New Sims 4 Life & Death Expansion Lets You Reap Souls, Plan Funerals, And Unmask The Grim Reaper

Just in time for spooky season, players of The Sims 4 got their first in-depth look at the popular life sim’s macabre new Life & Death expansion pack via a trailer released by EA. While every major Sims 4 expansion brings something new to the franchise, Life & Death may take the cake as far as expansion-exclusive careers go, as it lets players step into the otherworldly shoes of none other than the Grim Reaper himself.

But clocking in for a job that revolves around telling other Sims when to permanently clock out isn’t the only off-the-wall feature included in the new expansion pack. The trailer depicts a number of wild new activities for Sims to take part in. From planning the perfect funeral to executing the last will and testament of the deceased, The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack gives players access to an array of humorous (and at times, heartfelt) content to engage with.

As mentioned above, players can now don the hood of the Grim Reaper, an NPC who has been a part of the franchise since the very beginning. The Grim Reaper career path allows Sims to become Grimsterns–mentees of ol’ Grim who decide the fate of those who have recently kicked the bucket. (Yes, they even get to wield a scythe.) Grimsterns who meet Grim’s “soul quota” can even be dubbed Employee of the Month!

Sims who build a good enough relationship with Grim may get a chance to see what he looks like under the hood, though his face is amusingly censored by the same pixelated effect that appears when Sims strip down to shower or skinny dip. The new expansion also includes mortician and funeral director career paths, along with an appropriately spooky new in-game world: Ravenwood, a bone-chilling environment featuring three new neighborhoods for Sims to live (or die) in.

Sims players can finally see what's going on under Grim's hood. Er, sort of. — Sims players can finally see what’s going on under Grim’s hood. Er, sort of.

In addition to creepy new locales, fresh-to-death clothing and furniture, and the whole “get paid to be the Grim Reaper” thing, The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack also includes a truly life-changing new feature: reincarnation. Sims who have finally shuffled off this mortal coil can shuffle their way back to the land of the living by completing the Soul’s Journey aspiration. Sims with this aspiration will be faced with a number of goals ranging from heartwarming (connecting with long-lost loved ones in the afterlife) to heart-stopping (scaring the Sul Sul out of non-dead Sims, just for fun). Completing the Soul’s Journey aspiration will earn Sims the “Burning Soul” reward trait, which allows them to return from the dead without having to cook up a plate of Ambrosia or go through the whole “groveling at Grim’s feet with a Death Flower” thing.

The Sims 4 Life & Death expansion pack retails for $40 USD and will be available on console and PC starting on October 31, with a gameplay trailer set to go live on October 17. Players who purchase the game by December 12 will also receive the Mournful Mementos Digital Content Set, which includes the following items: