Sims will no longer perform a dance routine before a vampire attempts to drink from them. Yes, that’s an actual issue, but it’s far from the best part of the February 2018 Sims 4 update. Ten new skin tones and a curly hairstyle are now available in Create-A-Sim.
Last year, The Sims team asked players to “send their skin tones” and they’ve followed through in their vocal efforts to make the game more inclusive by way of hair texture, curls and realistic shades of darker skin. While players now have options to create Sims that look more like themselves and reflect the varying complexions of the world, Kotaku’s Sims reporter Gita Jackson and other members of the community have pointed out a few glaring issues.
On the four darkest shades, a patch of orange surrounds the nose. The existing makeup in the game also doesn’t look quite right on these new tones. For example, Jackson notices adding lipstick creates an out of place line around the edges of a Sims’ lips. The new tighter curled hairstyle, one of the only in the game, isn't perfect either. It doesn’t fall quite right to properly represent natural hair.
This update is a step in the right direction, but it’s still quite unsettling this greater range in complexions took more than two years to complete and still has major flaws upon release. Skin tone is literally the first and most important step in simulating a real human being. Hopefully, The Sims team focuses less of their time responding to the negative reactions on social media and more on taking definitive steps to better serve loyal and paying customers in non-white communities. Check what some of the players have to say about the update in addition to the full patch notes below.
I don't want to sound ungrateful. but we should have had more dark skin tones in BASE GAME. The fact it took this long is ridiculous.
— CeCe The Sims (@CeCethesims) February 6, 2018
You have white simmers who make a living off of chipping off of black culture and black people from the way they dress their sims to the lazy, cringey AAVE/slang they throw around in their videos going overtime to silence black simmers right now. ENOUGH.
— Cece (@CeceliaBophelia) February 7, 2018
So tired of not being represented in video games, especially The Sims. And then when you bring it up or say something about it, you're being rude & disrespectful. Nahhh that's ??♀️ in 2018. If you feel otherwise, I guarantee you are represented in the game
— DeeSims (@DeeSimsYT) February 7, 2018
Sims 4 still has a long way to go in terms of diversity. Skin tones, hair, facial features to name a few. Even after yesterday's update there's still a long way to go.
— Lana ?️? (@AverageSim) February 7, 2018
BUT please don't discount the work the devs have put into the game and don't disrespect them.
-Night club text invites will now only occur between 8 p.m. and midnight.
-Pregnant Sims can no longer allowed age up.
-Deceased Sims released to the netherworld will no longer appear alive in the family tree.
-Sims will no longer perform a dance routine before a vampire attempts to drink from them.
-Vegetarians can now safely eat a serving of Eggs and Toast without receiving negative buffs for doing so.
-New 18th anniversary t-shirt
Check out the official patch notes here.
