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. Atticas14
    Mar 19, 2013
    8
    This is my amended review. The original game gave the game a 1 out of 10. It really seems that EA is taking steps to improve the gameplay experience, and even awarded a free game to those who purchased at launch. I got Dead Space 3 for free and I really appreciate the offer. The new Sim City is really fun to play as long as the server aspects don't get in the way. I'm sure it'll all getThis is my amended review. The original game gave the game a 1 out of 10. It really seems that EA is taking steps to improve the gameplay experience, and even awarded a free game to those who purchased at launch. I got Dead Space 3 for free and I really appreciate the offer. The new Sim City is really fun to play as long as the server aspects don't get in the way. I'm sure it'll all get ironed out eventually and I'll have tons of fun in the future.… Expand
  2. nopistons420
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    incredibly addicting and well made city simulator. its not the same old simcity you used to play a lot has changed but in my eyes for the better. the core game-play here is so good and so addictive once you start its hard to put down. the multiplayer aspects of region play are also very satisfying when they work!

    there is a very fun and challenging game to be found trying to manage    incredibly addicting and well made city simulator. its not the same old simcity you used to play a lot has changed but in my eyes for the better. the core game-play here is so good and so addictive once you start its hard to put down. the multiplayer aspects of region play are also very satisfying when they work!

