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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. degg
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I guess it may be an okay game, IF YOU COULD EVER GET ON THE SERVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!! get rid of the DRM, online always and preferably get it off origin and on to steam!
  2. wadhah
    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.
  3. StUnNeR_H2K
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This is my first review on metacritic.

    Obviously anyone who has played the game already knows why this is my first review. I have used metacritic for years to get info on games and to help me make informed decisions on purchases, so that I buy games that are worth my time and that I don't waste money on them. The case with SimCity is really the tale of two situations. One the    This is my first review on metacritic.

    Obviously anyone who has played the game already knows why this is my first review. I have used metacritic for years to get info on games and to help me make informed decisions on purchases, so that I buy games that are worth my time and that I don't waste money on them.

    The case with SimCity is really the tale of two situations. One the Critic Reviews are skewed since they were able to play the game before the masses. While obviously the game seems to operate well when the population is small, that is not the case for the end-user.

    Now you can take this review as just me venting my frustration, but how as a consumer am I supposed to make educated and informed decisions when a Critic review is false. Now I'm not blaming the Critics. In no way are they at fault for the reviews, but I do think they should be allowed to re-review the game in it's current live state.

    So what exactly is the games problem... almost everything. Since they decided to take the ALL online route, that seems be growing in popularity, the game needs the online component to even work. Including a OFFLINE mode option, was not even included for individuals who maybe wanted to just play the game the way SimCity was originally created to be as a giant open sandbox of city building amazement. Now before you say "well go play the original game! It's still there!", that doesn't excuse the fact that people spent anywhere from 40$ to 80$ depending on where and when you purchased the game and what edition you purchased.

    The game is almost completely un-playable. The server errors include everything from unable to connect/load to completely erasing everything you just did in the last few hours.

    Social features. The key component to the online only part, and these features don't work. It takes forever for anything to update. I spent over an hour last night attempting to invite an individual to the region I was playing in, since it took an entire hour for them to show up.

    Achievements and accomplishments are server specific. So if I take the publisher's advice and move to another less populated server then all my previous accomplishments are gone, and only exist on the previous server.

    The positives. The game actually has many, but sadly they don't work since the entire game has failed to launch properly. In a technological age where things like this could have been easily avoided (Hello worthless three public betas), it makes no sense as to how something like this could have happened. When the game does work though, it provides great entertainment and the region aspect (again when it works) is an exciting feature and brings a whole new dynamic to the game many of us grew up to love. (To bad they didn't really how many of us grew up loving this game)

    My review will stand on this game. I planned to call friends to play or go purchase the game, or encourage them to jump in, but now I won't even mention I wasted my time playing it or attempting to. On top of that why invite more friends? The game can't handle more players, in fact I hope all my friends stop playing just so a little more server space will remain for me.

    If you buy this game, actually if you even spend a penny on this game you wasted your money. If some one gives it to you for free... you will lose money since time is money and all this game does is waste time with you looking at error screens and loading screens.    … Expand
  4. boilermaker811
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game gets a 0 cause you can't even play it. I can log in time after time and the server is always down or when it's up I can't create a game. When trying to switch servers the game crashes. Had this game since 3/5 and have been able to play for 5 minutes. I will not be buying another PC game from EA. This completely ridiculous! I want my money back cause I have paid for aThis game gets a 0 cause you can't even play it. I can log in time after time and the server is always down or when it's up I can't create a game. When trying to switch servers the game crashes. Had this game since 3/5 and have been able to play for 5 minutes. I will not be buying another PC game from EA. This completely ridiculous! I want my money back cause I have paid for a product I cannot use.… Expand
  5. book-ag
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Poor Customer Service. Poor design. Poor execution. This one is entirely on EA. NOT WORTH BUYING. WILL NOT ISSUE REFUND. CUSTOMER SERVICE IS ATROCIOUS.

    SINGLE PLAYER GAMES SHOULD NOT REQUIRE ALWAYS ON INTERNET CONNECTION!!!
  6. AxemBlack
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    First, I'm disgusted that EA gutted Maxis years ago and parades this unfinished product as the "return of Sim City. Pah!

    I bought this game two days ago and haven't been able to play it once because of server issues. This leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and a feeling that i should have known better than to buy another of EA's dung heaps. The worst part is, once EA gears up to release    First, I'm disgusted that EA gutted Maxis years ago and parades this unfinished product as the "return of Sim City. Pah!

    I bought this game two days ago and haven't been able to play it once because of server issues. This leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and a feeling that i should have known better than to buy another of EA's dung heaps. The worst part is, once EA gears up to release the next installment, they will likely shut down the SimCity5 servers, and you will have to buy the sequel, since this $60 purchase you are now making is tantamount to renting the game for a few years.

    EA, Blizzard, and Activision all need to go out of business, or break apart into smaller studios that were the source of their success. These colossi of corporate greed are so entrenched in the market that they don't think twice about rushing production and watering down the product in the name of shareholder profit.    … Expand
  7. tomandresen
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Have yet to be able to actually play. Servers down. This "game" should have been called "Sim Error 37". Stay away from this for the time being, and spend your money on something you can actually play.
  8. Falconer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    A step too far.
    I bought this single player game, loaded up my disc, installed the game and went to play. That was the best part of the experience. It was all downhill from there.....
    The servers were down and when up you have to wait in a queue to actually get into the game. So as of yet I have not actually played the game I paid £40 for. Right now it is a dead paper weight. What    A step too far.
    I bought this single player game, loaded up my disc, installed the game and went to play. That was the best part of the experience. It was all downhill from there.....
    The servers were down and when up you have to wait in a queue to actually get into the game. So as of yet I have not actually played the game I paid £40 for. Right now it is a dead paper weight.
    What annoys me is not that EA seem overly obsessed with copy protection but that they have created a game that should be a single player game just like all the previous games. You should not have to login to a server to be able to play it. There are so many other ways of doing it that the fact they went in the direction they did cannot be defended. I hope reviewers slam the game based upon that because it isn't needed or wanted. You should get a simple code that you enter into Origin to register your game to your account and then do what you want, play offline if you want. Going this route is a step to far and is nothing more then wanting to spy on you and control what you do. It is more like a facebook system then a computer game. EA messed this one up badly.    … Expand
  9. Jakscandal
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA just destroyed its reputation for the sake of their DRM by making this abhorrent excuse of a game The SimCity franchise has been completely dismantled servers are never up, games are booted, can't save your progress and if you manage to start your game again you have to start from the beginning ...
    absolutely disappointing
  10. nowsacake4u
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    DO NOT BUY. Always online DRM, servers have been down for days now since released. Even if you do get in there's a 75% chance that a few hours into play your game data will be lost and everything you worked on will be wiped. Yes that's right your entire city put back to square one in a blink of an eye. Gee what a great online service, everything you have is wiped instantly. A completeDO NOT BUY. Always online DRM, servers have been down for days now since released. Even if you do get in there's a 75% chance that a few hours into play your game data will be lost and everything you worked on will be wiped. Yes that's right your entire city put back to square one in a blink of an eye. Gee what a great online service, everything you have is wiped instantly. A complete disappointment for SimCity from someone who has played and owned all others.… Expand
  11. bryno
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I knew it was not going to live up to any type of hype or expectations that I had but I love love the series and genre, little did I know just how bad it would be. I just don't see how I can ever trust EA ever again, maybe the game could be saved by modders but that will never happen just as long as EA can churn out the DLC which this game requires to function properly.
  12. sparth
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    What's the point of the developers spending so much time and effort making this game when we can't even get onto the server to play it. Cloud based gaming is just rubbish. I would much rather have my save file saved to my PC and thus allow me to play without wondering whether EA will have its server's fixed
  13. CashBeast
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    What a let down. Played for a few hours and really liked the game. Only to return to my city a few hours later and realise it didn't save my city's progress because the server connection failed during play. Two hours of playing were gone. Unacceptable!!!!
  14. acadien
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I bought this game. I would like to play it please. Is that too much to ask? I don't mind DRM when it doesn't break the game but this is taking it way too far.
  15. Broken1477
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Online only DRM is absolute garbage. I will never, ever pay for a single-player game that requires me to be online again. Why should I have to be connected to EA to play MY game. Bad form EA.
  16. Hatchetman
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    This game is broken in ways we have only begun to comprehend

    To say that EA has not been forthcoming about the limitations of the game would be a gross understatement. I've owned the game for over a week now, but due to the fact that you have to be able to connect to the EA servers to play even a single player game, I have been unable to play the game for at least half the time I have    This game is broken in ways we have only begun to comprehend

    To say that EA has not been forthcoming about the limitations of the game would be a gross understatement. I've owned the game for over a week now, but due to the fact that you have to be able to connect to the EA servers to play even a single player game, I have been unable to play the game for at least half the time I have possessed it. Even on the days that it has been working, I'm often unable to start new cities or save the existing one because I will get disconnected while playing the game. It's also not uncommon to have to sit in a queue for up to two hours to connect to one of the servers. As your cities are not shared between servers, you're stuck if you want to continue a particular city.

    As there is no ability to manually save your city, you are completely at the mercy of the network connection to EA in order to save your game, and you can't control when it saves. It's not uncommon for a city to simply be annihilated by disasters with no real ability to recover.

    You also cannot terraform land as you could in Simcity 4, Simcity 3000, and even Simcity 2000. This means that your stuck with whatever land mass that they give you to work with, and not even a map generator, only premade regions.

    The map size is limited to 2km x 2km which is quite small, likely smaller than Simcity 4's medium size, which is far too small for the scope of this game. The AI is broken such that you cannot get the city much over 200,000 people without the entire city falling apart due to the poor traffic AI that apparently uses Shortest Path First routing which causes total gridlock. The AI's ability to poorly coordinate your emergency services cannot be understated, it's nearly impossible to put out more than one fire at a time for example. It's not even worth building more than one fire department.

    In short, EA appears to have stolen $65 from me, and many thousands of other individuals who are equally displeased with the situation. They have broken one of the most successful game franchises, typically the best examples of the simulation genre, and show no remorse, and no sign that they really have any intention of fixing it.    … Expand
  17. ScottieClayson
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA deserve all of this. The only way they'll ever stop being such a horrible company is if we make it clear how much we hate things like always on DRM. Releasing a game which is unplayable is an automatic zero.
  18. pfunkbizunk
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Always online? More like, always offline and unplayable. Personally, even if the game did work properly, its a major reach to have a quality multiplayer experience in this type of game. Don't let them fool you, EA stamped the online only on this game for DRM purposes. GREED! Judgement day is finally here EA!
  19. wpenris
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Unplayable... server overload stuff... What if you have a Green Wheels plan and you cannot get a car due to server overload... Ridiculous! Get your stuff in order before you launch! Always have surplus server capacity or emergency backups ready. I just paid for a game I cannot play. And the best of it is that I am unable to send a complaint for the website is also overloaded. :S:S:S Wait,Unplayable... server overload stuff... What if you have a Green Wheels plan and you cannot get a car due to server overload... Ridiculous! Get your stuff in order before you launch! Always have surplus server capacity or emergency backups ready. I just paid for a game I cannot play. And the best of it is that I am unable to send a complaint for the website is also overloaded. :S:S:S Wait, don't buy it yet. All other buyers should get a 10 euro or dollar refund.… Expand
  20. chrispyer41
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Ok the game is fun when you can play it. The always on DRM is killing this game. Servers are down 99% of the day. I would hold off on buying this game until EA can get their act together.
  21. setco
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    A $60 reminder (the hard way) of why I pledged long ago not to buy games requiring online access. "Time Played 10 Hours" really means "Time Spent TRYING to Play 10 hours and Time Spent Regretting this Purchase and Investigating My Local Store's Return Policy 2 Days."

    What little of the game I have seen (a simplified, watered-down simcity) actually had me longing for the bugfest that    A $60 reminder (the hard way) of why I pledged long ago not to buy games requiring online access. "Time Played 10 Hours" really means "Time Spent TRYING to Play 10 hours and Time Spent Regretting this Purchase and Investigating My Local Store's Return Policy 2 Days."

    What little of the game I have seen (a simplified, watered-down simcity) actually had me longing for the bugfest that was SC4. FAIL    … Expand
  22. Antonius
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I love SimCity. I still have the original box from the first SimCity 24 years ago. Sadly, EA/Origin REALLY screwed the launch of this game up. I was actually looking forward to the online component of the game being able to build cities and share resources with my buddies was actually fun in the Beta. I have managed to log a total of ONE HOUR of game time since the release on Tuesday.I love SimCity. I still have the original box from the first SimCity 24 years ago. Sadly, EA/Origin REALLY screwed the launch of this game up. I was actually looking forward to the online component of the game being able to build cities and share resources with my buddies was actually fun in the Beta. I have managed to log a total of ONE HOUR of game time since the release on Tuesday. This is a SINGLE PLAYER GAME. I am honestly SHOCKED at how things have turned out since the launch date. Luckily, I have Tomb Raider.… Expand
  23. drevils
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I got to play past a unskippable tutorial, after that the game wont start because of online DRM servers. Just helping to drag down the rating here in hopes that EA will learn a lesson here.
  24. industrialspark
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Don't waste your time buying this over hyped piece of crap. The DRM, always online requirement completely cripples the game. But if you, like me, have made this purchase on good faith, knowing how well the simcities have been done in the past. Then you are a sucker, like me, and EA does not care if they sell you functioning game or not, they have your money and are laughing all the way toDon't waste your time buying this over hyped piece of crap. The DRM, always online requirement completely cripples the game. But if you, like me, have made this purchase on good faith, knowing how well the simcities have been done in the past. Then you are a sucker, like me, and EA does not care if they sell you functioning game or not, they have your money and are laughing all the way to the bank. Good job EA! You have stained your name for a very loooong time for this customer of the past.… Expand
  25. SuperBeefChief
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Complete trash. I have no idea if the game is any good as I can't access anything. Makes a really pretty screen saver for $70. EA, this is a pathetic and ridiculous situation you've gotten yourself in and there are no excuses. If you guys didn't anticipate high traffic for this game then you're idiots. Anyone making excuses for these morons should not be giving them a pass that easy.Complete trash. I have no idea if the game is any good as I can't access anything. Makes a really pretty screen saver for $70. EA, this is a pathetic and ridiculous situation you've gotten yourself in and there are no excuses. If you guys didn't anticipate high traffic for this game then you're idiots. Anyone making excuses for these morons should not be giving them a pass that easy. Their product is busted and they did it to themselves (and us) for making it on-line only. I didn't pay to be a beta tester, I paid for a working product.… Expand
  26. dockan
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This had the potential to be a great game, but short sighted business decisions made sure that potential was thoroughly wasted. The DRM system requires you to be connected to the internet at all times, but the problem is the EA servers don't seem to be. After several beta testing weekends for load testing they still didn't get the required infrastructure in place to ensure a smoothThis had the potential to be a great game, but short sighted business decisions made sure that potential was thoroughly wasted. The DRM system requires you to be connected to the internet at all times, but the problem is the EA servers don't seem to be. After several beta testing weekends for load testing they still didn't get the required infrastructure in place to ensure a smooth gameplay experience at launch, or any gameplay experience at all for that matter.

    I wish I had made this purchase with my credit card, so I could cancel the purchase, because this is a disaster.    … Expand
  27. danp33
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    game would not load city. switched servers and was able to load a city but crashes constantly and i have to restart my computer and start a new city. because it does not save my city. EA needs to get all bugs worked out before they launch a game. wish it had an offline mode.
  28. payonel
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The dev team did an AMA on reddit which I missed, and I wish I had not. The ama got less than half as many upvotes as did a single comment in the ama which collected all the other redditors questions/concerns/comments regarding online-only for a single player game. The dev team completely ignored this majority; they are ignoring the fans. I LOVED previous simcities; imo no other gameThe dev team did an AMA on reddit which I missed, and I wish I had not. The ama got less than half as many upvotes as did a single comment in the ama which collected all the other redditors questions/concerns/comments regarding online-only for a single player game. The dev team completely ignored this majority; they are ignoring the fans. I LOVED previous simcities; imo no other game delivers the same experience. But this game is just The Sims with a few more houses (far too small for real city planning/late game) and curved roads. You won't be seeing any user generated mods, you can no longer terraform, no farms or subways. After first installing the game I had to wait 30 minutes just to play it the first time (servers were full). After that I got in, but the game crashed so I got to wait another 30 minutes (again, servers full). I never wanted to play multiplayer with this game, and now I'm not even allowed to play singleplayer. Epic waste of money. Please...please do not buy. I've emailed my rant to EA do the same.… Expand
  29. moproblems
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Ridiculous that you cannot play this game offline. I understand the always online philosophy but at what cost. This experience has soured my taste on constantly online DRM. EA is large enough to know better and if someone didn't understand the possible server loads for this game they should be fired. The graphics on this game are a little underwhelming as well. I wish there was a wayRidiculous that you cannot play this game offline. I understand the always online philosophy but at what cost. This experience has soured my taste on constantly online DRM. EA is large enough to know better and if someone didn't understand the possible server loads for this game they should be fired. The graphics on this game are a little underwhelming as well. I wish there was a way to give a negative score because this debacle sure deserves it.… Expand
  30. Grady
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Despite how well this game is designed from a gameplay perspective, we should NOT allow EA the satisfaction of thinking that we are perfectly fine with an always-online interface by purchasing SimCity. If we buy this game, we are telling EA: "I'm completely okay with your decision to make this game all online, all the time! Why don't you do that with ALL OF YOUR OTHER GAMES?"

    If games    Despite how well this game is designed from a gameplay perspective, we should NOT allow EA the satisfaction of thinking that we are perfectly fine with an always-online interface by purchasing SimCity. If we buy this game, we are telling EA: "I'm completely okay with your decision to make this game all online, all the time! Why don't you do that with ALL OF YOUR OTHER GAMES?"

    If games like these see financial success, gamers like us will be continually screwed for the years to come. Game companies will no longer see the value in making a single-player experience at all. They will push un-wanted (and un-necessary!) social features on us until we eventually start to believe what they are trying to tell us right now: "You guys wanted this, right? We're just giving you what you wanted!"

    NO. Just...NO! This isn't right. EA knows that, and you know that, so let's make it perfectly to them that we will not support this intrusive, obnoxious, and completely unnecessary inclusion into what would've been an incredible game. Vote with your wallet.    … Expand
  31. ZodiacThriller
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Can't even connect to be able to play SINGLE PLAYER. Garbage. 0/10. Going back to Sim City 4, atleast I'm able to get into that game to be able to play it.
  32. Whaletailign
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a ripoff I hate this game it sucks total garbage fest I want my money back. The critic journalists feel they must cram it down our throats because they don't want to burn a bridge with ea. I get it, but its a crime. This game is a waste of money.… Expand
  33. actionbob
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I am truly let down with this entry into the Sim City series. Maxis/EA have systematically destroyed a gaming franchise that many, like myself, have loved for years. Although the game may turn out to be decent after all of the horrible launch issues, that does not sweeten the sour taste in my mouth. EA This was the first, and the LAST game I have ever purchased using your OriginI am truly let down with this entry into the Sim City series. Maxis/EA have systematically destroyed a gaming franchise that many, like myself, have loved for years. Although the game may turn out to be decent after all of the horrible launch issues, that does not sweeten the sour taste in my mouth. EA This was the first, and the LAST game I have ever purchased using your Origin platform. Promised refunds by high officials in the company are downright lies. They never intended to refund anyone. Lesson learned though, fool me once... Maxis Please; if you can't get out from underneath the tyrannical reign of EA, just close the doors and stop developing. This is beyond disappointing, it's a down right disgrace to the gaming industry as a whole. Pardon me while I climb down from my soapbox now...… Expand
  34. ReparmanJacked
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I went through the process of registering an account here simply so I could give this game a 0. This game has been out since Tuesday morning. It's now noon Thursday, and I'm still unable to play it. After watching the Diablo III debacle almost a year ago, Maxis and EA had plenty of time to come up with a way for this not to happen. I have 0 issues with always on DRM if they areI went through the process of registering an account here simply so I could give this game a 0. This game has been out since Tuesday morning. It's now noon Thursday, and I'm still unable to play it. After watching the Diablo III debacle almost a year ago, Maxis and EA had plenty of time to come up with a way for this not to happen. I have 0 issues with always on DRM if they are thoughtfully implemented. Forcing me to be always online isn't a big deal, since I'm always online. The problem is that the company, and its servers aren't. This makes it so I can't play a single player game that I wanted to play. For this, they get a zero in my review, and zero dollars coming towards them in the future until they prove to me they as a company have a combined IQ above zero.… Expand
  35. Mavericknz
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Downloaded the game this morning after getting the available email from Origin.
    Started the launcher and took a while to connect to the server, then by the time you get past the annoying introduction (which isnt disableable it seems but you can skip once it starts), and to the menu, the game loses the connection to the server, and the only way to reconnect it seems is to exit and start    Downloaded the game this morning after getting the available email from Origin.
    Started the launcher and took a while to connect to the server, then by the time you get past the annoying introduction (which isnt disableable it seems but you can skip once it starts), and to the menu, the game loses the connection to the server, and the only way to reconnect it seems is to exit and start the launcher again! Got about 2 minutes tutorial time before losing connection and kicking me out and have not been able to get back in since! UNPLAYABLE at this point!    … Expand
  36. BillyBrinks
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM should be illegal. Saying otherwise is like saying 'we don't need the FDA! I'm petitioning food and drug companies that sell harmful products by not buying from them!'

    Guess what? That didn't work. It kept happening. We need to sign this petition (https://www.change.org/petitions/electronic-arts-inc-remove-always-online-drm-from-simcity-and-future-games#) en masse, by    Always online DRM should be illegal. Saying otherwise is like saying 'we don't need the FDA! I'm petitioning food and drug companies that sell harmful products by not buying from them!'

    Guess what? That didn't work. It kept happening. We need to sign this petition (https://www.change.org/petitions/electronic-arts-inc-remove-always-online-drm-from-simcity-and-future-games#) en masse, by the tens, or hundreds of thousands. Then, once we've won this battle, we need to create a White House petition calling for legislation against this business practice.

    It should be illegal to sell a product to consumers which said consumers will not be able to use. Refusing to buy the products won't fix that. The market very rarely actually corrects itself.
    Sign the petition, make it blow up, and then let's take this to the consumer protection agency and get legislation passed to see that it never happens again.

    Or just put your feet up and kick back with the smug "I'm not buying their games!" Excuse. Yeah. We needed labor, voting, food and drug, and countless other kinds of laws in the past. This, unfortunately, is yet another problem that will ultimately require a law to fix it.    … Expand
  37. dr_skegg
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    When you pay a great deal of money for a game you should at least be able to play a single player game. But that is not the case here. EA forces you to always be online when you play the game but fails to offer enough server performance for all it's paying customers. I will never buy a EA game again that forces the user to be online when it shouldnt be necessary, just because they insistsWhen you pay a great deal of money for a game you should at least be able to play a single player game. But that is not the case here. EA forces you to always be online when you play the game but fails to offer enough server performance for all it's paying customers. I will never buy a EA game again that forces the user to be online when it shouldnt be necessary, just because they insists on puting an always online DRM protection in the game… Expand
  38. klenodder
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I am sure this game is good, the problem is that I have not been able to logon since the release last night so I havent even been able to try it! I have seen all different kind of errors. Once I could at least connect to a server but after choosing the area to play with it would not open it. On https://twitter.com/simcity they write the following "We are working on the servers 24/7 expectI am sure this game is good, the problem is that I have not been able to logon since the release last night so I havent even been able to try it! I have seen all different kind of errors. Once I could at least connect to a server but after choosing the area to play with it would not open it. On https://twitter.com/simcity they write the following "We are working on the servers 24/7 expect performance fluctuations. Our fans are our number one priority. Thank you for your patience.". First of all, I am not yet your fan since I cant even play the stupid game. You have to earn fans you know!… Expand
  39. PieSnatcher
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    A horrible game mechanic masquerading as a "feature"- the always-on connection is a hurdle for would-be pirates, and at least for now, a game-breaking blemish on EA's rather terrible reputation. While the game in and of itself has the potential to be an improvement in the series, the inability to play it makes this a moot point. Were it nearly any other publisher, I would be cautiouslyA horrible game mechanic masquerading as a "feature"- the always-on connection is a hurdle for would-be pirates, and at least for now, a game-breaking blemish on EA's rather terrible reputation. While the game in and of itself has the potential to be an improvement in the series, the inability to play it makes this a moot point. Were it nearly any other publisher, I would be cautiously optimistic about this game's future. But I can't help but feel constantly cheated by a publisher that constantly dilutes great games with policies that hurt consumers. Combined with horrible customer service on EA's part, I recommend this to exactly zero people.
    If you want to be able to enjoy a single-player game at your leisure, this one isn't for you, at least not yet.
    If you want to play this game a decade from now, tough luck. You can always buy access to the next one.
    If you want to actually own the game- well, see above.
    If you have a solid internet connection and you want to play with others, are okay with possible future micro-transactions, don't mind occasional server maintenance, and don't care if the game can no longer be played once EA takes the servers down, then you just might have the most enjoyable SimCity experience yet.
    I hate to base a score partly on the publisher, but in this case it directly impedes my enjoyment of the game. So despite the talent that went into making this game, the experience as a whole is not something I enjoy in the least, nor will I support in the future. Score: 0/10. Chances of future revenue lost from this customer? 9/10.    … Expand
  40. Branden3113
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Gameplay is great, but you can't even play the game. Terrible DRM and server issues. PLEASE AVOID, DO NOT BUY!! EA has really ruined this game, as the continue to do with most games nowadays. Please avoid all EA titles, or give them a call and let them know how you feel! Oh wait, I've been on hold for an hour now.
  41. hifenix
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Hi, I bought the new'' SimCity'', my judgment is bad bad, always online?? To date I have not yet to play a minute.
    I am hoping for your immediate response to the problem.
    Please do not reply with email apologies if not accompanied by a solution to the problem.
    Signed: fan so disappointed!    … Expand
  42. ncc1701jv
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Cannot review what I cannot play. This is ridiculous.

