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The Sims 4's brand new Horse Ranch Expansion pack brings a new theme and gameplay centered around owning and growing horses and other ranch animals, alongside other brand new gameplay. As such, being an expansion pack, it also aims to bring a large set of new CAS items revolving around the theme of the pack. This time, the game takes a Western approach, quite befitting the ranch theme of the pack.
Additionally, and most significantly, the pack finally brings long-awaited horses to The Sims 4, one of the fan-favorite features from The Sims 3 franchise. As such, while some players may find the CAS item amount quite lackluster, an entirely new CAS creation for the horses is the significant aspect players should expect from this expansion. Nevertheless, players are still treated to items for each age and gender from infant and onwards, that perfectly match the theme.
Infant CAS Items
Unlike Growing Together, where infants had a big focus, this time they only get one CAS item, being a Full Body piece as a horse onesie with a variety of swatches.
Toddler CAS Items
Similar to infants, toddlers also do not get many new items, however they get one full body, one top, one bottom and one shoes. While these items are quite on theme with the Western style, in particular when considering the cowboy boots, Toddlers are not given any accessories such as a cowboy hat to match the theme.
Child CAS Items
Child Sims got a total of five new hairstyles (3 for feminine, 3 for masculine, with one design being shared between both), two new tops, two new bottoms, two hats (one being a cowboy hat and another being a riding hat), and also one new cowboy boot item available for both genders. Additionally, both feminine and masculine styles got one Styled Look each.
Teen And Older CAS Items
The older age groups have been treated to many more items than the younger life states, with a large range of new items available to them. These items also generally follow a Western theme; however, it is important to note that the developers have also added Native American items to bring more diversity and inclusion. There is a good division for both masculine and feminine options as both feature a similar number of new items for the most part. Nevertheless, no new makeup or skin details have been included in this pack. The list of items is as follows:
Feminine CAS Items
- 7 hairstyles
- 18 tops
- 6 full-body items
- 8 bottoms
- 6 accessories including 1 new set of riding gloves, 2 earrings, 1 necklace, 2 neckerchiefs
- 6 hats
- 4 shoes
- 3 Styled Looks
Masculine CAS Items
- 6 hairstyles
- 3 facial hair
- 19 tops
- 4 full-body items
- 3 bottoms
- 6 accessories including 1 new set of riding gloves, 2 earrings, 1 necklace, 2 neckerchiefs (same as the feminine ones)
- 6 hats (same as the feminine ones)
- 2 shoes
- 4 Styled Looks
New Aspirations and Traits
In addition to the new clothing options, teen and older Sims have also been given two new Aspirations and 4 new traits, with 2 of these traits being reward traits upon completing the aspirations. Two traits accessible directly are unsurprisingly related to horses and is similar to its cats and dogs counterpart, while other one being related to ranch life and other livestock:
- Rancher (Lifestyle): These Sims excel at ranch life and take pride in their work. They enjoy ranch chores and caring for their livestock.
- Horse Lover (Social): These Sims share a strong bond with Horses. They have an easier time socializing with and caring for Horses than other Sims.
The new aspirations, on the other hand, are much more interesting, since they focus on two primary gameplay features, one being related to horse riding and competitions, while the other one being related to the new nectar-making skill. Surprisingly, there isn't a specific ranch management-related aspiration with this pack:
- Championship Rider (Athletic): This Sim wants to be one of the world’s premiere Horse Riders and will prove it by participating in Horse Competitions
- Expert Nectar Maker (Food): This Sim wants to master the art of Nectar Making, honing their abilities to consistently craft only the best Nectars. They also want to make an absurd amount of Simoleons doing it.
Horse CAS Items
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Horse CAS bears a strong resemblance to the CAS style of creating a cat or a dog, as introduced with the Cats & Dogs Expansion Pack. As such, players have significant control over many aspects of their horses' appearances, as well as their traits, since the pack includes 11 traits for horses. Once again, similar to their smaller counterparts, horses come with three life stages, being Foal, Adult, and Elder.
The most significant aspect when it comes to Horse CAS is the extensive amount of options players can choose from for both face and body parts, including head shape, ears, muzzle shape and color, eye shape and color, and even a unicorn horn, as well as body shape, hair, coat color, and pattern. While players can pick from the already existing breeds, they are also able to create their own mixed breeds or something out of fantasy with the unique body and mane colors they can pick from, including pink, mint, violet, and more. Additionally, players once again have access to Paint Mode, allowing them to create unique textures and fur colors on their horses. In detailed edit mode, players can slightly adjust the details of their structures, although this is not as extensive as human Sims.
Lastly, players are also given outfit options for their horses, particularly when they are riding. Many options are given with a variety of swatches for saddles, bridles, and blankets, as well as other accessories for look purposes. It's important to note that while players can opt-out of any accessories, they are required to pick saddles, bridles, and blankets as their riding equipment.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S