The newest game pack to grace the Sims 4 franchise is Werewolves, a highly-anticipated expansion that features a fresh occult - Werewolves. Players with this pack can have a howling good time as their Sim befriends, researches, explores, and becomes the elusive supernatural phenomenon that is werewolves.

When a Sim becomes a werewolf, whether through gameplay or directly through Create-a-Sim, the player can change the Sims’s wolf appearance in CAS. The game creates a werewolf form based loosely on the Sim’s human form. For example, if the Sim in question has a large, bulbous nose, the player can expect the corresponding wolf-form will have a similarly large snout.

However, by unlinking the wolf-form from the Sim-form in Create-a-Sim, the player can customize their ferocious fursona any way that pleases them.

There are three ways to become a werewolf: asking to be bitten in game, accidentally being bitten and contracting werebies, and directly becoming a werewolf in CAS.

After befriending a wolf in-game, the player can choose the dialogue “As for Cursed Bite.” The target wolf will more than likely oblige, and the Sim will be on his way to becoming a werewolf.

The first moodlet a player’s freshly bitten Sim will display is an uncomfortable one, labeled “Painful Bite.” From here, the Sim’s hunger bar will begin deteriorating rapidly as the Sim slowly begins the transformation process.

After several hours, the Sim will finally reach peak hunger, realizing that they are indeed transforming into an insatiable beast.

Following transformation, the Simwolf will have a new needs interface sporting a a clawed hand holding a crystal ball. When the ball is filled with red, that indicates that the player’s wolf is filled with Fury.

Fury acts as a spectrum in the game, a barometer that measures the balance between a given wolf’s humanity and more beastly instincts. An empty crystal means peak humanity; a full crystal means the Sim has gone full beast.

When full beast, the Sim will “rampage,” wanting to do little more than roar and destroy things.

Because a rampaging, full-fury wolf cannot use facilities the way a normal Sim would, they instead urinate outside, sleep on the floor, lick themselves clean, and run on all fours. Because the fury crystal is a spectrum, however, Sims who are still in human form will show beast like behavior as the orb fills. They might stalk around their homes angrily or curl up on the floor to nap like a pup.

How does the fury orb fill? A given Sim gains fury when practicing certain werewolf abilities, during the full moon, according to Sim preferences and according to the wolf’s temperament.

Temperaments are random but loosely based on Sim personality. A werewolf who is “prideful” will gain fury when embarrassed or uncomfortable. Flirty Sims will
gain fury when frisky; “wracked with guilt” Sims when gain fury when sad.

As one might expect, werewolves often travel, live in, and commune in packs.

In Werewolves, the player can choose from two different packs that tout wildly different philosophies: The Wild Fangs and the Moonwood Collective.

Those in the Moonwood Collective value tradition, communing with nature, and controlling the inner beast for the greater good.By contrast, the Wildfangs believe that wolves should embrace the beast, explore the world, play hard, and work harder.

To join either pack, the player must, as a werewolf, befriend the Alpha and ask for their blessing. After this, the Alpha will direct the Sim to complete a series of trials. They may have to howl, give food or a similar high-quality gift, werewolf spar, or discuss other werewolf business. Some of these tasks are only able to be completed once the werewolf has gained certain skills, so this task may take time.

Once the Sim has joined either pack, they can view the standing pack expectations. The Wild Fangs, as pictured below, believe encourage member participation, exploring, and self-improvement. Players can do this by contributing to the pack’s resources, exploring the world and meeting other wolves, and increasing their wolf abilities.

Simwolves can practice these requirements to rank up from an Omega wolf to a Beta wolf. At any point, however, a given wolf can challenge the Alpha, the leader of the pack, for supreme leadership.

Just like many other occults, werewolves have received a full skill tree in this pack. Through practice, werewolves can gain a many helpful skills like learning to control themselves during a rampage, digging up precious artifacts, turning other werewolves, and much more.

If this were not enough, werewolves can earn other abilities through gameplay. For example, if a wolf manages to remain away from innocent bystanders while rampaging, they will earn “Transformation Mastery, allowing them to change into beast-form at will and while maintaining their humanity.

There are many abilities like this, including the ability to read ancient wolf writings, win over werewolf allies, mentor other wolves.

