User Score
2.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4557 Ratings

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  1. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I really enjoy paying 60.00 for broken games that when they do actually allow you to play them on their serves the game was coded like such crap it crashes every 5 minutes. No other brand new game I play does this..... wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiierd
  2. Mar 6, 2013
    1
    It is absolutely unacceptable for a single player game to be unplayable more than 24 hours after launch. The city sizes (the few hours I actually played) are tiny compared to last titles, filled with bugs, and my City has been totally lost due to the server issues. A disastrous launch and title that, to me, is worse than the Diablo 3 debacle because this is a single player game withIt is absolutely unacceptable for a single player game to be unplayable more than 24 hours after launch. The city sizes (the few hours I actually played) are tiny compared to last titles, filled with bugs, and my City has been totally lost due to the server issues. A disastrous launch and title that, to me, is worse than the Diablo 3 debacle because this is a single player game with multiplayer mechanics forced on the player in an attempt to justify the 'always online' requirement. Shameful. Expand
  3. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Like everyone else, I have not been able to play this product due to the inadequate servers. My friends and I woke up early Tuesday morning to start the download since pre-loading was not available, only to find that the game servers were completely bugged out and overloaded. This problem continues tonight, and I have given up hope and have been biding my time trying to spread awareness ofLike everyone else, I have not been able to play this product due to the inadequate servers. My friends and I woke up early Tuesday morning to start the download since pre-loading was not available, only to find that the game servers were completely bugged out and overloaded. This problem continues tonight, and I have given up hope and have been biding my time trying to spread awareness of EA and how terrible they are. This isn't the first release they have had these problems with (Bad Company 2), and I'm sure it won't be their last. One thing is certain... I'm done buying titles from EA. Done. Expand
  4. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I paid $80.00 for the "Limited Edition". Two days later I still haven't been able to play the game due to server errors and other bugs in the program. I did not realize there would not be an option to play offline. Do NOT waste your money on this game!
  5. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Awful, awful game. I have yet to even open the game because of all the issues going on. It is completely unresponsive, will not connect to any server or give me server options, and I feel like I just flushed $60 of my hard earned money down the toilet due to EA's lack of response on the issue. Several people are recommending you buy an older version of SimCity, and previously I was all forAwful, awful game. I have yet to even open the game because of all the issues going on. It is completely unresponsive, will not connect to any server or give me server options, and I feel like I just flushed $60 of my hard earned money down the toilet due to EA's lack of response on the issue. Several people are recommending you buy an older version of SimCity, and previously I was all for Sims and Simcity, but Ea has burned their bridge with me. I previously purchased Sims, expansion packs, etc and am infuriated by the fact that I can't even play my game. Do NOT by this game!! Expand
  6. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Will not load, EA reps say all servers are online, yet can not connect to any server. There is no customer support to speak of. EA will not offer any refunds for their defective products.
  7. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Spent $90 on this against my better judgement. Never again. Can't even play the game. Like buying a luxury car and having it breakdown before leaving the dealership parking lot. Since when is this acceptable?
  8. Mar 6, 2013
    1
    Anyone rating this game above a 5 hasn't played SimCity 4, or has a poor memory. In addition to its multitude of DRM flaws, the new SimCity feels cramped, small, and pokey. Have one look at SimCity 4 and you will understand what I mean. The extra eye candy provided is small compensation. How it was rated so highly in the gaming press is beyond me.
  9. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I recommend somebody to buy this game. iv been constantly trying for two days to get in the game iv maybe played for half an hour then got disconnected i dont even want to play multiplayer this is BS.
  10. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Let me begin with good news. I really enjoy this game. It's charming. I love the real-time feedback you get from the game. The building upgrades are a nice feature and the graphics are pretty nice. But here comes the bad news. Obviously the DRM is an absolute disaster. I mean honestly; just scrap this notion that DRM combats piraters because it doesn't. All this does is make gamers pissedLet me begin with good news. I really enjoy this game. It's charming. I love the real-time feedback you get from the game. The building upgrades are a nice feature and the graphics are pretty nice. But here comes the bad news. Obviously the DRM is an absolute disaster. I mean honestly; just scrap this notion that DRM combats piraters because it doesn't. All this does is make gamers pissed off that they have to deal with nonsense that is easily avoidable. I mean Publishers who allow this are only biting the hand that feeds them. I mean I worked a 10 hour shift, tired when I get home and looking forward to playing and imagine hoping on and seeing the servers are down-ON A SINGLE PLAYER GAME!!!!!! lol Expand
  11. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Shame on EA for this shoddy attempt at online DRM. I plan to avoid anything sold exclusively on Origin again in the future.This is the worst game launch I have seen in ages. I was one of the lucky few to get in last night, however the friend invite/private region system appears to be completely broken. Network errors are received every time i try to invite someone to a region. On top ofShame on EA for this shoddy attempt at online DRM. I plan to avoid anything sold exclusively on Origin again in the future.This is the worst game launch I have seen in ages. I was one of the lucky few to get in last night, however the friend invite/private region system appears to be completely broken. Network errors are received every time i try to invite someone to a region. On top of that, trying to log in today it appears that the city i started yesterday is completely gone. The launcher for the game is incredibly slow and inefficient. You can't change servers while it is doing practically anything. Sometimes the launcher just hangs and crashes. If you join a new server you are forced to replay the tutorial city again what a waste of time! Half the time the tutorial city doesn't even load properly, you either get network errors, or if it does load, it fails to initialize and all the controls are grayed out. Whoever decided this game was ready to ship need to be fired. Do not launch your game if the product or the server support is not ready! It is not worth enraging your fans and wasting everyone's time! Expand
  12. Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Just bought the game and have been unable to play to do the servers being down for the past two days since launch. If EA is going to make a game require an internet connection, it is their responsibility to make sure they can actually provide an uninterrupted service. Game companies need to realize that their service is also part of their product and should be judged as part of the game.Just bought the game and have been unable to play to do the servers being down for the past two days since launch. If EA is going to make a game require an internet connection, it is their responsibility to make sure they can actually provide an uninterrupted service. Game companies need to realize that their service is also part of their product and should be judged as part of the game. Don't see how this game currently has an 82 critic score with the atrocious server issues. Critics need to learn to score all aspects of the product, especially if that aspect is a required connection to their servers that the company is failing to provide. I can't play the game, therefore the game gets a 0. Expand
  13. Mar 6, 2013
    2
    The game is OK when it's playable, but beyond not being available most of the time, it still has issues. Single player isn't really possible unless you create multiple cities in a region. I couldn't bring any of my plans to fruition with just a single city, so I had to make a fake city to supply some services to the main one. I'm also almost out of space at maybe 30k people. Of course, IThe game is OK when it's playable, but beyond not being available most of the time, it still has issues. Single player isn't really possible unless you create multiple cities in a region. I couldn't bring any of my plans to fruition with just a single city, so I had to make a fake city to supply some services to the main one. I'm also almost out of space at maybe 30k people. Of course, I haven't been able to play it much because it hasn't been available much. Many, many, many issues with server availability and bugginess. Expand
  14. Mar 6, 2013
    2
    Fun when you can play... unfortunately you cant. This game will be plagued by always-online bull for the entire time its relevant. Its sad but true. Simcity is a single player game at heart. Stop pushing for online BS because tis has obviously failed you.

    AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.
  15. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I couldn't even start playing since the game came out, this is outrages, paying 80 bucks for your game and then it doesn't start at all, EA should fix this ASAP.
  16. Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Since I have not been able to play the game, for any sustained period of time, due to the terrible launch....I have based my rating on my observations as follows.

    A... 0 for, price, launch, service, playability, exclusion of certain portions of the game at launch. B... 6 for, Gaming experience, (Very limited play time) C... 7 for, depth and immersion D... 2 for, Map/Plot size, (I feel
    Since I have not been able to play the game, for any sustained period of time, due to the terrible launch....I have based my rating on my observations as follows.

    A... 0 for, price, launch, service, playability, exclusion of certain portions of the game at launch.
    B... 6 for, Gaming experience, (Very limited play time)
    C... 7 for, depth and immersion D... 2 for, Map/Plot size, (I feel that the area of the city should be bigger)
    E... 0 for, Options of single player, having to use Origin

    Score 3

    I sincerely hope that the developers fix the playability of the title soon. They should have had a smoother launch and should have been prepared having contingency plans in place. Nevertheless...I hope that attend to the problems at hand and communicate well with their clients from this point.

    I also hope that we are not bombarded with package upon package of DLC.

    Further more.....I am not a fan of Origin....and would like to see titles offered across other platforms. I would have bought this through another medium, even if I had to wait longer or pay a bit more.
    Expand
  17. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    If you really want to do an always on DRM game, then make it work. Do not waste your customers time and money by trying to add online DRM that _does_not_work_!

    Do not buy this game yet. Wait for the DotY* Edition coming in a few months. Maybe we players will get an offline mode by then.

    * Disaster of the Year
  18. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    So you pay for a game to play it but you can't get in to the game because the EA server have a lot of problem. Stay away from this game in Release!! you will not get in to the game because server is always overload and the game have a lot of problem! If you buy the game you cannot get the refunds if you can't play the game. EA is a evil money lover company, don't support or buy any of EASo you pay for a game to play it but you can't get in to the game because the EA server have a lot of problem. Stay away from this game in Release!! you will not get in to the game because server is always overload and the game have a lot of problem! If you buy the game you cannot get the refunds if you can't play the game. EA is a evil money lover company, don't support or buy any of EA product. This will be my last game I will ever buy from EA. Expand
  19. Mar 7, 2013
    3
    Score is 3 out of 10. All online ruins this game completely. You're relying solely on the availability and play-ability of servers. If the servers are busy, you wait, if they're down, you don't play, if they're full you don't play.

    Especially when it's only 6 servers.
  20. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Horrible. Hard earned money thrown away on failed, DRM control freak issues. Not even a single player, offline version to play while they try to fix their issues. Played for several hours and lost all progress because of server issues.
  21. Mar 7, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've been a big fan of Simcity since the first game that came out back in the 90's. I'm sorry to say but I'm super disappointed on this release. When I played the beta I thought they were doing fine and on the release week everything turned into a train rack. You can't connect to servers, I worked like 4 hours on a city and lost it, I did it again and lost it again, and it kept taking me to the tutorial every time I went back in the game. Of course my cities completely dissapear and this just sucks. I don't know how much of Maxis fault this is, but maybe Origin have something to do with it since when Battlefield 3 came out they had tons of errors and bugs too. They should at least have an offline option to play kind of like on BF3 right since this is telling us that servers will be down eventually since they also need maintenance, they can be hack, or maybe some kind of hardware problem. Well I hope this is a lesson learn for companies. The GAME: The graphics are cool, the game looks fun, and they improve in a lot of things. The things I don't like, unlike the past simcity you could built Highways, overamps, Subways, Farms, pipes, power lines and a million other options. Not to mention you could customize your terrain, have an extra large terrain and so on. NOW, all of those options are GONE!!!!! WTF!!!

