Electronic Arts and Maxis give Sims the college experience with the release of its latest computer expansion pack “The Sims 3: University Life.”

“The Sims,” first released in 2000, is a popular computer-simulation game where you get the power to control the lives of simulated characters called Sims. One of the features that makes this game appealing to users is the ability to let creativity shine and tell stories with your Sims.

“The Sims 3” is the third game series and has nine expansion packs including “World Adventures,” “Supernatural” and “Seasons.”

The original University expansion pack is from “The Sims 2,” and many users have wanted the university addition since the release of “The Sims 3.” The absence of “University Life” until now made gameplay very unrealistic at some points because once teenage sims graduated from high school, they had no college degrees and went straight to the job world.

Sims can enroll in university at any time and have the option to take the aptitude test – a test much like the SATS – where sims are tested in different fields and can obtain scholarships. Teenage sims can take this test but won’t be able to enroll until they are young adults.

Sims will have to earn 48 credits to obtain their degree, and if they do well on the aptitude test, they can also earn credits to go towards their degree. The major options include: business, communications, science and medicine, fine arts, physical education and technology. Some of these majors will also include major-specific objects, which sims can study from. Science and medicine majors can use the anatomy skeleton, fine arts majors will gain experience with the sketch pad and communications majors can use the mobile radio station.

One of the requirements for students at Sims University is attending classes and lectures. Sims will have their classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, and have lectures or class activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Friday is finals day and if your sim studies enough, he or she will most likely end this or her semester with good grades. Sims can also gain postgraduate benefits as well if they do well at university; this includes higher-level job positions, larger salary and more promotions.

Sims can live in the dorms, sorority and fraternity houses for free or have the option to rent a house off campus. For most actual college students, living rent-free would be a dream come true but, for now, we can live these dreams through our Sims.

A lacking feature are the fewer social interactions with sororities, fraternities and the missing secret societies – a fun and entertaining feature from the original game.

A brand-new feature is the addition of Sims having roommates. You have the option to choose how many roommates you want, and make some simoleons [ – sim money – ] off them by collecting rent. You won’t be able to control them, but that does not take away from the gameplay.

One of coolest new additions is the revamped cell phone. The old cell phone in the Sims 3 game was cool but had some very bland features. The phone is now a touchscreen smartphone, which includes features such as maintaining blogs, better camera features, video streaming and texting.

The texting feature is fun – you can send funny, insulting or friendly texts or if your Sims are feeling frisky, you can send naughty texts to a romantic interest. Also if your Sims want to break up with their lovers, but don’t want to break up face-to-face, they can also send breakup texts too as well.

One major new feature to note is the addition of social groups: the rebels, jocks and nerds. Sims can affiliate with these specific groups depending on who they socialize with and befriend. Sims don’t have to be affiliated with just one group; you can be a nerdy rebel who enjoys tagging walls with murals and reading comics or a rebellious jock who enjoys doing keg stands and throwing parties.

The new careers offered in this expansion are also related to the new social group features. Once you reach the top of the social group, you can unlock these fun, new careers. Rebels can become art appraisers, jocks can join the sports agent career and nerds can become video game developers.

The new life state for this expansion are the Plant Sims, originally from “The Sims 2: Seasons.” Plant sims have the ability to talk with plants and give flower kisses to other sims, which can either be nice or poisonous. Plant sims can only be created through science experiments or by planting and eating the forbidden fruit.

“The Sims 3: University Life,” will almost feel like a carbon copy of “The Sims 2: University,” but this expansion pack has enough new features to make it a fun, new game to play and better than the original. If you are keen on giving your Sims more realistic experiences, “The Sims 3: University Life” will be a great addition.

 

Brittany can be reached at: [email protected]