The Sims™ 4 Vampires Review Summary

Vampire occult gameplay is fun and DLC content is praised, but the map feels small and bland, bugs and glitches plague vampires, and the DLC is overpriced, buy on sale only.

DLC content is highly praised: Multiple reviewers found the DLC entertaining, fun, and amazing, with many recommending it. It is considered one of the most complete and best DLC packs for The Sims 4.

Vampires are immortal and don't age: A notable feature is that vampires do not age or die except in sunlight, providing a way to keep Sims alive indefinitely. This is seen as a positive, allowing for long-term stories and social interactions.

Vampire powers and weaknesses customization: Players enjoy choosing strengths and weaknesses for vampires, which allows for diverse characters and progression. This system makes each vampire unique and contributes to enjoyable gameplay.

Vampire occult gameplay is fun: The occult gameplay is described as enjoyable and a fun way to play, with vampires being well-made and cool. The vampire mechanics are immersive and add to the game's appeal.

Gothic mansion and furniture appeal: The gothic mansion theme and furniture are highlighted as appealing aspects of the pack. Build mode items are also praised for creating old houses.

Map is small and bland: Forgotten Hollow is described as very small, having few lots, no community lots, and little to see or do, making the world feel empty and uninteresting.

DLC overpriced for content: Many reviews state the pack is not worth its full price or even sale price, with content considered worth only a few dollars and too little relative to the cost.

Vampire bugs and glitches: Numerous bugs affect vampire gameplay, including vampires not spawning, bat form issues, pathfinding problems, game freezes, and other broken abilities that make the game unplayable.

Vampire thirst management is tedious: Constantly feeding vampires, manually clicking blood packs, and managing rapid thirst drain become chores, especially with large households or when needing to avoid harming Sims.

Werewolf pack integration poor: Players complain that werewolves and vampires should have been combined into one pack, and werewolves lack the customization and refinement of vampires, with bugs and a less livable world.

Sunlight kills vampires: Vampires are vulnerable to sunlight and can die if exposed without the sun resistance perk. They can overcome this through trait progression or other means.

Vampire powers and weaknesses: The pack includes a system of vampire powers and weaknesses that players choose as they progress. Gaining powers often comes with penalties, and weaknesses are required to advance.

Vampires are immortal: Vampires do not age and are immortal, except for dying in sunlight. They lack basic human needs like bathroom and sleep, but may have energy for powers.

Vampires need blood feeding: Vampires must feed on human blood, blood packs, or plasma fruit to survive, and they have a thirst need. Feeding can have social consequences, and alternative sources exist.

Vampire theme and content: The pack includes vampire-themed gameplay, occult features, gothic items, and dark clothing. It adds vampire lifetime goals and a vampire occult character.

Game crashes after CAS: The game stops working immediately after the create-a-sim stage, preventing players from progressing into gameplay. This critical bug blocks access to the core experience.

Random game closures: The game randomly closes without any apparent cause or warning, causing loss of unsaved progress and frustration. This instability occurs during normal play sessions.

Vampire skill freezes game: Using vampire skills on another Sim often freezes the game, and the reset cheat does not work, forcing a full shutdown without saving. This makes vampire gameplay nearly unplayable and risks losing progress.

Simulation lag issue: Players report significant simulation lag, which degrades the overall performance and responsiveness of the game. This technical issue affects the smoothness of gameplay.

Buy on sale, not full price: Multiple reviewers emphasize waiting for a sale before purchasing, stating the pack is not worth the full price. Some mention specific discounts like 50% off or half price.

Recommended for vampire/occult fans: Several reviewers recommend the pack to players who enjoy vampires, gothic themes, or occult gameplay. They note it adds interesting content for occult simmers.

Excellent game pack value: A few reviewers consider this one of the best game packs, some even calling it the most worthwhile DLC. It's recommended as a starting point for The Sims 4.

Pair with other packs: Some reviewers suggest buying this pack alongside other DLCs like City Living, Life and Death, Werewolves, or Magic Realm for enhanced gameplay and themed builds.

Not for non-occult players: Some reviewers advise against buying if you don't play with occults or don't care about supernatural content. One also notes not to buy just for the clothes.

Community fair range: $10.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 10.0h.

The vampire pack offers enjoyable progression and powers early on, but quickly becomes boring and repetitive after the player reaches high ranks or plays for about 10 hours, leading to a clear fun-then-drop experience.

Friction: Tedious blood feeding; Sun weakness limiting daytime travel; Manual clicking of blood packs; Steep early-game learning curve; Tedious power point acquisition.

Unlock drivers: Partnering with a non-occult Sim; Figuring out the early game quickly; Engaging with the vampire progression system.

Gothic Occult Purist: Focuses on building gothic homes, dressing Sims in dark fashion, and using vampire traits to fulfill a supernatural roleplay. Motivation: To immerse in the vampire fantasy and gothic aesthetic, creating a dark, supernatural world with themed decor and occult characters. Stance: buy.

Strategic Value Seeker: They plan purchases strategically, often waiting for seasonal sales or combo bundles. Motivation: To obtain quality DLC at the best possible price, often waiting for sales or bundling to save money. Stance: sale.

Power Progression Grinder: They optimize Sim life around vampire powers, using strategies like apartment living to avoid sunlight and focusing on progression and immortality. Motivation: To unlock powerful vampire abilities, manage weaknesses, and create an immortal, overpowered Sim that advances gameplay quickly. Stance: buy.

Monetization: User feedback focuses on The Sims 4's DLC strategy: content is fragmented across multiple paid expansions that used to be in a single pack, and the expansions are considered overpriced even when discounted. All monetization is traditional paid DLC with no evidence of pay-to-win, loot boxes, or real-money gambling mechanics. Per the scoring rules, traditional DLC/expansions cannot push the score above 20, so the final score reflects a non-predatory but pricey DLC model.

Supernatural content split across packs: Multiple reviews criticize that supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves, and magic are sold as separate packs instead of one combined expansion, unlike previous games. This fragmentation is seen as a money-making tactic by EA.

EA accused of milking players: Multiple reviews mention EA's greed and money-milking tactics, noting that many such DLCs should have been free updates and that the pricing is seen as a ploy. This sentiment is widespread across reviews.

World small and lacking content: The Forgotten Hollow world is repeatedly described as small with little to do, lacking community lots and variety. Some reviewers note that the community gallery helps compensate for the map's limitations.

Value for money questioned: While some reviewers find the price fair, many feel the content is insufficient for the cost, noting that items are not versatile and the pack should include more. The pack is often compared to other DLCs in terms of value.

Comparison to Sims 3 vampires: Reviews compare this pack to Sims 3 vampires, with some preferring the Sims 4 version for better immersion and not making everyone a vampire, while others note Sims 3 had more content. The immortality system is also compared.