Much to the surprise, and disappointment, of the Sims community, Maxis announced a few weeks ago this unexpected pack that takes our Sims to the Star Wars galaxy. I was unable to access a preview as the rules are different for this partnered pack, which is why this preview comes a few days after its September 8 release.
Good news for gamers who don't like Star Wars, or who think that this theme has nothing to do here, the pack is independent of the global world of our dear Sims and does not interfere in any way with their everyday life. If you decide not to buy it, you just won't have this new vacation destination accessible from your phone. Thus, the Sim uses special currencies, credits and junk. The inventory is emptied: it is only allowed to take specific items to Batuu. And the outfits are theme specific as well.
This zone is divided into three districts: the imperial zone, the neutral zone and the rebel zone.
Each has its own reputation: Resistance, First Order, and Rascal. Of course, it is not possible to be a member of both the First Order and the Resistance at the same time, the two reputations being opposed (points gained in one faction lead to a loss in the other faction). The Rascal reputation is on the contrary independent and rises to its maximum regardless of the chosen camp.
When arriving there, some tasks are given to get to know the places. It is not very obvious at first, especially since the buildings do not have their names mentioned and I spent a while managing to find the house for example, the place to sleep and cool off. The food is not a problem because there are several restaurants, with even free dishes, enough to free yourself from the daily management of the Sim during their vacation.
The officers of the three factions give missions, they are identified with an icon on the head to find them more easily. They are always near their HQ anyway, each with a spaceship. The Rascals are lucky enough to be able to enjoy the Millennium Falcon, just that. The First Order uses a TIE Echelon, and the Rebellion uses a classic T-70 X-wing.
Famous characters from the universe appear directly in the game: Kylo Ren, Ray, Vi Moradi and Hondo Ohnaka. Chewbacca makes an inconspicuous appearance via a game screen, but has no real presence. They are classic Sims, although they have characteristics specific to their characters. I discovered that Kylo Ren, unsurprisingly, had the "Hot Blood" trait!
In parallel with repeatable missions, a story is integrated for each faction. It's not a big storyline, but it stays in the lineage of Star Wars, with a lot of blaster fire, chases through smelly dungeons, outrageous smugglers, space battles ... Of course, no real scenes, but game screens with choices to be made, sometimes imposed according to the material taken.
Credits allow you to buy all kinds of more or less legal items, whether from neutral merchants in the central district or directly from a supplier of your faction (with a grade prerequisite for some).
There is a second currency, Scrap, which is used for anything droid-related, purchasing and then configuring. He behaves like the wizard's familiar and follows the Sim as long as he stays on Batuu. It then becomes a more classic object that can be used as decoration in a house. Nice thing: it is automatically loaded into the Sim's inventory as soon as it returns to Batuu.
Having a droid is especially helpful. It serves as a defense and often provides additional possibilities during scenarios. Neither does he have his equal when it comes to hacking into a terminal or analyzing a software flaw.
On the skills side, nothing new. But I was able to climb rocketry during my space excursions. I was already maxed out, but I guess all hacks have to involve programming. Even if it will therefore not be possible to make your Sim richer, visiting Batuu is a fun opportunity to hone your skills.
Finally a point on the decorations. The area is particularly faithful to the Star Wars universe, both in terms of architecture and living spaces, with its cantina and its spaceport.
It lacks a bit of the exuberance of Star Wars: there are no droids running around or weird people screaming in unfamiliar dialects. Some common races are however present: Twi'lek, Bith, Zabrak ...
I remain unconvinced by the interest of mixing Star Wars with the Sims. There are so many other features that have been requested by fans for years and this pack must have taken a long time to create, between the unique decor elements and all these perfectly recreated races, with their costumes and ethnic specifics.
But quite objectively, the pack is fun, the new zone functions as an independent entity, no matter how much money or the initial skill of the Sim, they have every chance in this new galaxy. Between all the items to buy, the three stories, and the repeatable missions, the pack takes at least three to five hours. Replayability is provided by repeatable quests, although they are quickly repetitive. And that's without counting on what is provided in terms of building blocks, usable outside Batuu.
Travel to Batuu remains a completely optional package. If you want to save € 19,99, or don't have other more useful game packs like "Magic World" or "Restaurant", my two favorites (and I was hesitant to put "Being parents" too ), then you can completely skip it. If you already have these other packs and are going around in circles, then why not fly to this new planet? Note that there is a current bundle offer, allowing you to have 1 expansion pack, 1 game pack and 1 pack
Origin - 19,99€
