They would have gotten a higher rating if there wasn't so many glitches, small lots, not enough hairstyles & no hats.
However, I do like the game regardless.
Its okay, nothing more, nothing less.
I just prefer to play "normal" Sims, occults are not my play style. CAS and BB items are nice. But I really never wanted witches, so I knew its just okay for me, can't wait for some university, farming or new apartments my husband really emjoys the witches though^^
This would be a great pack but for the bugs I'm getting. They make playing it pointless. First, I'd level the perks in the spell book and gain spells, then they'd simply vanish only to need to be redone. I found out there was some bug preventing it from working and that starting a new save might be my only option. Now, I've rerolled a new caster and she's leveling fine...or would be if she could accumulate a single perk point at any time! Her magic level is going up but there are no perk points accumulating at all so I can't 'level up' in anything at all.
Loving yourself is the most simple and complicated thing you can do for you.
Looking past the theme and the trend that is to like anything witches instantly, this Game Pack is quite terrible and I can't give it more than a 2. There's no new gameplay to be had here, a side from some new animations and pretty UI. Once again a lot of content has been recycled and I can't figure out where this pack is worth the asking price when a lot of it is copy pasted stuff.
Familiars are not interactive, there's no new skills, no new whims, no fortune telling, no crystal balls, no new voodoo dolls spells, they didn't provide a display case for potions, there's no gameplay surrounding magical families, children can't even use brooms, etc. Very little gameplay objects when you think about it and very little to no detail was put into this. The Vampires Game Pack provided a lot more and they had to make the powers and weaknesses system from scratch, which is not the case here.
Very disappointing and from what I've seen it's really buggy.
There are some little things I'm missing. Like, an interaction to just look at, and examine the portal as your sims first discover it. Allowing your sims to discuss magic, you know, as a subject in general. Vampires came with a lot more small interactions like this.
Also, the mostly blank spellbook pages bother me a lot. What does it mean? Will we ever be getting more spells?
Not to mention how they just completely left out kids and toddlers. At least vampire children got a few clothes.
At least we have a new spellcaster crib for babies?
I gave it a 9 when it's more like a 8 1/2. I really enjoy having magic back in the game, I love the build/buy and CAS items. My only real problem is that children where left out on all counts (aside from one thing). I know this is a game pack but there are some things that I would have been willing to wait a little longer for if that meant they would be added. Just my two cents.
I give it a 10 because I always wanted a pet phoenix! Also, both of the worlds are great. Sure it's only 4 lots for Glimmerbrook, but that's 4 lots to tell a story with a beautiful environment. I also only play as one sim and have placed at least 90% of the sims that I am ever going to create into the world already, so I really don't need too many lots anyways.
Seasons, Pets, Family and Magic are always my most anticipated packs. They were all spectacular up until Realm of Magic.
I refuse to buy this pack, or have anyone else buy this pack for me. If it’s on Origin for at least 70% off, I might consider it. EA don’t deserve to be paid for this half-bottomed attempt at a game pack.
It’s a shallow pack, like everything else EA has released lately. The gameplay is almost non-existant. There are no new jobs, no new skills, barely any new animations. The spells are recycled abilities from other packs or even the base game. The world is a tiny, pretty-ish shell and almost entirely non-customisable. Familiars do nothing and we can’t customise or interact with them. We got two new plants for an occult that deals with reagents and has such strong connections to the natural world, and no new hats. Nothing at all for any age group below teen. Our sims cannot progress to become a Sage. The Sages given to us were hideous and disappointing appropriations of what were shown in the trailer, which sums up all EA advertising honestly.
I could go on forever, but I’ve already put more effort into discussing this pack than EA did in making it. Please sack the entire team at this stage and give someone else the responsibility to create a decent Sims 5.
For just a game pack, I feel like it added enough game play with the whole magic system to be comparable to an actual expansion. The build/buy and CAS I also love (it's just my style) and I love occults in my game.
