The Sims™ 4 My First Pet Stuff Review Summary

Fun pet clothing, adorable rodents, and cute kids' decor are undermined by requiring the Cats and Dogs DLC and feeling like overpriced DLC for DLC.

Pet clothing customization is fun: Players appreciate the ability to dress up pets with new T-shirts and cute outfits, especially the bee cat costume. This adds a personal and enjoyable customization layer.

Hamsters are enjoyable: Reviewers consistently find the hamster pet nice and fun to interact with. The hamster is a highlight of the expansion.

Items work well for kids rooms: Players frequently use items from this pack to decorate children's rooms. The cute animal themes are especially suitable for kids.

Cute decorative items added: The pack includes pretty decorations like a cat drawing table, hamster beanbag, and cat chair. Some decor is nice to use in builds.

Build/Buy items are cute and usable: Players find the Build/Buy items mostly cute and usable even without the Cats & Dogs expansion. Some items are used in build mode.

Requires Cats and Dogs DLC: Many reviews state that this pack cannot be used without owning the Cats and Dogs expansion, and that it adds almost nothing if you already have that pack. This dependency makes the pack feel useless on its own.

DLC for DLC criticised: Multiple reviewers criticise the concept of selling a DLC that requires another DLC to function, often calling it greedy or scummy. This practice is seen as exploiting players.

Content requires another DLC: Most of the content in this pack cannot be used unless the player purchases an additional DLC, with some saying 95% of items require another pack. This makes the pack non-functional for many players.

Should be bundled with expansion: Reviewers feel that this stuff pack should have been included with the Cats and Dogs expansion or bundled with other pet packs. Selling it separately is considered unnecessary and greedy.

Not worth the price: Many consider the pack overpriced for the amount of content it offers, especially given its reliance on another DLC. Some call it a robbery or absurdly expensive.

Includes pet-themed build items: The pack adds pet-themed build/buy items, furniture, decorations, and clothing for pets and Sims.

Adds small rodents and enclosures: The pack introduces small pets like hamsters, rats, mice, and fish, along with cages, terrariums, and enclosures.

Limited pet care and interaction: Pets require almost no care and offer little interaction; hamsters mostly stay in cages, though some actions like petting and talking exist.

Free DLC with paid requirement: This free DLC is a complement to a paid Sims pets DLC, but it still requires the paid pack to function.

Comparison to Sims 2 and 4: Sims 2 included every item, interaction, and career path on disk at launch, including burglars, while Sims 4 used paid DLC and omitted burglars at launch.

Scene Switch Performance Issues: Players report noticeable stuttering and lag when switching between scenes or performing complex operations. This impacts the overall smoothness of gameplay and can hinder the experience.

Do not buy this pack: Multiple reviewers outright reject this pack, stating it is not worth the money and should be avoided. Sympathy is expressed for those who already purchased it.

Only worth buying on deep discount: Many reviewers strongly advise waiting for a 90% sale or buying only when free. Purchasing at full price is widely discouraged.

Only recommended when free: Several reviewers state they would recommend it only if it is free. They would not recommend it if paid.

Prefer base game with mods: Some reviewers recommend sticking to the base game with mods instead of buying this DLC. They suggest buying a better game or something else entirely.

Overpriced cosmetic set: The pack is described as an expensive cosmetic set rather than a full expansion, and at full price it is considered daylight robbery. Many feel the content does not justify the cost.

Community fair range: $0.00 - $20.00.

Sims 3 Veteran Pet Seeker: Evaluates pet DLC against past Sims packs and buys only at deep discount. Motivation: Chasing richer small-pet gameplay and comparing it against earlier Sims titles. Stance: deep sale.

Budget-Conscious DLC Shopper: Waits for discounts, bundles, or price drops before purchasing DLC. Motivation: Buying Sims DLC affordably, ideally through bundles, sales, or regional pricing. Stance: deep sale.

Modded Base-Game Purist: Plays the base game with mods and avoids DLC purchases. Motivation: Customizing The Sims 4 with mods instead of purchasing official DLC. Stance: no buy.

Monetization: The reviews focus almost entirely on paid DLC and expansion pricing, including a 'DLC for DLC' pattern where a stuff pack requires the Cats and Dogs expansion to use. No evidence appears for gacha, loot boxes, pay-to-win, currency obfuscation, convenience MTX, or battle passes. Under the scoring override for traditional DLC/expansions, the score is capped at 20.

DLC requires another DLC: Many reviewers criticize that this pack is essentially a DLC for a DLC, as it requires the paid Cats and Dogs expansion to function and be useful. This dependency makes the free pack useless for players who do not own the required expansion.

Previously free, now not: Reviewers note that the pack used to be free and should have remained free. It was obtained by many via a 100% discount or free distribution, but now it is no longer free.

Incomplete game requires DLC: The game is incomplete without purchasing a large amount of DLC, and the complete version requires significant additional spending. This monetization approach is criticized as squeezing every penny from customers.

Content locked behind DLC: The DLC's content is largely locked behind another DLC purchase, creating a structure where content is inaccessible without additional purchases. This is described as a DLC-for-DLC practice, sometimes as a cash grab on top of a cash grab.

Unfavorable comparison to Sims 3: Reviewers compare the pack to The Sims 3, noting that similar content was part of the pets expansion and that pets are not playable in this game's Cats and Dogs expansion. They also mention that in Sims 3 you can choose DLCs freely, unlike Sims 4.