the same amount of money spent, but that may not be an entirely accurate statement.
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Recently, The Sims 4 has had some hits and misses in terms of new content. The introduction of Kits has received mixed reviews from The Sims community. Some believe the Kits are optional and fun explorative content, but others feel it’s too reminiscent of The Sims 3 Store to feel comfortable purchasing Kits. While the newest The Sims 4 stuff pack, Paranormal, was well-received, there’s no denying that the premise of the pack had been explored in The Sims 3: Ambitions. The same can be said for the upcoming The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator, as both packs are essentially revamped versions of two of the “professions” introduced in The Sims 3: Ambitions.
On one hand, if these gameplay mechanics were highly requested by The Sims community, it would make sense to have them reappear in The Sims 4. However, it doesn’t seem that The Sims fans have been requesting this content most vocally. It’s hard to get an accurate count of what content is most requested, as each The Sims 4 player has a different gameplay style, but it’s worth noting that both of The Sims 4’s newest packs have already been done before in a singular expansion. Compared to The Sims 3: Ambitions, The Sims 4: Paranormal and The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator are surely more user-friendly than the previous expansion.
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The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator won’t be available for a few more days, but what’s been revealed about it so far looks promising, despite how its premise may be borrowed from The Sims 3: Ambitions. There will be cute new CAS (Create-a-Sim) items as well as a lot of customizable furniture alongside the main draw of the pack—the home decorator career. Odds are, The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator will be a more streamlined addition to The Sims 4 base game than the previous Architectural Designer profession of The Sims 3: Ambitions, making it easier to play and enjoy.
A different selling point that’s been advertised a lot is the new sectional couch(es) in The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator. Players will be able to customize the entire couch, making it as big or small as they like. However, this idea isn’t exactly revolutionary, though it is new to The Sims 4. A function like this was already possible in The Sims 2, where players could place any single living chair next to each other and turn it into a sectional, so it does make fans wonder why this feature couldn’t have been implemented sooner if the technology already existed in The Sims 2.
While The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator won’t be available to players for a few more days, the conversation about if the content from the last two The Sims 4 DLCs is unique or just reused is worth having. The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator may add some exciting content to The Sims 4, but there is a bit of a tinge of “hasn’t this been done before?”
The Sims 4: Dream Home Decorator will be available June 1 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox One X/S.
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