Sims 4: Fitness Stuff Review: Death Has Never Been So Boring

Death by rock climbing wall is not a good look. While the chance of that actually happening are probably pretty low, since a lot of you aren’t going to use the rock climbing wall more than once or twice, the very idea of a cherished Sim dying in the attempt to live a healthy lifestyle is just plain sad. It shouldn’t happen. There’s a lot of ridiculous things in the Sims, but Sims 4: Fitness just raised the bar.

So let’s start with all the good things about Sims 4: Fitness. Yes, I’ll say it. The objects, clothing items and hairstyles in the latest stuff pack are cool. The translucent glass theme for the dining room table, new windows, coffee table bookshelf and side table are gorgeous and unique additions to the existing objects. The two rugs with infinite swatches are possibly the best in the entire game. The ceiling lights give a no-frills vibe. The new shower and matching wall style are perfect for a bougie home gym. The fact the Sims team added a couch that looks much different from the ones we already have deserves a slow clap. But there’s an interesting question at hand. Why is there a dining room table and a bookshelf in a fitness pack?

With all that being said, what this pack lacks are fitness objects. There’s a modern-looking treadmill and weight machine… that's it, and we already have those. What about a bike or elliptical machine or literally anything else you find at the gym, such as a free weight or circuit station? The exercise video is definitely nice to have (and very funny to watch), but why can't multiple Sims do it at once? Another exciting aspect is earpods, which function intuitively and as expected.

There's high-fashion gym attire and new feminine hairstyles (and more braids!) that nicely complement the modern gym feel. The two pairs of leggings are the best addition. Pair them nicely with a pair of shorts over the top and one of the new zip-up sweatshirts and head off to the new gym lot looking fresh. Some of the clothing items are a little weird, such as the sweatshirt with cross ties on the shoulders and the sleeveless sweatshirt with a zip pouch, but that’s to be expected. At least a few of the clothes in each DLCs are and always have been a little out of touch.

Back to the focal point of this stuff pack: the rock climbing wall. One thing is clear, it’s entertaining to see Sims struggle to climb the wall while it’s breathing fire. But the joy only lasts about 30 seconds, until you start to wonder what the point of this vertical treadmill actually is. The wall breaks just like other electrical objects, so sometimes there will be zaps of lightning too. It’s the new death that comes with those zaps and fire that brings this new object over the brink of ridiculousness. Imagine looking away for a hot second (after you get bored) and your Sim is about to die. That’s just blasphemous.The very idea of it is just cringeworthy. I’d rather just have a normal rock climbing wall like TS3 . If my Sim falls down because he’s a fatass and breaks his spine, I can accept that fate.

There’s no question this pack has the ingredients to design an amazing home gym (rock climbing wall not included.) Well, unless you're this Simmer who put four rock climbing walls facing inward and used them to create a home office and a lobby fountain instead. So what’s the verdict? It should be $5.