SimCity

 PC
User Score
2.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4557 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 602 out of 4557
  2. Mixed: 428 out of 4557
  3. Negative: 3,527 out of 4557
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  1. mrpuck
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    So I took the bait. Even after all the research I did on other Simcity forums from those who played beta I bought the game.
    Spent about 4 hours with it yesterday and I am quite disappointed in it.
    Let's get out the Pro's: Graphics Yes it looks very pretty. Even though I was shocked to see the "sims" looking like lego characters, overall the buildings and houses etc are very pretty.    So I took the bait. Even after all the research I did on other Simcity forums from those who played beta I bought the game.
    Spent about 4 hours with it yesterday and I am quite disappointed in it.

    Let's get out the Pro's:

    Graphics Yes it looks very pretty. Even though I was shocked to see the "sims" looking like lego characters, overall the buildings and houses etc are very pretty.

    Modular upgrades Excellent idea, and works very well. I never did like the idea behind "I need more firetrucks? build 5 more fire stations". Now I can add onto the Firehouse and expand it's coverage that way. Works very well for Police, Fire, Schools, etc.

    Curved Roads I can actually build a realistic looking town. The curved roads are great. However they leave issues with putting down homes and buildings on them at times.

    Now for all the Cons:

    Online DRM I know everyone complains about this. I was willing to deal with it. Then the servers went down and I couldn't play. Is it first day issues? I'm not sure but it was almost ironic when the servers went down.

    City Size Of course a huge complaint, other reviews mention this. Filled up my entire town in a little over an hour.

    Diversity of buildings Where are all the buildings I want to build? I'm talking places like Museums, Churches, Zoo's, Post Offices, etc. etc. I can think of tons of missing content. Were these left out so EA can sell us buildings for $1 each later down the road?

    Transportation So far it seems all you get are buses. No Train stations, no subways, etc. I do believe you can build an airport eventually.

    The whole "Upgrade town hall to unlock stuff" Seems silly and unnecessary. I can't build a hospital because I already used my TownHall upgrade for something unrelated so I have to wait.

    It's hard to really say all the issues with the game in just bullet points. One of the biggest issues I have is simply with the density of zones. Let me paint a picture for you. You have a nice suburban part of your town, where say you want your middle to upper class to live. They would live on nice single lane roads with maybe some cul da sacs shooting off that road etc. You can build the road system, and then zone it for residential. That's it.... So what happens? You get mobile homes all over, and the only way to get the houses to "upgrade" to nicer establishment is to put parks/recreation all over nearby (and their effect is small size wise). Or you have to upgrade the road. Now who lives on a 4 lane road in a mansion? Not many people I can think of. It's absolutely idiotic.

    The game is definitely driven to have you share resources with neighboring regions. If you try to do it all in your one small city, you're in for a mess. So you have to essentially pause your game, and go to another city and start fresh there. Whether in the other city it's creating better jobs, or focusing on utilities to provide to your other city, etc.

    Overall, I am extremely disappointed in this game. A lot of the issues CAN be patched, fixed, upgraded with a lot of work from Maxis. But in the state the game is now, it should never have been released. This will probably be a game I shelve for a bit, and hope that in a few months it becomes playable. As it sits now, I paid for a beta copy. If I could return this to EA I would.    … Expand
  2. codeforfood
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    the server is full, he give me a choice to choose another server but the save on new server is not sync, that mean you have to play a new game in every new server what a stupid design
  3. Altheo
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    This is my first review ever on metacritic. Too bad its not going to be a positive one but unlike the payed of journalist it will be an honest one. Here comes a list of things wrong with this game. Plain simple!
    1. Always online DRM. (For obvious, logical reasons)
    2. SimVille not SimCty (Painfully small building space. A city can NOT be built on 2X2 Km.Period!) 3. DLC    This is my first review ever on metacritic. Too bad its not going to be a positive one but unlike the payed of journalist it will be an honest one. Here comes a list of things wrong with this game. Plain simple!
    1. Always online DRM. (For obvious, logical reasons)

    2. SimVille not SimCty (Painfully small building space. A city can NOT be built on 2X2 Km.Period!)

    3. DLC microtransactions (Fine for a free-to-play game. NOT acceptable for a game you are renting for 80$, yeah you read correctly; renting. )

    4. Not possible to create your own regions or terrain for that matter. (Maxis, ever heard of terraforming? If you are simulating something, do it slightly believable. Or is this not a simulation game?) 5. Suck you dry. (Yes, the layout of this game is made for sucking you dry and in the bad way- if there is a good one. They will probably open up the possibility for you to have bigger regions. But they will charge you for it. One lot at a time. They will also open up landmarks and cool new building. But they will charge you for it. They will open up terraforming. And again they will charge you for it. In the end you have spent 300$ on a game you wont be able to play say in 5 years time since you are renting it from EA!! )

    4. Not possible to save your cities since the game autosaves for you. (If you make a misstake you stick with it just as in real life. Matbe this is a good thing? But wait, what if my cat jumps up on my keybord and places a really expensive building in the wrong place. That's right its a cat mistake but you'll have to live with it) 5. Me and You. Guys, we have just supported everything we think is wrong with this game. Be it Origin, EA, whatever. We have just condoned the destruction of a game we were all suppose to love and which many of us enjoyed as kids. How did we do this? Simply by donating 80$ to EA. Yes donated, the game is on their servers. Not on your computer! Right now we are EA's How does it feel?    … Expand
  4. DA2sucks
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    It takes Ubisoft to learn that it just not worth having persistently connected games and deal with the potential customer backlash afterward. I've since wary of buying anything coming out of Ubisoft. I will stay out of EA too if this persist and vote with my money, until they learn...
  5. JesseG
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    Ok, let me just start with this, I am creating an account on this site for the sole purpose of letting people know how bad this game has been so far. There are so many server issues right now its ridiculous. I know a lot of people are complaining about not being able to connect, which, yeah sure that's not good, but I am going to talk about something worse than not being able to connect.Ok, let me just start with this, I am creating an account on this site for the sole purpose of letting people know how bad this game has been so far. There are so many server issues right now its ridiculous. I know a lot of people are complaining about not being able to connect, which, yeah sure that's not good, but I am going to talk about something worse than not being able to connect. Losing mass amounts of time and progress because the game loses connection to server while playing. This in all honestly has to be the most frustrating thing to happen to me by far. I would much rather just not being able to connect than to lose half my city because EAs crap servers took a dump. Normally that wouldn't be much of a problem because you could just upload data from local storage to the cloud but guess what, this game has no local save feature. That's right, none at all. Whoever made that bonehead decision needs to be fired on the spot. I honestly have a ton of gripes about this newest iteration on one of my favorite franchises(been a sim gamer since Super Nintendo and original Sim City) but I don't want to spend all my time being negative. The only other negative thing I will say is that the city plot sizes are terrible. I didn't think that they would bother me that much but they do, a lot. Only a short while into my cities life and I have already used up half the real estate. This game forces you to cram everything in the most efficient spacing possible just to get to a decent sized city. It really takes the wind out of your sails when you realize your almost out of room and you have not gotten a tenth of the things you had planned in to the city. That said, this game has sooooo much potential. The infrastructure and groundwork have been laid out to deliver one of the best city simulations of all time there are just too many things wrong at the moment to waste your time on it. I am severely regretting buying this game. Has the time come to stop pre ordering games? I think so. To many bad decisions in game making over the past year or so has left me jaded towards developers and publishers. Im looking at you Blizzard, Bioware, EA and Maxis. You all know better but we keep taking the crap you are shoveling and asking for more so why would you ever stop? Nah, not gonna happen until we, the consumers, start speaking with our wallets. I for one WILL start speaking with my wallet from now on. No more good faith purchases for this video game nerd.… Expand
  6. Prince_Mammon
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I barely have the words to describe the disappointment i felt after playing a few hours of SimCity. Having been an avid fan for many years i jumped into this with high hopes of gameplay. Now, the gameplay i didnt mind too much, its fun, though still quite a few bugs around. What kills the game however is the everything besides the actual ingame content.

    What enraged me to the point of    I barely have the words to describe the disappointment i felt after playing a few hours of SimCity. Having been an avid fan for many years i jumped into this with high hopes of gameplay. Now, the gameplay i didnt mind too much, its fun, though still quite a few bugs around. What kills the game however is the everything besides the actual ingame content.

    What enraged me to the point of physical arm waving was the fact that you had to be connected to the internet EVERY SINGLE MINUTE YOU PLAY THIS GAME. Combine this with highly unstable servers(And my router sometimes failing on me) resulted in me tens of times being trapped in the tutorial without being able to do anything, NOR GO AND PLAY THE REAL F*CKING GAME! But thats not all! Turns out that if you get disconnected during your gaming session your game might not be saved, which means that several hours of work suddenly goes down the drain. And to top the whole thing off: YOU CAN'T SAVE THE GAMES YOURSELF!