There are many things to love about being a werewolf. What’s your favorite part? Tell us on Twitter or Instagram!

Sims 4: Werewolves launches June 16 to millions of hungry Simmers. This game pack ships with a whole host of changes to Sims 4, not the least of which is the folding of werewolves into standing Sims 4 lore.

Accompanying the introduction of this fresh occult to Sims 4 is the revelation of a new world, too: Moonwood Mill.

Formerly a lumber mill town, the abandoned Moonwood is a thickly forested world littered with the the remnants of industry: looming metal cranes, crusty sewage waterways, busted pipes and barrels, and roughly hewn libraries held together by crumbling brick and beams. According to the world's lore, after a massive conflict between vampires and werewolves, the werewolves took over the town as their own.  

While it only boasts five livable lots, Moonwood Mill attempts the feeling of “open-world”ness, so players can run and roam the punk-inspired paradise unencumbered by pesky loading screens.

Indeed, Simmers will need all the time they can manage to fully explore Moonwood, which houses a host of well-connected, hidden secrets and lore that players can unravel through gameplay.

Naturally, a game pack which features werewolves must orient itself around the moon. Werewolves are famously, physically connected to the moon; a full moon is said to transform affected humans into half-beasts.

The Sims 4 team has deeply integrated the moon and its various phases into every day game play. Simmers will be able to check the current moon phase using new in-game UI and in the game’s calendar.

There are now eight phases of the moon:

• ​New Moon
• Waxing Crescent Moon
• First Quarter Moon
• Waxing Gibbous Moon
• Full Moon
• Waning Gibbous Moon
• Third Quarter Moon
• Waning Crescent Moon

Players can toggle how long the lunar cycle is, stick with their favorite phase in perpetuity, or even disable the lunar cycle all together in the gameplay options menu.

Certain phases of the moon will affect werewolf Sims in different ways. As in the picture above, the selected werewolf will experience a buff to their fitness under the “waxing crescent moon.” Other phases will have other effects on werewolves.  According to the developers, the full moon makes werewolves feel a "little more wild." 

But werewolves are not the only Sims whom the moon affects! Various occults will react to the changing moon phases. During certain phases:

• ​Spellcasters can perform spells more easily
• Mermaids will lose hydration more slowly
• ​Vampires recharge their powers slower
• Aliens will receive special moodlet buffs when “Moon bathing”

If that were not all, children will also now ask about the moon, can say goodnight to the moon, and have moon dreams!
​
Players can easily track the lunar cycle using the in-game calendar, a change which has come to base game.

In Moonwood Mill, the current phase of the moon affects how easily a player can collect certain fish, plants, or spot a certain infamous werewolf who may or may not be named Greg.

Running beneath Moonwood's surface is a complex network of Underground Tunnels. These tunnels were "created by and for" werewolves, according to game developers.  They allow swift travel between key points in the world if discerning denizens take the time to learn the twists and turns of its dark pathways. 

Players can enter the tunnels through an entrance within derelict porta potties, a tree-choked bunker entrance, or the thoroughly slimy sewage drain. 

While the underground tunnel network essentially works like a "rabbit-hole," an area of the game that the player does not get to see, the game offers players several pop-up prompts to respond to in order to navigate through the tunnels.  There are a plethora of secrets and treasures to uncover in the tunnels, some of which are only unavailable to werewolves of a certain skill level. 

While non-were humans can also explore these tunnels, they will find it nearly impossible to uncover all of its secrets. 

In the above dialogue box sequence, the Sim has successfully navigated from one point of entry (the porta potty) to a separate point of entrance (the bunker.) Once a Sim has successfully done such a thing, they can easily navigate between these two points without a loading screen. 

Another facet of what makes Moonwood special is the number of special collectibles that players can gather.  During the full moon, players can travel to "Howling Point" the huge cliffside that dominates Moonwood's horizon and overlooks Lake Ludvick, to collect the elusive Moonpetal. This plant only ever sprouts during a full moon, so the discerning Sim must time their visits accordingly.

Similarly, Lake Ludvick dazzles beneath the moonlight, yielding the new Luna Fish.  This special fish will be incredibly difficult to catch; only the full moon will properly assist the wishful fisherman's desires.

Moonwood Mill is full of mushrooms, berries, and other collectible plants for harvesting.  A new plant - Wolfsbane - can be found here. 