It lost points because of the shoddy builds. The roof on the bar missed colour swatches, the house with no back door... they barely used any of the new items in the new builds! While the magic realm is beautiful, there's not really anything to do there other than shop. Everything else can be done anywhere else and there's no point to really going there? (Unless I'm missing something but I was able to get a fairly strong spellcaster within just 1 sim week and that was just practicing on her own home lot). Magic HQ is alright but it also feels kind of big and empty.
While the aesthetics of the world looks great, when I watched gameplay it looked empty of substance. The bugs it launched with are bad too. This is one I will wait until it goes down in price.
I haven't fully explored it but I feel it's in the 7.5 to 8 range. I think parts of it are a bit too easy (you can progress from one spellcaster level to another really, really fast).
It's kept me engaged in game-play for longer periods than normal (I usually build instead of play). There are some bugs that definitely need to be fixed soon, and a few missed opportunities for things the Devs could have done with Familiars... I'm still enjoying it though.
Seasons, Pets, Family and Magic are always my most anticipated packs. They were all spectacular up until Realm of Magic.
I refuse to buy this pack, or have anyone else buy this pack for me. If it’s on Origin for at least 70% off, I might consider it. EA don’t deserve to be paid for this half-bottomed attempt at a game pack.
It’s a shallow pack, like everything else EA has released lately. The gameplay is almost non-existant. There are no new jobs, no new skills, barely any new animations. The spells are recycled abilities from other packs or even the base game. The world is a tiny, pretty-ish shell and almost entirely non-customisable. Familiars do nothing and we can’t customise or interact with them. We got two new plants for an occult that deals with reagents and has such strong connections to the natural world, and no new hats. Nothing at all for any age group below teen. Our sims cannot progress to become a Sage. The Sages given to us were hideous and disappointing appropriations of what were shown in the trailer, which sums up all EA advertising honestly.
I could go on forever, but I’ve already put more effort into discussing this pack than EA did in making it. Please sack the entire team at this stage and give someone else the responsibility to create a decent Sims 5.
I accept your opinion but I would like to point out that the pack is actually quite packed with new animations. And no there are no new "skills" perse, but I'd say that a fully fleshed out magic tree with a perk system is actually miles better than a magic skill going from 1 to 10 with no spellcaster customizability. I think if you ever end up trying it and magic really matters to you, that's it a lot more fun than some negativity might make it appear .. The HQ and the builds - totally agree. But the animations and the gameplay are definitely there, and received more focus than BB or the world, which frankly after Sulani, was appreciated.
I would have voted zero if the option was there due to all the bugs.
Who thought it was a good idea to not allow you to plant the new magic plants if it's snowing outside? The thermostat is on and the planters are in the house so either the thermostats are broke or the game's programing is broke. That's just one of the many bugs I've had while playing.
If this game pack had any QA done on it I would have not been so harsh on my vote, but the evidence speaks for itself.
Ok, I've been a bit harsh. Basically I'm not into this in the Sims usually but I like it.
A few things though : I wouldn't have minded hats, the familiars don't really do anything, there's no kitchen cabinet (why didn't they make a stained glass one or one based off the non stained glass versions of the windows we got ?) and the magic world is beautiful but I wish the shopping square wasn't just shells.
Feels pretty bland imo. Lots of recycled things but now they're "Spells" I was stoked to buy the pack the day it released. There's literally no challenge when it comes to unlocking spells/potions. Spellcaster's are literally OP, unlike Vampire's which carried weaknesses. And just in general with how easy the pack is. I feel the Sims is definitely catering too kids now.
I think it's for sure above average, which to me is pretty great. Anything beyond that is like, raising the bar or going above and beyond which I don't think this quite did for me personally. If it was a fully fleshed out EP then I'd definitely expect much more in terms of gameplay additions and BB/CAS. But I think it's a great and fun pack ultimately! I'm having fun so far. I should say as well that I am not a "supernatural player." I do LOVE the theme and style of this game. With that said, I didn't have immensely high expectations because I knew I'd be happy with what I got. And I am!
