The Sims 4 Party Essentials & Urban Homage Kits review, are they worth it?

If you're looking to dress up in some stylish clothing while throwing a glitzy shindig for your Sims' next bash in The Sims 4, Party Essentials and Urban Homage are the latest Kits to add to your game - but are they worth picking up?

Party Essentials is a strictly Build/Buy mode offering, bringing everything from balloons and confetti to create that picture-perfect party setup. On the other side of the fence, we've got Urban Homage, created in collaboration with Danielle "Ebonix" Udogaranya and bringing a slew of 90s and Noughties London-inspired CAS items to dress your Sims up in.

Party on

If you consider yourself (or your Sims) a bit of a photographer in the game, or like throwing all manner of birthday bashes and events, picking up Party Essentials is a no-brainer.

Adding 27 new items, ranging from a new dining table to clutter like a drink station, what's great about this particular Kit is how versatile I think it is.

I'm not someone who tends to host events very much, but the '“New Faithful“ Turntable' stereo is something I'll gravitate to time and time again, as will I with the 'Snack Clutter for Party People' object (because, snacks) and the gorgeous mid-century modern 'Chic & Chill Home Bar'.

On the odd occasion that I do throw an event in my game, it'll typically be a smaller, family affair - so that's what I opted for when trying out the items myself. I found that they worked just as brilliantly here outside of a typical party location, meaning you'll be able to use these pieces pretty successfully in many different styles of builds outside something like a Bar, Nightclub, or Lounge lot.

When testing out everything, I noticed that the 'Simstagram-Worthy Neon Sign' couldn't be sized down, which I found to be a shame because it comes with different designs for each swatch and could have looked cool a little smaller in something like a teen's bedroom.

The 'Party Starter's Fog Machine' floor light, however, is something that I think could have more multipurpose uses outside of being used solely for parties, like in creating some spookier environments.

Unlike the neon light, this can be sized down (which doesn't seem to affect the spread of the fog emitted from my experience), and the colour of the fog can be adjusted just like with any other light. I can see it being something builders or storytellers could use in other ways. I hid it inside a plant pot with the moveobjects cheat and the fog looked great!

Finally, 'The Minimalist's Dance Floor' is perfect if you're not wanting to place other dance floors that may not fit in with the vibe of your build, and while it'll have a border when popping it down in Build/Buy mode, it'll disappear once you head back into Live Mode.

Back to the 90s

I'm always more interested in CAS items for the most part because I don't consider myself to be much of a builder these days (little builder me playing The Sims back in 2000 would be horrified at that), and the Urban Homage Kit is chock to the brim with items that'll work in many different styling situations.

Collaboration DLCs for The Sims 4 never fail to add some stellar content to the game, and this particular set of items created with Ebonix is likely to be one of my favourites for the foreseeable future.

Whether this is because I grew up in the 90s or have lived in London myself, these clothes can, especially on Feminine-framed Sims, be dressed up or down with just a few tweaks to make some of them perfect to use alongside Party Essentials. 

One of my favourite items has to be the new set of stacked rings, which can be placed on either hand (or both, if you'd prefer). I also appreciate how the jewellery designs' swatches all match up with one another, and there are a couple of different gold tones as well depending on your (or your Sim's) preferences.

With a total of 29 new items overall including a new heeled ankle boot (hooray!) and an incredibly cute butterfly top that feels right out of a 2000s Britney Spears music video, Urban Homage is undoubtedly my favourite of the two new Kits.

The Verdict

Overall, I think that both Kits are great options to add to your game, and if you're someone who likes throwing events, both DLCs will have plenty of crossover in being able to use them together, as Urban Homage's CAS items will suit plenty of different occasions.

If you're not someone who throws events very often, I'm not sure I can recommend Party Essentials as it is if you're solely more interested in the bar and turntable stereo (like I am - though they're both pretty fantastic), but Urban Homage is an instant favourite to me.

4/5

Reviewed on PC. Codes provided by the publisher.