    Anyways, I wish I could give them a good scoring since I pre-order the dam game and I had high expectations and you can find it online already cheaper than the pre-order. THEN END!
    Expand
  22. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game release is clearly shows that a company can sacrifices its customers for profit. I will not buy any game that requires always connected DRM even it is a great game. I prefer more customer oriented companies on kickstarter. I really miss good old days where games are really enjoyable and what matters is gameplay rather than visuals only.
  23. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    City Size too Small, the DRM SUCKS!, I want single player offline, NO MODS, NO HIGHWAYS, I cant believe how ea and maxis ruining this game series, i am seeing coming DLC Store
  24. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I gave this game a 0 because I literally can not play it. I have great internet, a powerful computer, and all of the time in the world. EA's extremely invasive, clunky, and unnecessary DRM system has failed, and I, along with the millions of other people who have purchased and have been let down by this game, are the ones being punished. I have gotten into a few games early in the morning,I gave this game a 0 because I literally can not play it. I have great internet, a powerful computer, and all of the time in the world. EA's extremely invasive, clunky, and unnecessary DRM system has failed, and I, along with the millions of other people who have purchased and have been let down by this game, are the ones being punished. I have gotten into a few games early in the morning, and they were wonderful. My only issue with the game itself is that city size is quite small, but it provides a challenge and i believe that Maxis will fix it eventually. However, EA needs to realize that this is an inexcusable situation. The fact that this game has a 1.7 right now is generous, as most people have been completely unable to play or have lost the cities that they worked for hours on. EA- Please, stop with your childish, anti-consumer tactics. No one likes you, always-on DRM, microtransactions, and especially Origin. No one does. Some people may feel "meh" towards them, but no one likes them. Its such a shame, because games like SimCity, Dead Space 3, Real Racing 3, and Battlefield 3 are legitimately fun games that are hampered by your pathetic services and even worse customer support. You leave consumers in a terrible situation, wanting to boycott your games but being unable to because if only you were not the publisher, people would be in love with many of them. I know the game will work eventually, and at that point id easily give it an 8 or 9. This is solely to drive the score down to make a point to EA that they must stop. And now Amazon stopped selling the game and youre disabling features? Come on, now. Heres to hoping for a better future. Expand
  25. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Can i log in yes,yes, looks like it is going to happen -DAM NOPE, BUT I CAN WAIT FOR 30 MIN TO TRY TO LOG IN DAM YOU DRM. Why always online DRM for a single player game.
  26. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The game is a lot of fun when you're actually playing, but I also feel like they've left a lot out for future DLC. Which EA will inevitably charge an arm and a leg for. I really wish there we're more options to build. The specializations are very limited. The whole package seems condensed. The servers are also terrible. I haven't been able to consistently play since launch. VeryThe game is a lot of fun when you're actually playing, but I also feel like they've left a lot out for future DLC. Which EA will inevitably charge an arm and a leg for. I really wish there we're more options to build. The specializations are very limited. The whole package seems condensed. The servers are also terrible. I haven't been able to consistently play since launch. Very dissatisfied with everything. Expand
  27. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA screwed up this release beyond words. Stay away and screw them buy not purchasing this game. Their customer service is terrible and they refuse to refund customers who purchased the electronic copies digitally. The online DRM screws the legal customers in the end. I will not be playing this game (first SimCity I will have not played).
  28. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Server problems/DRM annoying issues aside, I was really disappointed with the core game. Maps are far too small and gaps on the region map between cities are far too vacant. Looks like a city farm with plots of cities growing. You can't place large highways, as they are part of the region and not the cities. No teraforming aside from changes due to civil construction. No Subways so youServer problems/DRM annoying issues aside, I was really disappointed with the core game. Maps are far too small and gaps on the region map between cities are far too vacant. Looks like a city farm with plots of cities growing. You can't place large highways, as they are part of the region and not the cities. No teraforming aside from changes due to civil construction. No Subways so you cant really have alternate transport in your city b/c the map is filled with roads occupying all the space. You literally fill the entire city limit in like 4 hours of play. Then you have to expand vertically after that. No agriculture industry, so clean industry is impossible until you get your tech up. I went back to Sim City 4 to get my fix, and I actually had fun offline. I did like the curved roads, but you cant put any in a city you want to expand, because the map size forces you to grid for efficiency. Now if you had the entire region to edit without switching views, this game may actually have its new features mean something. This day and age, that should be the scale of a Sim City game. Multiple cities all in the same editable instance. If the online requirement is why this was not done, then that was a bad choice and a significant failure for the SIm City franchise, however much I wish it wasn't so. If things change I'll update my score/edit post, but it'll need more than an offline mode to be sure. Expand
  29. Mar 7, 2013
    1
    Don't buy the game right now. 1 point for the game that maybe is good. 0 point for servers that are constantly too busy. I have not played the game yet but used a lot of time waiting, waiting, waiting...
  30. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    After 4 hours of trying to connect to a server i finally got to play the tutorial only to get 3/4 of the way through it before the server shutting down. Other attempts since then have failed to connect to a server. Online only has ruined this game. From what game i did get to see, graphically was great but not worth wasting hours of time relying on a cloud save or hopeing the servers don'tAfter 4 hours of trying to connect to a server i finally got to play the tutorial only to get 3/4 of the way through it before the server shutting down. Other attempts since then have failed to connect to a server. Online only has ruined this game. From what game i did get to see, graphically was great but not worth wasting hours of time relying on a cloud save or hopeing the servers don't crash/shutdown before a city is even built. This game needs to be available offline to get any decent score from me. Expand
  31. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Doesn't work... plain and simple. I feel like I was cheated. Why am I stuck waiting in a queue for a single player game? Not having local saves is a major issue and I am not confident that EA will be able to fix these issues anytime soon. They should stop selling the game entirely until this is fixed and offer refunds for those who would like one.
  32. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    cant play the game!
    if you log, sometimes crashes
    if you try to create, the serveres cant handle you request
    even playing the tutorial, if you must change the city, the tutorial stops
  33. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I spent 90 dollars on a single player game that DOES NOT WORK WHATSOEVER DUE TO SERVER ISSUES. Since the 30 hours that have gone by since I bought it, I havent had a single opportunity to actually play the game.
  34. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Very small plots compared to the original games and always online DRM makes for one disappointing game. Shame really, I was really looking forward to playing this but all I am looking for now is a refund.
  35. Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I was able to play the game for approximately 14 minutes from a possible 7 hours of attempting to connect. Unfortunately the incompetence of the powers that be mean that I was able to only place one residential zone before connection to the servers was lost. The score of 1 is based on the fact that the game is literally unplayable. I have heard the word 'unplayable' bandied round withI was able to play the game for approximately 14 minutes from a possible 7 hours of attempting to connect. Unfortunately the incompetence of the powers that be mean that I was able to only place one residential zone before connection to the servers was lost. The score of 1 is based on the fact that the game is literally unplayable. I have heard the word 'unplayable' bandied round with many games in the past but I have never seen it to be more of a reality than with SimCity. Horrible game that may possibly have many features but who knows? Expand
  36. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game has only one con: YOU CANNOT PLAY IT. The launch is nothing but another Diablo III disaster, and maybe even worse. It has been three days since I purchased the game, Origin said I spent 35 hours playing it, while 34 of which are spent trying to connect to the server. If you have not bought it yet, I suggest don't do so until EA figures out a solution to the server issue.
  37. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I played for 6 hours and then I crashed the game (I have a PC gaming from 3000 euro). On my return I had lost everything, plus you can only play ONLINE, the servers are always full and people like me who took the deluxe version spending 80 euro, in these hours can not play!
  38. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Worst game launch in my 20+ years of gaming. I would return the game if possible. Maybe that's why EA bothered to launch an unprepared platform. The game was completely unplayable during the first day (crashed constantly). On the second day, the game was palyable only in fifteen minutes increments, before the servers went down. Now into the third day post-launch, the servers have beenWorst game launch in my 20+ years of gaming. I would return the game if possible. Maybe that's why EA bothered to launch an unprepared platform. The game was completely unplayable during the first day (crashed constantly). On the second day, the game was palyable only in fifteen minutes increments, before the servers went down. Now into the third day post-launch, the servers have been taken down for maintnenance at 5pm eastern standard time, with no expected complete time projected on the EA forums. Real good business there. I think I will vist the BBB website next. Expand
  39. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I would first like to say that the few minutes of personal play and videos, such as those on youtube, portray a great game. Now for the good stuff... it is a glitched pile of excrement that requires a third party program and servers that do not work. I have suffered threw crapy launches before with WAR and SWTOR (both EA games maybe there is a pattern...) Now there may be a day when thisI would first like to say that the few minutes of personal play and videos, such as those on youtube, portray a great game. Now for the good stuff... it is a glitched pile of excrement that requires a third party program and servers that do not work. I have suffered threw crapy launches before with WAR and SWTOR (both EA games maybe there is a pattern...) Now there may be a day when this game could be a 9 or even a 10 but it is not that game, it is the game that i have on my computer now that does not work. Point, break, period. Any and all arguments on the contrary are farts in the wind. Expand
  40. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Only EA would make a single-player game that requires online DRM. This game completely deserves a zero because I can't even play it, and I have been trying to play for the past 3 days.
  41. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Right, so after owning this poor excuse for a game (sorry, EA, how dare i presume to 'own' this game, i am merely allowed to play it occaisionally due to your good graces) for about 24 hours, I have been unable to play it AT ALL. I have not been able to even access the tutorial! I have been able to get into the Getting Started screen, about 3 times after continuously trying for almost allRight, so after owning this poor excuse for a game (sorry, EA, how dare i presume to 'own' this game, i am merely allowed to play it occaisionally due to your good graces) for about 24 hours, I have been unable to play it AT ALL. I have not been able to even access the tutorial! I have been able to get into the Getting Started screen, about 3 times after continuously trying for almost all of those 24 hours, but the tutorial just says unavailable at this time and to try again later. When is later? 2-3 weeks? Or half an hour? Occasionally, after failing to launch the tutorial, it will take me to the start screen, where the Play button and the SimWorld buttons don't work. All I have gotten for my $80 purchase so far is a pretty installer screen, another icon on my Origin account and a holographic box the CD came in. Somehow, I feel ripped off. If I released a product, then shipped an empty box with a note saying "terribly sorry, but we experienced technical issues so you'll get the product in a couple weeks" after promising a certain shipping date, I would not be in business very long. I estimate I have spent roughly $2000 on Maxis products alone through EA from Sim City 2000, 3000, 4 and every The SIms game with all expansions plus microtransactions, but this $80 on Simcity5 will be the last Maxis and EA receive from me. I will no longer purchase University Life, or any other expansions or stuff packs, and the excitement I felt over the announcement of The SIms 4 is now dead. I and the whole gaming community require a profound apology for this debarcle, may I suggest upgrading everyone who has bought this fancy icon a free upgrade to the digital deluxe edition as well, or at the very least some sort of refund. EA should feel very proud of one thing though. I'm sure this will go into the history books as the worse product launch in history. Congratulations. Expand
  42. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    It's absolutely pathetic when one can't play a $60 game, single player, without connecting to their servers and yet all in an effort to protect against piracy, they've completely screwed over their paying customers. This deserves a class action lawsuit.
  43. Mar 7, 2013
    2
    Fun game when you can actually play it. Unfortunately, this is rare because of the badly implemented attempt at online-only DRM masked as multiplayer. When you finally manage to connect to the overloaded servers, there is a good chance that your city will not load, any work done to your city will not be saved, or you will be randomly disconnected and forced to wait in the queue again.
  44. Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I purchased this game on Tuesday and have not been able to log into the game as the servers constantly kick me off when I try to log on. I understand that there is an online requirement to play this game, however it is disingenuous to "sell" a game or even a service and not be able to fulfill your portion of a sale. I didn't purchase a game to play it a week from now, I purchased the gameI purchased this game on Tuesday and have not been able to log into the game as the servers constantly kick me off when I try to log on. I understand that there is an online requirement to play this game, however it is disingenuous to "sell" a game or even a service and not be able to fulfill your portion of a sale. I didn't purchase a game to play it a week from now, I purchased the game to play it now. It almost feels like EA knows that they would have had issues but are unwilling to contribute resources for a smooth launch, instead they are waiting to see what the demand is and adjust accordingly. This in my opinion is why this publisher has failed in my eyes. Third day since purchasing the game, yet zero time playing because of access issues. Expand
  45. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Completely unable to play this game because high speed internet is not available to my house. I wouldn't normally blame the game except this is completely EA's decision to require the connection and not an actual game play requirement.
  46. Mar 7, 2013
    2
    Do not buy this game for now. The servers are unstable and always crash, the always online will mean you will have to either wait in que for long periods of time or not be able to log in at all but if you do and try to claim a city it might become corrupt later on, losing you those precious hours spent upon building your master piece. EA has done a horrible job with the games stability. ItDo not buy this game for now. The servers are unstable and always crash, the always online will mean you will have to either wait in que for long periods of time or not be able to log in at all but if you do and try to claim a city it might become corrupt later on, losing you those precious hours spent upon building your master piece. EA has done a horrible job with the games stability. It is sad because the gameplay is very smooth, bright and addicting just like the previous Simcity games except with more complexity and better graphics. Maxis is also at fault here and should take as much responsibility as EA. They have agreed to the always online DRM and EA hosting their servers and have yet paralyzingly allowed people to pre-order and deny people their games. Unless you want to do a card dispute of your purchase then I suggest either waiting for an offline patch, either official or not or just sticking to the good old Simcity 4. Expand
  47. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Why can't I play the f***ing game?
    Why did I spend 40 bucks on a thing that never works?
    Why can't I meet with friend?
    Why did I think that SimCity 2013 is a good game?
    Why EA?

