Is The Sims 4 High School Years Worth It? An In-Depth Look

If you enjoy playing The Sims 4 and want to go deeper into the teen experience, the new High School Years expansion pack is absolutely worth picking up. While not perfect, High School Years succeeds at making the high school era of life feel rich, dramatic, and formative for Sims in fun new ways. Let‘s take an in-depth look at what this game pack offers.

High School Years Shakes Up Teen Gameplay

The standout features in High School Years all center around going to school together with other Sim teens. Attending Copperdale High School introduces class schedules, homework, tests, and a fleshed-out system for improving your grades. I often struggled to fill teen Sims‘ days with meaningful activities before. But now, going to high school provides structure and goals that make playing teen Sims much more engaging.

The pack also lets you join after-school clubs like robotics, cheerleading, or debate. In my experience, these provide teens great ways to explore their interests and make friends outside of scheduled school days. As a player, I love that I can now shape my teen Sims‘ high school experience based on their skills, interests, and social lives.

Realistic Touches like Prom Make High School Distinct

Beyond the core school gameplay, High School Years works in fun touches that capture the high school vibe. Teens can stress about asking dates to prom, shop for the perfect outfit, and get caught up in the excitement of being crowned prom royalty. I recently spent hours preparing one of my Sim‘s prom night, taking posed photos in their formalwear and riding in a limo with their date. It felt like a major milestone for that Sim.

The pack also introduces voice cracking and acne as signs of puberty. While mostly cosmetic additions, they contribute to making this lifestage feel distinct from just playing younger adults. My teens now feel awkward, emotional, and anxious in ways unique to the high school years.

How High School Years Compares to Other Expansions

High School Years is somewhat similar to Discover University in how it gives teens a structured experience tied to education goals. But the high school atmosphere makes it play quite differently. Discover University focuses more on picking majors and career paths through the lens of young adulthood independence. High School Years recreates the social challenges, hormones, and carefree fun of being a teen among peers.

Compared to something like Get to Work which lets Sims actively go to a workplace, High School Years offers less direct control over classes. But the high school environment and teen-focused additions like prom give this expansion a vibe all its own.

Get Famous lets teen Sims engage with fame and reputation, but doesn‘t provide the rich backdrop of high school life. Overall, I‘d say High School Years carves out a distinct niche. The focus on teen-centric activities makes generations gameplay and watching Sims grow up more rewarding.

Rating the Pros and Cons of High School Years

Based on my time with The Sims 4 High School Years so far, here is a full rundown of the pros and cons:

Pros

• Going to school together is engaging new gameplay for teens
• Joining clubs lets you shape extracurricular activities
• Prom adds drama and milestones to the teen experience
• Puberty changes distinguish teens from younger adults
• Part-time jobs let teens explore their interests
• New CAS and build items fit the high school vibe

Cons

• Only one pre-made high school with no class scheduling control
• Can‘t customize or build additional high schools
• Prom is a one-time event with minimal post-high school impact
• Puberty changes are mostly just cosmetic
• No options for teen pregnancy, dropping out, etc.
• Priced similarly to larger expansions

Verdict: A Must-Buy for Teen Gameplay Fans

While High School Years isn‘t perfect and leaves some teen experiences unexplored, I highly recommend it if you enjoy playing teen Sims. It makes that lifestage so much richer with activities centered around the high school atmosphere.

• For players who focus on adult and young adult Sims, it‘s less of a must-have. But if you enjoy generations-spanning gameplay, it‘s arguably the best teen-focused expansion to date.

• I‘d score it an 8/10 based on the way it uniquely fleshes out and dramatizes the high school era. The cons above leave room for improvement, but overall High School Years is a great way to get more invested in teen stories.

• At a rumored price of $39.99, it‘s reasonably priced for the teen gameplay depth added. The content feels on par with additions from other expansions at that mid-range cost tier.

For me as a longtime Sims fan who loves guiding Sims through different life stages, High School Years was an instant buy. And it has more than delivered on letting me experience the defining highs and lows of Sims‘ teenage years. If you like controlling and shaping younger Sims, this expansion provides engaging new ways to do exactly that.

Making the Most of Your High School Years

To help you get the most out of The Sims 4 High School Years, here are my top tips:

• Set homework and exam grades to manual control so you can better balance Sims‘ academic performance yourself. The default random grade fluctuations can get frustrating.

• Schedule teen Sims‘ daily activities carefully to make sure they have time for school, homework, skills training, jobs, and socializing. It can be tough to fit everything in!

• Form an after-school club with your teen Sim and their friends. This makes it easy to get homework done collaboratively and build friendships.

• Use the "Make Happy" cheat to erase any tense moods teens get from school or puberty changes, keeping the experience light-hearted.

• Consider getting the Basemental Drugs mod if you want to add riskier teen rebellion. But use at your own discretion, as mods disable achievements.

• Build your own custom high school using the new Build New World tool if you want more control over the lot. This takes time but adds options.

• Slow down the in-game clock speed if the default rush of teen days feels too chaotic. You can stretch out school days to focus more on each activity.

The Bottom Line – High School Drama Awaits!

The Sims 4 High School Years expansion breathes new life into teen gameplay. While not revolutionary, it provides memorable high school activities that meaningfully shape Sims during their formative years. If you already enjoy playing teen Sims, it‘s an easy recommendation to take their experience to the next level. Between attending classes, planning for prom, and forming lifelong friendships, there‘s never been a better time to indulge your inner teen drama!