The Sims 3 University Life is the 9th expansion pack for the highly acclaimed life simulation game The Sims 3. Released on the 5 March 2013, the Sims 3 University Life opens up a whole new university town for Sims 3 fans to play with and adds various new and interesting elements to the game. I've been looking forward to the University Life expansion since it was announced in January and this review looks at the various new features I'm loving in the game.
The Sims 3: University Life [Download]
The most obvious functionality The Sims 3 University Life adds to the game is the ability for your Sims to enroll in University. All young adult Sims and older, even elder Sims, are able to enroll in University. Obtaining a University degree will give your Sim a career boost and allow them to start with a higher pay and at a higher job level.
A few moments after I loaded my Sims 3 game, a University mascot shows up with a welcome kit that includes an aptitude test for University. Since my Sim already has a bunch of skill points, taking the aptitude test awards her with starting credits in different subjects and scholarship money to use in University. It's important to take the test before you enroll in a course or you will not be given credits. After enrolling to University, my Sim is warped off to the University Town.
At University Town, your Sim(s) can choose whether to live in dormitory, sorority or fraernity for free or rent a house. I chose to let my Sim go to a domitory so there would be more chances for her to interact with different groups of Sims.
Whether you choose to let your Sim live in a dorm or rent a house, you'll be able to have roommates. Roommates are not controllable but you can ask them to do things like clean up the house, repair a broken object, or fix a meal. You can also lock your door to keep roommates out and if any of the roommates are nasty, you'll be able to kick them out of the dorm or house.
You can also choose who gets which bed in the dorm or house. Since I wanted my Sim to gain influence with the Nerd Social Group, I set her bed right next to a roommate that belonged in with the nerds.
A new Academic panel shows your Sim's class schedule and responsibilities in University. Attending classes, studying, taking exams, and working on skills and special objects will help your Sim's academic performance.
Your Sim has to attend various classes but there is still plenty of time to do other stuff:
Here's my Sim using a special object: The Brain Enhancement Machine
There are three different social groups, the nerds, the jocks and the rebels, that your Sim can gain influence with in the Sims 3 University Life. Your Sim is not limited to being a member of any one group and can join all three by gaining influence points with them.
To gain influence points with any groups, your Sim has to carry out activities that are related to the group. For example, playing video games gives influence points with the Nerd social group. Influence points can also be obtained by interacting with members of the particular group. Since I wanted my Sim to join the Nerd social group, I had her study with the nerds and play lots of video games.
Unlocking various levels of influence with the social groups will earn your Sim new interactions, free items, a free trait for each group you reach level 8 with, and a different career when you get to the top level of a social group.
PlantSims are a special type of Sim that come with University Life. They're green, have different needs from normal Sims, and can even photosynthesize. I haven't figured out how to get a PlantSim yet but here are a few ways from the Sims 3 community forums:
thesims3boy:
You need a reasonably high science skill, any kind of seed (uncommons are recommended by me), the science incubator thinga majiggy, and a high gardening skill. Then you need to do a Gene Splicing experiment on the seed, and if you're lucky, you'll get a Forbidden Fruit Seed that y'all can plant into the ground!
Magickat:
You also have a small chance at being infected and changed into a plant sim while at the University. You allow the science facility and offer to be a test subject. Your sim should come out with the “Botanitis Minorous” moodlet.
PlantSims can be turned back into regular Sims at the Science facility.
I left this feature last because it's the one I love the best. I think the Sims 3 University Life is worth getting for this feature alone! I spent my Sim's entire first day at University playing around with the Social Networking skill.
Your Sim starts out with only the Web browsing and Video streaming function. Once she gains a skill point in Social Networking, he or she can access the Blogging App and create a blog. By the way, my Sim's smartphone looks cracked because she just dropped it on the ground.
Once your Sim has created a blog, she'll be able to gain followers by creating new posts. Every post you make gets you a number of followers -- if only blogging in real life were that easy! You can also get the negative status, "Blogged Out", if you blog too many times in a day. Creating new posts when your Sim is Blogged Out will cause her to lose followers.
Besides creating posts, your Sim can also take photos and upload them to her blog. There's also simoleans to be made from followers' donations, completing photo collections, or even selling the blog.
The above are just some of the main features I've found in The Sims 3 University Life or ones that I really liked. There are many others that I've yet to explore. For example, the new Science skill in University Life lets your Sim analyze and clone objects and even other Sims. There's also the Street Art skill that lets your Sim create murals (or graffiti) on walls and the ground.
Sims 3 University Life is definitely worth getting and I'll probably be spending the next few weeks exploring and playing with all the new features in this expansion pack.
The Sims 3: University Life [Download]
The Sims 3 [Download]
Where To Buy Class Items In Destiny
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim How To Become A Vampire
How to find the Time-Lost Proto Drake, or tlpd, fast in wow using the tar macro
Dead Island Riptide Guide: Team Quest Guide
Mr. Snowman Easter Egg Makes A Return In Just Cause 3