    Why? Why???!
  48. Mar 7, 2013
    2
    This is one of the worst game launches I have seen. I would not recommend playing the game at this time. Problems logging into the server, not being able to find a city that you've spent 3 hours building. In my opinion the DRM is not the problem but the launch has been terribly executed. To save time and frustration it would probably be in most peoples' interest not to try playing for aThis is one of the worst game launches I have seen. I would not recommend playing the game at this time. Problems logging into the server, not being able to find a city that you've spent 3 hours building. In my opinion the DRM is not the problem but the launch has been terribly executed. To save time and frustration it would probably be in most peoples' interest not to try playing for a month until the server issues are resolved. Too bad that you can't get your money back for this. Expand
  49. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Can't play the game that I spent MY MONEY on. Servers are always down... Not to mention several gameplay limitations that previous versions didnt have.
  50. Mar 7, 2013
    1
    Getting ridiculous. I wasn't even planning to buy this game but my friends talked me into it. Single player games has no reason of needing online connections, I actually buy all my games and i'm getting screwed over!
  51. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game is literally unplayable, as the servers are completely broken, a result of the always-on DRM in SimCity. This feature was not advertised, as I would have avoided a purchase altogether if it were. After opening the game's launcher it takes approximately five minutes to check for updates and authenticate with servers. After finally being able to launch the game (the few times it isThis game is literally unplayable, as the servers are completely broken, a result of the always-on DRM in SimCity. This feature was not advertised, as I would have avoided a purchase altogether if it were. After opening the game's launcher it takes approximately five minutes to check for updates and authenticate with servers. After finally being able to launch the game (the few times it is able to complete the update/authenticate process) you are automatically disonnected from the EA/SimCity servers and are unable to access any games as the games must be accessed from their servers. You are forced to exit the program and do the process all over again. After having a few hours of playtime on launch day I have yet to be able to play the game two days afterwards. The few times I was able to access games/servers the game was kept on an infinite loading screen. This game and its servers are broken. EA has also refused to issue a refund on a broken product. Expand
  52. Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I never see so many problems with a game. Server busy, bugs, lost of savegames, and the "solutions" by now from EA and MAXIS are drop features. #SimCity #Fail
  53. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    It's very sad that Maxis had a wonderful game that was made unplayable by EA's nonsense (DRM single-player). Sadly, the only way to get their attention is to not buy their games. Gonna try to send mine back to Amazon and get back my $50.
  54. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    -1 point for the graphical aspect of the game including animations making your city really beautiful and living.
    -0 for the launch, the always connected "thing", the size of the maps, the friends system not working, the arrogance of Maxis, and the "The Simsization" of the game making it more casual
  55. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Horrible "always on" DRM. Unable to save game at will, if it crashes or internet is gone you lose your progress in the game. Ultra tiny maps, no comparison to old versions of the game. plus 59€ for a PC game. are you kidding me? :O

