Review of “The Sims 3: University Life”

The Sims 3: University Life expansion pack brings more fun to The Sims 3 game that focuses on the “young adult” stage of life. If you have wanted to send your Sims to a university, this is an expansion pack you won’t want to miss out on!

Game Description

“Are your Sims ready for the time of their lives? Heading off to university opens up new opportunities, from social connections to career growth. From class activities to major-specific objects, your Sim will find new ways to learn! And university isn’t just about hitting the books. Join a protest, flirt at a bonfire party—there’s a lot to explore outside of lectures at the student union. With new locations like the bowling alley and SimBurger to visit, and new activities like juice pong and spray painting murals to enjoy, your Sims are sure to have the time of their lives!

KEY FEATURES

o     Achieve Academic Excellence. Learning is more fun than ever with new major-specific objects, from broadcasting your own radio show as a Communications student to boning up on anatomy using the skeleton as a Science and Medicine major. Your Sims can also learn through class activities, lectures at the student union, and joining in social activities.

o     Get Ready to Party! Text books and study groups are a big part of university, but sometimes Sims just need to party! From hosting bonfires by the lake to doing juice keg stands at a dorm party, there are lots of ways to have a great time at university.

o     Make Connections and Network. Grow your social networking skill through texting, blogging, and streaming video. This builds your affiliation with the three social groups on campus—the nerds, the rebels, and the jocks.  Building your cred with these groups offers unique advantages, from earning dream jobs to a coveted extra trait.

o     Actions Matter. Just like in real life, your Sims’ decisions are deeply interconnected. For example, a Fine Arts student benefits from the Avant Garde trait, develops their Street Art skill and cred with the Rebels by tagging and spray painting. Just don’t get caught by the cops!

o     Reap Benefits After University too! Reach the top job in your career path more easily with faster promotions and a higher entry-level job for university grads. If your Sim becomes a legend with their social group, they may even land a dream job as an art appraiser, sports agent, or video game developer!

o     Explore the Campus and Town. From striking out at the bowling alley to flirting with the barista at the Roasted Toasted Beans to browsing comic books at Keith’s Komics, there’s a whole new town and campus full of places to explore.”– The Sims 3: University Life

My Thoughts

As a “University” student myself, I really love being able to send my Sims to the University, too. This is the area of the Young Adult lifestage that was really missing in the game, so I am very happy that it was added to the game.

The new campus town is where Sims that attends the university goes. It is beautifully created, and the buildings in it are fabulous for university life. I like to have my Sims live in a dorm because they can meet new people faster, and there are always people around to have fun with. If you buy stuff for the dorm though, it stays there, unless you take it with you when you leave.

The “Social Network” addition is also something that is actually really cool. Sims can use it when they aren’t in the university, too. If your Sims like to play games, they should join the Nerd group. In that group, they can also play video games online and get jobs in the video gaming industry. The Jock social group is for Sims who play sports, enjoy a good game of “juice pong” and party. There is also a Rebel social networking group that includes Sims who like to protest, push social boundaries, and spray paint buildings.

Sims that go to the university also have the chance to go to some fun parties that they can remember forever (if they take a picture for their scrapbook that is). Your Sims can now go to bonfire parties, keggers, and toga parties! If you are feeling really creative, you can always create your own type of party as well.

Overall, I think this expansion pack added a lot to the game, and is well worth adding to you’re the Sims 3 game. It adds a lot of new content and makes the game more fun. Who doesn’t love the whole university experience anyways? I highly recommend it.

* Thank you to the publisher of The Sims 3: University Life, Electronic Arts, and Gamers Gate for providing me with a digital copy of this game and allowing me to review it. All experiences and opinions expressed are my own.