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 feel that they are paying more for less content in The Sims 4, as the developer splits content across different packs, forcing them to pay extra for what would have been included in a single pack in the past.
- The possibility of future packs introducing unicorns and other occult content has led to frustration among players who feel teased and unsatisfied with the current offerings in The Sims 4.
The Sims 4 is known for creating a balance of realism and quirky features, where normal features that exist in the real world such as family gameplay, relationships, careers, gardening, and building skills co-exist with fantastic elements such as aliens, cowplants, and magic. Occults have always been a part of The Sims franchise just as much as its realistic elements, and have their own base of dedicated fans who look forward to them. With The Sims 4: Horse Ranch, many players were expecting the return of unicorns but were disappointed with the unicorns that appeared in the expansion.
Unicorns were first introduced in the series through The Sims 3: Pets. Unicorns appeared randomly in the world, usually at night near fishing spots, and could be easily spotted with their horns, glowing coats, and the glittering trail they leave behind when they gallop. Unicorns in The Sims 3 are magical creatures and have a deep connection to nature; plants grow around them, and they can bless plants to grow up a level. Unicorns can also teleport, extinguish fires, and bless or curse Sims and other pets.
The Unicorns of The Sims 3 Had More Depth
Although unicorns in The Sims 3 cannot be made in Create-a-Sim, Sims can find and befriend unicorns who can then be added to their household. Unicorns can then be controlled like normal horses and be bred with horses, with the foal having a 50% chance of being a unicorn. When using their abilities, unicorns use magical energy and need to wait for it to recharge before they're able to cast blessings or curses if their energy runs out.
Because unicorns were an immersive, fully functional occult in The Sims 3, players were expecting the same experience with The Sims 4: Horse Ranch. Unfortunately, many of the occults in The Sims 4 that haven't been the subject of a dedicated game pack, such as mermaids, have been criticized as lackluster, with shallow content and gameplay. Unicorns are, to date, the worse offense of the group.
The Sims 4 Players are Paying More For Far Less
Unicorns in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch are little more than a cosmetic change, where players can add a glowing horn to their horse in Create-a-Sim. The horns are pretty with glitter effects, but there's no functional gameplay use, and it's nothing more than a cosmetic effect. Compared to the depth that unicorns had in The Sims 3 with what they are here, especially for an expansion pack where the sole focus is on horses, it would have been better to have just left out unicorns altogether rather than teasing fans with what they could have had, or what they possibly will get in a future pack.
Another concern is what the developer has done in the past, which is splitting The Sims 4 content across packs, essentially making players pay more money for content that would have been in the same pack in the past. Fairies have been teased in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch and The Sims 4: Growing Together, with a toy of a fairy teddy bear riding a unicorn, a unicorn onesie for infants, and an object of a fairy house made from a mushroom. It's possible that unicorns would appear in the teased fairy pack and, while it makes sense to bundle the occult content together, it's still forcing players to pay more for the same content that would have appeared in one pack in the past.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