    i want to love this game, but i can not.
  56. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Can't be connected Bravo EA EA Money factory I hope you ll not try again and plummet a good licence
    Perhaps because most cannot get on the servers to play. A complete fail from EA once again, I will not be giving Maxis my money again EA can suck my
  57. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    The game is almost certain a good game, If you ever could get it to install. When a single player game like SimCity get server problems its a big issue for me. I have several old Simcity in my shelf and I enjoy the type of game. But buying a game to enjoy to be hindered by DRM is just stupid. I wish I didn't bought the game right now. Rating 0/10
  58. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    The game itself I would give a 6/10. Tiny maps, half of the standard city sim features missing, forced to rely on other cities. These are the criticisms I would level at Maxis. Overall, it only gets a 0 because the scale doesn't go into the negatives. EA has (like countless times before) taken a much loved franchise and perverted it. They have stolen it's innocence, dressed it up inThe game itself I would give a 6/10. Tiny maps, half of the standard city sim features missing, forced to rely on other cities. These are the criticisms I would level at Maxis. Overall, it only gets a 0 because the scale doesn't go into the negatives. EA has (like countless times before) taken a much loved franchise and perverted it. They have stolen it's innocence, dressed it up in scandalous trappings, and put it out on a street-corner to make them money. Yes, EA is an abusive pimp.

    Also, forced online singleplayer mode. because Simcity wouldn't be Simcity without leaderboards right? and....deathmatches?
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  59. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I bot the game. I suffered through server issues and have actually played more then 20 hours this week. I see lots of requests for reviews of actual game play so I thot I'd write one.
    Still giving this game worst rating even disregarding server issues and losing cites i spent hours on because the server doesn't feel like saving my game at any point.
    Anyway, so the actual game play
    I bot the game. I suffered through server issues and have actually played more then 20 hours this week. I see lots of requests for reviews of actual game play so I thot I'd write one.
    Still giving this game worst rating even disregarding server issues and losing cites i spent hours on because the server doesn't feel like saving my game at any point.

    Anyway, so the actual game play was really fun.. for the first 6 to 8 hours then EVERYTHING STOPS WORKING. Every part of the city seems to be break eventually. Everyone stops going to school, buses stop picking people up, trucks stop delivering. My education adviser says build more schools when my fully functional school classrooms sit empty. Basically all of the features seem to stop working after 6 to 10 hours of play. Gifts to neighboring cities simply disappear. Maps with big mountains are impossible to get roads up to where you are supposed to build the city. My mayor's mansion has no place to plant the flag so i cannot move on to other upgrades. The game seems completely unfinished definitely not ready for release. My fire trucks can not get out of the station because of traffic. Seriously no one lets the FIRE TRUCK in. It's blaring lights are on, but they just drive past it never letting it into the street. Same for police and ambulances. I see cars driving down a street in circles. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the point. Those hours of fun just feel like a trick once everything stops working. I spent 10 hours building this city up only to realize it's a sham of an unfinished beta of a game. Why do I have to send maxis man out on patrol every minute for him to do his job? Why do I have to pay the super hero 1000 dollars to drive around all day to catch a single criminal?

    There are numerous missing UI components. I.E. where is the back button when joining a game so I don't have to go back to main menu every time I join a full game. Where is the filter to filter out full games? How about filtering so I only see regions actively being played so I don't join a dead one. I hope EA doesn't find out my email and ban my origin account for giving a bad review. They do that if you complain on their forums.
    also read they hired Chinese spammers to comment positively about the game. Why just comments, why not buy review spams on metacritic? Oh, probably because of that successful lawsuit against that movie company(Sony was it? i forget) that paid off reviewers of Rob Snider films. Their legal department probably said fake reviews no, comments yes. I am tempted to dispute the charge with my bank to get a refund since EA smugly refuses, but that'd get my account banned for sure and I'd lose my other games. Simply vile, evil evil company practices at work here. Now i understand the hate. Yes, it makes me strong.. gives me focus.
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  60. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Bad-ass game, the new SimCity is so hard you cant even get past the login screen without wanting to smash your screen monitor, I managed to get trough first level of game wich is menu screen, build first city wich i wont see again because the same server next day is busy and not responding
  61. Mar 8, 2013
    2
    YAY! managed to play 45min on EE 3, now cant get back in. THANKS EA!
    if i cant play this game now? how about 5 years from now? this is horrible launch, also even if this was a perfect launch, the city size is about the same size as a stamp. they better fix city size soon, and for free. this might be my last EA game, even ubisoft seems better these days, and ubisoft is terrible.
    ranting
    YAY! managed to play 45min on EE 3, now cant get back in. THANKS EA!
    if i cant play this game now? how about 5 years from now? this is horrible launch, also even if this was a perfect launch, the city size is about the same size as a stamp. they better fix city size soon, and for free. this might be my last EA game, even ubisoft seems better these days, and ubisoft is terrible.
    ranting ranting ranting
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  62. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I would like te write a review, but after spending a LOT of money on it, the game has not worked due to servers offline. A total waste of money. Therefore costumer rating: absolute zero. For EA consumer service also an absolute zero because EA nowhere mentions these problems, nor is EA reachable in any way for specific questions or complaints. Sad to see a legendary game totally destroysI would like te write a review, but after spending a LOT of money on it, the game has not worked due to servers offline. A total waste of money. Therefore costumer rating: absolute zero. For EA consumer service also an absolute zero because EA nowhere mentions these problems, nor is EA reachable in any way for specific questions or complaints. Sad to see a legendary game totally destroys its own name this way. Expand
  63. Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Played for about 3 hours day after launch in the middle of the night. The game was very enjoyable for those 3 hours. Since then, unable to connect, unable to claim a city if I do connect. Should not have always on DRM for this very reason. I've been betrayed by EA and will get a refund, because in gaming, wallets are our only voice. One point for each hour I was able to play in the firstPlayed for about 3 hours day after launch in the middle of the night. The game was very enjoyable for those 3 hours. Since then, unable to connect, unable to claim a city if I do connect. Should not have always on DRM for this very reason. I've been betrayed by EA and will get a refund, because in gaming, wallets are our only voice. One point for each hour I was able to play in the first 48 hours of ownership. Expand
  64. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I've had the game since Wednesday morning, but I've yet to successfully play it. I don't have time to wait for space on a server. I've got about 30 minutes a day to play a game. I need to play it when I want to play it. I have an internet connection with 60 Mbps/down. I shouldn't have any issues with an online game. And yet, I am completely unable to play this one. I didn't have suchI've had the game since Wednesday morning, but I've yet to successfully play it. I don't have time to wait for space on a server. I've got about 30 minutes a day to play a game. I need to play it when I want to play it. I have an internet connection with 60 Mbps/down. I shouldn't have any issues with an online game. And yet, I am completely unable to play this one. I didn't have such issues with Diablo 3, despite the launch issues.

    FAIL EA. This is the first game I've purchased from you in a long time, and it's going to be the last. Piracy or just won't even bother.
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  65. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Don't launch a game, until its ready. If its not ready, don't launch it.

    I bought this game for single player mode only, and yet you are forced to keep an open connection to the internet. If their servers are down (which they are quite a bit during launch so far), you can't play... regardless whether you want to simply play in your own sandbox. Lame.
  66. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    The whole concept and implementation of making this game dependent upon an internet connection and the overwhelmed servers is completely flawed. There should be an off-line and online option! As far as the game play the main flaw is that once resources are used up you have to start a new city? No sense of accomplishment of challenge of saving the city you have spent hours on? There shouldThe whole concept and implementation of making this game dependent upon an internet connection and the overwhelmed servers is completely flawed. There should be an off-line and online option! As far as the game play the main flaw is that once resources are used up you have to start a new city? No sense of accomplishment of challenge of saving the city you have spent hours on? There should be expansion of city limits available after a certain point based on density and other factors. There should be a balance in the way the engine handles 'needs' from the player based on what resources are abundant in a city and which aren't since it differs across landscape. A lot of great idea and mechanics but with flawed logic at the very top and flawed servers that should NEVER be overwhelmed given the resources of EA. Expand
  67. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    You know what I love about single player games? Sitting in never ending server queues for the DRM. This is an awful system. Electronic Farts is a terrible company who has swallowed up the best properties. Forget this game. Play Sim City 4 with mods. At least then you won't be constrained to a tiny city.
  68. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I spent over $70+ Dollers on this game and i can't find an open server to play on!
    Unable to play the game. EA should have had there Servers "READY" at launch DAY!
  69. Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Due to EA Games unreasonable no refund policy for its digital download of Sim City, someone has created a petition on We the People White House website in which with 100,000 signatures the White House will have to form an official response. Thought everyone would like to know....Due to EA Games unreasonable no refund policy for its digital download of Sim City, someone has created a petition on We the People White House website in which with 100,000 signatures the White House will have to form an official response. Thought everyone would like to know.... https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/institute-industry-wide-return-policy-video-games-rely-remote-servers-and-drm-function-properly/nMy1wrtC

    P.S. A lot of potential, just loose the DRM, always on, and increase the city size and I'll be much happier lol.
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  70. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    I registered here solely to come and join the rally against always on DRM. I am 100% fine with a publisher verifying I purchased the game I am trying to play. But why oh why would they need to do this 100% of the time? This isn't the matrix we're not all connected every single second of every day. I buy single player games just for the purpose of playing on trains, buses, on airports,I registered here solely to come and join the rally against always on DRM. I am 100% fine with a publisher verifying I purchased the game I am trying to play. But why oh why would they need to do this 100% of the time? This isn't the matrix we're not all connected every single second of every day. I buy single player games just for the purpose of playing on trains, buses, on airports, when I'm abroad, etc. So I will NEVER buy this game as long as they insist on always-on DRM. Expand
  71. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    It's kinda hard to like a game that you cannot play... Apart from that, i think that the citylimits are terrably small, the deliberately let out important parts of the game so that they can make money from selling DLC's
  72. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Always on DRM with aweful servers means you WILL NOT have the freedom to play a SINGLE PLAYER game whenever you want. Come back from work? Too bad you can't play, thanks for the cash though. The city maps are way smaller than SC4 maps due to server side and engine limitations. Day one DLCs are already documented which is at the VERY LEAST an unethical business practice. Unable to makeAlways on DRM with aweful servers means you WILL NOT have the freedom to play a SINGLE PLAYER game whenever you want. Come back from work? Too bad you can't play, thanks for the cash though. The city maps are way smaller than SC4 maps due to server side and engine limitations. Day one DLCs are already documented which is at the VERY LEAST an unethical business practice. Unable to make sprawling cities, In SC4 a map can be 1/10 that of Manhattan, In this game it's 1/40. Expand
  73. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    EA once again destroys a proud franchise. I've been playing SimCity through all it's iterations since 1989. This version though is so horribly flawed. You cannot play it offline. Period. And even if all is well on your end, EA's servers are so horribly out gunned by the number of people trying to play, that nine times out of ten, you can't even connect to a server. If you are lucky enoughEA once again destroys a proud franchise. I've been playing SimCity through all it's iterations since 1989. This version though is so horribly flawed. You cannot play it offline. Period. And even if all is well on your end, EA's servers are so horribly out gunned by the number of people trying to play, that nine times out of ten, you can't even connect to a server. If you are lucky enough to connect though, the connection drops so frequently that attempting to play the game is akin to enduring an hours-long bout of schizophrenic rage.
    EA: Take note. "Always-On DRM" is a disaster and all you've done is to infuriate hundreds of thousands of your customers. Patch in an offline mode and salvage what little of your tattered reputation remains.
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  74. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Always on DRM ruins this single player game. Diablo 3 all over again. Had I known, which is admittedly my own fault for not researching this game more thoroughly, I wouldn't have bought it. The game was fun for the whole 2 hours I've been able to play it since launch.
  75. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    This game is entirely comprised of server errors and endlessly failing to run. If it does run, it crashes without saving. I will never buy another EA game with online copy protection again. EA is quite simply incompetent and has sold a product which does absolutely nothing.
  76. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Looks promising but one thing gets in the way of a good game Can't even play.. 4 days after release... Servers are always crashing down and city are not syncing..! Enough said.
  77. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    While the load screen is clean and to the point, the lack of actual gameplay make this title hard to love. Perhaps it's my own fault for thinking that SimCity allows you to build a city, when in fact it seems to be nothing but a loading screen for a City-building game which is impossible to log into.
  78. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Di sicuro il gioco meraviglioso.. o almeno cosi penso perchè dopo 2 giorni ho visto solo la schermata introduttiva.. nulla... niente... utilissimo avere un gestionale chiaramente e da sempre SINGLE PLAYER costantemente online... Grazie EA... mi hai fatto odiare una delle mie saghe preferite... REINSTALLO SIM CITY 4!!!!!
  79. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    This is looking to be a trend with the gaming industry, forcing gamers to be online for games that are clearly single player games. In doing so, all they do is deter paying customers from playing the game. Diablo 3, Simcity, pretty sure there are others but these are the big ones. This should never have happened if the game was properly stress-tested and QAd, but the gaming industryThis is looking to be a trend with the gaming industry, forcing gamers to be online for games that are clearly single player games. In doing so, all they do is deter paying customers from playing the game. Diablo 3, Simcity, pretty sure there are others but these are the big ones. This should never have happened if the game was properly stress-tested and QAd, but the gaming industry doesn't care about their consumers anymore. This happens when big publishers like EA buy up all the intellectual properties and churn out games that are unfinished or locked and force you to pay them more to unlock them.
    If any companies did what the gaming industy did they would have a class action on their hands, but nope not here.
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  80. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I am a long time gamer and have never known such an appalling act of disrespect for honest game purchasers. You cannot play this offline and Electronic Arts/Maxis have deemed it unnecessary to provide enough servers to adequately cater for everyone at release (or anywhere near enough apparently), despite running a beta test for just this eventuality and knowing exactly how many units theyI am a long time gamer and have never known such an appalling act of disrespect for honest game purchasers. You cannot play this offline and Electronic Arts/Maxis have deemed it unnecessary to provide enough servers to adequately cater for everyone at release (or anywhere near enough apparently), despite running a beta test for just this eventuality and knowing exactly how many units they had produced and sold pre-order. I am not going to get angry as there is simply no point, when a company writes into its small print that when you accept installation of their game you waiver any right to take part in any class action lawsuit said company yet they are happy to take your money without out providing you with the product described they are crooks. Expand
  81. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Pre-ordered the game and picked it up Tuesday. The "install" took over 2 hours because Origin's authentication servers were so bogged down. Since then I've managed to get logged in 3 times for a grand total of 90 minutes of playing.

