[SIMple jazz music plays]
[computer buzzes, beeps] Herrrre we go again, the annual Sims 4 expansion
pack review. This time it’s the vaguely-titled Growing Together, lucky expansion number thirteen
for The Sims 4. Following in the footsteps of the Parenthood pack, with a wee bit of the old Sims 3
Generations sprinkled in, Growing Together seeks to flesh out existing interactions and add
complexity to its interdependent systems. In other words, sims should feel more “believable,”
in a social sense. With a heavy emphasis on their earliest years, from birth on up to adolescence!
The most notable addition is a new life state: infant, falling between newborn and toddler.
Now, they made a big deal about the free infants update, which adds them to the game for all
players at no charge. And while that’s great, the fact is you’re missing a majority of
what makes the infant life stage engaging, unless you pay $40 for Growing Together. Like
sure, free infants are still fun lil gremlins, crawling around gettin’ into trouble, babbling
incoherently, and makin’ messes. But they feel incomplete, because they are, lacking plenty of
progression and personality. And the absence of several related objects feels stingy. So
like when changing, caregivers just pick infants up and toss their dirty diapers on the
floor, cuz hampers and changing tables are only part of the paid expansion. And youngins can’t
develop their own traits or track key memories, since quirks and milestones are again exclusive
to the full $40 pack. You do at least get some free cribs, clutter, clothing, furniture, and new
baby-friendly fences and childproofing options. But it still feels scroogelike to leave out basics
like changing tables and dynamic personalities. That said, if you do buy the pack, there’s a lotta
neat stuff on offer. Particularly if you’re into the whole family/legacy-focused simming style.
And even if not, whatever, there’s arguably a little something for everyone in Growing Together.
It starts in the new world of San Sequoia, divided up into the usual trio of subdivisions, with four
lots each. It’s a pleasant-looking harbor town, inspired by parts of San Francisco with a few
Pacific Northwest vibes thrown in for good measure. Wharfs and piers, beaches and quayside
areas, a movie theater rabbit hole building, fountain-filled parks and gardens, with
power-walkable pathways near the old fish canneries. It’s a rather empty world all things
considered, but it’s nice to look at. And I really like that cable-stayed bridge dominating the
landscape, looming large regardless of where in town you happen to be. So, once you’ve fought
off an army of real estate investment firms and actually buy your own bay area home,
you’re free to continue living as before, or begin a SimFamily. Either the
uh, traditional way. Or the new way, with [♪SCIENCE!♫] Yes, Science Babies are now a thing. Just pull up the
app on your phone and order yourself a child, made with any adult sim in the game. Doesn’t
matter who, as long as your friendship level is high enough, you can combine genes and bring
home a fresh new Science Baby in an afternoon. You can even make one by yourself through
anonymous surrogacy, no friends required! And breastfeeding is now a thing, available to
all sims. So long as they have the lactation checkbox ticked in Create-A-Sim, you’ve got milk.
There are now also things like C-section scars and stretch marks available, along with all the
standard new clothing, hair, and accessories expected from a new expansion pack like this
one. Mostly for young adults and beyond as usual, but also for the new life state of infants.
Heh, in theory anyway, YEESH. I know you were a Science Baby but maybe science went too far!
My bad, I forgot I installed a CAS animation mod, it was fine with that removed. And yeah, there’s
a whole section dedicated to infant attire, and I mean. Baby clothes, man! Choose whatever,
infants aren’t picky. But they didn’t skimp out on selection here, there’s quite the handful of
options. And the lil folks are quite the handful themselves, so it’s too bad there aren’t any
strollers. Though you do have back carriers now, which is arguably an upgrade, so that’s cool I
guess. Infants and toddlers also have three hidden quirks to be discovered in the Simology tab,
assigned from a possible 18. These affect things like how well they’ll sleep, how they react to
different food, what kinds of activities they do and don’t enjoy. All with the goal of making each
pintsized sim uniquely chaotic in their own way. Keep a close eye on the wiggly ones,
they tend to get into some stuff. [electrical crackling, sink gushing, infant laughing] And all along the way, sims of any age now track
milestones, acting as a record of memories for notable events. So the youngest age levels have
milestones for things like learning new words, taking first steps, losing a tooth, and
crapping themselves so bad they ruin the floor. And for older sims it’s stuff like
graduating school, getting a sweet job, falling in love, and crapping themselves so bad
they ruin the floor. Sims of all ages can also gain new traits and swap existing ones throughout
their entire lives. So, repeatedly performing certain actions provides a chance to gain up to
3 new traits on top of what they already had, or swap out old ones for something different. Yeah
this trait self-discovery feels far more organic, and more meaningful than just drinking a potion
to reselect them or whatever. Child sims also have new aspirations: Playtime Captain, Creative
Genius, Slumber Party Animal, and Mind & Body. Which incentivizes learning skills throughout
childhood, giving a boost to a kid’s confidence level. And the better they do as a kid, the more
traits they’ll be rewarded with as a teenager. Other welcome additions are family dynamics
and social compatibility, adding new layers of interactive distinction between sims. Family
dynamics add behavior modifiers among sims in the current household, signifying if sims are close,
distant, difficult, supportive, strict, jokesters and so on. And these are chosen either directly in
Create-A-Sim, or they can occur naturally through typical gameplay. And social compatibility is
related to the existing Likes and Dislikes system, with Conversation Topics and Sim Characteristics
in particular determining how well, or unwell, sims will get along with others of varying
personalities and interests. Just a way to mix up everyday interactions and conversations and stir
them around so not every sim feels so similar. This can also lead to adult sims having a midlife
crisis if they go too long doing things they hate, around people they hate, with a job they hate,
and everything is hate. Not to be confused with Burnout, where sims get sick of repeatedly doing
the same thing, a midlife crisis is a step above and adds a set of its own aspirations. They
can then fulfill these in order to restore their sanity and ensure they don’t live a life
of regret. This ranges from such lighthearted silliness as befriending rabbits and spending
thousands on electronics, to cheating on your partner and getting a divorce. All optional but
still, they don’t call it a crisis for nothin’! Perhaps the new social events would be a better
use of your sim’s time. With Slumber Parties, Baby Showers, and Family Reunions available as
timed occasions offering rewards by completing objectives. There are also Stay-Overs, a new event
that functions as more of an extended visit for family and friends, adding them to the household
for a while without moving them in permanently. The suitcase and sleeping bag objects sims can
now tuck away in their inventory make this even easier, acting as a portable dresser and bed,
respectively. Also great for challenges playing a nomad or unhoused sim, wandering the world with
not much more than a sleeping bag and a change of clothes. And if they need a shower they can drop
by the Rec Center, a new lot type serving as a hotspot for enjoying hobbies, developing skills,
and doing some group socializing. Perhaps over a jigsaw puzzle or a game of Simbles, the latter
resembling a game of dominos. It also contains a fenced-in spot for youngins to go mad, but
it’s a bit small and makes me wish for more kid-friendly public spaces. There’s not much in
the way of new playground equipment, no see-saws or sandboxes like in The Sims 3 Generations.
Although treehouses do make their return, bigger and more modular than before. Once assembled from
a kit, sims child-aged and older can climb inside and have fun decorating it, making up rules,
installing additions, and generally hangin’ out enjoying the view. You can practically live
up there with the ability to sleep inside, and yep. It counts as a new woohoo location, because
of course it does. And lastly, there are plenty of other objects to purchase and utilize, like high
chairs for experimenting with solid baby food, child-sized bicycles for kids to learn how to ride
a bike and wander the neighborhood. And keepsake boxes, set aside for elder sims to maintain
and store sentimental objects to one day pass down to younger sims. Along with 11 chairs and
chairlike seating apparatus. Ideal for taking a much-needed sit after another long day of running
around saving tots from their own curiosity. And that is The Sims 4 Ge-gruh--[fumbles words]
Iwas gonna say “Get Together,” it’s “Growing Together." Why’d they name these so
similar? Anyway, Growing Together! The 13th $40 expansion pack and yet another that I’d say
is “just fine,” but rather unnecessary. It sure does add some welcome complexity to the social
simulation, and that I approve of wholeheartedly! But I’m also left a bit wanting compared to
what we got back in the day with Generations. As a few examples: there are no imaginary friends,
there’s little in the way of new kids playthings or playspaces, no new after school activities or
clubs for young sims that I saw. And of course, still no cars or driving for teens to enjoy
that whole rite of passage. Plus, no new jobs or careers at all, certainly no daycare profession
like we had in the past. And almost nothing new specifically for elders, beyond the tiny keepsake
box grandpa filled with old fireworks and tomatoes for some reason. So, oh well! It is what it is,
and it falls short of reinventing things enough to get me back into The Sims 4. It’s no secret I’ve
been ready to move onto a fifth game for years now. Or onto ‘Life By You’ or ‘Paralives’ for that
matter, it’s simply time for something fresh. And Growing Together? It’s anything but fresh.
It’s a flavor enhancement pack, so to speak, rather than a juicy meat-filled expansion. A bit
of spice for the ingredients we already have, not a proper filling meal... Uhh. My analogy
is getting away from me here, maybe I’m just hungry. But you get what I mean? I need more
than spice for $40, dang it! Growing Together adds a number of nifty features many will be glad
to see, and rightly so. Sims of all ages really do feel more complete. But your specific tastes
are what determines a thing’s value. Personally, my values are elsewhere these days. And seeing yet
another expansion like this hasn’t changed that. [upbeat simming music] And if you enjoyed this, I’ve done
plenty of Sims things in the past, and I plan to cover Project Rene, Paralives,
and Life By You in the future. Along with retro computing stuff in the meantime here
on LGR. And as always, thanks for watching.
