The Sims 4 Island Living officially drops today and I’m so excited. I was given a pre-access code by EA and have been able to play for a few days. I can honestly say that this addition is so much fun and oddly relaxing. You’re able to enjoy the island life with all new fashion items, hair styles, building options and items to purchase. You can go completely beach mad with this one. There’s a range of new jobs you can try your hand at and some added aspirations and character traits. You can also turn your Sim into a mermaid! I figured the best way to give you a feel for what is on offer in the new addition to the game is to show you a typical day in the life of my Sim enjoying some Island Living. Which I’ve done below. But to begin –
How to make a Mermaid in Sims 4 Island Living
Step 1 – head on over to Create A Sim (CAS) and make a new Sim. Don’t spend any effort on this one as he/she is not your mermaid. Go to the bottom left hand corner and click add a sim.
Step 2 – It’s mermaid time. You’ll see on your second Sim you have the option to click the waves and ultimately turn your Sim into a mermaid! Woohoo!
Step 3 – You’ll now be able to create your mermaid sim. You can also remove your original sim by left clicking his or her icon in the bottom left and choosing the option to remove.
And done! Once you’ve selected your mermaid option you unlock a range of new fashion items, make up and options in CAS for your Sim.
Now that we’re mermaid ready I thought it might be fun to show you some of the fun things you can do in Island Living. I’ve loved this addition to the Sims so much. I’ve had a stressful week and coming home to tan on an island and watch my Sims wade in the ocean has had a somewhat calming effect on me.
Here’s what a day in the life of a Sim in the Sims 4 Island Living looks like
My first order of business was to move my Sim into this rad beach cabana on the water. I then used my funds to buy the necessary beach accessories. For now all I could afford was that floating lounger and a beach towel. There are a host of other items you can purchase though as well as building options to take advantage of.
After breakfast my Sim spent some time floating around and enjoying a mid morning nap.
You can choose to sunbath in your swimwear or in the nude. There’s something really rad about just chilling out and watching your Sim relax. The music in the game plays to that island life vibe and really made me unwind. When sunbathing you also have to remember to add sun block else your Sim will be a bit uncomfortable for a few days.
Yes, that is my Sim, in her mermaid form, chatting to a dolphin. Even non-mermaid Sims can interact with the dolphins and it really is tons of fun. They also decide if they like you before determining if they’ll chat to you. It’s so much fun. Swimming around and playing with dolphins is basically my go-to stress release now!
These are just a few snapshots of my Sim’s day. She sailed a Catamaran around the island, explored an old volcano and a shipwreck before heading to a beach on another island to do some more sun bathing, build a sand castle and swim some more. It’s the most chilled life your Sim is going to live.
The Sims 4 Island Living expansion pack is beautiful. Above is an aerial shot I took of my Sim swimming. I love how pretty everything is. The soundtrack adds a very relaxing undertone and I really felt like the sun was on my neck and I was slowly feeling my anxiety flood away. It’s a great addition to your Sims game and you’ll have tons of fun feeling like you’re on a tropical island, even though you’re at home behind your PC. The expansion pack is out now and costs just under R700 on the Origins Store.
Disclosure: I was given a pre-release press code to try out the game