    The only thing that made me feel marginally better was the fact that thousands of others expressed their fury online. I recommend you all to rather wait for a pirated version where you CAN ATLEAST PLAY OFFLINE, rather than buying this smoking pile of animal dung. But don't take my word for it, just have a chat with one (or all) of the thousands of other gamers who seem to agree with me.    … Expand
  7. Gegabone
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I give up and will be returning my copy, if I purchase a game I want to be able to play it, why the hell does a single player game demand always on internet and rely on an external service to even start?!!? I will never ever buy anything from Maxis or EA again
  8. biowarez
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    It's error 34 all over again! and EA killed the modding community for this POS (you know how modders keep SC 4 a game that fun to play even until today!!) So we should expect this game to died out probably up to two years from now.. Let's just wait for some competitor to publish city simulator games without greed in mind.
  9. swisskiltbear
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I'd love to write a really favorable review about my favorite game franchise of all time. I played the original SimCity on the C64. Like I said, I'd love to. But I can't. Simply for the reason that I am unable to play the game due to the most intrusive DRM I've seen yet. I received the DVD yesterday, but of course could not install the game, since it was "unreleased". My PC at home that II'd love to write a really favorable review about my favorite game franchise of all time. I played the original SimCity on the C64. Like I said, I'd love to. But I can't. Simply for the reason that I am unable to play the game due to the most intrusive DRM I've seen yet. I received the DVD yesterday, but of course could not install the game, since it was "unreleased". My PC at home that I am currently watching remotely, is trying to install the game since this morning 8:00 am and consistently failing due to server overload and therefore being unable to validate the key. Way to go EA. Not!… Expand
  10. Dimonte
    Mar 7, 2013
    3
    Could have been a brilliant game, but right now it's almost completely decimated by unreliable cloud saves, tiny maps, lack of terraforming and tacked-on online features.
  11. mexranger
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Its a major drawback when you cant actually play a game you purchase. Constant server issues and in-game glitches make this a game we all should have avoided. Governments should legislate against gaming companies which continue to release games unfinished or so poorly supported Don't buy it until you are given guarantees that it will work or that they are discontinuing DRM
  12. Dabosso
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Have to be online, have to have origin, no modding, no terraforming, farms or subways, city sizes are too small AND ridiculous overpriced DLC even at launch. Not to mention EA cant even keep its servers up long enough for me to get on and play. When I was able to play (for 20min) it didnt save and I have to start over.
    Servers for this game will go down in a few years making it    Have to be online, have to have origin, no modding, no terraforming, farms or subways, city sizes are too small AND ridiculous overpriced DLC even at launch. Not to mention EA cant even keep its servers up long enough for me to get on and play. When I was able to play (for 20min) it didnt save and I have to start over.
    Servers for this game will go down in a few years making it unplayable. TERRIBLE customer service. EA is a joke.    … Expand
  13. asy8492
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    Simcity has always been a single player game and out of numerous generation it has been through, this is by far the WORST one ever. No doubt gameplay is absolutely fun and better but the only drawback is due to the DRM. If EA think DRM can keep games from being pirated, well think again. You're being a scumbag to enforce DRM games at such a high cost but in turn provide the worst servicesSimcity has always been a single player game and out of numerous generation it has been through, this is by far the WORST one ever. No doubt gameplay is absolutely fun and better but the only drawback is due to the DRM. If EA think DRM can keep games from being pirated, well think again. You're being a scumbag to enforce DRM games at such a high cost but in turn provide the worst services ever. Shame on you EA. If you were a car I'd be smashing you with a baseball bat by now. I expected a better services with $80 but what I get is garbage.… Expand
  14. Celarion
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The game's been out for 2 days. In the 6 hours I've been trying, I haven't even been able to get into the tutorial level because of server issues.

    Poor form, EA.
  15. Daniel1313
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    3 Days into launch and I still cant play, this is embarrassing!!!! Day one DLC? Does it include an add-on that will make this game actually work? It really kills me that such a great game has been ruined. I will be looking for a refund for the first time....ever...
  16. ccwalpha
    Mar 26, 2013
    1
    So, i`m rewriting my review.
    After the server issues get fixed, i finally find the real problems with the game:
    Traffic problem cannot be solved after your city gets really big. The map size is awful (about 5 miles x 5 miles). There is no terraform tool Not only the map size is small but some terrains have another waste of space with rivers, sea and mountains. From time to time your    So, i`m rewriting my review.
    After the server issues get fixed, i finally find the real problems with the game:
    Traffic problem cannot be solved after your city gets really big.
    The map size is awful (about 5 miles x 5 miles).
    There is no terraform tool
    Not only the map size is small but some terrains have another waste of space with rivers, sea and mountains.
    From time to time your city is striked with disasters, and every town that i create a nuclear plant, the giant monster always attack and strikes right on my plant, wasting half my city.
    The zombies occupies almost all residencies, and you start losing money quick, because you have do demolish everything they infected, and you lost works, and your power plant stop working, and the caos begins....

    In other words: this is no simulation game, this is a very frustrate, small neighborhood simulator...    … Expand
  17. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    5
    EA is a business that seems to want to destroy its own business. Which other games publisherhas such a perfect ability of smelling out what their customers like and then going and doing the EXACT opposite. What other company is as loathed as EA, in an industry where the customers actually want to love them but can't???? Obsessed with their need for Origins to be successful, obsessed aboutEA is a business that seems to want to destroy its own business. Which other games publisherhas such a perfect ability of smelling out what their customers like and then going and doing the EXACT opposite. What other company is as loathed as EA, in an industry where the customers actually want to love them but can't???? Obsessed with their need for Origins to be successful, obsessed about piracy, which is irrelevant in a world where the number of happy paying customers is booming, obsessed about getting as much blood from a stone as they can with DLC and micro-transactions, EA corporate apparently spends zero time thinking about games, the gamer of the gaming experience. EA seems to be rendered insane by its own greed. It has a genius for destroying games and the fun of gaming. And by all appearances there is no one with any power or control in EA who actually CARES about this either. Look at the millions and millions they blow on advertising! Look at the way gameplay and game fun and game design considerations stagnate or go backwards and get worse! What's wrong with this company? Why are the fools crashing the ships into the rocks NOT getting sacked? The answer can only be that the rot is coming from the very top. It's the EA executives who are making this company a joke. These are obviously men with big egos who never actually play games, and feel an innate contempt for gamers, indeed for games. Gamers should seriously boycott the products of this company, because it's evident from the long string of ruined franchises and studios EA has destroyed in the past 2 years that this company represents a DISEASED corporate culture that will obviously continue so long as the corporate machine is making revenue. Until EA starts taking significant financial losses on their horribly skewed 'games' they have no real reason to change what they are doing. This game is a horrible warning sign of how EA hopes to suck gamers into a DLC-addled, micro-transaction infested, pay-to-play, pay to win, charge by the month toll booth on our lives. They have so much contempt for games and gamers that they even try to chain us to their machine with BAD games. Like we are DUMB enough to allow it. The answer is to say NO. Don't buy their games. Score bomb their games. Don't support these people. EVER. Buy from companies with a better philosphy and with more love for the art and fun that represent gaming at its best. Starve the beast. EA is truly, really, deeply SICK. The shareholders need to replace the entire executive of the business with people who actually, know, love, understand and live for making good games. A company with the financial resources to be an industry leader should be an industry leader. Right now they are wasting and losing billions in potential revenue. They are not only losing-out in terms of game design, creativity and popularity, they are missing BILLIONS in revenue. They are a bad publisher and a BAD business model. Dozens of corporate shills in suits with no understanding of games, gaming or gamers need to be permanently retired, starting with ALL their present executives. A Sim City in 2013 should have been a blow-your mind awesome experience not only in the dimensions of cartoon world creation, but also in hyper-real SERIOUS civic engineering. It could have and should have been not only a toy, but a platform that could be used by architects and engineers to mock up real-world projects. Instead of investing in a state of the art engine however, EA blew its budget on hookers and blow again: AS ALWAYS: giving us a sad reboot of a 1997 experience on the back of a vast, wasted advertising budget. Casuals don't care and will get their kicks elsewhere. The hardcore knowingly laugh. Why do these fools make games for 12 year old, and hope to use DLC and micro transactions to get kids to hit their folks with the credit card? Does no-one with authority in EA have the slightest interest in ACTUALLY MAKING GOOD STATE OF THE ART SOFTWARE? If they stopped trying so hard to work angles with DLC and such and just made plain awesome games they would double their profits in 12 months and start to regain some of the good will they have so steadily squandered in the past three years! SACK the present boss and reset your agenda !

