The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion details revealed in full trailer

The Sims 4‘s Life & Death expansion has received an official trailer, which can be viewed above.

We already knew that the expansion pack would launch on October 31. But now we have a full and surprisingly touching trailer that reveals what we can expect from this release.

The promo – featuring a Simlish version of ‘Nothing Matters’ by The Last Dinner Party – follows the perspective of one Sim, as she learns that an older relative is dying following a tarot card reading. She is then seen at his bedside as he passes away.

EA / Maxis

EA / Maxis

Later, the Sim plans and attends a funeral and delivers a eulogy, then watches on as two other family members argue over the late relative’s will.

The Sim then chooses to embrace life by starting a bucket list, ticking off items such as “reconnecting with family”.

Supernatural and mystical aspects of the expansion are teased, as the Sim is seen making out with a ghost before temporarily becoming one herself (that’s “scare the living” ticked off from the bucket list…).

We also get a glimpse of a new Reaper career, as she dons the familiar Grim Reaper outfit and reaps the souls of recently deceased Sims before quitting the job.

EA / Maxis

The final moments of the trailer show the Sim reminiscing childhood moments with her late relative, before walking through a graveyard.

She visits her late relative’s gravestone to pay her respects. His ghost manifests and waves her goodbye as he appears to move on into the afterlife.

A blog on EA’s website reveals that the expansion’s new world is called Ravenwood, “where the veil between life and death is especially thin”.

EA / Maxis

In addition to the Reaper career, Sims can become undertakers and work in the funeral industry, with the two career branches being mortician and funeral director.

There are four different grief types that can be experienced by Sims: denial, holding it together, anger, and blues. Grief will affect Sims in different ways, and can come about not just from the death of a loved one but also events such as the loss of a pet, divorce, and being fired from a job.

Grieving Sims will be able to attend grief counselling and seek comfort from other Sims.

There’s a new thanatology skill that can be levelled up, as well as a new death type (death by murder of crows).

When creating a will, a Sim can leave heirlooms for specific people, choose how their remains should be handled, and make funeral requests.

And when a Sim passes away, as a ghost they can complete unfinished business and interact with the living in various ways.

EA / Maxis

The expansion is part of the game’s current ‘To Be Continued’ season, which has already seen the release of the Storybook Nursery and Artist Studio Kits.

There is also an ongoing limited-time Reaper’s Rewards Event, where Simmers can earn event points and claim a number of rewards.

The Sims 4 Life & Death is out on October 31 on PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox.