Key Takeaways
- The Life and Death expansion for The Sims 4 includes a reference to Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3.
- According to the game’s producer, another Baldur’s Gate 3 reference is hidden in the game somewhere.
- Released on October 31, the Life and Death expansion introduces new ways to die, bucket lists, and much more.
Fans have stumbled upon a Baldur’s Gate 3 reference in the new Life and Death expansion for The Sims 4. Fittingly released on Halloween, the newest DLC for The Sims 4 introduces funerals, ghost abilities, and more spooky additions to the long-running social simulation title.
First released in 2014, The Sims 4 has continued to introduce fresh content over the past decade, with 17 expansion packs and 12 game packs released to date. On October 31, the Life and Death expansion invited players to ponder their own mortality, adding new ways to die, bucket lists, and the Grim Reaper himself. Often influenced by popular culture and current events, The Sims 4 is riddled with Easter eggs, referencing everything from Harry Potter and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away to Stranger Things and Mass Effect. Recently, players stumbled upon a reference to a particularly beloved vampire from gaming’s recent past.
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When using the Build and Buy Mode in the game’s new Life and Death expansion, Twitter user JayceDoesVoices discovered that the ‘Sun and Stars Headstone’ object contains a particularly poignant reference to the character Astarion from Larian Studios’ smash-hit RPG Baldur’s Gate 3. “A grave that marks the end of an era and the beginning of another much more hopeful one. Perhaps this is the perfect gravestone to commemorate a cheeky little Sim who faced the trials of life’s shadowy depths, all the while craving the sun,” the item’s description reads. “Though, perhaps not the full, concentrated power of the sun after so many years spent out of it. Just a little bit of sun, as a treat, darling!” Not only does the quip describe the sassy white-haired character, but it’s also written in his unique and recognizable tone.
The Sims 4: Life & Death Expansion Pack References Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3
In response to the discovery, Molly ‘SimGuruNova’ Narkis, the producer of The Sims 4, expressed delight that the Easter egg she planted in the game had been found. She also noted that another reference was hidden in the game somewhere, likely prompting fans to begin their search in earnest. Given Astarion’s penchant for bloodshed and chaos, his inclusion in the haunting Life and Death expansion seems to be a fitting one, with many players on Twitter sending their thanks. Many fans of the new expansion also pointed out that the majority of item descriptions in Life and Death are particularly funny, prompting players who had been ignoring them to start paying attention.
Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to earn accolades and impact the gaming world despite being released in late 2023. While many fans familiar with The Sims 4 have come to expect Easter eggs, Baldur’s Gate 3 also included plenty of pop culture references, including allusions to Undertale, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14, and even Avatar: The Last Airbender. While Larian Studios’ next project remains a mystery, fans are already eager to hear more about what seems to be a brand-new IP, as Baldur’s Gate 4 is currently in limbo and without a developer.
Peel back the veil to uncover the secret to richer Sim lives and beyond in The Sims™ 4 Life & Death Expansion Pack. Achieve your dreams in life by ticking items off your Bucket List or pursue them as a Ghost with Unfinished Business. There is a ghastly new world to haunt, a career that’ll bring you closer to Grim, Wills to write, Crypts to explore, and even ghostly skills to master. There are no real endings — only transitions — as you move between life, afterlife, and even rebirth.
KEY FEATURES:
An Endless Journey — Build your Bucket List by collecting goals throughout your Sim’s life, starting as a Young Adult. Items will appear on your list based on your Sim’s traits and family relations, and you can also choose your own. Removing items is possible, but completing them yields powerful rewards. If a Sim’s life ends with items still on their list, they can devote their afterlife to completing their Unfinished Business. The ultimate reward for experiencing everything on their list is the option to be Reborn, though you can still choose to Move On or remain on this plane as a Ghost.
A Ghastly, Gorgeous Life — Make death your life’s work with a career of reaping souls, helping Ghosts, dispersing hauntings, and more as a member of Grim’s team. Or, you could become a Mortician and deal with death more from the perspective of the living. Outside of work, you might spend your days exploring Crypts and building your Thanatology skill for the new Ghost Historian Aspiration. These things — among other dark diversions like bonding with your Pet Crow (careful, provoking it could be deadly) or collecting and reading the lost Tarot Cards of Lady Ravendancer Goth — will have a special appeal to Sims who are Macabre, one of 3 new traits.
Goodbye (For Now) — Different Sims will grieve in different ways. There are 4 types that will tie in with both Sims’ personalities and their relationships with the deceased. Grieving Rituals are customizable and unscripted, allowing you to hold whatever type of event (or events) fits your story. In life, Sims can create Wills which can be used to pass down Heirlooms, assign guardians for surviving dependents, distribute their Simoleons, and more. Sims can honor the departed with a memorial display featuring their portrait and by interring their urns in Crypts or with Custom Caskets and Gravesites.
Friendly or Fiendish? — Linger on as a Ghost, and spend your afterlife helping or terrorizing the living. Ghosts will grow in their abilities as they do everything from assisting with household chores to levitating living Sims and hanging them upside down (fun AND profitable — they may drop Simoleons!). Their interactions with the living can earn them Fear or Goodwill essences, which can both be sold for Simoleons. There’s a lot to do after death; Ghosts can even pair up for a special, spectral Woohoo.
A Town Worth Haunting — The veil between life and death is thin in Ravenwood, a 3-neighborhood town. Visit the countryside and perhaps take a swim by the mysterious face in the cliffs. Or, head into the village where you’ll find some odd goods for purchase near the old Specter cemetery, a haunted house to brave, or a festival to attend. The residents of these first 2 neighborhoods are (mostly) alive, but it’s Ghosts who will feel most at home in the third, where you’ll find 2 more festivals and a spectral support group. Living Sims can use its Baleful Bog to have an out-of-body experience and try their hands at being temporary Ghosts. Well, it’s usually temporary. Don’t overdo it.
- Released
- October 31, 2024
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Genre
- Life Simulation , Adventure , Simulation
- Engine
- SmartSim
- ESRB
- Teen // Crude Humor, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Sexual Themes, Violence