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake o    … Expand
  18. changfong
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    How on earth can they not learn from the debacle that is Diablo 3? And for a game that requires thousands of people to be online at one time, it is almost criminal for them not to ramp up their server from day one.
  19. Bunker
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    PROS: Fresh look for a good classic, resources or speciality services, shared goals within game, on line play.

    CONS: DRM tech (for such a "unpopular" game, based on EA's preparedness level), SC Veterans will miss a single player mode, EA's support structure was not scaled appropriately for this games data/connection requirements and/or the demand thereof. Im not sure what type of    PROS: Fresh look for a good classic, resources or speciality services, shared goals within game, on line play.

    CONS: DRM tech (for such a "unpopular" game, based on EA's preparedness level), SC Veterans will miss a single player mode, EA's support structure was not scaled appropriately for this games data/connection requirements and/or the demand thereof.

    Im not sure what type of this latest title the Critics got a taste of, but I assure you, it wasn't the one that consumers beta tested or paid for. Finally, with all that can go wrong(and has) with games that have gone this route, I'm not even sure if you can call this a game at this stage.....maybe software or program as a game is fundamentally redundant if it cannot be played and just merely stared at, in awestruck disappointment.    … Expand
  20. lzk222
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I want my money back. I don't how care how beautiful or complex the game looks. If it doesn't work then these things are irrelevant! EA has alienated many SimCity fans including myself. I hope they have learned a lesson from this. Oh, and since I am already at it here's another complaint. Nix DRM! This is an absurd element to have in this kind of a game. Make multiplayer games optional andI want my money back. I don't how care how beautiful or complex the game looks. If it doesn't work then these things are irrelevant! EA has alienated many SimCity fans including myself. I hope they have learned a lesson from this. Oh, and since I am already at it here's another complaint. Nix DRM! This is an absurd element to have in this kind of a game. Make multiplayer games optional and provide users with optional updates and patches, like in the past. What happened to the emphasis on personal choice in the SimCity franchise philosophy anyways? Went down the drain with EA's fascist republic of gaming business model, I guess.… Expand
  21. Emulous
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I think everything has been said, that needs to be said. Releasing a game in this state is a disgrace and a punch in the groin to all games and consumers alike. People should return their games and ask for a full refund and not let EA get away with it.
  22. twesterm
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Hard to write a review for a game I can't play. Even on available servers every time I try to claim a city I get an error message.

    I was able to play about an hour (which was mostly the tutorial) on launch day and since then I haven't been to resume my single player region and city (due to the server being full) and I haven't been able to start a new city.
  23. WWickedRevenge
    Mar 11, 2013
    3
    I'm going to ignore the server login issues, however once you are in the game you do run out of space quite fast, again not a problem as you increase density. The major issue I have with this game is that you need to cannibalise your city to provide services such as water, power, recycling, etc. Everything takes up more and more space the trading HQ takes upwards to two big city blocks.I'm going to ignore the server login issues, however once you are in the game you do run out of space quite fast, again not a problem as you increase density. The major issue I have with this game is that you need to cannibalise your city to provide services such as water, power, recycling, etc. Everything takes up more and more space the trading HQ takes upwards to two big city blocks.

    Now this issue wouldn't be an issue if the various cities in the region worked together with any consistent way, i'm always getting messages that x city is no longer sending me water, but I made x city with over 1000 times the water that city needed to supply this one, sending funds or resources seems to take half a day (real time), and each of my various cities in the region saw our Regional Airport at different stages which leads me to believe large amounts of resources were probably going into cyberspace never to be seen again. I have also noted it appears you can only send resources to your closest neighbours not those further distance.

    Until ALL of Simcity's server issues are resolved I cannot recommend this game, it is broken and the long game just doesn't seem to be there, i've played three cities with a region population of 300k and a total bank balance of $55M (through electronics trading) and i've run out of things to do, I have no space, I need to keep my utilities in each city as outsourcing isn't an option, so i'm stuck just watching my balance go up, and my interest go down.    … Expand
  24. Ampanaron
    Mar 6, 2013
    2
    Yesterday, I was able to play this single player game for maybe an hour before becoming disconnected from the server; waited in queues for 30 minutes at a time only have my queue restarted at the end of each 30 minutes. Middle of day 2, my region won't load. It goes without saying that the release of this game is a fiasco, but what is rightfully upsetting is that EA has broken very logicalYesterday, I was able to play this single player game for maybe an hour before becoming disconnected from the server; waited in queues for 30 minutes at a time only have my queue restarted at the end of each 30 minutes. Middle of day 2, my region won't load. It goes without saying that the release of this game is a fiasco, but what is rightfully upsetting is that EA has broken very logical convention for a game of this type, and really gone out of its way to put its customers at risk of dealing with this inconvenience. If EA were a TV manufacturer, an airline, a pharmaceutical company....they would be issuing refunds right now. In the least case, they owe a very public apology to their customers who preordered or purchased before they had their servers working. As far as the DRM is concerned, I cannot imagine a poorer way to treat paying customers.
    As for the actual gameplay that I was able to experience: If I had to sum it up in one word, unfortunately that word would be "lame". Aside from the day one bugs, such as not being able to sell power to my partially-grown neighboring city, I was seriously let down by the abnormally anemic size of the cities and by the shallowed complexity as compared to SC4. I miss the graphs...they were the best way to show you how well you have done over time, and what elements changed in your SC4 city. The demand system is not doing well: I had half of the acreage of my city covered in middle-wealth families, a quarter in middle-wealth commercial, and a quarter in middle wealth manufacturing. What are the sims telling me? The residents say there are no jobs and not enough shopping. The shops say there are not enough potential employees or shoppers. The factories say there are not enough potential employees or "places to ship their goods", i.e, shops. So yeah, that is perhaps the most essential system in the game and it's currently half-baked. It is visually decent, but the animations are still buggy (i.e. sims jittering around as if possessed).
    I believe it is completely fair to compare this game to SC4, particularly as the developers have spent plenty of time alluding to the connection between the two. At this moment in time, SC4 is hands-down a more challenging, more complex, and, without a doubt, more rewarding game. The multiplayer aspect was a bold diversion from the logical direction, and has thus far not only failed to add anything meaningfully positive but has made the game literally unplayable for the core market who preordered or purchased in the first days. Obviously, fixing this issue is priority one. Expanding the city size is priority two. These two glaring issues need to be fixed before we can pretend that this game is worth more than $20 (issue one needs to be fixed before this game is worth a penny!). I'm not sure we're ever going to see this game being worth the $60 that so many of us have paid.

    I'm rating a zero, obviously, for the fact that on day two I still cannot play the game. If I were to pretend that I could play the game, I would give it a 3.5. Overall rating rounded up to 2.

    To remake a lyric from Team America: "I miss you more than Electronic Arts missed the mark, when they made SimCity..."    … Expand
  25. Blacknegger
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I'm (was?) a huge fan of the SimCity franchise. But in this game, i gotta admit: EA really *ucked it up. You need an internet connection to play a single player game, and sometimes you got even to wait in order to play it. This was definetly my last purchase at origin. Don't waste your money in this game.
  26. eahatescustomer
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Welcome to EA. Not only did they make a server queue, but if you miss the narrow window when you can click the play button. They go ahead and put you in a whole new queue. Often it is my experience that upon buying an EA game, I'm preparing myself to get treated poorly. EA has done it again with Simcity. This is an awful experience, and EA does not care. Just check out their twitterWelcome to EA. Not only did they make a server queue, but if you miss the narrow window when you can click the play button. They go ahead and put you in a whole new queue. Often it is my experience that upon buying an EA game, I'm preparing myself to get treated poorly. EA has done it again with Simcity. This is an awful experience, and EA does not care. Just check out their twitter which ignores all complaints.

