EA series shows no sign of slowing down. Now in its fifth year of development, The Sims 4 is preparing to return to college once again with one of its most anticipated DLC updates to date, Discover University.
This isn't the first time the development team at Maxis has sent The Sims back to school, with The Sims 4 Discover University really shines.
Players will need to balance studying, social interactions, extra credit projects, and (if they enter their chosen university while employed) maintaining a healthy work-to-school ratio. It takes 12 in-game credits towards a particular degree before a player is allowed to graduate, and although up to 4 credits can be gained per term, which lasts one in-game week, the amount of time and dedication it takes to make a good grade almost guarantees all but the most wealthy, studious Sims will spend more than the required minimum 3 at college.
Unlike University Life, The Sims 4 Discover University features two different colleges for players to choose from, with both offering their own unique student organizations and different "Distinguished Degree" tracks for Sims looking to become experts in particular fields. The University of Britechester, named after the new town itself, is a more traditional college along the lines of Harvard and Oxford, featuring castle-like structures and more old-fashioned distinguished degrees like Art History and Drama. Foxbury Institute, on the other hand, represents a newer, tech-focused type of school, with modern and futuristic building designs and an enhanced focus on tech careers like Physics, Computer Science, and Villainy.
The Sims 4 Discover University Brings Back Robots
One of the benefits of a degree from Foxbury Institute, and the second stand-out addition in The Sims 4 Discover University besides the main schooling component, is the re-introduction of the Robotics skill. Much like The Sims 3: Into The Future, Sims can now build and form relationships with robots. Unlike The Sims 3 however, players now have the ability to woo-hoo (read: have sexual relations) with their robotic creations, something which no college experience is complete without. Sims can even form romantic attachments and become married to their created partners, although the mechanical spouses do not seem to the player's household as a controllable character like they have in the past.
Other additions help to flesh out The Sims 4's college expansion even more. From "juice" pong to parties on the campus quad, Discover University players will get a fairly accurate sense of what it feels like to go to school with a bunch of late-age teenagers. Dirty dishes will pile up in the common area of dormitories, laundry will go unattended, and more than one Sim is almost guaranteed to become upset when someone else is up partying because class starts in three hours and no one has gotten any sleep due to a late-night presentation.
Thankfully, this new Sims 4 expansion also features the return of bicycles to the series, and they can be stored in the player's bottomless inventory for quick spurts across campus when they are running late to class. The Sims 4 Discover University, like all of the game's large-scale DLC packs, offers a wide variety of new Build and Buy items centered around the central theme of campus education, including standing shower stalls players can woo-hoo in.
Players not wanting to leave the comfort of their own homes need not worry, because The Sims 4 Discover University allows, for the first time, Sims to attend college while living off-campus. Also introduced in this expansion is the ability to become an esports champion and the option to play pranks, such as the age-old classic firecracker in a toilet trick, on unwary housemates. There are even secret societies hidden within the colleges, hopefully without the rather degrading probationary methods such groups employ in real life.
The Sims 4 Discover University offers a large amount of new content and The Sims lifestyle, and the previously-mentioned re-introduction of craftable robots to the game is surely something fans will appreciate. Just don't try to woo-hoo the electronic companion in the shower... for obvious reasons.
The Sims 4 Discover University releases on November 15th, 2019. This preview is based on a hands-on demo conducted by Screen Rant at the EA offices.