    Also, I still play SimCity games from 10+ years ago. What happens when I want to play this game I purchased with hard-earned cash in a 10 years after EA shuts down the servers? I can't play it? Seriously, screw online-always drm. This has to stop.
  43. AshFA
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Do not by this game. You will be burned. I am asking for a refund. I am so disappointed. After all these years.

    The game is unplayable and likely will have periods of unplayability far into to the future. At the end of its life, EA(being EA) will likely shut down the servers without releasing an offline patch or the source, thereby locking out legitimate buyers from playing it. Might as    Do not by this game. You will be burned. I am asking for a refund. I am so disappointed. After all these years.

    The game is unplayable and likely will have periods of unplayability far into to the future. At the end of its life, EA(being EA) will likely shut down the servers without releasing an offline patch or the source, thereby locking out legitimate buyers from playing it. Might as well pirate it. Which is shame for the developers who put such hard work into this game.

    How could they do this to Simcity?     … Expand
  44. liamfabri
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Unable to play due to server at capacity. In a single-player game. This is ridiculous. Simplified gameplay that does not provide as deep an experience as any of the previous SimCity games. While I'm sure that the server errors will be ironed out over time, the simplified gameplay will not., never more in my life I will buy a game from maxis.
  45. Virfolf
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought the game today, can't play it because of the server load. The only server I'm even able to choose is Oceania 1, and even that has a 30 min queue, and I live in Europe. First Mass Effect 3 and now this; I'm seriously considering of avoiding EA in the future.
  46. tenkemann
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA u can go f... ur self, Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue, afther 18min of wait, request fail, and placed in new queue SRSLY, i have tryed to play my new game for 12 hours an can get in to try my game!! common, EA YOU NEED TO FIRE THAT IDIOT WHO DESIDED TO MAKE IT AN ONLINE ONLY GAME.. AND FIX UR F...ing SERVER!
  47. umbriele
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    the game does not work at all.Lots of people cannot play their single player game poor customer service and delivery of product (waited almost an hour to connect to my single player game)
  48. Essex85
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Game Seemed fun on the beta. Haven't been able to play since then though. Failure as per typical EA business model... terrible. If a company is to release a pathetic excuse of an online game requiring DRM perhaps they should be able to support said requirements before launch. Oh I forgot, THEY DON"T CARE! Never mind.
  49. josrm
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought the game launch day, and I'm still waiting to play for the first time! Servers have not allowed me to play at all. This is very disappointing especially with a company as big as EA. These issues should be non existent.
  50. Melv
    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
  51. EABanBoy
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA After years of destroying franchises and companies, they have finally broke the camels back for me. Thus I have now boycotted all products with EA's name on it. Their "Worst Company In America" award is well deserved.
  52. vapiarius
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game just not work.
    I have pay money to EA, and can't play because ALL servers are ALREDY busy.
    I want play solo, but this impossible.
    Tutorial not working to.
  53. EvilTerrorizer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Besides having to wait an inordinate amount of time to play, get used to being kicked out once in a while when you lose connection to the server. Who cares what's inside the game if you can't play it whenever you want and for however long you want.
  54. ymqwtqoq
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Made a metacritic account just to say how bad this game is. I paid $60 and have not been able to play even one moment. The servers are constantly "Busy" or "Full" and even if you find one that is available it will make you wait upwards of half an hour just to play. DO NOT BUY!
  55. cbam101
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This is a good Game, IF you can play it. EVERY server is either down or dose not work. Maxis says that they are currently working on the problem and they said that is will be resolved by today but it isn't, Until they fix it don't waste your money.
  56. Complexes
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I'm confused why this is in the PC games section. I thought you were meant to play games, not watch a server time tick away for hours. I strongly suggest this is moved to the movies section.
  57. dwob
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    It took 2 days for me to be able to log on at all and then I was booted from the server and all my play was lost. When they say it's constantly online, they really mean it. It is NOT just log-in authentication DRM where you log into origin and are then allowed to play. Everything is stored server-side. While this mode (I say mode because I believe it should be one mode out of severalIt took 2 days for me to be able to log on at all and then I was booted from the server and all my play was lost. When they say it's constantly online, they really mean it. It is NOT just log-in authentication DRM where you log into origin and are then allowed to play. Everything is stored server-side. While this mode (I say mode because I believe it should be one mode out of several choices) does offer something new in terms of potential with the global market (it is merely potential as inter-regional trade is actually buggy and poor performance), it creates many more problems. The most heinous is the lack of ability to play at all because their servers are overloaded. It also means that you can't play in a bubble. You are forced to rely on the play of others. This means that if your neighbor messes up, and you were relying on them because you thought it'd be interesting to take advantage of the trade features, you are equally screwed. While the servers are cross-regional, your city is held to one specific server. If your server is full, you either can't play, or you're forced to start a new city in a different region. This will lead to ghost cities popping up, which hurts the game for the surrounding cities.

    Many tools that are in SC4 that made city management easier are missing, making micromanagement tedious. They've made transportation terrible since there's no proper pathfinding to choose fastest route, just shortest. This means you can't set up main roads and side streets. Everything needs to be the maximum road because otherwise your sims will try to get from one place to another using the side streets. This is obviously very expensive. There are no highways to be built, the best you get are the avenues. People are hypersensitive to crime. One crime a week is considered crazy and terrible, and it plummets property value. When something stops working, there's no easy way to figure out what exactly the problem is. Also, you can't save and experiment. If you want to experiment, you have to start an entirely new city. There's no saving and then creating a series of disasters just to see if your city can handle it, then loading after having a chuckle. The map sizes are also pitifully small. If I am ever allowed to play for a significant period of time, I feel I could fill it up entirely within one day of playing.

    The game is also plagued by bugs, but that's come to be expected with games on launch. My only concern regarding them is the game's online has created so many problems, fixes for the bugs may be slow in coming.

    While the online mode potentially adds to the game, it's poorly executed and causes more problems than anything else. The rest of the game is a step backwards, with many losses in quality of life features. My rating for this game is 0, simply because it's unplayable. If it weren't for that issue, it would garner a robust 4.    … Expand
  58. Slaunyeh
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    With a gameplay so shallow it could be a facebook game an obligation to have internet connection to play sigle player, all this under the patethic excuse its how "modern games are", once more EA is cheering a boost in sells while a brand has been thrown in a pit .
    Microscopic cities, pretty grafic and dumbstreamed gameplay doesn t cut it. EA is as Ubisoft, are a cancer for the future of    With a gameplay so shallow it could be a facebook game an obligation to have internet connection to play sigle player, all this under the patethic excuse its how "modern games are", once more EA is cheering a boost in sells while a brand has been thrown in a pit .
    Microscopic cities, pretty grafic and dumbstreamed gameplay doesn t cut it. EA is as Ubisoft, are a cancer for the future of gaming. And once more it is clear you can ttrust the corrupted payed to review gaming publications.    … Expand
  59. Susperio
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    It is just this simple: EA is essentially selling hot air, and making HUGE profits on gullible people like me. Do not buy this game. Do not be swindled out of your hard-earned money like me and so many other gamers.
  60. tomke78
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    For DRM Online i will never buy this game, await for scene release then play as well as other EA games never buy again, waste of money. Simcity sales would be down below forecast for this.
  61. Orphanmaker
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Ok, I bought it and I can't play, so my score 0... simple like that... Need to be online to play single player? Oh, "internet and providers never fails..."... what a joke...
  62. udine
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    As the other users already said, the game is currently unplayable and in the future you also have to rely on EA to be gracious enough to let you. Maybe if we all sign the petition at:

    https://www.change.org/petitions/electronic-arts-inc-remove-always-online-drm-from-simcity-and-future-games

    EA and other publishers will realize that we will not accept their behavior!
  63. Mawz
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bruuuuuutal. Not what I thought I was buying. So much anticipation for this game... and let down. It looks far to cartoony, and too damn easy. The taxes are a joooke.
  64. Neves_Meid
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought this game against my better judgment, and my better judgment proved right. DRM is very, very bad unless it's done right and stable, like good MMOs do, but EA is not up to the task of maintaining a cloud-based game, apparently. I can put up with DRM, but not broken DRM. Anyway, after getting about 10 hours of gameplay about 80% of which was lost to rollbacks, crashes, andBought this game against my better judgment, and my better judgment proved right. DRM is very, very bad unless it's done right and stable, like good MMOs do, but EA is not up to the task of maintaining a cloud-based game, apparently. I can put up with DRM, but not broken DRM. Anyway, after getting about 10 hours of gameplay about 80% of which was lost to rollbacks, crashes, and disconnects, I decided I no longer wanted to play SimCity, that it was not worth the 60 bucks. I called GameStop customer support to check the return policy and the customer support person basically said I was SOL, and that they'd told me that the last time I called... I only called once, and hearing this messed-up Jedi-mind-trick tactic from GameStop Support, to try and insinuate that I was some kind of repeat caller who couldn't take no for an answer...WTF? Was this a $60 ticket to The Twilight Zone? Anyway, I told the fail Jedi customer service rep that I was okay with keeping the useless game disk, they could keep my $60, and I would keep the rest of my money because I would never shop at GameStop or buy another EA product again! On a side note, I thought people giving low reviews to this release were being heavy-handed, but NOW I KNOW WHY! CAVEAT EMPTOR!… Expand
  65. freezer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Game is unplayable. Paid 80 Euro for this crap titlecannot play at all.

    Server Busy.
    Server Disconnect
    Could not log in to SimCity due to a network error.
    Unable to connect to the SimCity servers. Please try again,
    When u do login cannot create game.
    Authenticating with servers and play button greyed out.

    It is Error 37 but then even worse
  66. glinkot
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I've managed to get into a proper freeform city I could interact with once so far, aside from the tute and 'time played' is reported as four hours. Four hours wasted, enduring 'updates', 'authentication attempts' and looking at a blank tutorial map where you can't click on anything. Making the servers so integral to a single player experience is clearly a move to benefit publishers byI've managed to get into a proper freeform city I could interact with once so far, aside from the tute and 'time played' is reported as four hours. Four hours wasted, enduring 'updates', 'authentication attempts' and looking at a blank tutorial map where you can't click on anything. Making the servers so integral to a single player experience is clearly a move to benefit publishers by reducing theft I get it. But that brings with it a trust element that sufficient infrastructure will be bought to support it. I paid $100 Aust for this, that's US$103. I'd think that would give them enough revenue to allocate server time for it to accept my connection

    The game itself looks ok, graphics are quite nice but textures become very fuzzy on zoom. I was told you could zoom to any sim and see what they are up to KIND OF, but of course normally they are in their houses and there seems to be no way to see what they are doing (or how many are inside) there. The severely restricted city size is worse than I'd thought. I think the specialisation idea has some merit, but if you want to specialise in oil for example, you must set your whole map up to maximise that benefit which leaves your overall layout suboptimal. Not ideal. I and others relished the 'constant expansion' you could achieve with the old simcity games, and that's gone now. It's zoomed in a level toward the 'sims' concept, which is one I never embraced. Things like openttd (the free transport tycoon project) are much more loved and have much more depth despite their lesser appearance.

