Become a mermaid today in The Sims 4's Island Living expansion

We can finally return to the seas in The Sims 4 with today's launch of the Island Living expansion, just walk from the beach directly into the water. Given that our virtuapeeps can befriend dolphins and also be mermaids, I'm not sure why EA have spent so much time making new activities on the new tropical island. If we can go in the sea, why would we not be in the sea? Putting Sims on land when the sea is RIGHT THERE is crueller than any swimming pool laddermurder. As for what it's like, resident Simshead Alice L streamed an hour yesterday with resident smughead Matthew, so come watch.

I do like how fishy some of those mermaid character creation options are. Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fisheads. The boob-covering scales that render a mermaid not indecent in the eyes of The Sims are good too. Mermaids only wear bikinis for style, okay, and everyone knows bikinis are wildly unstylish. I'm drawing a hard line in the sand.

Along with WALKING INTO THE SEA NEVER TO RETURN, Island Living introduces a genericised, tourist-friendly take on a Polynesian-ish island, named Sulani, where we can live and "experience local culture". Expect canoeing, snorkelling, new jobs as conservationists and fishermen and such, local events, and so on. And BEING IN THE SEA.

I'm having myself a wee swim in the sea tonight to celebrate the summer solstice (I mean, as if I'm not in the sea as much as possible anyway) but if that's not an option for you, here is a video game.

The Sims 4 Island Living is out now on Origin. EA, come on, it's time to put Sims expansions in your Origin Access subscription doodad.

I have only just discovered that Bill Paxton both directed and starred in the Fish Heads music video?