    there is a very fun and challenging game to be found trying to manage your city as it grows from a cozy little town into a full on metropolis.    … Expand
  3. greatpaperclip
    Mar 9, 2013
    8
    Now that I've been able to get in, I'm changing my score-it's probably a 9-maybe even a 10, without the previous issues. I'm having a lot of fun. Too bad about the launch, though
  4. GLaforte
    Mar 6, 2013
    8
    I managed to play the game correctly, by myself, for 2 hours last night.
    I was unable to play the multiplayer game with a friend, though.
    Today, with the new patches, I'm just unable to connect to the server.
    Feels like throwing money down a well would have been more beneficial.
  5. threepm
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Yes it uses always on, yes it is having some hiccups... but so far this game is absolutely fantastic. A lot of the issues that people are complaining about I suspect will addressed in future patches.
  6. cadburry
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    A good SimCity that is different than it's predecessors, but still captures that typical SimCity feeling. It takes some time to get used to a few new approaches like the city size and the connected cities, but can get you hooked up in no time, leaving lots of options to optimize in later gameplay stages.I'd buy it again, no server problems as welI.
    I honestly don't get however people try    A good SimCity that is different than it's predecessors, but still captures that typical SimCity feeling. It takes some time to get used to a few new approaches like the city size and the connected cities, but can get you hooked up in no time, leaving lots of options to optimize in later gameplay stages.I'd buy it again, no server problems as welI.
    I honestly don't get however people try to give negative impressions without playing the game, or trying to manipulate the rating with multiple accounts that have copy&paste rants that repeat themselves.You don't have to buy, just let the people who enjoy it enjoy it.    … Expand
  7. madfox777
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Ratings based on DRM alone are ridiculous and make a false representation of how good the game is. The servers will get smoothed out, its release day. Its made to be a different game than SC2000 or SC4. Small map size is the only con so far of this game.
  8. gamesrus
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    apart from not be being able to connect t servers this sim city is everthing you could want from a new simcity game better graphics. real sense of care for my lttile sims. good amount of depth in the gameplay and stargery side to make you build city after city seeing how different staregrys change your citys look and feel. i used love buidling huge citys on simcity 4 but this sim cityapart from not be being able to connect t servers this sim city is everthing you could want from a new simcity game better graphics. real sense of care for my lttile sims. good amount of depth in the gameplay and stargery side to make you build city after city seeing how different staregrys change your citys look and feel. i used love buidling huge citys on simcity 4 but this sim city offers so much more but in a smaller place and people may complain about size of the build plots but a quality well built city with a real sense that its is a live is better than just being able to build more. in future they may even be able to add larger build plots but rember not all people have gaming rigs like mine and these massive build plots may be to diffuclt to run for many computers. 8/10 game but all the other bad scores made me give it 10/10 those people need to learn pateince and that simcity 4 was terrible lagging on realease and they sorted so they will sort the server issues to.… Expand
  9. Phear
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    DRM isn't an issue for me so far. (It was for Diablo 3) The city maps are smaller then I am used to but once you start playing I didn't notice it that much. The game seem much more lively than then the previous versions which got boring after awhile. So far it has been real fun to play and can't to play some more after work.
  10. Nicotroll
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    his game is awesome. I've never had that much fun in a simulation game since Simcity 4 to be honest.
    All in all, my experience was fantastic.
    I didn't experience any lag and everything worked correctly.
  11. Valuzion
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    The small cities can be annoying at times, but its made up with the multiple city play because you should not be stacking everything into one city. Now complaining about any game about its server availability within the first day is just outrageous. Complaints about this can only come from people who have never played a game at release in the modern age of gaming. Even Blizzard in allThe small cities can be annoying at times, but its made up with the multiple city play because you should not be stacking everything into one city. Now complaining about any game about its server availability within the first day is just outrageous. Complaints about this can only come from people who have never played a game at release in the modern age of gaming. Even Blizzard in all their glory fail at release dates because holding massive servers when everyone jumps on at once does cause problems. The servers will be fixed and adjusted and everything will be fine.Already noticeable improvements have been made to the servers. Its a great game for anyone who likes management games and I'm sure once they fix the minuscule problems even the bad reviewers will love the game. I recommend to anyone who loves the SimCity franchise.… Expand
  12. gaxkang123
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Very addicting game. Very enjoyable. I'm having a ton of fun. The simulation is extremely deep, like none I have ever seen and overall, the gameplay is fantastic!
  13. JennieP23
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    I've been playing with my boyfriend and we've had a TON of fun so far!! :D. We're both playing in one of the smaller regions available and we're both playing our own city. I have built a city that's heavy on education so my cities are very educated. My boyfriend on the other hand has a city that revolves around oil and exports. His city is big in industry and some of my sims commute toI've been playing with my boyfriend and we've had a TON of fun so far!! :D. We're both playing in one of the smaller regions available and we're both playing our own city. I have built a city that's heavy on education so my cities are very educated. My boyfriend on the other hand has a city that revolves around oil and exports. His city is big in industry and some of my sims commute to work in his computer processsor plant. It's fun toying around with all the different aspects of the game. One of the things I like a lot about the game is the simulation. The simulation is very deep and it's unlike any of the previous SimCity games...or any city building game really. Gameplay is fantastic of course. If you ask me, game is amazing really. Very fun and addictive. I'm very pleased with the game CHECK IT OUT!… Expand
  14. SteadyMercury
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Take the user scores with a grain of salt. The DRM is annoying... But it wasn't sprung on anyone. If your commenting on Metacritic you have enough of an online presence that you knew either from IGN or a city sim forum that this game required internet and Origin. Besides this is standard industry stuff now.... Along with day one DLC. I'm going to throw out a caveat here and say that dayTake the user scores with a grain of salt. The DRM is annoying... But it wasn't sprung on anyone. If your commenting on Metacritic you have enough of an online presence that you knew either from IGN or a city sim forum that this game required internet and Origin. Besides this is standard industry stuff now.... Along with day one DLC. I'm going to throw out a caveat here and say that day one DLC is just fine EXCEPT when it is an essential part of beating a game or gives an unfair advantage in competitive multiplayer. None of this DLC does that. Don't want it don't buy it. Feel like you should get it for free? Well there isn't any saving you then. As for shutting off the servers? EA won't shut down the servers so long as a vibrant online community still exists for the game. No they won't spend millions running servers for you and five friends but that's the reality of modern online gaming, it all has an expiry date. The gameplay mechanics are perfectly represented by the review sites. The smaller build sites are an optimization feature that keeps the game running better with good graphics and the more demanding simulation system on the less then perfect rigs people have out there. In return you get a nice mechanic as a trade off; namely cities can't have everything now, just like in the real world cities share resources due to space, population or money constraints. Hopefully bigger maps come eventually for those of us who can run them but I'm happy now. Now this game isn't a 100 as a few earlier professional European review sites stated. Nothing is 100. But on the flip side saying the game is great but day on DLC and the required internet connection that is clearly advertised make it a zero? That's a tantrum. The games a solid nine. Play it for the mechanics. It's great. If you want buy the day one DLC but doubtless there will be a sale eventually, thats what I'll be waiting for. Origin is what Origin is. Turn it off when your done with it and it takes like no space. I agree it could be a 9.5 if it had an offline mode and bigger maps available at launch but this game has a solid chance of becoming a classic.… Expand
  15. Dadadadadadadad
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    Pros... Several additions to SimCity 4
    Better graphics than SimCity 4
    New multiplayer mode
    Cons... Tiny city size limit
    Must be online to play
    Crashes alot
  16. Naketam
    Dec 6, 2013
    9
    Even though Sim city has some problems and these problems are mostly solved I give 9 points from ten because I've never played better city building strategy. For me the reason why i am not giving ten points is that the places for building are so small.
  17. Wikantoro
    Apr 5, 2014
    10
    As the patches made, as the time runs, this game becomes even better. There is almost no problem with this game such as server problem, glitch, bug, and now it comes with SINGLE PLAYER MODE, road tools, smarter sims (that drive vehicles not only in the shortest path) and other interesting things. So delete those negative reviews because that describe the old Simcity, not the nowadaysAs the patches made, as the time runs, this game becomes even better. There is almost no problem with this game such as server problem, glitch, bug, and now it comes with SINGLE PLAYER MODE, road tools, smarter sims (that drive vehicles not only in the shortest path) and other interesting things. So delete those negative reviews because that describe the old Simcity, not the nowadays Simcity.