    Wish I'd saved my $100. This stuff isn't hard if demand was an issue, they could have progressively allowed people onto the servers, or staggered each country's release date. They didn't do that and must accept these reviews which reflect peoples experience of what they've created.    … Expand
  67. MaizePanthera
    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
  68. adw123
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'd love to rate this game higher than a 0 but after 36 hrs of trying to log in I've been able to do little more than get to the title screen. The launch thus far has been an absolute disgrace.

    To start with it took over 3 hours just to kick off the download for the game which should've been pre-loaded days a head of time. Servers have been down consistently since the launch making it impossible to get into this single player game. Rather than overestimate the number of servers needed to launch they low balled it and so tens if not hundreds of thousands of players are trying to log into two servers setup for the NA launch. Other servers exist for Europe and Asia but they are equally jammed, and will in all doubt get worse as other international releases take place without additional servers allocated. Furthermore cities setup in these regions can not be accessed from other server regions once things calm down, and who wants to be playing from a server ten thousand miles away.

    The game looks like it could be fun despite the smaller maps, lack of subways, terraforming and numerous other things removed from the previous version but at this point I can not even give my honest opinion on these things. It has been a long while since I've seen a game launch so thoroughly mismanaged. I can accept a couple patches or instabilities the first few days, but not complete inability to play whatsoever. If I am unable to get in to play by the end of today i will be back-charging my credit card and finding something else to spend my $60 on.    … Expand
  69. groonis
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    BOUGHT GAME FOR 699 SWEDISH KRONA APROX $110) 24h ago.

    Havent been able to log in.
    Want my money back because: EA/MAXXIS dont give me any information or ETA when it should be fixxed.
  70. DrSheepbringer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought it. Haven't played a single second, but not from lack of trying. Seems like gaming world works on different laws. In any other world the sellers would have been arrested for scamming, but in gaming it seems to be we couldn't anticipate" is the free from jail card. Think what I say is a lie or to steep? Well think of this... EA isn't that small nor a newbie. They do know theirBought it. Haven't played a single second, but not from lack of trying. Seems like gaming world works on different laws. In any other world the sellers would have been arrested for scamming, but in gaming it seems to be we couldn't anticipate" is the free from jail card. Think what I say is a lie or to steep? Well think of this... EA isn't that small nor a newbie. They do know their stuff. Also...is this the FIRST simcity? No...is this the second one....no...third...no...you can see where this is going? There IS knowledge behind this so...has to be a scam.… Expand
  71. luist3k
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I bought a game that I can not play. I am dumb. After all the hype created, and the cost of $60. EA has once again destroyed a successful franchise because of their greed. When is it gonna be over?
  72. Bdubs
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    No Farms. No Terraforming. No Single Player. No Subways. No Water Pipes. No Power Lines. No Medium or Large Cities. No Local Saves. No Density Zoning. No Highways... The sequester is really hitting simcity hard.... lol, but seriously this game is actually a pretty simplified and boring version of Sim City. I only recommend buying it if you are between 11 and 14 years old, then you mightNo Farms. No Terraforming. No Single Player. No Subways. No Water Pipes. No Power Lines. No Medium or Large Cities. No Local Saves. No Density Zoning. No Highways... The sequester is really hitting simcity hard.... lol, but seriously this game is actually a pretty simplified and boring version of Sim City. I only recommend buying it if you are between 11 and 14 years old, then you might enjoy it as long as you can stomach the 20 minute wait time to log in.… Expand
  73. TheMadHatter
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Well.. We are now on Day 2 since the game came out and I've still not been able to play it. Today, finally I got a server busy message with a 20 minute wait time, after 20 minutes the game crashed and I was met with another 20 minute wait time. This is not the first EA online title to have trouble with their bs DRM system and it won't be the last. Stay away from this game and any otherWell.. We are now on Day 2 since the game came out and I've still not been able to play it. Today, finally I got a server busy message with a 20 minute wait time, after 20 minutes the game crashed and I was met with another 20 minute wait time. This is not the first EA online title to have trouble with their bs DRM system and it won't be the last. Stay away from this game and any other EA puts out until the stop jerking their players around.… Expand
  74. Toughbeef
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The stupid servers are down all the time... thanks to the even more stupid always online DRM. The game isn't that bad but it's so annoying to get thrown out of the game every hour.
  75. Toosman
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I cannot set any score but 0. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time and when it comes, i cant play the game!

    I don't care if this is something that will pass, i don't think it's ok that a HUGE company as EA can't anticipate the load the servers will have to manage during release. The year is 2013 and it's not hard to have some overcapacity the first week of the    I cannot set any score but 0. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time and when it comes, i cant play the game!

    I don't care if this is something that will pass, i don't think it's ok that a HUGE company as EA can't anticipate the load the servers will have to manage during release. The year is 2013 and it's not hard to have some overcapacity the first week of the game to ensure that their customers get what they pay for. And also, it's a shame that you have to be online all the time, this game should have a game mode for offline gaming. EA deserves the worst for it this much and ruining my free time...    … Expand
  76. CDWarden
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    An unmitigated disaster. Server problems are the crux of the issue. Even when you can log into the game, it is plagued by issues including (but not limited to) inability to work correctly with friends lists, inability to create or delete zones or cities, endless tutorial loops, and so much more. The worst part is that this game looks like it would be excellent if not for the server issuesAn unmitigated disaster. Server problems are the crux of the issue. Even when you can log into the game, it is plagued by issues including (but not limited to) inability to work correctly with friends lists, inability to create or delete zones or cities, endless tutorial loops, and so much more. The worst part is that this game looks like it would be excellent if not for the server issues causing all of this. In a month, this may be an 8 or 9. For now it's an "avoid at all costs".… Expand
  77. Jander3456
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Spent $60 to wait in line to play a single player game- Not cool. Here's my message to EA always on DRM= score of Zero no exceptions. I would comment on other areas of the game if I was able to, but as of now it's like asking me to write a review of a steak at a restaurant that lost my reservation.
  78. Booeenie
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    $60-$80 for an unplayable single player game mode? EA shows why they are an industry leader once again. Don't waste your money. Come back in a month and see if EA/Maxis has made any progress. Maybe then you can play the game you paid for. But don't wait too long, some day the servers will be taken offline and you won't EVER be able to play your game again. No local saves so$60-$80 for an unplayable single player game mode? EA shows why they are an industry leader once again. Don't waste your money. Come back in a month and see if EA/Maxis has made any progress. Maybe then you can play the game you paid for. But don't wait too long, some day the servers will be taken offline and you won't EVER be able to play your game again. No local saves so experimenting and reloading is over. If the servers crash you can't even reload your own save! Sounds fun huh?… Expand
  79. ozkrogh
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Can't give a rating to what I can't play... 48hrs after buying the download version, I've still yet to be able to start even the tutorial. The DRM restrictions will help ensure that I never buy an always-online game from EA or Origin ever again. I may come back and give an actual review... then again, my frustration is so great right now that I'd like to be able to go with negativeCan't give a rating to what I can't play... 48hrs after buying the download version, I've still yet to be able to start even the tutorial. The DRM restrictions will help ensure that I never buy an always-online game from EA or Origin ever again. I may come back and give an actual review... then again, my frustration is so great right now that I'd like to be able to go with negative numbers and not just zero.… Expand
  80. Vandarix
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    A game you can't play isn't a game at all it's a waste of money and time. Why they developed this game without a singleplayer mode or actually stress testing its "REQUIRED" Multiplayer is beyond Einstein.
  81. Dimok
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    My girlfriend didn't heed my advice and steer clear of this game. I have been trying to get in on her account off and on today, to no avail. I bet she's pissed when she gets home from work to play her new shiny 60 game and it's still not working.
  82. Darkgear808
    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.
  83. SteHughes90
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This is the worst game experience I have ever had on any game ever in 25 years of gaming. Cannot log online at all, cannot play it in single player due to some stupid DRM system. AND WHEN I ASK FOR A REFUND THEY SAY 'OUR REFUND POLICY STATES WE REFUND AT OUR DIGRESSION' do not buy this game. It is god awful.

