The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack manages to add a tremendous amount of new depth to the title, and despite a lackluster world is a worthwhile addition for any family-oriented player. The focus on interpersonal relationships and in-game storytelling means the DLC may not satisfy fans who prefer larger-scale changes, but Growing Together is undoubtedly one of the strongest Expansion Packs in years.

The comparisons made between Growing Together and The Sims 3 Generations are apt, although the new DLC manages to expand upon the beloved past release in a myriad of ways, beginning in Create A Sim. Apparel-wise, Growing Together does a great job of providing a solid amount clothes for every life stage that feel age-appropriate, from some incredibly dadcore clothing to adorable infant-wear. Typically, younger Sims have received the short end of the stick when it comes to CAS additions, and it's a relief for that not to be the case here.

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Infants can now begin life with one of six Traits, and children have an impressive four new Aspirations under the category Multiskill. Create A Sim is also where players can toggle two of the biggest additions in Growing Together: Family Dynamics and new Likes and Dislikes. While previous DLC like High School Years added Likes and Dislikes for things like fashion, Growing Together's new options to select preferred Sim characteristics and conversation topics have a much larger impact on gameplay. Similarly, Dynamics can be set between family members to things like Strict, Distant, or Jokester, each of which also changes how Sims interact.

The Sims 4 Growing Together's Build and Buy is a bit of a mixed bag, but skews mostly towards the positive. The more basic furniture is palatable enough - with a new Wicker Whims spin-off Woven Whims being the standout - but where the DLC truly shines is its objects for younger Sims, from the many new infant items to adorable pieces of children's art and clutter. There is also an impressive number of items to be unlocked from the EP's three new goaled events - baby showers, sleepovers, and family reunions - like photo frames and sleeping bags.

In The Sims 4 Growing Together, players can expect many of the interactive objects to be incredibly conducive to creating heartwarming family moments. Children can learn to ride bikes, elders can fill a Keepsake Box with objects to pass down to their children, and the entire family can gather around the new game table to play or build a puzzle together - which may go sour or be closely collaborative depending on Family Dynamics. The beloved treehouse object has finally returned and features just about everything players could want, like changeable decor and optional additions, the ability to play pretend, and it even functions as a Woohoo spot for adults.

Sims 4 Growing Together game table showing three Sims sitting around a completed puzzle.

Growing Together's new world of San Sequoia is the most disappointing part of the entire Expansion Pack by far, as it falls victim to the same issues as worlds like High School Years' Copperdale to an even stronger degree - almost everything is an unusable set piece. The San Francisco-inspired locale features three neighborhoods with 12 total lots, the interiors of which are quite strong, largely in part to being designed by Sims 4 creators like lilsimsie. However, there is only one rabbit hole location on the entire map and none of the water can be interacted with, which is especially disappointing considering the beautiful overall aesthetic.

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Growing Together introduces the Milestone system, which is essentially a modified version of The Sims 2's memories mechanic, albeit not quite as detailed when it comes to revealing a Sim's entire past. Beginning in infancy, Milestones for the youngest life stage are incredibly realistic. Infants in The Sims 4 must reach certain Milestones before they can do certain things, like being able to lift their head up in order to eat from a high chair. Achieving these Milestones is done through activities like tummy time just as they are in real life, and the significant amount of effort required to properly raise an infant feels satisfyingly accurate.

Sims 4 Growing Together's treehouse where two children are playing imaginary pirates together.

The Milestones for each age range vary, from children losing their first tooth or learning to ride a bike to adults and elders getting a divorce or living through a fire. Bad Milestones can even trigger negative Moodlets when Sims return to the place the Milestone happened. Milestones for older Sims sometimes feel a bit more lackluster than those for infants just in terms of sheer number, which is a recurring theme in Growing Together - there are features for all ages, but some certainly still receive more content than others.

Sims 4 children have long been neglected when it comes to objects and gameplay, which is thankfully not the case with Growing Together. Instead, teens and elders have the lower end of things to do in the new DLC. Elders do have special interactions like sneaking grandchildren a treat and the aforementioned keepsake box to differentiate them, and it could be argued that after the teenage-centric High School Years even more dedicated focus on the age range would be misplaced, but it would have been nice to see a more even distribution of attention between ages.

Sims 4 birthday celebration for an infant, the father is holding the son to blow out candles and the wife is blowing a celebratory horn.

The biggest takeaway from The Sims 4 Growing Together is just how much it changes how all Sims interact with each other, particularly when it comes to them acting autonomously. Players have long complained that all Sims essentially act exactly the same when left to their own devices, and this is no longer the case thanks to the new Family Dynamics, Likes, and Dislikes. There is now much more narrative potential whether players have autonomy turned on or not, and watching even simple interactions play out between drastically different Sims is incredibly amusing.

The Sims 4 Growing Together does have a few bugs, although it's possible they won't be present in the final version of the game, and none were on par with the level of glitches encountered in DLC like My Wedding Stories. Most bugs encountered in my playthrough involved Sims getting stuck in actions and requiring a reset - for example, a father got stuck giving his infant a bath, and the same Sim later was trapped in the storytelling action that comes with the new sleeping bag object, the animations for which were oddly just him waving repeatedly.

Because so much of Growing Together centers around expanding existing in-game mechanics and interpersonal minutiae instead of entirely new experiences, it's easy for the EP to come off as shallow at first glance. This DLC will undoubtedly be divisive simply due to the many different ways fans of the franchise like to play. However, the boundless narrative potential and amount of new content and depth for all age ranges makes The Sims 4 Growing Together a perfect fit for family-oriented Simmers.

More: The Sims 4 Is 8 Years Late On Fixing Its Babies

Source: The Sims/YouTube

The Sims 4 Growing Together Expansion Pack is available today, March 16, for PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, and PC and Mac via the EA App and Steam. Screen Rant was provided access to an early PC build of the game for the purpose of this review.