    First time I got the boot after 15 minutes. Second time, my entire first city was gone so I had to start over. I managed 45 minutes that time before I got
    Pre-ordered the game and picked it up Tuesday. The "install" took over 2 hours because Origin's authentication servers were so bogged down. Since then I've managed to get logged in 3 times for a grand total of 90 minutes of playing.

    First time I got the boot after 15 minutes. Second time, my entire first city was gone so I had to start over. I managed 45 minutes that time before I got booted off because of a server disconnect. Third time, I played for 30 minutes and actually logged off of my own accord. I've been met with queues and Server Busy or Full messages since then/

    The game, when it runs, is decent looking. But small map size, traffic problems, regional resource sharing (as in you can't) and overall AI issues hamper the gameplay severely. Poorly handled launch, very poorly handled DRM and extremely poorly handled communication between EA and its (I'd imagine rapidly dwindling) fanbase mean this one leaves a very poor taste in your mouth.
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  82. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    First game I've ever bought the requires always on internet and I cant even play it at the moment because apparently the servers are constantly down. I only want to play this by myself anyway. Really is unacceptable. It should have an offline single player option, then I might be able to review it higher!
  83. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    This game although semi-single player is crippled with horrible DRM and a requirement to constantly be online. This has made the game nearly impossible to play. They've also disabled achievements and the ability to make the time pass. I used to make my sims wait for me. Well they are getting their revenge now making me wait to be able to log in, able to select a server, to select a mapThis game although semi-single player is crippled with horrible DRM and a requirement to constantly be online. This has made the game nearly impossible to play. They've also disabled achievements and the ability to make the time pass. I used to make my sims wait for me. Well they are getting their revenge now making me wait to be able to log in, able to select a server, to select a map and a city, to load the game. I saw a tweet from one of their developers blowing off the poor reviews because people will go back and change them once they fix the game. I will not do that this 0 will be for all time and to let other developers know that they need to stop launching half finished garbage. Expand
  84. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I was so excited to see this game release because I played the original. I installed the game and nothing happened. I had to un-install it, re-install it, update all my drivers, un-install, then re-install...and the game STILL has not worked. I have spent countless hours trying to make it work. I remember now why I don't ever buy PC games. This will definitely be the last time I ever buyI was so excited to see this game release because I played the original. I installed the game and nothing happened. I had to un-install it, re-install it, update all my drivers, un-install, then re-install...and the game STILL has not worked. I have spent countless hours trying to make it work. I remember now why I don't ever buy PC games. This will definitely be the last time I ever buy one! It would have been nice if I could have at least played it offline...but that's not even an option. This game is GARBAGE don't waste your money! Expand
  85. Mar 10, 2013
    0
    After hearing all of the negative reviews about SimCity, I was still interested in at least purchasing it and trying it out once the issues were resolved. I went to the Origin store and added the game to my cart. I entered in all of my payment information and... "Payment Authorization Failed." I tried this several more times with different cards, and even a direct bank transfer fromAfter hearing all of the negative reviews about SimCity, I was still interested in at least purchasing it and trying it out once the issues were resolved. I went to the Origin store and added the game to my cart. I entered in all of my payment information and... "Payment Authorization Failed." I tried this several more times with different cards, and even a direct bank transfer from PayPal.

    After finally realizing that it was their site that was broken, I decided to contact their support. After waiting for nearly 45 minutes to reach a representative, they told me that I would be unable to purchase the game because my transactions were showing up in their system as "At risk", and the only thing I could do was wait for 3-5 days and try it again. So while everyone else is unable to play the game, I am unable to even purchase it.

