Being a Werewolf in The Sims 3: Supernatural

The latest details on what it's like to play a werewolf in The Sims 3: Supernatural.

The recently announced The Sims 3: Supernatural takes cues from the likes of Twilight and Teen Wolf to introduce the werewolf fantasy into EA's beloved franchise. So what exactly does it mean to suffer from lycanthropy in Sims 3? How exactly do they handle the violence and other issues that being a wolf-man would cause? To find out we've gathered details from EA, as well as spoken with Jon Leslie, a producer on the upcoming expansion.

Making a scene.

The biggest thing that the team behind the Sims 3 wants to change with Supernatural is how hard it was to become a werewolf in the older games. “In Sims 2 you had to figure out how to find the pack leader and get him to bite you, but now -- right from the get go-- you'll be able to create a wolf in Create a Sim,” noted Leslie, “not only can you control what the human form looks like, but you can toggle back and forth between so you can fully customize what your Sim will look like when he transforms.” You can toggle your wolf's fur style and color, as well as give them specific hairstyles for when they change. The werewolves in Supernatural aren't the ghastly creatures out of a horror flick, either, but look more human than you're used to -- such as how they do in the new Teen Wolf TV series.

As you might expect, lycanthropy-cursed Sims have to watch out when it comes to their relationships. Transformation occurs whenever a full moon rises, but can also sneak up on you and occur at inopportune times if your Sim's mood ever gets too low. Unlike the full moon transformation, though, the mood-based switch lasts for a tunable duration, which you can affect as you build up your Lycanthropy Skill. Additionally, werewolves can transform at will, and doing so enables you to bounce back to your human form whenever you choose. Be warned, though, when a Sim transforms back into its human form it will be disoriented, and transforming is taxing on your Sims' hunger meter.

Not quite the crazy wolf-man you might expect.

Disorientation doesn't sound good, right? Well, that's pretty tame compared to what your werewolf might do if he's around company. Whether you spawn your werewolf inside the included Moolight Falls city, or add them to your current town, you won't ever have to worry about them accidentally hulking out and murdering your friends. “In pre-production we had a tendency to go a little too dark,” said Leslie, but “it's probably darker than...what's been done in The Sims before.” So, no, your werewolf won't kill people, but they will cause fear in fellow Sims, might randomly kiss them and could destroy property around themselves.

Obviously the team behind Supernatural wants you to want to make a werewolf, and has also included a bunch of perks for lycanthropes. Building up your your Lycanthropy Skill can give you hefty benefits, including rare collectables when you're hunting as a werewolf, and decreased loss of various things like Energy and Bladder whether or not you're transformed. Werewolves also live longer, have bonuses to their Athletic Skill, can eat raw meats and fatigue slower.

Being the only werewolf in the world is a lonely existence, but you can spread it around. You can have children that inherit lycanthropy (50/50 chance if you mate with a normal Sim), or you can work your relationship up with other Sims, converting them with a bite (as long as they accept the offer). If you earn enough experience and Lifetime Happiness you can purchase an Alpha Wolf reward, giving you a terrifying howl and the ability to bite anyone without being rejected. Your werewolf can also interact with other Sims who don't want to convert in a new special way. “You can become a protector, as you would in, say, True Blood,” said Leslie, wherein you make sure the human is saved from the vampires that also encounter the towns in Supernatural.

Werewolves run on all fours to get where they need to go.

If you're looking for a new fantasy life to live in The Sims 3 and are intrigued by what you've learned of werewolves, you can try them out for yourself when The Sims 3: Supernatural releases this September.