While Werewolves offers a whole host of delightful new characters with whom to woo and make nice, Greg is the barrel-chested, broad-shouldered, misunderstood hermit-wolf who has captured Simmer imaginations. 

Greg is an ornery werewolf that lives in Moonwood Mills.  He is often found skulking around a squat shack in the middle of the forest, baying at the full moon or snacking on large slices of meat.  Hopeful travelers can interact with the homespun caution sign to encourage his appearance. 

Once he appears, Simmers can try to get to know him through a variety of available socials, but this is no easy task.  Greg harbors a dark past that must be unraveled over time, and he is more likely to acknowledge a Sim who shares his beastly form.  

Otherwise, curious Simmers should be prepared to shiver at the very sound of Greg's voice, which often elicits a fear moodlet from unlucky travelers. But persistent players can rest assured that Greg will eventually open up and relay his story to those he deems worthy. 

What are you most excited about in Werewolves? ​Tell us on Twitter or Instagram! ​

Werewolves, the latest addition to the Sims 4 Game Pack repertoire, is due to drop into Origin and Steam on June 16th, and its Create-a-Sim options promise to be a howling good time. 

Sims developers showed off the pack's assets on June 10th to thousands of squealing fans.  Brimming with the punk-inspired, homegrown alternative fashion that permeated the late-90's and early 2000's, Werewolves's style options will titillate grunge-loving players everywhere. Many of the looks sport patches, holes, rips, and rough ends to suggest a Sim's frequent, violent transformations into a beast form.  This beast form is fairly androgynous and, thusly, the Sims team has crafted a line of clothing that suits both feminine and masculine frames. Indeed, Create-a-Sim offers new functions for a Sim's wolf-form, too, allowing players to modify muzzles and paint the perfect puppy pattern.  (However, these changes will be covered in a separate article.)

The result is a spread of threads that are universally appealing, flattering Sims of many shapes and sizes. The choices are worn but creative, magical but versatile.  

The many of the masculine looks in the game pack are also offered for feminine frames.  For male Sims, there appear to be:

• 10 masculine tops
• 4 bottoms
• 3 pairs of shoes
• 8 body accessories
• 5 facial accessories
• 2 full-body looks. 

The half-tucked sweater comes in a variety of puppy-prints with comfortable cuffs and an easy collar. 

The jackets come with a variety of patchwork patterns, rolled up sleeves, metal zippers, and fine accents that suggest the moon and other natural phenomena.  

Perhaps one of the most winning looks is the t-shirt with torn hemming.  This item is perhaps the one best suited for the wolf who is constantly bursting into his beast form despite himself. It comes in a variety of swatches, a few with fun prints, others in plain but earthy colors, and still others worthy of any band-loving beast. 

There are two full-body looks for masculine Sims. The first is a long, patchwork coat with a half-tucked in shirt and comfortable slacks . 

The other full body outfit is another loosely tucked in knit with a belt and comfortable slacks. The slacks come in tartan, earthy tones, and a few even have moon-decorations on them! 

There are four masculine bottoms in the pack.  Again, all four sport the torn, patchy work that suggest beast battles and sudden, violent transformations.  The fit of each pant differs from the next, which is deeply refreshing for those familiar with masculine CAS. 

There are three shoe options, a Converse-inspired high-top sneaker, a torn-toeless sneaker, and tried and true punk boots available in a variety of colors. 

There are three masculine hairstyles available in Werewolves: two mullets with braided, banded details: one available in the standard Sim hair colors, and another that boasts a host of punky, ombre colors; and a long wavy style. 

The accessories that come shipped with this game pack are many.  Simmers can expect to enjoy tribal-like nose piercings, coin-shaped earrings, crescent-moon necklaces, and rings, hand bandages, bracelets, and more! 

The included feminine fashion follows the same punk, homegrown inspirations as the menswear. Feminine-framed Sims can enjoy flowing dresses in earthy patterns, layered knit looks, essential punky stockings, torn band tees, relaxed jackets, and more. 

This ankle length dress feels but fantastic and versatile. The leather belt befit with a handcrafted satchel would suit any self-respecting spell or mooncaster. 

The layered look comes in many attractive plain and plaid patterns. The thigh-level patch at is a great touch. 