    Welcome to gaming with EA, hope they stop buying good games and ruining them.    … Expand
  27. PRFR
    Mar 13, 2013
    0
    SimCity is the biggest scam in recent gaming history. http://www.reddit.com/r/SimCity/comments/1a5pof/did_ea_lie_about_theoretical_population_sizes/
  28. Nosferatu
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    Regardless of the DRM and wait times hell even the lack of cheetah speed which I'm sure will be fixed. This is not a real SimCity it's a cut down facebook game charged at $70. You can't modify the terrain, can't even add subways, very restricted gaming space and the AI is completely clueless and very unsimulation like. EA took the SIM out of SimCity, but don't worry I'm sure theyRegardless of the DRM and wait times hell even the lack of cheetah speed which I'm sure will be fixed. This is not a real SimCity it's a cut down facebook game charged at $70. You can't modify the terrain, can't even add subways, very restricted gaming space and the AI is completely clueless and very unsimulation like. EA took the SIM out of SimCity, but don't worry I'm sure they will happily sell it back to you over time. DO NOT BUY. Think of it as an online Simcity Societies, masquerading as the game we used to love so much.… Expand
  29. strcrft15
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    The game is completely unplayable. Can't create a city, can't join an already existing game, can't run the tutorial... this isn't just a launch day issue. This is second day. I didn't pay money to wait to play. Waste of time.
  30. simantic
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    As I sit waiting (over an hour at this point) for the server to allow me to play this single player game, I'm struck by these thoughts: EA can force me to install Origin. They can force me to maintain a persistent internet connection. They can force me to wait for the game's release rather than preloading, despite how ridiculous that is since the game requires an operational server toAs I sit waiting (over an hour at this point) for the server to allow me to play this single player game, I'm struck by these thoughts: EA can force me to install Origin. They can force me to maintain a persistent internet connection. They can force me to wait for the game's release rather than preloading, despite how ridiculous that is since the game requires an operational server to play. They can force their DRM down my throat. But they can't force me to give a good rating. Zero, EA. You failed to listen to your customers and have miserably failed at this launch. If you'd like me to rate the game itself, just wait, I'm in the queue to play. Just 20 minutes left... and 20 more... and 20 more...… Expand
  31. rfz88
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Simply terrrible. Once again EA are too greedy for what should even be allowed. This exploitation of EA owned franchises needs to stop...

    /ANTI-EA
  32. loydb
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    They've taken a what used to be a great offline game and ruined it. I do not want always-on, and their screwup of the launch proves why. EA will end up like Ubisoft, crawling back to gamers to offer fake apologies for their draconian crap. Too little, too late.
  33. egn
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    No amount of paid for, EA-sponsored reviews can make up for the ill-conceived fraud that this game is. Sim City has the following restrictions (features) that have all been stated by Maxis employees:

    You must be connected to the internet 100% of the time you are playing. ...... You must connect to Origin to load or save your city (see next item). ...... Games are saved to the cloud    No amount of paid for, EA-sponsored reviews can make up for the ill-conceived fraud that this game is. Sim City has the following restrictions (features) that have all been stated by Maxis employees:

    You must be connected to the internet 100% of the time you are playing.
    ...... You must connect to Origin to load or save your city (see next item).
    ...... Games are saved to the cloud (EA Servers).
    ...... If you're net connection goes down for more than a couple of minutes then all gameplay since last save is lost.
    ...... The installed game is only half the software, the rest is on EA's Serves so requires a fast, reliable internet connection to transfer data.
    ...... Other players Cities will influence yours even in 'single player' mode.
    ...... Saved games once loaded must be saved so you can't change your mind and go back and reload the city.
    ...... If the game flops and servers are switched off (EA averages 2 years or so) it will become unplayable.

    No god mode terraforming. (This includes how much resources are available and where they are).
    No modding allowed at launch (if at all due to online requirements/cloud computing).
    No building density zoning.
    Buildings may spam along a single road.
    Dumbed down micro-management.
    Limited population (Max 100,000 Sims per city)
    The city tile size is only equivalent to a medium city in SC4, and that is the only size available.
    You only get European building sets if you buy the game as a digital download direct from origin.

    I don't care how fun a game is; Any amount of money you pay for this software should basically just be considered rent, because EA will inevitably shut down the servers that you NEED to run this game within the next six months to 2.5 years; after which you'll never be able to play it again.    … Expand
  34. wild_quinine
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Love this game or hate this game, here is what you need to know before purchase: 1. ONLINE only. Not just for activation, but all of the time, which requires a server slot. 2. If you can't get a server slot, the program will wait 30 minutes before *trying to log in again*, which may well result in the same failure to get in. 3. Savegames are not stored on your computer, but on EA'sLove this game or hate this game, here is what you need to know before purchase: 1. ONLINE only. Not just for activation, but all of the time, which requires a server slot. 2. If you can't get a server slot, the program will wait 30 minutes before *trying to log in again*, which may well result in the same failure to get in. 3. Savegames are not stored on your computer, but on EA's servers. 4. Savegames are not stored on all their servers, only one. So if you want to load a save game, you have to log in to the same server as before (see above). To date people have spent more time waiting than playing, and as the waiting game isn't *really* a game, I'm rating ZERO.… Expand
  35. bobloblaw010
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    Fantastically fun game, but Maxis doesn't have control of its servers. I spend most of my time playing alone anyways, they might as well have it be a game that is on your computer. I know they are trying to make money with this DRM business, and Maxis' unwillingness to waiver on this makes the game unplayable (literally unplayable. Even when the servers aren't busy, there is a 25% chanceFantastically fun game, but Maxis doesn't have control of its servers. I spend most of my time playing alone anyways, they might as well have it be a game that is on your computer. I know they are trying to make money with this DRM business, and Maxis' unwillingness to waiver on this makes the game unplayable (literally unplayable. Even when the servers aren't busy, there is a 25% chance that I can play the game at all). Do not buy SimCity.… Expand
  36. Algorath
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    It's the DRM, plain and simple. A beautiful game marred by EA; I have no interest in sharing regions; I'm unable to play my purchase, and I don't believe it's the core game to blame.

    Which is a shame but I can't, in good faith, recommend or rate a title highly if the peripherals mar the experience.
  37. hiel
    Mar 6, 2013
    4
    Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a single player game because it forces me to constantly be online.
  38. ShutUpJustDie
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    A classic example of how not to do it. Servers are usually busy or down. Always-online DRM. The game lags like crazy. It's over-whelmingly easy. Half the content of the game feels like it's missing. In short, this game's launch is probably the worst of any video game ever. A clear sign that it's about time to crash the Titanic that is EA.
  39. 3ch3l0n
    Mar 13, 2013
    0
    Again a crappy game from EA, which was elected as worst company in the USA.
    They ended up even above tobacco- and arms manufacturers.
    After ruining Fifa and Battlefield 3 with bugs, DRM crap and payable DLC... this is just the next game being wiped out by EA. NEVER have I ever given any game a straight zero. But spend so much money on a game you expect it to work. And if it's not    Again a crappy game from EA, which was elected as worst company in the USA.
    They ended up even above tobacco- and arms manufacturers.
    After ruining Fifa and Battlefield 3 with bugs, DRM crap and payable DLC... this is just the next game being wiped out by EA.
    NEVER have I ever given any game a straight zero. But spend so much money on a game you expect it to work. And if it's not working because of a total despicable feature like the obligation to be always online... that's just humiliating and not worth spending 1 buck to it.    … Expand
  40. Mikester7
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    The terrible treatment of legitimate paying customers makes the new Sim City impossible to recommend. Lacking features from the original games show that quality of service does not equal success of the game. EA is certainly not going to care about these issues, DRM or crappy DLC packs of shaved content from the original release if they sell a lot of copies, which is a sad reality with manyThe terrible treatment of legitimate paying customers makes the new Sim City impossible to recommend. Lacking features from the original games show that quality of service does not equal success of the game. EA is certainly not going to care about these issues, DRM or crappy DLC packs of shaved content from the original release if they sell a lot of copies, which is a sad reality with many modern AAA titles.… Expand
  41. wormhole
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM, can't save game when I want, smaller cities, day 0 DLC. Don't bother to get this game. And the best: you can't play single player because of full servers...
  42. sjurhamre
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    WARNING! DRM and Always Online so far, I haven't actually got to playing my game. Servers are a mess, and as many have pointed out what will happen when EA decides that they've had enough of it? Bye bye, money and saved files...
  43. Blackhawk2000
    Mar 6, 2013
    2
    This review is based on my personal experience with the game. I pre-ordered the limited edition of the Sim City, however I wasn't able to actually start downloading the game until 8:00 the next morning. Seems to defeat the purpose of pre-ordering. After the game was installed, I was able to play for about 2 hours before I got a message saying the the SimCity servers were down,This review is based on my personal experience with the game. I pre-ordered the limited edition of the Sim City, however I wasn't able to actually start downloading the game until 8:00 the next morning. Seems to defeat the purpose of pre-ordering. After the game was installed, I was able to play for about 2 hours before I got a message saying the the SimCity servers were down, attempting to reconnect. I don't care about the DRM, but when it effects my gameplay experience, it is unacceptable. The 2 hours of game time I had were fun, but the game comes with so much baggage that it completely sucks the fun out of it. I know that when I am able to play again I'm going to constantly have "SimCity servers are down, attempting to reconnect" in the back of my mind, and wondering how long I'll be able to play. For a company as large as EA this is just ridiculous. They have raised the price of their games, forced you to download Origin in order to play, and then shown complete disregard for their customers. It is a fun game to play but I honestly cannot recommend purchasing it until EA straightens out its problems.… Expand
  44. Suyadon
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I purchased this game yesterday; have yet to be able to play it (can't get on a server). I'm going with a 1 vs a zero because the load screen is really cool to look at. More importantly, there are some nice online video so you can just watch others play vs wasting your day or nights building your own city. I highly, I repeat, highly recommend you purchase this game if you DON'T want toI purchased this game yesterday; have yet to be able to play it (can't get on a server). I'm going with a 1 vs a zero because the load screen is really cool to look at. More importantly, there are some nice online video so you can just watch others play vs wasting your day or nights building your own city. I highly, I repeat, highly recommend you purchase this game if you DON'T want to play it. Hope this has been helpful!… Expand
  45. ibDennis
    Mar 6, 2013
    4
    Ah sim city, we meet again. I have lost so many days/weeks/months of my life to your series. From the original all the way to now. I find that I have a childish giddyness inside me as I login to the game. It seems that the serves are full, well I guess I can wait, if I could give Diablo 3 the patience that its launch needed, then I most certainly can give sim city as much patience. I justAh sim city, we meet again. I have lost so many days/weeks/months of my life to your series. From the original all the way to now. I find that I have a childish giddyness inside me as I login to the game. It seems that the serves are full, well I guess I can wait, if I could give Diablo 3 the patience that its launch needed, then I most certainly can give sim city as much patience. I just hope it's not as much of a let down. Front of the queue at last, I whiled away the wait time with my plans for the grand city of "Our Land", and so begin my first steps back in the land of sim city. While playing I must say that I did enjoy the game. It was beautiful and deep (obligatory that's what she said comment!) My city was beginning to take shape, no longer a village but a town! Then I got dropped:-( You see, I live in an area where I can only get a pretty poor internet connection. 3MB, and it isn't the most reliable either. There are the random drop offs and what not. Now, none of this is EA's fault, however when I reconnected I was back in the queue.... again..... and so I waited..... and unfortunately due to a phonecall I missed my window to get back into the game so I was placed into the queue again.

