The Sims 4: Goth Galore Kit is one of two Kits voted for by members of The Sims 4's community, beating out a “rainbow-fashion inspired” Kit, so nobody can say that EA isn’t listening to its players. Released alongside the also-reviewed Castle Estate Kit, EA's latest swing at the Kerrang girlies unfortunately seems to have no idea what ‘goth’ actually constitutes. Instead, the Kit seems to be a mishmash of both emo and goth adjacent subcultures topped with patterns taken from antique wallpaper and a Pinterest search for “goths”.
The Goth Galore Kit contains 24 items exclusively for the Create-A-Sim mode - which, as the name implies, is where you create your Sim - including three new makeup styles, a new necklace, new earrings, two types of arm accessory, two pairs of boots, and multiple actual clothing items. We weren't expecting anything like the major content additions in For Rent or Horse Ranch, but most goths have more aged band shirts than the entirety of Goth Galore's measly wardrobe.
Almost all items are available in your classic goth rainbow shades: black, purple, grey, and red, with the addition of soft pink and holographic space-chrome for those who do enjoy a splash of colour. The Kit also offers a floral pattern on most purple swatches that evokes strong feelings of paisley and, as a former goth (read: emo in recovery), I have yet to meet anyone who actually dresses like a pair of Victorian curtains.
For the most part, the kit does what it says on the tin and contains enough styles and patterns to loosely transform your Sims into something resembling a goth, as long as your idea of a goth is someone who has super thick eyeliner and exclusively wears leather and/or fishnets and the occasional pair of black cargo shorts. If you’re a console player who doesn’t focus too hard on how your Sims actually look and just want some emo-aligned Sims in your game, great! However, if you’re angling to create specific styles such as the iconic “2004 #notlikeothergirls also My Chemical Romance is lyf <3” goths, the soft grunge “2013 quirky tumblr-esque pastel goth” goths, or even the fresh wave of “2021 TikTok goth gf” goths, you’re out of luck - as mentioned above, the items won’t appeal to those who are detail-oriented.
Lack of definitive style aside, it really feels as though EA missed a trick with the Goth Galore Kit. The lack of new hairstyles is definitely a missed opportunity, given that goths are known for their very distinguishable hair choices, and a giant mohawk or heavily backcombed bob with straight across bangs would have definitely given Goth Galore more of a unique standing amongst its other Kit peers. A high choker necklace or some skull-themed jewellery also would have elevated the Kit’s contents and fit the goth theme far better than some thick metal clips for earrings.
The Goth Galore Kit (like all The Sims 4 Kits) costs £4.99/$4.99, which is about the same price as a cup of coffee from a name-brand shop, and while buying the Kit seems like a good choice for those with money to spare and who aren’t obsessed with small customisation details, it’s should be noted that The Sims 4 currently offers 27 Kits, which adds up to almost £135/$135 in total.
While The Sims 4 base game is now free, there are plenty of Stuff Packs, Game Packs, and Expansion Packs (spoiler alert: the total cost of all The Sims 4 DLC comes to over £1,000/$1,000) available to enhance the game, and money saved on Kits could be spent on DLC that actually adds game mechanics instead of just some cosmetic items. The Vampires Game Pack would be a good choice for those who are into more historical gothic fashion and also comes with the vampire life state and a new neighbourhood for the price of £17.99/$19.99 instead.
