I never thought that when I sat down to play “The Sims 2: University” expansion pack I would walk away with a better understanding of my peers. The game features some new elements which are college centric, and it has a very honest approach to which path a student can take while they are attending university.

“The Sims 2: University” uses the same technology as the Sims 2, but adds new game play and environments. As alway,s the graphics are exquisite if you have the up-to-date hardware and installation was average.

When I first sat down to play this, I thought this game would give the player the opportunity to re-live or live for the first time a party college experience. I found it to be quite the contrary; the player must constantly work to find a balance between a social life and an academic life and within the freshman year of a group of eight students, which I was following two of them had to go home due to poor grades and bad attendance.

The Sims in this expansion pack really seem to have a different attitude. Their free will meter seems to be much higher and they are more likely to ignore the players commands if they feel like it; however, you can turn freewill off in the options.

Sims’ students are actually expected to attend class and leave the game for a period of time. The strange thing is that they sort of disappear from the screen and that can distract the player.

They have the chance to choose a major and can change it during the course of the game. Depending on the major, they must study different books and activities to prepare themselves for the exams and classes.

If you study only the adequate amount, you earn C’s. If you study more then expected, you can earn A’s and B’s. And if you miss too many classes, exams or don’t study, you will receive failing grades.

The first semester that you fail, the student is put on academic probation, after which they must earn a passing grade to stay in school. If they do not, they are expelled from college and sent back home — actually evicted from the dorm or frat house.

They have also added pranks to the social system of the game. These can include pranks between people and pranking particular objects such as pouring detergent in a fountain and watching it foam up.

Housing is different with the Sims University. If you choose to move into a dorm, it’s a controlled space where the player can only move their Sims around and share community objects; you can not edit the dorm room.

A house-mother is at the dorms, and she continuously prepares food for the college students so they can focus on partying and school work. If you choose the house (or frat house), you have build control over the space but the students must prepare their own food.

Parties are expected of the Sims to keep them popular at school. You can invite friends you’ve made at school or neighbors that drop in when they hear the noise. Each party is graded by its quality of fun, and students may earn different objects from great parties.

Due to the heavy social nature of the college life, the interaction between the Sims seems to have been altered for this expansion pack; college men can ask their female counterparts to get married at which point the couple is acknowledged as engaged. They will stay engaged until they graduate from college at which point they can move back into their neighborhood as an adult Sims and can create their own home.

You will find a good amount of interaction between roommates, and, therefore, couples seem to suffer a lot of strife. Fun interactions can include pillow fights, toga parties, school spirit chants and blowing bubbles which they seem to enjoy and “highly” recommend.

Overall, I feel it does a great job of showing cause and effect to players about their decisions and which path to take. If you are a first time Sims player or generally inexperienced with the game play, choose a smaller group to work with as managing the maximum of eight may seem fun but can be an academic nightmare.

And a recommendation to fellow faculty on campus who wonder why students always have a slue of excuses — the Sims 2 will explain it in a gaming nut-shell.

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