In The Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion I can make 'you up?' texts and coffee dates equally valid ways of pursuing relationships

GamesLife SimThe SimsThe Sims 4In The Sims 4 Lovestruck expansion I can make ‘you up?’ texts and coffee dates equally valid ways of pursuing relationshipsWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 Lovestruck - Manuel romantically holds hands with Monica

As a Build/Buy mode enthusiast, I wouldn’t be head over heels for Lovestruck on my own dime, but for the Live Mode folks who love nothing more than stirring up a pot of drama, this expansion has attractive qualities.

Single and ready to mingle

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 Lovestruck - A Sim in Create-A-Sim picks turn on and turn off traits

One of Lovestruck’s major features is a “turn ons” and “turn offs” system of attraction between Sims. Similar to the likes and dislikes system for taste in clothes, music, and activities, you can select characteristics that your Sim is into and which give them the ick, be it hair color, personality traits, or types of interactions.

There are some fun ones I didn’t expect in “way of life” like being attracted to broke Sims with fewer than 10,000 simoleons or specifically Sims who are taken—good drama hooks for your Sims that have line cook fever or a thing for ignoring wedding rings. I do find it a bit silly that clothing color is a category though. I know everyone’s become armchair experts in color analysis lately but I don’t see clothing colors as a turn-on in and of themselves.

Investigating further takes alotof fiddling back and forth in the interface. I’ve got to go to the Simology panel, scroll down, and mouse over an icon to read the small text list of her “Characteristics” turn ons, try to memorize it, then click back to the Relationships panel, scroll down, click her new crush and open his profile to see his traits and hope I remember whether any of them match.

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You won’t know all of a Sim’s traits from Cupid’s Corner, but it’s a start, at least.(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The interface that Lovestruck really wants you to be using is the new Cupid’s Corner dating app and that part is clear, easy, and fun. A Sim can open the app from their phone to customize their profile, swipe through matches, and invite other Sims on meticulously planned dates. There are three date styles: Get to know you, romantic date, and “romantic repair” if your relationship satisfaction is negative—and also the blind date you can choose through the phone instead of with a particular Sim.

More Sims series(Image credit: Maxis, Electronic Arts)Sims 4 cheats: Life hacksSims 4 mods: Play your waySims 4 CC: Custom contentSims 5: What we knowSims 4 building tips: RenovateSims 4 challenges: New rules

More Sims series

(Image credit: Maxis, Electronic Arts)Sims 4 cheats: Life hacksSims 4 mods: Play your waySims 4 CC: Custom contentSims 5: What we knowSims 4 building tips: RenovateSims 4 challenges: New rules

(Image credit: Maxis, Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 - Bella Goth looks smug while money flies from her hands

Sims 4 cheats: Life hacksSims 4 mods: Play your waySims 4 CC: Custom contentSims 5: What we knowSims 4 building tips: RenovateSims 4 challenges: New rules

You can also choose a venue from any neighborhood and a list of at least three activities. The latter is the real major improvement on the way base game dates work. Instead of getting chucked into your choice of venue with randomly picked goals, your selection of activities like eating, drinking, romantic socializing, exercising, dancing, and more all directly influence what kinds of goals pop up during your date—whether it’s flirting 10 times or sharing a deep thought.

There are some other fun and silly interactions built into Lovestruck. I got a phone call from an acquaintance claiming to be a busy rich CEO looking for a meetup at the Beso Rápido love hotel, which left her with a “playful” meetup called “Weird Meeting.” I also got invited to be on a reality show “7 Wild Dates,” challenging me to go on one perfect date per day for a week—an activity tracked via a moodlet, not going to a new lot, to be clear—which was a gauntlet I didn’t manage to complete.

This blind date with Johnny is just casual, no smooching needed (this time).(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 Lovestruck - Manuel talks to Johnny Zest over drinks at a park and their date goals are to socialize, small talk, and take a photo.

Paired with the newromantic boundaries settingsfrom the base game update released alongside Lovestruck, which allow for open and polyamorous relationships, all the above dating can wind up encompassing a whirlwind of multiple partners. I didn’t quite push at the boundaries of how the romantic boundaries and more autonomous relationship changes in the base game update interact with Lovestruck. My Sim was attracted to Bella Goth, which pissed off her husband Mortimer Goth when I flirted with her in front of him. Would they independently break up if I keep coming between them?

Can I still become soulmates with a Sim after two great dates? Yeah. And other Sims do still constantly insert themselves into conversations between me and a date despite Maxis saying it wouldcut down on interlopers. Is Lovestrucka buggy messoverall? Well, possibly. I didn’t run into any terrible issues in my 10 or so hours with it, but Sims 4 expansion packs never seem to survive first contact with the community.

Life after love

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 Lovestruck - A penhouse lot with editable outer walls

Ciudad Enamorada’s pre-built lots are quite well laid-out, even its sparse starter home. I also really like the penthouse lot in the Nuevo Corazón neighborhood. You can bulldoze everything and leave yourself a blank roof as a canvas, which is a nice middle ground between the penthouses of City Living where you can’t edit the exterior walls and the ‘do it all from scratch’ method of apartment buildings in For Rent.

Oh and that closet for shagging in from the trailer is indeed a whole 1x2 tile object. It’s a sort of funky way to achieve the gag, but you can build walls around it so that just the door peeks out and I found it functions just fine in the premade lots where my Sims used it to achieve a gym date happy ending.

Left to my own devices as a nearly exclusive build mode player, I don’t think I’d be bothering with Lovestruck until it’s discounted. For those looking to elevate their dating game though, it really does add some fun nuance to getting lucky or messy in love.

TOPICSElectronic Arts

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Single and ready to mingle#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Life after love#

Single and ready to mingle

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

Life after love