The Sims 4: High School Years comes to the vast community of Sims players in the middle of 2022 as a new expansion pack. While The Sims 4 is the flagship life-simulation game, the replay value of the main game will eventually run out. The High School Years expansion pack is the 12th expansion for The Sims 4 and will give players the chance to relive their high school years in the ways they always dreamed. Here is a little preview of what to expect from this new expansion pack.
In a Nutshell (TLDR)
Here are all the new things you can expect to see in this expansion if you don’t have the time to read it today.
- Immersive High School Experience
- New World (Copperdale)
- Prom Event
- New Social Media Apps (Social Bunny and Trendi)
- New Traits (Overachiever, Party animal, Socially awkward)
- New Lot Assignments (Auditorium, High School, Thrift, and Bubble Tea Store)
- New Teen Exclusive Aspirations (Drama Llama, Goal Oriented, Live Fast, Admired Icon)
- New Skill (Entrepreneur)
- New Part-time Careers: Simfluencer, Video game streamer
- New afterschool activities (Cheer team member, Chess team member, Computer team member, Football team member)
- New CAS, Build/Buy Items, Acne and Body Changes
Follow Your Sims to School
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All the children in Sims were simply gone from your screen for a few in-game hours when they went to school. Now it’s a little bit different. You are fully able to see and experience what is it like to go to school in the Sims world.
This includes a list of activities and challenges for your teenage Sims character. Four sections break up the school day. First, they can go to a social event such as studying or hitting the gym before classes. Next, they will go to their morning classes and players have the chance to interact with the teacher and whiteboard in their respective studies.
After morning classes, they have a two-hour-long lunch where the player can interact socially, refill their health and mental meters, study, or decorate their lockers. More classes fill the afternoon and the sims either go home or go to an after-school activity.
This experience is one of the most immersive versions of The Sims in recent years. Your Sim’s behavior will actively affect how they perform in school. For example, if they misbehave or skip class, they receive poor grades and detention. Repeat problem students may even be expelled if they mess around enough.
If your Sim is expelled or they drop out, they can get an online diploma. However, it hardly makes sense to get this expansion pack to NOT relive your high school days.
A Location Straight Out of a John Hughes Movie
A new location features in The Sims 4: High School Years. It is basically every ’80s teen movie rolled into one. This expansion pack is set in the fictional town of Copperdale. This is rumored to be a nod to Riverdale. The classic teen soap opera starring KJ Apa and Lili Reinhart from 2017.
Copperdale is everything any classic teen-focused storyline needs. Spooky woods to be dared to go into late at night. A massive lake where your Sim can have their first kiss. Even a rich but mysterious family with a history in the building of the town.
In Copperdale, players can explore 3 unique neighborhoods spanning the full game map. One has the high school and football stadium. The other is the downtown area where players can go thrifting, explore the park and library, and even an abandoned rental lot. The last is the residential neighborhood where any number of things could happen to your Sim in their high school years.
New Events and Traits
Every Sims game has events for your character to visit. The Sims 4: The High School Years is no different. However, this milestone event is the school Prom. Going or not going is going to have a heavy effect on your Sim. This event alone opens countless dialogue and interaction options.
Your character can be the stoic loner going alone, the social butterfly going with a massive group of friends, or going with their respective Romeo or Juliet as their romantic interest. No matter what you pick the event will leave a lasting impact on your sim character.
Adding in Prom isn’t the only important update to this expansion pack. Three new traits have been added.
The Overachiever – The overachiever trait is a new lifestyle trait. Your Sim will be running at the point of burnout in learning new skills. However, their social skills will suffer.
The Party Animal – This trait is by design a social trait. The party animal is known by everyone in school and will have their social points naturally higher than most others.
Socially Awkard – This is also a social trait but comes at a disadvantage. Your Sim will struggle to be social with others but will form much stronger bonds when they overcome their fears.
New Lot Possibilities
A few lots in Copperdale will be built and set by default. However, The Sims 4: High School Years allows you to fully build and customize the school your character will be visiting. If you ever felt like you needed to totally remodel your school, now is your chance to try out different models and builds with ease. Some of the lots on the game map will exist to start but you can still customize them to your liking.
*Note that unless you mod your game, the high school will only be available in Copperdale
New After-School Activities and Jobs
This expansion pack leads itself to new activities and jobs for your teen Sim to take part in. They function the same as any other activity or job in the Sims franchise and are just as exciting and fun. The main two jobs added are Simfluencer and Video Game Streamer. They are just as they sound but are only part-time and require a level 3 in various skills to start. These jobs are available to adults in the main game as well but only after unlocking them in the expansion pack.
The more interesting activities added are as follows.
- Cheer Team – This activity allows Sims to increase their Fitness skills and their social skills.
- Chess Team – Joining the chess team is a great activity for players who want to enhance their Sim’s Logic skills.
- Computer Team – For the tech-obsessed sims to improve their programming skills.
- Football Team – Basically just the Cheer Team but for Male Sims and those who are interested in increasing Fitness skills.
Is it Worth it?
The Sims 4: High School Years currently retails for $25-$40 depending on the store and if there are any specials going on in your chosen store. There isn’t exactly a time frame or number of hours to play a single build of the High School Years but it’s safe to say that there are a number of limited replays in this expansion pack.
If it is worth it will be widely up to your personal preference. Basically, it all depends on if you want to relive high school or if you want to leave those memories long and forgotten. We seem to think that this expansion pack is worth it but only if you can get it on special.