    Sorry if I made some language mistake, because english is not my first language    … Expand
  18. joevsyou
    Mar 7, 2013
    8
    This is a TRUE 0 NOT spam. I can't play the game, unplayable. NOTHING more to say!

    Polygon website has reduce their score from 9.5 to 8. Most of these game websites are using SAME pictures for their review. I suggest you got trust them things currently going on ~amazon has Stop selling simcity ~polygon has reduce their review score from 9.5 to 8 ~EA offer refunds BUT then    This is a TRUE 0 NOT spam. I can't play the game, unplayable. NOTHING more to say!

    Polygon website has reduce their score from 9.5 to 8. Most of these game websites are using SAME pictures for their review. I suggest you got trust them things currently going on
    ~amazon has Stop selling simcity

    ~polygon has reduce their review score from 9.5 to 8

    ~EA offer refunds BUT then threaten to ban people accounts

    ~EA supposedly has hire Chinese workers to spam good reviews and has force a number of websites to close "create a account" for the meantime    … Expand
  19. loran1212
    Mar 7, 2013
    8
    I have now sat down with this game constantly for 2.5 hours, and at max got it to work for 20 minutes. this game, although it has nice visuals and from what i can see fine game play, is literally unplayable. it will probably become a whole lot better over the next few weeks. This will be my final lesson. I am not going to by another PC game until at minimum six months after launch.
  20. Stinius
    Mar 8, 2013
    8
    I'm not giving this game a 0 for a reason: The game itself is great. Apart from the connection problems and the always-online bullsh*t, the game is awesome. I'm enjoying it even more than previous SimCity games. For the time I can play it, that is, because I get kicked out of the servers all the time and I've lost my progress quite sometimes. But, if it would become possible to play thisI'm not giving this game a 0 for a reason: The game itself is great. Apart from the connection problems and the always-online bullsh*t, the game is awesome. I'm enjoying it even more than previous SimCity games. For the time I can play it, that is, because I get kicked out of the servers all the time and I've lost my progress quite sometimes. But, if it would become possible to play this game without EA's bullsh*t, it would by far be an excellent SimCity game.

