On October 31, players of The Sims 4 would remain the core game in the franchise for the foreseeable future, with many players expressing disappointment at the decision. Players of The Sims 4 over the last decade have described the game as lackluster, with the base game lacking features that made previous installments in the franchise more exciting. However, upon the announcement of Life & Death, players now have their interest in The Sims 4 piqued once more due to the expansion pack's variety of groundbreaking features.

Life & Death will introduce features that add new levels of depth and realism to The Sims 4 gameplay. Sims will be able to explore a new world and three new neighborhoods, where they can embark on two new career paths, as either an Undertaker or a Reaper. The game will also introduce a revamped grieving system containing four stages of grief which will enable unpredictable emotions and actions from Sims, and a new Bucket List system will allow Sims to complete goals before their death – or finish them in the afterlife. Funerals will also be introduced, but one of the new features to arrive with the pack is something that should have been included in the base game: graveyards.

How Graveyards Work In The Life & Death Expansion Pack

A New Space To Customize & Interact With

A graveyard filled with Sims and a Grim Reaper in The Sims 4: Life & Death.

In The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack, graveyards will be both customizable and aesthetic features, as well as a new gameplay feature with a number of options for Sims to encounter. Players can enjoy the creativity of creating and customizing a sacred cemetery environment for both their deceased Sims to rest and for their living Sims to enjoy visiting. In the graveyards available in Life & Death, Sims will be able to mourn their loved ones as a means to manage their grief at different stages during the game's brand-new detailed, four-stage grieving process.

Related
"And It Keeps Popping Up": Fan Backlash As EA Adds Yet Another Type Of Ad To Sims 4

The Sims 4 community expresses its frustration toward EA and Maxis as the game adds another form of ment that highlights the DLC.

7

In graveyards, Sims will be able to decorate the memorial spaces for their deceased loved ones upon their visits with items such as candles, different types of flowers, and various different objects like small stone statues. Sims will also be able to engage in the commemorative activity of lighting a candle in memory of their loved one. Families and close friends will be able to gather together at a loved one's grave site to mourn their loss and celebrate their memory, and thanks to the new grieving system, there will be an array of interactions for Sims to carry out in the graveyard.

Why Graveyards Should've Been In The Sims 4 Base Game Already

The Sims is ultimately a life simulator, with death always being a core theme within the gameplay. In previous installments of the franchise, such as The Sims 3, cemeteries had been available in the base game, which added a level of realism to the game but also allowed the player to have a space to revisit the lives of their beloved Sims.

The absence of graveyards in The Sims 4 base game has limited the emotional depth of the game, a common critique lobbied at The Sims 4 over the last 10 years. With graveyards finally being introduced to the game, with Life & Death, players will be able to enjoy a more enhanced, emotional experience in The Sims 4 which will add more meaning and fulfillment to the lives of their Sims.

Sims 4
Sims 4
Social Simulation
Released
September 2, 2014
ESRB
T For Teen due to Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Maxis
Publisher(s)
Electronic Arts
Engine
Proprietary Engine
Franchise
The Sims

Platform(s)
Xbox One