I'm more of a builder than into the gameplay and I love the Art Nouveau style and CAS in the pack. I'm taking the game slowly and not at speed as some Simmers appear to be doing and so far am enjoying it. My score could include the Patch items too as I am having great fun putting those stairs in my builds.
Comments
However, I do like the game regardless.
I just prefer to play "normal" Sims, occults are not my play style. CAS and BB items are nice. But I really never wanted witches, so I knew its just okay for me, can't wait for some university, farming or new apartments
Familiars are not interactive, there's no new skills, no new whims, no fortune telling, no crystal balls, no new voodoo dolls spells, they didn't provide a display case for potions, there's no gameplay surrounding magical families, children can't even use brooms, etc. Very little gameplay objects when you think about it and very little to no detail was put into this. The Vampires Game Pack provided a lot more and they had to make the powers and weaknesses system from scratch, which is not the case here.
Very disappointing and from what I've seen it's really buggy.
There are some little things I'm missing. Like, an interaction to just look at, and examine the portal as your sims first discover it. Allowing your sims to discuss magic, you know, as a subject in general. Vampires came with a lot more small interactions like this.
Also, the mostly blank spellbook pages bother me a lot. What does it mean? Will we ever be getting more spells?
Not to mention how they just completely left out kids and toddlers. At least vampire children got a few clothes.
At least we have a new spellcaster crib for babies?
they/he
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Why?
I refuse to buy this pack, or have anyone else buy this pack for me. If it’s on Origin for at least 70% off, I might consider it. EA don’t deserve to be paid for this half-bottomed attempt at a game pack.
It’s a shallow pack, like everything else EA has released lately. The gameplay is almost non-existant. There are no new jobs, no new skills, barely any new animations. The spells are recycled abilities from other packs or even the base game. The world is a tiny, pretty-ish shell and almost entirely non-customisable. Familiars do nothing and we can’t customise or interact with them. We got two new plants for an occult that deals with reagents and has such strong connections to the natural world, and no new hats. Nothing at all for any age group below teen. Our sims cannot progress to become a Sage. The Sages given to us were hideous and disappointing appropriations of what were shown in the trailer, which sums up all EA advertising honestly.
I could go on forever, but I’ve already put more effort into discussing this pack than EA did in making it. Please sack the entire team at this stage and give someone else the responsibility to create a decent Sims 5.
It lost points because of the shoddy builds. The roof on the bar missed colour swatches, the house with no back door... they barely used any of the new items in the new builds! While the magic realm is beautiful, there's not really anything to do there other than shop. Everything else can be done anywhere else and there's no point to really going there? (Unless I'm missing something but I was able to get a fairly strong spellcaster within just 1 sim week and that was just practicing on her own home lot). Magic HQ is alright but it also feels kind of big and empty.
I accept your opinion but I would like to point out that the pack is actually quite packed with new animations. And no there are no new "skills" perse, but I'd say that a fully fleshed out magic tree with a perk system is actually miles better than a magic skill going from 1 to 10 with no spellcaster customizability. I think if you ever end up trying it and magic really matters to you, that's it a lot more fun than some negativity might make it appear ..
Who thought it was a good idea to not allow you to plant the new magic plants if it's snowing outside? The thermostat is on and the planters are in the house so either the thermostats are broke or the game's programing is broke. That's just one of the many bugs I've had while playing.
If this game pack had any QA done on it I would have not been so harsh on my vote, but the evidence speaks for itself.
A few things though : I wouldn't have minded hats, the familiars don't really do anything, there's no kitchen cabinet (why didn't they make a stained glass one or one based off the non stained glass versions of the windows we got ?) and the magic world is beautiful but I wish the shopping square wasn't just shells.