The new stockings, torn and ripped in all the right ways, are available in both neutral tones, funky shades, and two-toned patterns. 

This attractive knit manages a high-fashion off the shoulder look while maintaining the torn, alternative aesthetic. 

The button up is available in denim, patchy cloth, and plaid.  It is layered with both band tees, neutral tees, and werewolf-worthy prints. 

The torn tee is, again, an easy winner. It comes available in camouflage patterns, artsy pop prints, and neutral tones. 

Amongst the new feminine hairs are a braided mullet, a simple but shaggy shoulder-length style, an undercut up-do available with and without a crescent moon.   

Werewolves offers a plethora of not only cheek and eye scarring but also body scarring for maximum storytelling options.  Any werewolf Sim can appear properly scratched, clawed, and even bitten on their arms, legs, and torso.  There are even special patterns that make the hands appear dirty, as if the werewolf has been digging tunnels for too long.  

These detailed scars and marks can be layered with each other and even tattoos! 

Speaking of new tattoos, Werewolves boasts a new lunar moth tattoo and, of course, a wolf back tattoo.  Again, scars can be layered on top of these tattoos for a realistic effect. 

Thankfully, even children get new items in this game pack: a puppy-eared cap, a wolf-patterned suspender set, an adorable wolfy onesie. 

What look are you looking the most forward to? Tell us on Twitter or Instagram! 

The Sims team kicked off their freshest season of summer content with the announcement of two new kits: Moonlight Chic, a Create-a-Sim kit, and Little Campers, a Build/Buy kit.  Both kits, released May 26th, harnessed the "embrace the night" theme curated by Sims developers. Moonlight Chic, in particular, is a kit that aims to represent the sleek, romantic fashion of Parisian nightlife. Does this 32-piece clothing kit meet the mark? Is it worth the 4.99 USD cost? Let's get into it. 

Inspired by the effortless style of French fashion influencer Paola Locatelli, the feminine pieces included in the Moonlight Chic Kit are easy winners. The salmon-pink sweater crop is flirty and fashion-forward.  The texture appears soft and simple, with a cute turtleneck neckline.

Also, the knitted thigh-length jacket with a tube top comes with beautiful braided detailing and little buttons along the sleeves.

The button up top with an almost applique collar finish is also a show-stopper.  The long, loose sleeves end in romantic flower petal like way.  All three tops pair well with high-waisted bottoms which, admittedly, are few and far between in the Sims 4.  It can also be said that, despite the beauty of each piece, that there is no dearth of crop-tops which already exist in the game.  These beautiful additions to Create-a-Sim simply add to the mounting supply of tummy-bearing tops already vastly abundant in Sims 4. 

Luckily, this is not the end of Moonlight Chic's feminine offerings. A long-sleeved, disco ball like top offers the kind of curve-hugging glitter that I love seeing in my Create-a-Sim options. When paired with high-waisted bottoms, this top literally shines as a stand-out piece. Similarly, the V-neck soft sweater comes in head-turning colors such as lemonade yellow. It ends in a figure-complimenting cinch, and looks good on many bodies. 

Perhaps the two stars of this kit are the slinky silk dress with spaghetti strap shoulders and the snappy trenchcoat-like short jacket. Both are eye-catching and available in pleasing colors. In fact, the silk dress comes in several ombre swatches that make it an interesting addition to any discerning Sim's closet. 

The feminine bottoms leave a little to be desired.  The kit boasts a pair of shorts that are acceptably suitable. The looped belting appears painted on and thus flatter than what I'd like.  Similarly, the sequined skirt, also appears a little flatter than what I'd expect, but it still manages to be a pretty piece, perhaps a relic of the past Carnaval Kit. 

There is another piece included in the feminine CAS selection, a suit jacket with a crop top blouse, which is a stunning addition to this kit but... more on that later. 

Personally, Create-a-Sim kits live and die for me according to their masculine offerings. I almost exclusively create masculine Sims with traditionally masculine frames, so any and all additions to their admittedly slim Sim wardrobe is always welcome for me. Eager to slide my men into fresh threads, I jumped immediately into CAS on May 26th. 

