The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle expansion has players going green

The Sims are going green and looking to clean up the virtual world in the trailer for upcoming expansion The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle.

The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle places players in the sustainable virtual locale of Evergreen Harbor, where every action a Sim takes affects the conditions surrounding them. If players are more environmentally conscientious, then Evergreen Harbor will be more vibrant and alluring in appearance. If players are careless in their actions, then Evergreen Harbor will become contaminated and befouled by garbage, pollution and other hazardous consequences.

A Sim will be encouraged to go green in their own homes as well. Players can shrink their monthly bills by investing in alternative sources of energy like wind turbines, dew collectors and solar panels and even furnish their home with sustainably made new furniture. Homes can also be decorated by upcycling someone else’s junk into a beautiful new item.

The process doesn’t end there. According to the official EA press release, “Brave Sims might try dumpster diving for resources like dyes, bits and pieces, and ingredients—as long as they don’t mind the smell. Choose the Freelance Crafter career to fill mail and internet orders for your candles, fizzy juices, upcycled objects, and more! Or try to encourage your neighbors to vote for a community maker space where you can all craft together.

Players can also make their voices heard and rally their neighbors to environmentally friendly cause. “Want a shared planting space with vertical gardens instead? Vote for it! Every week, you can join your new community in voting for a Neighborhood Action Plan. Transform the shared lot, promote the performing arts, suggest a weekly workout, demand an upcycling initiative, or explore the many other options on the board.”

Although we laud EA for their attempt to bring attention to a more environmentally friendly lifestyle, the expansion’s concept does seem a little strained in some ways. It’s not as if the majority of The Sims 4‘s gameplay has demonstrably included consumption-wasting aspects before. For instance, Sims don’t drive carbon-emitting automobiles; they haven’t been shown paying separate electric bills and we can’t recall the last time there was a trash day where some sort of waste management was shown picking up a Sim’s refuse. That being said, we’re still willing to give the expansion a shot provided it’s not intrinsically linked to purchasing new “environmentally sound’ items in-game.

The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Expansion Pack is coming to PC, Mac, Xbox One, and PlayStation®4 on June 5, 2020.