Fashion is the best part of The Sims 4’s High School Years expansion

polygon.com:

Do I want to go back to high school? Absolutely not. But do I want to throw my Sims into a gauntlet of social hierarchy, education, and puberty? Sure! The Sims 4’s High School Years expansion adds a highly requested feature to the game: a high school for teen Sims to attend, in addition to all the other accouterments that come with it.

High School Years, which was released in late July, is centered primarily around teen Sims; most of the gameplay is relevant only to them. Set in Copperdale, the new city, teen Sims have one major lifestyle change — you can follow them to school now. Previously, when teen Sims went to school, they just went off into the abyss. High School Years comes with a pre-built high school, but it can be changed and rebuilt as you choose.

The experience for teen Sims is largely what you’d expect from high school. Sims go to classes, socialize around their lockers and at lunch time, and sometimes have to serve detention. There are after-school activities, like chess club and cheerleading, as well as new side hustles for teens to engage in, like video game streaming and selling clothes on a thrift app. If you, like me, aren’t a Sims4 player who typically makes or plays with teens and families, I think the High School Years expansion may seem like an inconsequential novelty. But for players who are embedded in family life, High School Years fundamentally changes the day-to-day gameplay, and that’s huge. It’s one of those expansion packs that, for some players, will touch most families and game sessions, but for others, like me, it doesn’t feel as impactful as, say, Cottage Living, Cats & Dogs, or Seasons.

All that said, I still think High School Years is an expansion that’s worth it for most players.