    Now I admit, I should have been prepared for the always on, but due to my current experience's with their queue and their DRM I have found myself unable to play the single player game I wanted to play. This has left a bitter taste in my mouth and has seriously got me contemplating a pirated copy: I don't pirate "arrrrrr" as I have a job, so I purchase all my games. But this experience made me feel that pirating could be the way to go. Which is a shame, as there is a shining jewel of a game beneath this stool water that is the always on DRM.    … Expand
  46. purutaru
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    A great game marred by EA's always-online requirement and cloud saves.
    1) Autosaving of cities are unclear you do not know when your creations are saved. Crashing to desktop is almost a death sentence as your cities literally disappear or got rolled back to empty wilderness when you log back on. 2) Unable to join servers and therefore unable to play a product you payed for unacceptable    A great game marred by EA's always-online requirement and cloud saves.
    1) Autosaving of cities are unclear you do not know when your creations are saved. Crashing to desktop is almost a death sentence as your cities literally disappear or got rolled back to empty wilderness when you log back on. 2) Unable to join servers and therefore unable to play a product you payed for unacceptable especially when no ETA on fixes are given. 3) If you idle in the join game selection lobby for abit (less than 1hr), after a while you cannot join/load.create any game you get a failed loading message. It's as if they disconnected you from their servers without telling you. Other minor bugs are present but do not impact the game too much. Except traffic pathing AI perhaps.

    Conclusion: Even if you can tolerate the online DRM, the potential loss of your friends' creations upon disconnect/crash is enough to make you give up after 2-3 fresh retries. Don't buy this game until they work out this major problem (on saving cities and crash/disconnect recovery)    … Expand
  47. kaitgamer
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Just incredible..

    Over the years i've purchased many games.. I played the original Sim City The stupidity, greed and incompetence of these people is amazing... I am an easy to please gamer and love all types of games... i was wary when i pre-ordered.. but i was so interested I made the plunge... Shame on EA, shame on Origin, and i don't give maxis a pass either...they hooked    Just incredible..

    Over the years i've purchased many games.. I played the original Sim City

    The stupidity, greed and incompetence of these people is amazing... I am an easy to please gamer and love all types of games...

    i was wary when i pre-ordered.. but i was so interested I made the plunge...

    Shame on EA, shame on Origin, and i don't give maxis a pass either...they hooked up with these people..they made the choices to destroy a game franchise that stood on top of all others.. I actually did get to play for 45 minutes last nite...the experience is uncompelling and the how anybody thought the tiny areas to build your city was a good thing beggars belief...

    its a shame.. basically i just spent $60 to reinstall Sim City4.    … Expand
  48. HonestlyTrue
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    Another example of EA failing royally. Always online, chances you can't reach server, forced social facebook crap, small regions to built cities in, there are simply too many limitations to enjoy the game. Another case of EA trying to build a "product" for the dumb masses and facebook generation, instead of building on the strengths of Sim City 4.

    Played at a friends house and this game    Another example of EA failing royally. Always online, chances you can't reach server, forced social facebook crap, small regions to built cities in, there are simply too many limitations to enjoy the game. Another case of EA trying to build a "product" for the dumb masses and facebook generation, instead of building on the strengths of Sim City 4.

    Played at a friends house and this game is definitely worse than Sim City 4 and tries to be a Societies advanced. So if you are a player with low standards and happen to be a member of the facebook generation you might enjoy this mediocre game, if you are a gamer with standards, you stay clear and tell EA with your wallet that they should finally handle games as games and not as products with limitations, because they think the players have not enough intellect to grasp a more complex gameplay. This mindset of the big publishers sickens me.

    Next gameseries down the drain, just like Dead Space 3. EA has lost their touch, and the developers have to suffer.    … Expand
  49. Vincent81
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Dear EA,

    Sadly your company has again pushed me away from the right path. I realize after a friend has told me that Sim City 5 was released. First thing I thought was its EA..I don't want to support you but the second thought came into my mind was, its Maxis. A company who was created by a brilliant programmer Will Wright (which to be honest I look up to and hope to one day achieve    Dear EA,

    Sadly your company has again pushed me away from the right path. I realize after a friend has told me that Sim City 5 was released. First thing I thought was its EA..I don't want to support you but the second thought came into my mind was, its Maxis. A company who was created by a brilliant programmer Will Wright (which to be honest I look up to and hope to one day achieve something great like him.) However after downloading the game and unable to play after 8 or so hours after I paid $80 (in support to Maxis) I am still unable to create one single city. Its either server are down, unable to login to server please login again, and unable to claim city (this was earlier in the day.) This is a horrendous experience for any customer.

    How does a large company such as yourself able to pour so much money into marketing a game yet unable to provide the support or infrastructure it needs for it to work? Its like Lamborghini made a new car and once they give you the key you can't drive it anywhere. How worthless is that to the buyer?

    Anyways, to go on with what I want to say, you have my $80.00 keep it for your unemployment checks once people are finally fed up with your B.S. I hope every single one of your executives that have had any say in pushing this product out, loose their job, loose their wealth, and have to go live in a homeless shelter. Maybe then that they would learn how to earn a respectable living before falsifying a product and shamelessly using a dearly beloved brand name to fill their pockets first.

    Also I'm probably no longer going to wait for EA to fix this crap. I'll wait for one of the hacker groups out there who are only a team of 10 or so or less able to throw in some codes to make it work offline. Seriously a group of hackers can make this game offline and a GIANT Fing company can't make a mode for offline gaming.

    P.S. If there was an offline gaming, there wouldn't be this rant, SimCity was an offline game. You want online fine, make it an option not a NECCESSARY!

    P.S.S. Comments on hackers, I really hope EA reads it and learn that hackers are going to be this brand savior instead of the opposite. We(consumers) buy legitimate games that we can't play(because of the company foolishness) but if they(pirates) get it illegitimately they will be able to play it...that is one @SS backward way to sell your games! All I can say is I root for the pirates this time all the way!    … Expand
  50. ArsenalMark
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    REVIEW SERVER BUST

    Your server is still experiencing very high volume. You are now in a queue. The "read review" button will become active once space is available. To read review immediately, select another server.

    Next attempt to read: 29:15.
  51. bodean
    Mar 7, 2013
    2
    DRM kills this game, as the previous 1000+ people said. Can't log into servers, always checking for updates. Terrible launch. And now EA will not take a refund on the game. Don't waste your hard earned cash on this company, and their bad products!
  52. TylerDurden85
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Online Only DRM breaks this game. Data does not sync that often, and you can lose hours of work if EA's servers go down or your internet connection cuts out. Servers are also currently very unstable and it's sometimes not even possible to play this game EVEN IN SINGLEPLAYER because you can't connect to the server. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME
  53. allalpha12
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I pay sixty bucks for this game and I can't even play it because of the stupid servers! I don't want to play multiplayer! Why can't i just play Single Player!
  54. frankywashere
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    The Online play completely ruins the game, NO support is offered by EA.

