| The Sims 2: University | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Maxis |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Platform(s) | Windows, Mac OS X |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Social simulation |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Sims 2: University is an expansion pack for the 2004 life simulation video game The Sims 2, developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts. The first expansion pack for the game, it was released 1 March 2005. University introduces a new "young adult" life stage who live in separate college towns and attend university; with its dormitories, the expansion pack marks the first time in the Sims series where player sims are able to live with non-player characters. Sims who attend university gain access to new careers and interactions. University also introduces new items, interactions, and gameplay elements, such as the ability to bring deceased sims back to life, the ability to play musical instruments and use mobile phones, and the ability to turn sims into zombies.
The concept of a higher education-themed expansion pack had been proposed for the Sims series since the original installment, but it was not deemed technically feasible until The Sims 2. Development focused on bridging the gap between the base game's teenage and adult life stages; young adult sims have some but not all abilities of adult sims, and inhabit separate areas of the game to sims of other life stages.
Upon release, University was a critical and commercial success. It was praised for its depth and complexity, though reviews also noted performance issues and questioned the authenticity of its portrayal of higher education. Critical analysis in the years following its release has considered it one of the best expansion packs in the Sims series and drawn attention to its influence on later games.