bwestman's Full Review: The Sims™ 2: University for Windows
University is the first expansion pack for the wildly popular PC game, The Sims 2, which is the sequel to the even more wildly popular PC game, The Sims...the ultimate game of micromanagement.
If you are not familiar with The Sims, or the Sims 2, then stop now and go read those reviews first. If you know about the Sims 2 and now want to know how this expansion pack fared, then read on:
The Concept
The idea behind University is to add a new dimension to the gameplay. First of all, the sims are given a new lifestage called "Young Adult". When a teen is ready, they can move to college (this can be done at any time after they transition to a teen and before they transition to an adult). Upon arrival on campus, the teen exits the cab and "grows up" into a Young Adult. If the YA has the money, they can rent a private home, or, typically, they can move into the dorm.
When you move into the dorm, you choose your room by claiming a door. The sims picture will then appear on the door and that will be their room. If you move more than one controllable Sim into the dorm at a time, you will choose a room for each of your sims.
The rooms are small, and you cannot use build mode to change that (just as you could not knock out walls in a real dorm). You can buy whatever you like for the dorm while you are there, but it all stays behind when the sim graduates. Interaction with dormmates and other Sims on campus is much like interaction with townies on the community lots. You cannot control them.
The Gameplay
As with all the previous expansion packs for the former game, this one added several new items for use in the new area (the college campus) and in the homes. And again, like the previous packs, this one added a new area. Different, though is the fact that you cannot "visit" this area like you did with Downtown or Studio Town or any of the other add on Sims areas. This is a new neighborhood, so to speak.
After installing the expansion pack (which will go very smoothly if you don't have 3rd party hacks in your game), the first time you enter one of your neighborhood, you will be given the opportunity to choose a College for the neighborhood. Although the area is separate, is it linked to the neighborhood in that only teens from that neighborhood can attend that college. You may have more than one college per neighborhood.
The Young Adult has to get through 4 "years" of college by completing two 72-hour semesters for each year. At the end of each semester, there will be a final exam. Successful Sims receive additional grants of up to §1200 for high grades at the end of the semester. Grades are earned by writing term papers (on the computer), doing assignments (like homework), and going to class. Maintaining a high average is not difficult once you get the hang of it.
At the end of the 4 year period, the Sim graduates and moves back to the neighborhood as an adult, ready to pursue a career, raise a family, or whatever your Sims do. The difference is that now, jobs pay more and there are new choices in jobs. Oh, and don't forget to hang your diploma on the wall for all to see! (found in the aspiration rewards)
What's New?
This game pack radically changed the game play. Here are a few of the new features:
Influence meter
As your Sims make friends, their circle of influence grows. You can use this new "power" to get things done. For instance, you can have another Sim clean, cook, do your class assignments, kiss another Sim, etc. Some of it comes in handy, particularly at college, but in the home as well. The more friends, the more potential.
Wants/Fears
Previously, the Sims displayed 4 wants and 3 fears at a time, with the ability to lock one into place until you could fulfill it. Once a young adult goes through college, they will have 6 wants and 3 fears to choose from and you will have the ability to lock 2 at a time. Additionally, some wants also increase your influence points as well as aspiration points for a double whammy. There are several new wants/fears to work with too.
Lifetime Want
Each Sim now has a lifetime desire (want) that is chosen at the teen transition when they choose their life aspiration. This want can range from having 20 best friends, to earning §100,000 Simleons, to marrying off 6 children, and many other things. Once your Sim attains that want, their aspiration meter becomes fully platinum and stays their for the rest of their life.
One problem I have with this is that Maxis did a poor job of incorporating this into the existing Sims that were there prior to the addition of the add-on. There was no check in the programming to allow for an older Sim to have a lifetime want that matched some of what he/she has been doing for their whole life. For instance, I have one Sim who is 2 days from Elder stage and one promotion from the top of the Culinary career. When I installed the expansion pack, that Sim's lifetime want is to "Become Mayor", which is the top of the Political career. Too bad, that isn't going to happen. Another Sim who is well into the elder stage and only has one child, has the lifetime want to "Marry off 6 Children". Since she can't have any more, and won't live long enough to raise them if she adopted, she has no chance of reaching her lifetime goal either. I just think that should have been handled a little better for existing Sims.
Electronics
University brought with is the ability to have cell phones, mp3 players, and handheld electronic games. This was probably a great idea, but executed very badly. I refuse to allow my Sims to have these things. First, the cell phone becomes a permanent part of your Sim. That means that if the phone rings for them and they are sleeping, it wakes them up. Very annoying. The upside to the cell phone is that now several Sims can be on the phone at the same time. It has advantages and disadvantages, but I choose not to use it. The other electronic devices raise fun, but the Sims become overly obsessed with them. Typical of Maxis, they took a good thing and way overdid it. Once your Sims have these devices, you cannot take them away and it becomes difficult to get some Sims to respond to tasks because they are messing with their stupid game or MP3 player. Good idea, bad implementation.
Buy/Build
There are several new items in this pack, like the pool table, musical instruments, furnishings, etc. Some of my favorites are the open shower (just a shower head and faucets), allowing for custom designed shower rooms, lockers, and additional exercise equipment so you can really make a full fledged gym now.
The musical instruments include a bass, guitar, drum set, and the standard piano. The difference now is that if one Sim in playing and instrument and another Sim begins to play another instrument in the same room, they will play together. So you can have a band! And the music is not bad at all. I love the country song they play with the drums, bass, and guitar. Teen and up can play musical instruments and gain creativity.
Another new feature is the new interactions and animations. Sims can now "hang out" (sit on the ground and chat), play kicky bag (hacky sack), have pillow fights, and pull pranks. The pranks range from throwing water balloons into the face of an unsuspecting Sim, to joy buzzers. Sims can also "freestyle", which is a form of rap that they stand there and do either for entertainment or for tips (yes, they put a tip jar down and start their stuff).
Conclusion
All in all, I say that the expansion pack was well done and worthy of the game. There are never enough new objects to satisfy the greedy community, but the changes in gameplay alone make this a well developed pack. The new interactions and the new influence and aspiration changes will change how you play the game. I have to keep reminding myself that it is only a game, but these new enhancement make it even more lifelike than ever.
I could go on and on and on...because there is much more to discover (like the people-eating cow plant), but there is only so much I can tell. I recommend you get it for yourself.
THIS IS AN EXPANSION PACK AND REQUIRES THE SIMS 2 TO PLAY
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