    If they released an OFFLINE version tommorow, this game would get a 9/10.

    But right now the game is litterally UNPLAYABLE. I'm telling you DO NOT make the mistake of buying this game, YOU WILL BE DISSAPOINTED.

    You litterally won't be able to play it.
  55. jynx1911
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Cant play single player because of the ridiculous DRM meaning that you cant play offline, had the game since release and only been able to have a few hours game time, then i got hit by the servers being full, to top that off i then tried to contact their shoddy costumer service, DO NOT BUY THIS GAME
  56. MRItech1211
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought the game on release day, and 3 days later, still unable to play. Completely disappointed that a company like EA can't deliver what is promised to its customers. I am not bashing the game it self, I am bashing the launch, and the fact that they didnt offer any sort of offline mode to play this game alone if you wanted to. Truly disappointing that they have made this DRM stuff soBought the game on release day, and 3 days later, still unable to play. Completely disappointed that a company like EA can't deliver what is promised to its customers. I am not bashing the game it self, I am bashing the launch, and the fact that they didnt offer any sort of offline mode to play this game alone if you wanted to. Truly disappointing that they have made this DRM stuff so ridiculous to the point that it has crippled the game itself.… Expand
  57. Jerik02
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Aside from issues such as origin, requiring a constant internet connection (I already have this wonderful device to save my games it's called a hard drive), and DRM which has been proven to promote piracy, the game is simply crap. Regions cannot be edited, the city sizes are tiny and all the finger details which made simcity great are gone. This is simply a dumbed down version of simcityAside from issues such as origin, requiring a constant internet connection (I already have this wonderful device to save my games it's called a hard drive), and DRM which has been proven to promote piracy, the game is simply crap. Regions cannot be edited, the city sizes are tiny and all the finger details which made simcity great are gone. This is simply a dumbed down version of simcity 4 that looks nice. Check the ratings, the prime demographic has spoken, but as usual EA is too stupid to listen to their customer base. Ignore the hired spokesmen, which includes the media, this game is crap.… Expand
  58. nichollz
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    The game is a bit of a mess. They introduced the glassbox engine to make a realistic city simulation, yet what it simulates is totally unnecessary and meant that the maps were stupidly small. The way it simulates resource distribution and things like using "agents" for everything is silly as it could be done in a less intensive way. Similarly, simulating every single person, while a coolThe game is a bit of a mess. They introduced the glassbox engine to make a realistic city simulation, yet what it simulates is totally unnecessary and meant that the maps were stupidly small. The way it simulates resource distribution and things like using "agents" for everything is silly as it could be done in a less intensive way. Similarly, simulating every single person, while a cool idea on paper, is actually kind of pointless in a city builder and is more akin to a Sims expansion pack. So what you get is an overly complex simulation to create realism, yet the irony that square little cities with only one road connection to the outside world and surrounded by green wasteland, is totally unrealistic. How can you immerse yourself in the game when you know that you're playing a city building game where it's not possible to build a city?

    Thinking about the amazing regions I created on SC4, this is such a huge step backwards, and for what? 3D graphics and tiny maps. Other gripes include;

    -City tile size means you need efficiency, making the introduction of curvy roads a damp squib.
    -Always online; I live in a village with poor internet, thanks for thinking about us EA.
    -Lack of mixed zoning.
    -Density now decided by road type, and not seeing the full plot area when zoning.
    -Can no longer save cities.
    -No adjacent tiles which made SC4 a truly epic game in scale. -Graphics are ok, but given the massive trade-off with the tiny tiles you'd think they'd be better than "ok".    … Expand
  59. theoldgamer
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    My 10 year old has finally given up on trying to get into SimCity (tenacious as he is) he just wouldn't believe me that a company would release a game he couldn' t play when he had the physical disk in his hand. Poor little guy doesn't understand corporate greed yet. I explained to him there once was a time where PC Gamers could purchase a game once, and enjoy it forever (RememberMy 10 year old has finally given up on trying to get into SimCity (tenacious as he is) he just wouldn't believe me that a company would release a game he couldn' t play when he had the physical disk in his hand. Poor little guy doesn't understand corporate greed yet. I explained to him there once was a time where PC Gamers could purchase a game once, and enjoy it forever (Remember SimCity 4?). Now it looks like we've merely paid $60 to rent the opportunity to play in EA's sandbox the way they want us too. I made an effort to avoid those kids on the playground. I was excited about purchasing 3 copies so my sons and I could all play together. Now we've all decided to just share the one copy. Oh yeah, all you readers. There is even a clause right on the game CD case that states EA only needs to provide 30 days notice and then can shut down the servers for the game... until EA states otherwise, this is essentially telling you the game will be useless after that time!!! The ultra tiny maps just were the icing on the cake lol... Sorry EA. Big, Fat, Giant Fail. Since it's not possible for me to get a refund I'll just have to count on mine and the thousands (if not millions) of unhappy consumers who've taken to the blogosphere to and now you need to answer to everyone. Hopefully EA can make right. Remove the DRM (online only) play. Give us the larger maps, Let us save our games locally, let us play single player locally and let us enjoy the game for as long as we damn well please. We PAID for it!!!!… Expand
  60. Porzelan
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    No Singleplayer option Offline? What the What happened to the Sim City I loved? Also the sizes of the Citys are just laughable. It is not satisfieng in any sense. Goodbye Sim City...
  61. gamebot1984b
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. Between the tutorial freezing, "unable to claim city" bug, and server constantly dropping connections the game was launch in an unplayable state. This is the final straw I will NEVER be buying another EA product
  62. Koruna
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This is what you get for having an always online DRM Model: If your launch goes poorly, expect your customers to give your game a score of 0 when they are trying to play the game but are forced to write reviews on metacritic instead of playing what they paid for. It does not matter how good your product is if you fail to deliver it on time or intact.

    Your cities are at the mercy of EA's    This is what you get for having an always online DRM Model: If your launch goes poorly, expect your customers to give your game a score of 0 when they are trying to play the game but are forced to write reviews on metacritic instead of playing what they paid for. It does not matter how good your product is if you fail to deliver it on time or intact.

    Your cities are at the mercy of EA's benevolence and server stability, neither of which they possess. If their servers go down, your cities do not save and you receive a large roll-back; that's if you can log back in to begin with. Launch day has been very bad, despite EA's numerous assurances they would be able to handle the load. They refused to let players pre-launch the game, for no explicable reason, so many customers have not even downloaded the product due yet. The cities spaces are very small. It forces you to use multiple regions by yourself, or play with others in order to have an efficient metropolis. You cannot modify the terrain in any way. You cannot un-do, quick-save or quick-load.    … Expand
  63. lmirante
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This game LOOKS like it will be good but who knows? It's not as if you're able to play. I paid $80 for a game I cannot play after spending an hour downloading it and another 15 minutes waiting to get connected to a server. Played for just long enough to feel my way around and then it just hung. I have no idea what state it will be in when (if) I get back in. So let's assume somedayThis game LOOKS like it will be good but who knows? It's not as if you're able to play. I paid $80 for a game I cannot play after spending an hour downloading it and another 15 minutes waiting to get connected to a server. Played for just long enough to feel my way around and then it just hung. I have no idea what state it will be in when (if) I get back in. So let's assume someday they work out these problems. What happens when EA decides it doesn't want to support the game anymore? I just can't play? Everyone who can't play should cancel their credit card payments.… Expand
  64. fyocouch
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Awesome launch, EA. No really...way to keep paying customers from playing your game in SINGLE PLAYER with your servers not working. And now, there's forced rollbacks due to server errors. G.G.
  65. iHateEA
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA has ruined SimCity. Thanks guys for the worst game of the year all thanks to DRM.

    Send money from city to city no.
    Log into play game no.
    Want to play a single player game no.
  66. osage888
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Unfortunately the game crashes while loading, so I can't really comment on what remains merely theoretical gameplay. I should also mention that I installed it on two different systems, both running MANY other games successfully. Without any response (at all) from EA, I can only conclude they released it prematurely. Too bad too, since I'm a long time SimCity fan.
  67. DoctorPloxo
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    So after spending $80 ($20 more than I should) to play this game, I was greeted with very long queue times. To play a single player game. So, okay, whatever. After waiting forever to get in the game, I started playing. I did not enjoy myself. The cities were tiny, there were limited transporation options, no terraforming you all know this by not. But, maybe it'll pick up soon, I thought.So after spending $80 ($20 more than I should) to play this game, I was greeted with very long queue times. To play a single player game. So, okay, whatever. After waiting forever to get in the game, I started playing. I did not enjoy myself. The cities were tiny, there were limited transporation options, no terraforming you all know this by not. But, maybe it'll pick up soon, I thought. So I continued. Then the servers went down (or maybe a slight hickup on my end), and I got kicked out of the game. Due to an internet issue. In a single player game. Fine, whatever. Relaunched the game, more queues. Got pretty frustrated now, but wanted to eat least get to the meat of the game. I wanted through yet another queue, only to log in and find my city was corrupted. It was saved on their servers. Why the hell was it corrupted?