The masculine tops offer the same sort of ease and simple sensuousness that characterizes this kit as a whole. A crisp, color-blocked racing jacket, a loose-fitting and half-tucked in button up, and a daring denim jacket in a variety of colors are stars of the pack. They are joined by a simple sweater with three-quarter sleeves, which comes with a long, nearly bohemian hemp necklace. 

The flowery button up was a real winner for me: its straight-lined, traditionally masculine silhouette paired with the traditionally feminine floral print is really appealing.  When worn with bottoms from the Modern Menswear kit, this shirt is a must-have.  

​Speaking of bottoms... 

The kit has five bottoms for masculine Sims, and they all offer the same loose, cargo-like fit and texture. While they may vary according to number of pockets, the bottoms are all lackluster.  None of them particularly push the fashionable envelope, and I daresay that the Sims already enjoys a near endless supply of cargo pants, especially for men. Beyond being fashionably backward, the inclusion of so many items of the same design is just plain disappointing.

This is not to say that the trousers look badly in-game. They are simple additions, particularly the shorts and slacks, that are well-rendered. The belt and seams on the long shorts look nice. The slacks are available in a variety of interesting colors and sit comfortably on the masculine frame. There are beautiful folds in all trouser selections, a definite plus in the texture department. They are good pants. Acceptable. But a bit boring.

But perhaps I'm overly salty about the menswear. After all, when I saw the initial advertisements for Moonlight Chic, I was over-the-moon excited to slip my men into what I believed was a boundary-pushing masculine suit. In fact, it appeared that this suit - the full-body option with a cropped blouse and high neckline - was indeed for masculine Sims.

In official game renders, the suit boasted broad shoulders that tapered into a narrow waist, a fashionably baggy fit reminiscent of the late 80's, a high neckline, deep pockets, and large lapel that reminded me a little of Yusuke's fits from Yu Yu Hakusho, one of the my favorite animes of all time. (Yeah, I am unfortunately that old.)

But when I entered the game and frantically searched the masculine wear for this top, I was sorely disappointed. 

Despite its branding, the top was unavailable for masculine Sims, even when I removed the "masculine" tag.  To find it for my men, I had to completely change their "fashion choice" to "feminine." 

Naturally, when I placed the desired top on my masculine framed Sim, the game distorted his body. The trench coat top gave Julian sizable breasts, while the famed crop-top suit gave him fuller hips. In fact, I found that the suit that I'd wanted so badly did not have a tapered waist as was advertised. Instead, it made Julian look larger than he actually was.  I was thoroughly disappointed. 

Moonlight Chic has some wonderful pieces for which Create-a-Sim fanatics will find some semblance of use. The feminine CAS pieces are beautiful and flirty; the masculine CAS is acceptable, but limited.  This pack will in no way challenge you or make you rethink fashion; it will not offer many additions that are unlike anything your Sim already owns. The mis-marketing of the suit jacket also, personally, left me with a sour taste in my mouth. 

Is this pack a must-have? Absolutely not. Is it worth 4.99 if you have it to spare? Perhaps. But maybe wait to win it in a giveaway or something. 

What do you think of Moonlight Chic? Tell us on Twitter! 

Today, the Sims 4 developer team unveiled the newest game pack addition to their steadily swelling pack ranks.  Simply titled "Werewolves," this highly-anticipated game pack will drop June 16th.  Thanks to a heart-stopping trailer and a plethora of eye-popping leaks, Simmers everywhere are salivating for the pack's contents. 

In addition to satisfying the long-held wishes of occult-lovers, Sims 4: Werewolves finally delivers what many Sims 4 players have longed for - alternative clothing, grunge furniture, a new world, and fresh gameplay mechanics. 

There is much to look forward to concerning this pack, but there may be a few details even the most discerning of Simmers may have missed. 

Sims 4: Werewolves comes with a brand new, forested world for Simmers to enjoy: Moonwood Mill.  The little town boasts just five buildable lots, but it offers the rundown, forgotten industrial aesthetic that many Simmers have expressed was missing from the game.  That is, much of Sims 4 is perfectly pixeled and pristine.  Available clothing and build swatches are usually brightly colored, unblemished, and undoubtedly beautiful - as one might, perhaps, expect from a children's cartoon or a similarly cheerful animated series.  Even previous occult packs - Realm of Magic or Vampires for example - offered assets that were darkly ornate and pleasing to the eye.  Builders or Sim creators had little to choose from if they wanted to create a world that felt truly forgotten, dirty, apocalyptic, or simply alternative. 