    So, the game gets a 10, the always-online bullsh*t and not being able to save/load a 0.    … Expand
  21. stn1337
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    The game is very addictive and fun to play. You just want to play more and more allt the time and it was a long time since I felt that feeling about a game.

    The game is very simple and basic tough, to the better for new player but to the worse for experienced players. The "play whit a friend" thing is a good idea, but doesnt play out well ingame. Me and my friend ended upp in different    The game is very addictive and fun to play. You just want to play more and more allt the time and it was a long time since I felt that feeling about a game.

    The game is very simple and basic tough, to the better for new player but to the worse for experienced players. The "play whit a friend" thing is a good idea, but doesnt play out well ingame. Me and my friend ended upp in different "zones" but still in the same region. So we could build our own cities.    … Expand
  22. Nitsuam
    Mar 7, 2013
    9
    Its a beautiful game when you can get on. Problem is you can't unless you can play games while at work or school (servers are not overcrowded 10 am to 2 pm eastern). I love the SimCity games and that includes this one when I'm able to play, but poor launch execution is not cool or acceptable. I will change my rating to a 9 out of 10 as soon as EA proves they can run this gameIts a beautiful game when you can get on. Problem is you can't unless you can play games while at work or school (servers are not overcrowded 10 am to 2 pm eastern). I love the SimCity games and that includes this one when I'm able to play, but poor launch execution is not cool or acceptable. I will change my rating to a 9 out of 10 as soon as EA proves they can run this game successfully. My only other problem is the always on connection but the detail of the simulation requires a better computer than what the average person has so it doesn't bother me that much.… Expand
  23. Mark2606
    Apr 13, 2013
    8
    When I saw the user score after I'd played the game for a week thinking they did a very good job on the game, I was thinking no way. Yeah, the server isn't ironed out, but overall I only had maybe two issues and they were temporary.

    Honestly, I've been through plenty of games that had issues on release date, but if you were to base your decision on how much fun the game is on a    When I saw the user score after I'd played the game for a week thinking they did a very good job on the game, I was thinking no way. Yeah, the server isn't ironed out, but overall I only had maybe two issues and they were temporary.

    Honestly, I've been through plenty of games that had issues on release date, but if you were to base your decision on how much fun the game is on a technical issue, you're stupid. Especially on a major title like this where you know making it right is a matter time.

    So, my first realization wasn't the technical stuff. Who cares. I set out on this game looking through 1 of 10 or 15 maps to start my city on. Let me tell you, when I was looking at those maps, the game didn't lead me to think "build a city", it was "build a continent".

    I got halfway through my continent when I started getting it. I'm thinking build a whole city on one grid. And, "wow, these are small grids." However, as I build my neighboring cities and my cities started interacting, it seemed natural to assume building "complete" cities on each grid was a critical error.

    That's when the grids stopped being small. One "city" would be (mainly) industrial, one residential, etc. If you look at the maps and study which cities are hooked together by road and rail. Those groups functioned more as a single unit with workers, police and fire working together.

    You can pick any map you want, and if you play the whole thing, and think of the entire continent being designed to function as your "megalopolis," small is definitely not what will be going through your head. If you're thinking you can try to jam your old strategies into a single grid, your frustration will probably put you in the dumb bunch who rated this game so poorly.

    This game is vast, dynamic, and nicely programmed. It's fun, fulfilling, and takes way more strategy than before. I haven't even scraped the surface tourism and trading strategies. So much to think about.

    So why don't I give it a ten? It is without a doubt in my mind the best iteration of the series. There are some things like schools. Once you build a university, schools as far as I can tell are useless. As a matter of fact, it looked to me like the total number of students simple migrated to the remaining educational facilities when I destroyed one.