    What a disappointment. This is why I refuse to use any distribution platform other than Steam. At least Valve seems to care about their customers.
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  86. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    It has been 84 hours since launch and I have not had 1 minute of game time! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME UNTILL ALL SEVER ISSUES ARE RESOLVED. The beta was great, but why pay $60-$80 for a product that does not work. I will update this review when I can actually try the product I paid for. Thanks EA you guys had a great idea with the always on DRM!!!
  87. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    So, I do not understand WHY people STILL buy EA's games. They suck. Period. Let me repeat that...THEY SUCK. EA is about MONEY and MONEY only! They could give a crap about gamers....CONSUMERS have the power to bankrupt EA but they still support EA by buying their garbage games. /facepalm

    This game sucks. I like the original....but this one...lol...EA can suck it as they will never get
    So, I do not understand WHY people STILL buy EA's games. They suck. Period. Let me repeat that...THEY SUCK. EA is about MONEY and MONEY only! They could give a crap about gamers....CONSUMERS have the power to bankrupt EA but they still support EA by buying their garbage games. /facepalm

    This game sucks. I like the original....but this one...lol...EA can suck it as they will never get anymore money out of myself.
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  88. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I created an account just to add to the voices. Waited for hours to get nickle and dimed by EA, a company my brother and I had already given $60 to in order to play this game in the first place. SimCity is a shining example of everything that is wrong with AAA game development these days. I'm done EA. The last game I bought from you was Henry Hatsworth. Why did ever choose to break that streak?
  89. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Great game so far, but you CANNOT PLAY IT! This game needs an offline mode with online option, and until then it ranks at zero in my book. Additionally, the customer service from EA is truly insulting. DO NOT PURCHASE
  90. Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Only a couple of more minutes of waiting left! After waiting 18 minutes that is. For the Nth time. And when the wait is finally over, it's fifty-fifty chance of actually being able to enter the game. Every other time I'll just get an error message, and I have to wait for another 18 minutes. Lets cross our fingers for this time.
  91. Mar 8, 2013
    3
    The inability to play single player offline is a major drawback. Even without the issues that they have had during launch, a hiccup in my internet connection could likely nullify hours of progress. The prospect of not being able to play this game years down the road because of servers no longer existing is also ominous. There are many games that I still enjoy today that are a decadeThe inability to play single player offline is a major drawback. Even without the issues that they have had during launch, a hiccup in my internet connection could likely nullify hours of progress. The prospect of not being able to play this game years down the road because of servers no longer existing is also ominous. There are many games that I still enjoy today that are a decade older or more. Unless there are plans for a patch to allow this game to be played when servers will no longer support it, I don't believe the series fan base will stick around for much more abuse. Expand
  92. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Well, I paid $60 for a game I haven't been able to play at all. 'Nuff said. No need to buy this one. May as well wait at least a couple weeks for EA to fix their game.
  93. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Not happy at all with this game as it locked up constantly and could not even start a game more than half the time. After several hours i was finally able to play, and simply was not impressed.
  94. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    What a mess that Maxis/EA have made of such a well loved franchise. All involved in making the game online only should be ashamed of themselves. You cant sign in to play, if you do then you can lose everything when the servers go down. Do not buy until Sim City becomes available for offline play.
  95. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I've been excited about this game ever since I heard about it 12 months ago. I played and loved Sim City 4 and after reading about this game I couldn't wait to play it. And there in lies the irony; I'm still waiting to play it even though EA have got my money. Even having bought a DVD copy in to attempt to avoid to download pain I still cannot connect to the servers. I'm sure the game isI've been excited about this game ever since I heard about it 12 months ago. I played and loved Sim City 4 and after reading about this game I couldn't wait to play it. And there in lies the irony; I'm still waiting to play it even though EA have got my money. Even having bought a DVD copy in to attempt to avoid to download pain I still cannot connect to the servers. I'm sure the game is very good from the critics reviews I had read. My rating is based on the DRM method. I have many other games that I play through Steam which is a similar concept and I have never had a problem like this. Suddenly piracy seems like an attractive option... Expand
  96. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    My only gripe as far as gameplay is that the maps are small and cramped. Other than that it's an awesome game. It's these server issues that are annoying. I'll get put into a login queue for 20 minutes, then fail to connect and get put in another 20 minute queue. Then I get on and my city won't load and I'm forced to Alt+F4 and try again, potentially getting queued again. Then it sometimesMy only gripe as far as gameplay is that the maps are small and cramped. Other than that it's an awesome game. It's these server issues that are annoying. I'll get put into a login queue for 20 minutes, then fail to connect and get put in another 20 minute queue. Then I get on and my city won't load and I'm forced to Alt+F4 and try again, potentially getting queued again. Then it sometimes loads but a half hour into playing the game, I'm told that my city isn't processing properly and I'm given the choice of reverting to an earlier copy or abandoning the city all together. Thus, progress has been slow. I normally refuse to by "always online" games (excluding MMOs) but it's freakin' SimCity! So I took a chance. Wish I had waited. I can honestly say that I will never again buy a game with this type of DRM. It's just not worth it, not even for SimCity. If I knew this is how it was going to be, I would have just stuck with SC4 or looked into some indie city simulation games. Expand
  97. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Anyone that tells you this game is not seriously flawed is delusional. First off, the "always online" component is a disaster. EA/Maxis was adamant they could handle this...THEY CAN'T. The second problem is the game play itself: Tiny city sizes, lacking features. It's a massive misfire! Everything you loved about previous SimCity games has been reduced to rubble to make way for this awfulAnyone that tells you this game is not seriously flawed is delusional. First off, the "always online" component is a disaster. EA/Maxis was adamant they could handle this...THEY CAN'T. The second problem is the game play itself: Tiny city sizes, lacking features. It's a massive misfire! Everything you loved about previous SimCity games has been reduced to rubble to make way for this awful multiplayer mess. In order to alleviate strain on their servers they are now removing game features. Game features the public has paid for...such as Cheetah speed. This removal alone has rendered the game play wretched (when you can actually play). It doesn't save cities...if you change servers...you're cities do not go with you. It's all in the SimCity cloud service. AVOID THIS GAME! I honestly don't think EA/Maxis can fix this debacle. I think in a few days everyone will get a refund and this think will be shut down. A FAILED EXPERIMENT! Expand
  98. Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Having played the game for an hour before it crashed, I was impressed by the depth, the lightness of touch and the the balance between small cities and wider regions. The online features look good, if unnecessary. However, none of that is really important. Despite what could be a strong game, the complete ineptitude of the roll out has basically ruined this one. To play for an hour, itHaving played the game for an hour before it crashed, I was impressed by the depth, the lightness of touch and the the balance between small cities and wider regions. The online features look good, if unnecessary. However, none of that is really important. Despite what could be a strong game, the complete ineptitude of the roll out has basically ruined this one. To play for an hour, it took me 6 times that to log in. The completely idiotic mix of an always on solution without a decent server selection, for what was clearly going to be a huge release, has basically shafted this one. I would asked for my money back, but EA have helpfully also not got an adequate server for that either.... Expand
  99. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    You can't play, so 0. Also, even if you could play, I would give a 5 because of the always online DRM, even though the game itself is really great. If there was an offline mode, it would easily get a 10/10
  100. Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Can't play because of stupid online only requirements for what is essentially a single player game. Not interested in socializing or any of the other "in the cloud" rubbish features. Just want to play what was always a fun single player game.
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 75
  2. 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]