    So I uninstalled and asked for a refund. Giving the game 1 star instead of 0 because I actually got one. Thanks for ruining another franchise, EA.    … Expand
  68. oliver1h
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Basically you buy a game for full price, and you do not even own it. Imagine 5 years from now EA closing the servers for the game. What now? You have a game you paid full price, but you can not play. Honestly if you pay for this, you are one of those people who do not mind being fooled by multi-billion-dollar corporations that exploit gamers. EA is ruining the gaming world with itsBasically you buy a game for full price, and you do not even own it. Imagine 5 years from now EA closing the servers for the game. What now? You have a game you paid full price, but you can not play. Honestly if you pay for this, you are one of those people who do not mind being fooled by multi-billion-dollar corporations that exploit gamers. EA is ruining the gaming world with its actions. You can vote with your wallet! I only feel sorry for the developers who put a lot of work into their game just to be ruined by EA.… Expand
  69. kkeller20
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I will never again buy a single player game that requires a game server. Nothing more frustrating than not being able to play your game you bought, with the exception of playing it then have none of what you've done saved because the server went down.
  70. Mcbogsters
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    EA completely deviated from what used to make Sim City great. If you're expecting this game to be better or even similar to SCR4 or SC2000 you are in for a serious surprise. EA has turned the Sim City franchise into a watered down Sims clone. Instead of focusing on bigger macro city building, EA's main concern is making sure each sim has a name and where they are 24 hrs a day!!! Wow whoEA completely deviated from what used to make Sim City great. If you're expecting this game to be better or even similar to SCR4 or SC2000 you are in for a serious surprise. EA has turned the Sim City franchise into a watered down Sims clone. Instead of focusing on bigger macro city building, EA's main concern is making sure each sim has a name and where they are 24 hrs a day!!! Wow who cares. The space you get to build your city is so small you feel like you never can fully max out your city. And don't get me started on the DRM included in this game. This game honestly feels like it should have been a free to play game on Facebook instead of something we pay $60 for. You know any improvements that should have been included in the launch will be offered as a extra buy-able item. My suggestion is to save you money for a better game or wait until you find this thing on the discount rack.… Expand
  71. Loriftw
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The biggest Rip-Off in the history of Gaming! If EA doesn't Patch in Online instant, smart people will never ever buy a EA Game again.
    60$ for nothing! You can't even play this terrible
  72. Yubbie
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Always on DRM/required constant internet connection for a single player game is a failure. Inadequate servers to handle the traffic to purchase and play the game is a failure. Grats EA on a failed launch for a single player game. GRATS!
  73. kkqd1337
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    this is a shame. simcity is a good game. however, greed has got to EA. the game is expensive to buy, must be used online, and in reality is nothing more that an online store for you to buy more and more DLC over the years. give this a miss i could forgive it if the games were free.
  74. SharkChum
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I've played games all my life. I still remember finding Space Invaders in the Montreal airport on way to a family vacation. This game and install have been the worst I have ever encountered. I can see crappy software but crappy software that has hooped my entire PC is shocking.
  75. paketep
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Origin, DRM that won't let you play this as a single player game and a complete lack of saving and reloading makes this POS rather unworthy of the name SimCity. FU, and F your online checks, EA.
  76. Nathire
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    Yes, this game is a lot of fun. Yes, it's more user friendly than the old versions of SimCity, but what does that matter whenever their servers that you HAVE to use are down? You can't play if that's the case and, surprise surprise, that's the case this morning on the -first- day of launch. Hopefully this deplorable score will wake up EA to finally get their act together.
  77. Boelens
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    The game itself, as I have seen is lots of fun. However, the restrictions are horrible. Cloud based saving, so you can't have your save files on your PC, small cities, and the DRM,always online Origin. This game could have been good, but they made it terrible.
  78. Shaddock
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Despite promises of servers being ready I am unable to access what has in the past been a single player game due to always online DRM. I have no issues with the concept in theory from my side as I have an extremely reliable internet connection, but if the company itself cannot have and keep their servers up to allow me to access products I paid for they shouldn't do it.

    EA knows    Despite promises of servers being ready I am unable to access what has in the past been a single player game due to always online DRM. I have no issues with the concept in theory from my side as I have an extremely reliable internet connection, but if the company itself cannot have and keep their servers up to allow me to access products I paid for they shouldn't do it.

    EA knows exactly how many preorders and copies they expected to sell on day 1, there is no excuse to not have been prepared for the server loads they are experiencing. My complete inability to access my game has resulted in the given score.    … Expand
  79. Rockoman100
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This game is a disgrace to the SimCity franchise. In summary, this version of SimCity equates to a dumbed-down Facebook game. The always-online-DRM is pretty much a dealbreaker, but I might have still considered buying it if it weren't for the restrictions this system places on you. So as the term suggests, always-online-DRM means there is NO offline single player for this game. Want toThis game is a disgrace to the SimCity franchise. In summary, this version of SimCity equates to a dumbed-down Facebook game. The always-online-DRM is pretty much a dealbreaker, but I might have still considered buying it if it weren't for the restrictions this system places on you. So as the term suggests, always-online-DRM means there is NO offline single player for this game. Want to play a single player world? Cool, you can do that, just sign into our servers first. Don't have internet? Need to pass the time on an airplane? Just play SimCity- oh wait, you can't. Ok, surely it can't be THAT big a deal, right? Wrong, not when you learn that you can't even save your worlds to your own hard drive. Everything you do has to be stored in EA's collection of poorly sustained servers. This also removes some of the magic of the old SimCity games, since it restricts you from destroying a city and reloading from an old save. This DRM system is restricting pretty basic freedoms of gaming. So there's the DRM system, which is a dealbreaker in itself, but what about the gameplay? Good news, that's a dealbreaker too. The cities are extremely small, you have no control over regional transport, there are no subways, and there is no terraforming. This game is completely misleading. This version of SimCity does not qualify as a full fledged video game. It qualifies as a Facebook game, at best. Don't waste your money on EA's little trap.… Expand
  80. RPGFan2
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This is an $80 facebook game. This origin (spyware) dumbed down piece of garbage, not only costs $80 for the full game (any lesser version witholds ingame content), but comes intact with intrusive, always-online DRM. Many people, even reviewers, were unable to access their games or load old saves because this. As a consumer, we should have a zero-tolerance for this sort of practice andThis is an $80 facebook game. This origin (spyware) dumbed down piece of garbage, not only costs $80 for the full game (any lesser version witholds ingame content), but comes intact with intrusive, always-online DRM. Many people, even reviewers, were unable to access their games or load old saves because this. As a consumer, we should have a zero-tolerance for this sort of practice and boycott any game which is essentially an $80 rental. As to the content of the game, the city plots are abysmal in size, deals with neighboring cities is done automatically, connections with other cities (highways and rails) is done automatically, and much content like subway stations have been cut. The overall nature of the game is so limited that it when taken into context with it's social gaming aspects, you have to conclude that would be better fit for a facebook or iphone game.… Expand
  81. dubesor
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I paid 80 EUR (that's $104) for a game I can't play. The DRM is simply BS. I had to wait 30 minutes in a queue just to get told once that time was over that servers are busy and the client was closed. This is unacceptable.
  82. Ryanjf
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Can not play offline. Servers are overwhelmed and since it uses DRM, even if you get connected, it will disconnect you when it randomly checks your license and can't connect to the server.
  83. viatorci
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    When working properly, the game is enjoyable. However, there remains few opportunities to enjoy the gameplay with beleaguered servers unable to connect preventing players from using their purchased products (even in a single player environment).
  84. CNaish
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    The menu looks and works great. However, I can't play it because the servers are down. Supposedly, the city size limits are pretty bad as well, but I'll give the game a 1 in the hopes that they'll patch in a bigger city size.
  85. Zacpod
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Small maps, always on DRM, and overloaded servers that don't allow you to play single player games offline. Pathetic. EA needs to go bankrupt. 1 star as it IS pretty.

