“The Sims 4: Realm of Magic” Game Pack REVIEW

Amongst the normal sims of Glimmerbrook, above a cliff face to nowhere sits an unusual gateway. Like oil in water, swirling and enticing – but do you dare to enter the Realm of Magic. Beyond the portal an astral plane resides and provides a land of mystery and wonder. Oddly dressed locals, flying through the sky on the latest models, followed by cute or creepy beings with hidden powers.

This only scratches the surface of the new game pack from The Sims 4.

The Sims 4 Realm of Magic provides players with the opportunity to use magic in their sims games. Spell casting, potion brewing, broom flying and cute familiars to follow you around — this pack is a dream for any fan of fantasy and witches.

The Good Witch

Abracadabra! In Create-A-Sim we are presented with a legion of new clothing options, taking influence from fantasy and pop-culture references such as Harry Potter, Charmed, Supernatural and many more. Stepping very far from the “Halloween” type witch, you wont find any pointy hats in this pack. The styles vary from the ethereal natural druids, to the “school kid” witch and wizards all the way to steam-punk sorcerers and most things in between. Whimsical jewellery, boisterous boots and layered clothing speak magical enchantments before their wearer does.

Two new aspirations are included for your sims to follow to make the most of the new game play content. Sims who follow the path of “Spellcraft and Sourcery” will focus on how to cast spells and duel with other Spellcasters. The second aspiration is Purveyor of Potions where sims can create a wide array of potions to improve their lives or put a hindrance on other’s. There are three types of Magic in The Sims 4 Realm of Magic. These are; Practical, Mischief and Untamed Magic. Similar to Vampires and Celebrity Perks, the player can choose what path they want their Spellcaster to take by choosing “perks” to purchase. The more your sims use magic, the more points they gain, the more perks they can buy. But, be cautious! If your sim uses too much magic in a short time terrible things are bound to happen.

Build mode and Buy mode objects had me in a gasp. Literally. I sat there, jaw on the floor, at the new doors with the stained glass features and I was so happy. Stained glass doors with roses, stars and moons and standard colours were the stand out to me. There is almost a whole furniture set that matches.

The Bad Witch

Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble! Things that really stirred my cauldron were quite small, and it’s great to hear that some glitches have already been fixed thanks to a new patch released this morning. My frustrations lay within the Create-A-Sim categorisation, lack of content for toddlers and children, and the very simple builds in the otherwise stunning world of Glimmerbrook. During my EA Game Changers early release Stream I sent my sim to find some friends at the local bar and well — I was expecting the Hog’s Head, my sim arrived at a boring pub with a fireplace and a chess board. Where’s the spell for “Lancey Pantsy, Help Make This Room Fancy” — oh, wait… there isn’t one.

Remembering, this is just a Game Pack and not an Expansion pack, The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is a Sims pack like I have never seen. I compare this to packs like Strangerville or Outdoor Retreat; details, content and game play inducing. The work and passion behind this pack is overwhelming and it’s good to see The Sims coming through with some great, familiar yet different content.

The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is now available on EA Origin.