Moonwood Mill breaks this unblemished mold in several ways, though the world is lovely in its own right.  A forested world wrapped around an abandoned lumber mill, Moonwood Mill offers the rusted shells and monstrous iron relics of a forgotten industry suited for packs of misfits. The Werewolves trailer showed cranes and steel bridges alongside jutting cliffsides and thick woodland. 

The new world offers a variety of additions to existing gameplay.  Here, Players will be able to observe phases of the moon, most notably, the full moon.  In addition, Moonwood Mill boasts the incredible Lake Lunvik, a swimmable lake that offers a new fish to catch: the Luna fish.  Adventurous Sims can even explore the enormous maw that is Howling Point to pluck the elusive Moonpetal Flower. 

But even this is not all that Moonwood Mill has to offer! The bravest of Sims can explore the intricate network of underground tunnels- "The Underground" - that run under town and house some of its deepest secrets.  

Of course, the new world enjoys its fair share of shady locals, unique activities (many werewolves enjoy pit fighting), makeshift bars, and rundown community venues. 

But all is not always well in Moonwood Mills, for it is home to two sometimes competing werewolf packs: the Moonwood Collective and the Wildfangs. 

Sims 4: Werewolves is brimming with the alternative punk styles that many millennials will instantly recognize.  The pack is filled with the ragged band t-shirts, punk hair, metallic accessories, razor sharp nails, thick leather boots, twisted scars, grunge plaid, and dark outfits that we all wore at our Panic! At the Disco pinnacles. 

Even more notably, Sims 4: Werewolves allows Simmers to edit their werewolf form in many ways.  Players will be able to customize the very face structure of their wolf forms, changing body shape, clothes, ears, eyes, tufts, scars, and more! Sim werewolves are a more fully integrated human-wolf form than in previous Sims iterations, with smaller heads and lanky, human-like legs.  This allows the player to fully dress their wolf form, outfit them with piercings or jewelry, while bestowing them with floppier ears, a more substantial muzzle, or unique tattoo-like markings. 

After the Werewolves official trailer dropped, SimGurus quickly donned new profile pictures on Twitter, each sporting a fresh, furry face unique to each guru's Simself.  After all, The Sims is a game committed to allowing players free self-expression, even when the situation gets a little... hairy. 

The build/buy options in Sims 4: Werewolves are unlike any that have graced the game before.  Granting many players the grimy grunge often missing from the game as a whole, this pack offers patchy sofas, sagging punching bags, worn arches, peeling artwork, floor cracks, creaking bookshelves and makeshift bars, masculine leathers and heavy woods, faded carpet, piles of garbage, smelly clutter, broken barrels, and other frightening accoutrements required for an unsettling hide-out.  

Players quickly pointed out a new bassinet ​and a fair host of other clutter items for builders to enjoy. 

Naturally, Moonwood Mill serves as home to werewolves, howling beasts that change from man to wolf under the full moon. The addition of this highly-anticipated and widely-requested occult will change gameplay in the Sims 4 in many ways.  

Werewolves, like Vampires, come bursting with original, though-provoking lore, a set of fresh occult powers, unique need meters, and presumably a skill-tree. But unlike vampires, werewolves offer players a new facet of gameplay: pack play, during which Simmers can swear their furry fealty to the Moonwood Collective - peace-loving and tree-hugging werewolves who place a premium on self-control - or the Wildfangs - rebellious wolves in plaid and asymmetrical haircuts who fully embrace their inner beast. 

But it is not so simple as choosing a side.  Indeed, players will be encouraged to learn the do's and don'ts of either pack, becoming acquainted with their careful hierarchy.  Learning alongside their beastly brethren, new wolves will gain a variety of new powers including: 

• Running on all fours
• Remaining in Beast Form
• Territory Marking
• Lunar Resistance
• Immortality

Using any of these powers increases the werewolf's power, called Fury. Once this fury meter has maxed, the werewolf must prepare themselves for a wild transformation. 

In addition, the Sims team has revealed that, alongside the pack's release, it will also introduce body hair to base game.

​Are you ready to get wild?