The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Expansion pack has dropped and we've compiled a list of the top 10 features we can't wait to try. From new game play aspects to careers and a wide array of new activities for your Sim to enjoy - there's a lot of reasons to add this game to your collection. Check out the trailer below;

Interactive Worlds

A big sticking point for a lot of Simmers is how stagnant the worlds feel but this is all about to change. As your game play develops your actions influence the surrounding area. If you embrace the "Eco Lifestyle" the air quality will change, the look of the area will modernise - this includes NPC homes and playable lots. You can mould the neighbourhood to how you want it. How you ask? More on that further down.

Container Homes

There was already a massive level of customisation when it comes to creating your home in the Sims, whether you want ultra modern or Victorian or even an underground bunker. A new addition is container homes, with perfectly matching wallpaper and flooring to seamlessly create any size container home your heart desires.

Community Lots

Community Lots are not just for use in Evergreen Harbour, they can be placed in any world. They are abandoned lots which can be developed by the community voting on Neighbourhood Action Plans (N.A.Ps). The options are not just for improving the area, some can improve but some can worsen the area. Most are for the benefit of the world though. Some N.A.Ps you can vote on are;

• Promote Creative Arts
• Modern Development
• Free Love
• Back To The Old Days

Build and Buy Catalogue Items

There's some long awaited items making their way to the build/buy catalogue, one which had the Sims 4 community pumped is the inclusion of ladders as an alternative to stairs. Other new items include;

• Candle-making station
• Solar Panels and solar-paneled roofing
• Wind Turbine
• Vertical garden Planters
• Dumpster

Check out our list of our favourite Sims 4 packs

Fluctuating Eco Footprint

Your Eco level will fluctuate depending on how you play your game, Evergreen Harbour is split into three neighbourhoods and when you load the game one will be one of three levels.

• Green - Grims Quarry neighbourhood is green as default. Sunshine rays will appear during the day here and at night you can see the auroras. A green neighbourhood benefits from more foliage and plants, healthier surroundings and all around "greener" environment
• Neutral - All neighbourhoods (excluding StrangerVille and Destination Worlds) start off as Neutral, this is where your actions and Neighbour Action Plans are most noticeable as these neighbourhoods can swing either way quickly.
• Industrial - In Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle Port Promise is the Industrial Neighbourhood. Smog covers the area, rubbish is everywhere and plants have a more unhealthy appearance to them. Your Sims can develop random coughs and illnesses and flies infest the area.

New Sims Traits

Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle comes with 4 new Sims Character traits;

• Freegan - These Sims lives their lives in the least consumerism way possible, preferring to make and find items and will get a tense or uncomfortable moodlet is they spend too much time earning or spending money
• Green Fiend - Having this trait means your Sim will be happiest when living in a green neighbourhood and they will do everything they can to turn the environment green
• Maker - Clear by the name of it, these Sims enjoy making things and will become sad if it's been too long since they made something
• Recycle Deciple - Another clear one, these Sims benefit from recycling and rummaging for bits and pieces - these can the be used with the new generators.

New Career

We get a whole new career as a Civil Designer and also a career branch of crafter under the freelance career. The Civil Designer job focuses on the future of the area, the machine you see in the trailer clearing the smog is a branch of this career. The Crafter job is pretty much self explanatory, you'll need a fabricator for this role and plenty of practice to make the best quality items.

Clothing in Create A Sim

The clothing available in Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle is ... interesting. Some clothing clearly embraces the feel of Eco Lifestyle with the feel of up cycling and creating your own clothing. It wouldn't be the Sims 4 if it didn't also include some weird options - looking at you jeans/skirt.

Lot Traits

Lot traits can impact game play in subtle or obvious ways, Sims 4 Eco Lifestyles comes with five new lot traits to try out;

• Eco Lot - this impacts the speed at which Eco-friendliness can be gained, making it quicker and easier to get that green rating
• Geothermal - Natural heating means that utility bills will be lower and bodes of water will be warm
• Landfill Lot - this one is simple, loads of rubbish will accumulate on this lot making it perfect for the Freegan and Maker trait
• Natural Well - similar to the Geothermal trait expect this one gives clean water from the tap at all times
• Reduce and Recycle - compostable and recyclable rubbish is in abundance on these lots and outdoor bins are no longer bottomless and you have to actively manage the rubbish output.

New Skills

The two new skills which come with Eco Lifestyle are key for the new maker career;

• Fabrication - improving this skill allows Sims to become better at creating objects through the fabricator machine, yielding higher quality items and earning more money through the maker freelance career.
• Juice Fizzing - ultimately the game is supposed to be child friendly but we all know what they mean when they talk about "juice" this is another trait which improves the quality of "juice" your Sim creates and maxing out this skill grants the "Afizziondo" reward trait