The Sims 4: Horse Ranch

Horse Ranch is an atmospheric expansion that will offer long-lasting variety. It adds to the difficulty and entices with its large world full of majestic animals with realistic animations. Unfortunately, the rabbit hole races are a big disappointment, especially when the trailer presents this aspect differently.

The Sims 4 Horse Ranch is unfortunately a wonderful concept rendered almost unplayable due to bugs, and both my Sim and animals getting stuck. The CAS clothing items and Build Mode pieces are fantastic and add a lot to the game, especially if building a ranch or country theme is your jam. Bonding with your horse and the interactions between both your Sim and the animals is heartwarming, and riding is loads of fun. I'd have liked to see more with the Equestrian Center and competitions, not being able to go inside is kind of a bummer and a waste of space. As much as I'd have loved to explore all that Horse Ranch has to offer, I just can't play it in its current state. I'd love to adjust my review at a later date if things improve.

As a horse owner, I was surprised at how close the Sims 4 Horse Ranch is to the real thing. Many horse simulations can take a leaf out of the animation of the horses and while many aspects of horse ownership fall under "design freedom", the core remains and has me glued to the PC every free minute I didn't spend with my real horses. For those who can't do much with horses, the expansion unfortunately doesn't offer much new. The nectar production is fun for a short time and the new goats and sheep are cute, but together with the rather meager new objects, the expansion is rather meager. However, I had a lot of fun and can confirm: whether humans or Sims, if you have one or more horses, there is hardly any time left for anything else!

If you're a horse lover, the The Sims 4 Horse Ranch expansion is a no-brainier. For anyone else, this is one that it might not be a bad thing to skip.

And while it may not be as game-changing as some of the most highly-regarded packs, Horse Ranch shows that sometimes less is more and that having a more focused approach with the right theme can pay off.

Ultimately, The Sims 4 Horse Ranch feels more like a Game Pack than an Expansion. If you're mad about horses, then you'll get immeasurable joy from the DLC, and it will be well worth your time just to see your foals take their first steps on your ranch. However, if you're expecting a full-fledged Expansion with everything that comes with that, full neighbourhoods, activities, storylines and more, you may feel disappointed.

With recent packs like Growing Together feeling genuinely essential to gameplay, and titles like Cottage Living already making up much of the ground that Horse Ranch covers, it doesn’t feel like an expansion pack that’s particularly necessary. The features it adds are mostly solid, and there’s plenty of mileage in adding a horse to your Sims family – but it’s fair to say its lack of meaningful innovation leaves it feeling like a second thought.

This latest Sims 4 DLC delivers exactly what it claims to and little more. Were this a Game Pack there would be nothing wrong with that, but with the steeper price tag of an Expansion Pack the areas that barely scratch the surface of what they could be or remain unexplored entirely are more glaring. That being said, Chestnut Ridge is beautiful and several elements of the EP are legitimately fun despite these flaws, and players who have long been clamoring for horses in the game will certainly want to pick up The Sims 4 Horse Ranch - it just may be worth waiting for a sale.

The Sims 4 Horse Ranch has given me the equestrian content of my dreams, with a wide variety of horse breeds to choose from and beautiful riding animations. From adorable little farm animals to artisan wine making, there is a lot to love in Horse Ranch. I am only left wishing it was all a bit less Western.