Even with the next entry on the horizon, The Sims 4 remains a dominant force in the simulation genre it helped to pioneer. Through consistent releases of the series’ signature updates, EA has kept The Sims 4 alive and popular with fans by rolling out fresh content on top of the base game for almost a decade. With packs ranging between everything from clothing, furniture, sim traits, and even new mechanics, it’s no surprise that constant expansion has become a key part of the identity of The Sims 4 to the extent that fans would join in.
While EA still keeps the game healthy with The Sims 4's official updates, the game is no exception to the series’ reputation for huge modding communities. Many players have taken it upon themselves to release Custom Content (CC) that has contributed to the long life of the game similar to the actual DLC. Some mods can completely transform the experience with overhauls, while others like Paint it Up add a lot to the game while maintaining its original feeling. Simple but deep CC in this vein serves to expand the existing elements of the game and fill in the gaps that many long-time players have seen grow within the franchise over the years.
Paint it Up’s Subtlety Bolsters the Mod’s Immersion
Paint it Up was originally released by creator SIMMIN’ MY BEST LIFE, and what seems overly simple about the mod is actually its greatest strength. It might only affect the painting mechanic and skill in The Sims 4, but its addition of over 170 new paintings for sims to create makes it an excellent example of the potential impact of The Sims 4's community mods on the core immersion of the game. The creator has nearly doubled the depth of the nearly 100 examples of the original game’s artistic pursuits while tying the new artworks into the developing levels of the painting skill, but this isn’t the only strength of the community shown through this mod.
While it serves to expand immersion in terms of skill, Paint it Up also represents more perspectives of its players with the actual content of the artwork it features. By showcasing a more diverse viewpoint than the offerings available in the default game of The Sims 4, the mod deepens a more personal sense of immersion for many players that may not normally identify with most of the base content available. The effectiveness of the pure simplicity of Paint it Up is also telling of the kind of gaps in the modern games that are being filled by The Sims 4's Custom Content creators.
The Sims 4’s CC Creators Address the Growing Needs of Players
With many similar DLC content packs being repeated across multiple generations of The Sims for decades now, it’s easy to understand why many fans of the series are hoping for an actual evolution in EA’s upcoming The Sims 5. Mods created by players have become a staple of the franchise not just because of their unique creativity, but also due to their ability to enhance the beloved aspects of the franchise that could use more love from its developers. It makes perfect sense that dedicated players find more excitement in new Custom Content considering recent content packs like The Sims 4: Werewolves have still been reintroducing elements of The Sims 2 and The Sims 4.
The time gap between The Sims 4 and its upcoming sequel has been the longest in the entire history of the series, and the CC creators of its community have helped the game thrive in the meantime with their bold experimentation. Among a plethora of intensive The Sims 4 mods for serious modders of their game, simpler offerings such as Paint it Up give even more purist or inexperienced novices in the Custom Content community a way to add some much-needed depth to a player's The Sims 4 experience.
The Sims 4 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.