We love the Sims, so you can imagine our excitement when we heard that Maxis was developing an expansion for
The Sims 2. Not that it was unexpected though, after all, Maxis had developed more than a half a dozen expansions for the original Sims so
Sims University was practically inevitable. But unlike those other expansions this one actually changes the gameplay enough to make it worthwhile. Sure, the new objects are great but the real highlight of this pack comes from the ability to finally put your Sims through college.
There are three different pre-made campuses for you to enjoy and while they’re aesthetically different, they each contain the same basic tenets: dormitories, coffee shops, student unions, lounges and landmarks. The dormitories are the biggest change to the formula as they’ll require you to share your living space with up to seven other Sims. You’ll have your own private room but most of the action takes place in the relatively large common space that houses most of the fun. This is great for social Sims as they won’t have to break a sweat building and maintaining relationships. After you gain enough cash you can eventually move out into one of the surrounding houses or apply to a Frat/Sorority and join their house.
The new feature that really has the biggest impact on the core gameplay is influence. As you gain more friends and move up in the world you’ll build an influence meter. When you’ve amassed enough points you can get other Sims to perform the pesky tasks that you don’t really want to bother with. This especially comes in handy when you’ve got finals in 5 hours and you’re faced with the dilemma of finishing that term paper or streaking around the campus. Oh college, where life’s toughest decisions are made.
Speaking of streaking, it’s just one of the many new interactions that University adds to the mix. You can prank your friends (or enemies), jump into a game of hacky sack or just hang out with a group of people. I’m especially fond of the hanging out feature because it allows Sims to build up your relationships with a group of people as opposed to one Sim at a time. Some of the pranks are pretty weak and really show a lack of effort on the part of the developers. They can come up with witty names for all of the college courses but couldn’t come up with something better than this?
While we’re on the topic of courses, your Sims will have to go to class but you’ll never see the inside of one. This is especially strange considering that much of the college experience takes place within the confines of the classroom. It’s a place to meet people, learn more about life and enhance one’s true understanding of the world around him. Instead, Maxis decided to treat classes like jobs as they send the Sim off-screen only to have him or her return a couple of hours later. To us it seems like a lost opportunity that really should have been an integral part of the game.
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