    CitiesXL is a MUCH MUCH (x1000) better game, doesn't require an internet connection for single player games, and will happily let you play 10 years from now.
  86. wingman2
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Always-Online DRM requirements made me be put into a queue to just play by myself! This game is going to flop and then my money will be wasted even harder when EA eventually shuts down their servers and I'm not allowed to play the game at all.
  87. Lightang3l
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    EA.... people who pirate your game WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT IT TO BEGIN WITH!
    Thous 15.000 people who would have donwnloaded it would have done so because it was FREE! They are not going to come running to you...they will just play something else!
    Now the people who LOVE Simcity have to go through all your and have no control over the game, no saves, no nothing! I can't play on a train,    EA.... people who pirate your game WOULD HAVE NOT BOUGHT IT TO BEGIN WITH!
    Thous 15.000 people who would have donwnloaded it would have done so because it was FREE! They are not going to come running to you...they will just play something else!
    Now the people who LOVE Simcity have to go through all your and have no control over the game, no saves, no nothing!
    I can't play on a train, can't play on a long trip, can't play when there is no internet, can't play when your servers go down.. I CAN'T PLAY !
    And what about 5 years down the road...what then EA when your servers close down and I'm left with a plastic disk shaped corpse of a game??? I can play simcity2000 50 years from now...can I play this game then??
    REVIEW: The game is awesome... but EA made it unplayable and not worth the trouble!
    sad...    … Expand
  88. Haajib
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    This game had potential, but even more problems that needed to be solved. Their sell scheme is a bizarre combination of licenses, cut content from the game, and day one DLC. The game itself punishes you for playing alone, due to the fact that you are extremely limited to expand anything, giving the fact that you only get 2km x 2km to build at, while other Sim city games in the past had 10This game had potential, but even more problems that needed to be solved. Their sell scheme is a bizarre combination of licenses, cut content from the game, and day one DLC. The game itself punishes you for playing alone, due to the fact that you are extremely limited to expand anything, giving the fact that you only get 2km x 2km to build at, while other Sim city games in the past had 10 times as much space.

    Because of this bizarre turn of event you are forced to build other cities connected to your city forms of transportation and design each and every city in a theme, in order to supply all sectors with water, jobs, transportation etc. Your town only regenerates income or resources when you load the city, you are being punished for playing alone, because your other cities connected to your prime city wont generate anything. You solve this issue by forcing your friends to purchase a license to the game and let them take control over your other districts, hence generating resources needed to run you main city. You know by now that the forced Online DRM will kick you if your internet stops working for a second, you will lose progress, money and buildings when the game kicks you and shuts the game down when your internet goes down.

    Full EA servers that forces you to wait hours to play is also bad.    … Expand
  89. fastica
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    It's Diablo 3 all over again, but this is worse, because SimCity always was a single player game and now it doesn't even have an option to play it offline. Also, the cities are extremely small, there is no terraforming, can't load a previous save (no experimentation), there is useless and unrealistic empty space between cities and lack of transportation options (no subways!). I hate you EAIt's Diablo 3 all over again, but this is worse, because SimCity always was a single player game and now it doesn't even have an option to play it offline. Also, the cities are extremely small, there is no terraforming, can't load a previous save (no experimentation), there is useless and unrealistic empty space between cities and lack of transportation options (no subways!). I hate you EA for ruining one of my favorite franchises.… Expand
  90. Nomus
    Mar 6, 2013
    2
    It's incredible how the greed for money can ruin user experience. And those EA guys trying to convince us that DRM implemented in the game is totally alright. Seriously EA i stop buying your games you don't deserve it. YOu deserve to die as a company that kills nice IPs and gamedev companies. That DRM that doesn't allow you to play SP is just a last drop.
  91. Mudget
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    DRM with endless problems logging on to a single-player game. Check.
    A city so small you're done in an hour or two. Check.
    A future of nickle-and-diming paid customers to death. Check. Following the profit structured Social version rather than the fan-beloved SimCity 4 version. Check. Run by EA. Check. Critics giving 9's and 10's after playing on private servers for critics.    DRM with endless problems logging on to a single-player game. Check.
    A city so small you're done in an hour or two. Check.
    A future of nickle-and-diming paid customers to death. Check.
    Following the profit structured Social version rather than the fan-beloved SimCity 4 version. Check.
    Run by EA. Check.
    Critics giving 9's and 10's after playing on private servers for critics. Check. Everyone else giving 0-3 rating. Check.

    Efforts like this MUST fail or it is all we will get in the future. I remember the days when I would call in sick to work to play an awesome newly-released game. I'd spend hours playing and I wouldn't regret playing hooky at all. Now you try to do it only to discover that you spend the day in a que waiting to play a single-player game you already paid for. Thank god I tried it at a friend's house. Once it actually logged him on (an hour later), and four interruptions and two hours later, and we felt like we were basically done. Couldn't expand any further.

    This isn't the rebirth of SimCity and this isn't the way games should be made and marketed. Protest with your wallet. Keep it closed.    … Expand
  92. kalahari
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Wow, disappointment of the decade. Horrible DRM, microscopic maps, basic features missing. You're locked into a specific playing style. "Your city, Maxis' way" (or the highway if that doesn't suit you).
  93. dwood82
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I don't usually hold sway with down-rating games on metacritic, but this release ticks enough obnoxious-boxes that I feel it's warranted.
    The £45 asking price on Origin is obscene, especially considering the inevitable drip-feeding of endless DLC content that should rightfully be included in the game.
    The DRM is inexcusable, no matter how much they dress it up as "social gaming" if it's    I don't usually hold sway with down-rating games on metacritic, but this release ticks enough obnoxious-boxes that I feel it's warranted.
    The £45 asking price on Origin is obscene, especially considering the inevitable drip-feeding of endless DLC content that should rightfully be included in the game.
    The DRM is inexcusable, no matter how much they dress it up as "social gaming" if it's mandatory in a single-player game, it's wrong.

    Really, the DRM and premium content would be entirely justifiable if they transitioned to a Free To Play model. Nobody could argue then.
    I'll be damned if I'm going to fork over £45 up front for the privilege of being exploited though.

    The game might be amazing... looks like I'll never know.    … Expand
  94. iamweard
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    The minimum needed to be called a game is the ability to play it. As i cannot play the game that i purchased it is of no function or value, it is not worth the money i payed for it. If i wanted to play this game after the launch date i would have waited and bought it when it goes on sale. This always on must end, DO NOT BUY. DOES NOT WORK.
  95. SubNoize
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Being forced to always be online is pathetic. The servers have had issues since launch and i'm unable to play the game. I've started my city twice now and have had the servers crash and roll back.

    What a joke.
  96. tokyo_hot
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    this game too many problems. please dont buy, thanks all for reading. Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta andthis game too many problems. please dont buy, thanks all for reading. Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta and the city size limits are awful. But it isn't all bad,… Expand
  97. ND3G
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    How soon we forget. The uproar over Simcity started long before the game was even released. The issue never had anything to do with whether or not the servers worked properly, it had to do with the fact that they shouldn't be necessary at all. Until EA removes the online requirement this game remains a very deserved zero.
  98. cpoole
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Do not buy this game, wait for the cracked, free, torrent with true offline single player to be available. The always on DRM in this game completely devalues and worsens the experience. Im sure the game plays great... when it works. But so far I have yet to be able to access the servers and there is no sign of the problem getting better. Also no ability to transfer between servers and zeroDo not buy this game, wait for the cracked, free, torrent with true offline single player to be available. The always on DRM in this game completely devalues and worsens the experience. Im sure the game plays great... when it works. But so far I have yet to be able to access the servers and there is no sign of the problem getting better. Also no ability to transfer between servers and zero offline capability. That means if your internet goes out, or you want to play on the airplane, train, or car you're SOL. Not to mention when EA takes down the servers a year from now you won't be able to play the game any longer. Do not support this game or EA's bull… Expand
  99. kache
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    While it might be a good game, the always online DRM for single player is an insult to the player base (another one of a long series of insults from EA to their customers), and it's absolutely unacceptable. It seems EA didn't learn anything from Ubisoft's DRM failure...
  100. JimmyE3
    Mar 6, 2013
    2
    DRM, small map size, forced "social" gaming. I want to like this game so very badly, but those 3 things alone are almost enough for me to not want to pick up where I left off on my city.....ohhhh WAIT, no, I cant pick up because the servers wont let me right now. Thats right...
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 75
  3. Negative: 10 out of 75
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    65
    Given enough patches and DCLs, SimCity might eventually become the game that should have been on its release and justify the ambiguous choices that its developers made. [May 2013]
  2. Games Master UK
    May 9, 2013
    68
    Hints at great things but is limited by small cities and promises it can't deliver on. [June 2013, p.80]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    May 9, 2013
    40
    There's more problems with this game than I have words. Looks great though. [June 2013, p.80]
See all critic reviews »