Horse Ranch Fails to Deliver for The Sims 4
Heading 3: Horse Ranch Missed Out On Potential Content For Sims Gameplay
The Sims 4: Horse Ranch expansion pack has received criticism for its lack of depth in gameplay, particularly when it comes to horses and children. It fails to offer as many features as its predecessor, The Sims 3: Pets, and disappoints players by excluding wild horses, unicorns, and gameplay options for controlling horses.
One of the main concerns surrounding the release of The Sims 4: Cats and Dogs was the lack of content compared to previous similar packs in the series. The Sims 3: Pets included not only cats, dogs, and horses as main pets but also wild horses, stray cats and dogs, small pets like lizards and hamsters, and even wild animals such as raccoons and deer. However, The Sims 4: Cats and Dogs came without these extra features, with small pets being released separately in The Sims 4: My First Pet Stuff pack.
When The Sims 4: Horse Ranch was announced as a standalone pack focusing on horses, players hoped that it would provide more content and depth compared to if horses had been included in a general pets pack like in The Sims 3. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The pack was launched with even fewer gameplay options than The Sims 3: Pets and included content that felt like a rehash of other expansions in The Sims 4, such as Cottage Living.
The major issue in The Sims 4: Horse Ranch lies in the lack of depth in gameplay regarding horses. Children have little to no gameplay and are noticeably absent from the pack, even in the Create-a-Sim feature. Opportunities for parents to teach their children to ride horses, after-school horse riding lessons, and simple items like rocking horses or a carousel were missed. Additionally, horse competitions in The Sims 4 are limited to once a day and offer no player input in determining the outcome.
Unlike in The Sims 3, wild horses and unicorns do not exist in The Sims 4. Furthermore, horses in The Sims 4 can’t be controlled, which can be frustrating for players who expect the same gameplay options as Sims. The breeding feature in Horse Ranch is also disappointing, as foals are clones of their parents and lack genetic variation, making the feature feel shallow and predictable.
The lack of content and depth in Horse Ranch highlights a recurring issue in The Sims 4 expansion packs. While the world of Chestnut Ridge is visually appealing, it falls short in terms of providing meaningful activities for players. The Sims 4’s pattern of splitting content across packs has also been criticized, with players finding similarities between Horse Ranch and other expansions like Cottage Living.
In conclusion, The Sims 4: Horse Ranch expansion pack lacks depth in gameplay, particularly when it comes to horses and children. It fails to offer as many features as its predecessor and disappoints players with its absence of wild horses, unicorns, and gameplay options for controlling horses. The pack’s limited content for the Child life state, shallow breeding feature, and empty world make it difficult to justify its $40 price tag.