    In effect, "lower than university" structures like elementary schools lowered the overall educational level of my city because the "total number of students" would simply be divided according to the number of schools you built... not the type. So after my university was built, by destroying my "lower than university" schools all the students would just migrate to the university thus always maximizing the education level.

    There are some of these types of things that would cause me to thump the designers heads. The issues are small, but that makes the game not perfect. And that's what a ten is.    … Expand
  24. Klubby
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Look beyond all the "0" reviews. Seems like there are a bunch of pissed off freeloaders who cannot play a game for free. The game is fantastic and improved on so many aspects from previous versions of the franchise. The new "bottom-up" approach is great. The way the Sims each have their own individual lives and are affected directly by what you do as mayor is amazing. TheLook beyond all the "0" reviews. Seems like there are a bunch of pissed off freeloaders who cannot play a game for free. The game is fantastic and improved on so many aspects from previous versions of the franchise. The new "bottom-up" approach is great. The way the Sims each have their own individual lives and are affected directly by what you do as mayor is amazing. The micro-managing of power lines and water pipes is long gone and everything is delivered via the road systems is a welcome added-edition. Get this game. Seriously.… Expand
  25. hoffymann07
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Note: Most of the reviews posted in the user section should be avoided, if not deleted. The people giving this game a terrible score are really the disgrace of the gaming culture, and not the DRM. Most people will be able to tell that the low scores are posted by people who have no actual imput of value. The game is great. Although it would be ideal to be able to play the game offline,Note: Most of the reviews posted in the user section should be avoided, if not deleted. The people giving this game a terrible score are really the disgrace of the gaming culture, and not the DRM. Most people will be able to tell that the low scores are posted by people who have no actual imput of value. The game is great. Although it would be ideal to be able to play the game offline, with online the game shines, and it can be seen why this was included. Lush visuals, appropriate music, and excellent sound draw you into the Sim City world, and the gameplay and mechanics will keep you coming back again and again.… Expand
  26. Klav
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    I've been forced to leave another review. The first few days were horrid, but server issues are being worked out and for about 24 hours I've have uninterrupted game play. Let me tell you, this game is fantastic. Launch issues aside, I can't complain about this game. The social aspect is simply amazing. Graphics are wonderful although GPU utilization needs some work. The maps are great.I've been forced to leave another review. The first few days were horrid, but server issues are being worked out and for about 24 hours I've have uninterrupted game play. Let me tell you, this game is fantastic. Launch issues aside, I can't complain about this game. The social aspect is simply amazing. Graphics are wonderful although GPU utilization needs some work. The maps are great. Hopefully we will see the ability to expand cities in some future DLC. Overall, this is a must buy for all SimCity fans old and new. Don't hesitate.… Expand
  27. Digido
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    Connection problems have been fixed. :P. Very impressive since the last game, even though some features were left out. People vote this down because of the connection problems, well they're fixed, so rewrite the review, because this game deserves a better score.
  28. BazingaUA
    Mar 18, 2013
    9
    9/10
    The game is just awesome. Graphics are really cute, and the game is not lagging at all. A haven't spotted any problems with servers, so thats not an issue for me. The only bad thing in the game is small city.
  29. AngryRob
    Mar 14, 2013
    10
    After spending over 80 hours constructing about 8 different cities each to a population of 100-250k, and with a few remaining very profitable and a few burning to the ground, i can say with all confidence that this is an excellent sim city game. not many games can suck so many hours of my life away in just the first 2 weeks of launch. sim city managed to do that, and it gets major kudos for that.
  30. bwheatley
    Mar 7, 2013
    10
    When i get to play the game i really love it. Though small city sizes are a pain, missing some of the features i liked (power,water lines, subway).

    But this always on stuff is really a downer. Maxis is still one of my favorite game companies but this might just put a dent in that luster for me.
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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 »