UPDATED: 08/05/22: EA has released patches that fixed many of the bugs that came with the High School Years update. Original story as follows:
The new base game update for The Sims 4 was one of the biggest in the history of the game, but it was accompanied by a plethora of bugs. While The Sims 4 base game update in July 2022 introduced enticing features that were incredibly well-received by the community, as bug reports continue to become more frequent, players are becoming more frustrated.
The Sims 4’s latest update, which accompanied the release of its newest expansion pack, The Sims 4: High School Years, had incredible features that were heavily requested by players. The Wants and Fears system replaced the previous Whims system, which urgently needed an overhaul. This update also came with the redesign of phone models, the addition of body hair customization to Create-A-Sim, and curved walls that expanded the limits of Build-And-Buy. Not only that, but it introduced full customization of sexual orientation in CAS, helping players to create their perfect Sims.
Although many players believed that this would be one of the greatest updates the game has ever received, new bugs are terrorizing players, even though Sims 4 can give the worst class imaginable while working as intended. With the increasing number of bug reports describing almost supernatural events of fast aging, random fame, and undesirable Wants, most suspect that developers either didn’t playtest the new version of the game or released the wrong one. Unfortunately, these new issues are quickly turning the initial fascination with the new mechanics into frustration, since some have rendered The Sims 4 nearly unplayable until, presumably, the next patch.
The Sims 4 Has Had Buggy Updates Before High School Years
The Sims 4 isn’t known for being a completely flawless game, but these new issues are making players avoid their save files in fear of them being ruined. While some of them are rather harmless and even funny in their absurdity - such as sims wanting to be romantic towards relatives - more serious bugs like fast aging and random deaths are preventing players from enjoying The Sims 4: High School Years’ new features. Bugs are part of the gaming experience, and it's impossible to craft a perfectly glitch-less game, but these issues are heavily impairing the overall experience. By forcing players to avoid the simulation aspect of the game entirely if they want to keep their saves intact and their Sims families alive, this new buggy update made the game become almost unplayable.
However, this type of situation isn’t new in The Sims 4. The community has dealt with countless buggy or seemingly unfinished releases of both packs and updates. The Sims 4: Wedding Stories, one of the game’s DLC that expanded the wedding system, had the same issue. Its concept and trailer stirred excitement and intrigue among fans, but the pack was released in an incredibly buggy state that prevented it from working. Luckily, Maxis addressed the issue, and The Sims 4: Wedding Stories’ issues were fixed in a later patch. This seems to also be the case with the newest expansion pack, judging by the developer's latest statements.
While some of these bugs have caused incredible amusement among the players because of the chaotic and absurd nature, they can quickly become annoying and frustrating. Since High School Years is an incredibly intriguing pack, expanding upon the life simulator premise of The Sims 4, it’s disappointing to see its bugs impair it in such a way. Luckily, EA has announced that future patches will aim to fix these issues, but there will hopefully be more care dedicated to releasing future updates and packs for the game.