The expansion packs that have been released so far for The Sims 3 have been meatier than expansions from the previous iterations of the franchise, and Night Life continues the tradition. It really raises the bar for what we expect out of a Sims expansion, and even though this one is coming only four months after the last one (instead of the usual six to eight months), it really holds its own. Although streamlining some of the new changes could be better, there are easily a dozen hours or more of pure gameplay before you figure out how everything precisely works, and it makes all Sims new and old that much richer in their personal stories.

It’s not all perfect, of course. The fact that many of the new systems absolutely do not integrate into old save files (or at least, not without many hours of work on the player’s part) is a seriously negative design choice that, given the history of how the franchise has often linked new content with old, is inexcusable. Luckily, with some work and the fantastic community Sims fans have created, it won’t be long before you can at least find the new lots to place in your old neighborhoods, though you will still be making due with a slightly lessened experience. Overall, Night Life is yet another quality expansion for Sims 3 fans everywhere , provided you are willing to start over to experience it all.

full review at IGN (rated 7.5 out of 10)