Maxis' latest entry into the long-running Sims franchise, The Sims 4, may not have received the most positive response at launch, but the developer has worked over the years to keep releasing updates to the base game. Initially, fans felt as if The Sims 4 was missing some key features, and it launched with a ton of bugs and issues that hardly endeared the newest Sims title to players. However, in the eight years since The Sims 4 was released, it has received a number of free patches, new content, and additional features that have improved the base game and delivered the Sims experience that fans were expecting.
In addition to these many updates, The Sims 4 has followed its predecessors by releasing a number of different expansion packs, covering everything from running a business to becoming a famous actor. With content that ranges from supernatural creatures to summer vacations, The Sims 4 has offered players a wide range of post-launch adventures. Now it's time for the next lot of expansion pack goodness, thanks to the latest announcement from EA and Maxis which has unveiled The Sims 4: High School Years pack with a new trailer and a release date of 28th July.
Getting Back To School
High school can be a very foundational period in people's lives, and The Sims 4 is looking to bring its own particular brand of life simulation to the experience. Players will be able to relive the highs and lows of getting an education, attending classes and juggling extracurricular activities as they try to navigate the drama-heavy halls of high school. There will be neat little touches like getting to personalize a locker or hanging out in the cafeteria between classes, and gamers will also be able to relax with friends on the school grounds, skip classes, or pull some pranks.
There is nothing as iconic within the high school experience as the prom, so of course The Sims 4 will be giving gamers the chance to perform their very own 'promposal' and take their crush to the dance. In addition to the age-old tradition of awkward dancing in the school's gymnasium and spiking the punch bowl when the teacher is turned the other way, The Sims 4 will also include a graduation ceremony complete with robes and mortarboard hats. Players will be able to choose what clubs they join, who they befriend, and how they want to shape their high school experience as they battle hormones and unfair curfews. There will also be weekly exams, detentions to avoid, and the chance to take a date to Plumbite Pier's amusement park in between school commitments.
Additional Sims 4 Content
As with every Sims expansion pack, there will be new items and outfits to give Sims their own unique personalities. The Sims 4 has collaborated with the fashion marketplace app Depop to bring designs created by real-world sellers to the game, giving the latest expansion another layer to its fashions and individualization. Sims will also be able to earn money by curating and selling outfits to the local thrift store and cafe, ThrifTea, or use their clout as a stylist to become a Simfluencer.
The High School Years will also be bringing changes to the base game, including body hair that grows over time. Players will have to make sure they keep their Sims trimmed if they want to maintain a smooth and sleek look, or they can embrace their body hair with a more natural aesthetic. Gamers will be able to curate their teenager's bedrooms as well, packing the walls with posters or expressing their style through a variety of decorations. Sims will be able to sit crossed-legged on their beds or have pillow fights with friends as the game adds more ways to socialize and live life as an angst-ridden teen.
The Sims 4 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.