The Sims 4: Realm of Magic Review – We’re Off To See The Wizard

The Sims 4: Realm of Magic Review

The Sims 4: Realm of Magic adds a whole new mystical way of life for our loveable Sims. Targeting players who grew up waiting for an owl that never came, we now have the opportunity to take witchcraft and wizardry into our own hands and embark on a new journey.

To create your spell caster, you can either choose this option during the Create-A-Sim or if you already have a Sim created that you’d like take down this path instead, you can speak to one of the three Sages in the Magic Realm by going through the portal to Glimmberbrook. If you are doing the latter, you’ll be asked to go on a simple gathering quest for the Sage and once you’ve brought back the required items, you’ll then be granted the chance to live a truly magical life. Your new magical sim can be equipped with all the witchy things it needs like special wands, a broom – or a mop for those on a tighter budget -, an ethereal familiar, potion ingredients and more.

At first glance, it doesn’t really look like a lot has changed and the newly added features seem kind of bare aside from the new gauge located on our Sims’ needs that shows our current standing to leveling up to the next rank. Even the town itself seems a bit barren with only five available lots and a single bar. However once you’ve found the portals located in the woods, you’ll be transported to the magical realm of Glimmerbrooke, where this game pack truly shines. You’ll be zapped to a beautiful dark and ambient island that has more floating islands surrounding it. Sims can transport between all of the areas via portals and from there they can check out the marketplace, garden, dueling arenas and meeting up with the Sages to become a witch or wizard if you aren’t already one. Diagon, I mean, Casters alley, is where your Sims will go to obtain their magical items to help aid them in their mystical journey. You can also purchase your unique familiars from here as well. Not only does your familiar look cool as they hover around your character, but they can also act as an advisor and even help you out in duels.

Do You Believe in Magic?

Our Sims will be busy as an apprentice which or wizard as they work up the ranks towards becoming a master. You can gain experience in a variety of ways which includes reading books, experimenting with potion making with your cauldron, practicing magic as well as being taught by the professors at the wizarding school. For the Sims working towards mastering spells, there are 4 categories of magic that your Sim can learn: Practical magic, mischief magic, alchemy and untamed magic. Practical magic is well, practical and a bit mundane. You can learn to make food appear from thin air, copy items or repair broken objects. Mischief and untamed magic are definitely the funnier and more interesting spells that allow you to toy with a Sims emotions, turn them into inanimate objects and even dabbling in some good ol’ necromancy. For those going towards alchemy, you’ll be more focused on crafting cool potions that can do a variety of different things. At the beginner level of alchemy, potions can fulfill all of a Sims’ needs while master craft level potions can even revive any Sim that has died.

Along with the newly added gameplay comes an enchanting new wardrobe and accessories. Playing more towards the gothic aesthetic, I was impressed with the number of new clothing accessories, not to mention all of the new items we can decorate our Sims’ houses with. I was a tad disappointed that a lot of the homely items didn’t have more unique interactions, but everything is pretty attractively designed, so I can forgive EA.

Something to watch out for is just how often you use your spells. While the game encourages using magic throughout your daily life, there is a chance your Sim can die from a spell overload. Luckily there is a gauge that shows just how much magic usage you have until you could potentially die. It’s a bit annoying but something that can be adjusted to quickly.

At first glance, Realm of Magic can seem barren. However, it’s all a guise as the true game begins in its mystical new realm of Glimmerbrook. All in all, The Sims 4: Realm of Magic is a ton of fun. With a bunch of newly added features to take your Sims game to the next level and a ton of different new paths to experience, this game pack does not disappoint.

***PC code provided by the publisher***