    **** EA
  84. NaFZ
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    All server is down, can't play the game not even single play OMFG.....

    Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta    All server is down, can't play the game not even single play OMFG.....

    Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta and the city size limits are awful. But it isn't all bad, I do e    … Expand
  85. Doconicus
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    From what I have been able to see, the game looks terrific. But alas, all I've been able to see what the opening load screen. The music sounded nice as well. I have high hope for the opportunity to play this fine game... Alas, I didn't shell out $60 for hope and opportunity. My hard earned dollars went to the understanding that I would receive a playable simulation. Therefore, know youFrom what I have been able to see, the game looks terrific. But alas, all I've been able to see what the opening load screen. The music sounded nice as well. I have high hope for the opportunity to play this fine game... Alas, I didn't shell out $60 for hope and opportunity. My hard earned dollars went to the understanding that I would receive a playable simulation. Therefore, know you this, I don't like giving a low-ball score, but this time I am compelled to if not for any other reason, but to protect my fellow players from what could turn out to be a failed game. EA, get it fixed.… Expand
  86. N4T45
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Not worth the hassle with this stupid Online DRM making the game unplayable if you don't happen to have an internet connection or even worse, capable server for every players.
  87. daglet
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA ruined this game with draconic DRM. This is a single player game (FFS!) but you are not able to play whenever you want. After an appaling "launch" with major server issues, I don't think I will ever be able to trust this game. There is no fun in playing when you are constantly worried that your past 5-6 hours of playtime will just randomly go to waste in the "cloud". Nor is there anyEA ruined this game with draconic DRM. This is a single player game (FFS!) but you are not able to play whenever you want. After an appaling "launch" with major server issues, I don't think I will ever be able to trust this game. There is no fun in playing when you are constantly worried that your past 5-6 hours of playtime will just randomly go to waste in the "cloud". Nor is there any fun in wasting a whole evening watching the "server is busy" message. I made a Metacritic account just to vent about this game. Don't make the same mistake I did and actually pay for it. Wait until the pirates have cracked it.… Expand
  88. chmod
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Seems fun, but the server devs aren't quite up to the task of keeping everyone online. I assume people giving good reviews could connect, but I've logged 2 hours over the last 48 just trying to play. If you do get in, you will likely still not be able to claim a region. And if you get a region, you will lose progress when the sync inevitably fails. That's not even the worst part. When youSeems fun, but the server devs aren't quite up to the task of keeping everyone online. I assume people giving good reviews could connect, but I've logged 2 hours over the last 48 just trying to play. If you do get in, you will likely still not be able to claim a region. And if you get a region, you will lose progress when the sync inevitably fails. That's not even the worst part. When you can't get into a server, it puts you in a "queue." However "queue" implies order. And what they're really doing is saying "call back in 20 minutes, maybe we'll have capacity then."… Expand
  89. spinkick
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    No matter how great the game is, the DRM system such as this has no place in gaming. If this game ended up a true classic to be played 5+ years from now, too bad, because the servers will no longer be online in order to play your SINGLE PLAYER game. It's time for the gaming community to finally say no and not allow EA to shovel even more draconian "anti piracy" techniques down our throats.
  90. Teddyx87
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA, Maxis Fail. Don't mind launch week problems. EA has an epic fail here in every category. The game maybe great but the headaches are just not worth it. The worse part there communication is absolutely awful
  91. AndrewCCM
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Honestly... I have nothing to add. It's just a huge money grab for a company that doesn't know how to launch an online-ONLY application. I am done with this stuff. $79 down the drain. My enthusiasm over the past few months is now in the negative digits.
  92. dethedrus
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    An absolute travesty. The dumbing down of the single best city building franchise... the one that literally created the genre back in the late 80s. I've played every PC version since the original, and I'm floored at just how much got left on the cutting room floor or badly botched (traffic modelling is particularly abysmal). Or worse, reserved for copious DLC consumption. Add in theAn absolute travesty. The dumbing down of the single best city building franchise... the one that literally created the genre back in the late 80s. I've played every PC version since the original, and I'm floored at just how much got left on the cutting room floor or badly botched (traffic modelling is particularly abysmal). Or worse, reserved for copious DLC consumption. Add in the positively craptastic backend "support" from EA and it's one of the single worst game launches I've ever see. It makes Diablo 3 and Elemental look like shining paragons of good coding and infrastructure.… Expand
  93. Solumnant
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The forced drm makes this one good game that it would probably be best to pass up. I can't understand how EA believed you could make a single player game online only.
  94. imilka
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I'm just wondering why the critic reviews are so positive. The game is very disappointing for me. I'd suggest not to buy it to anyone who has every played any city simulation games. It may be fun for you if you are playing with friends or don't like to spend some time planning your actions. The game looks like it's made for tablets and phones, it's very oversimplified. You can't controlI'm just wondering why the critic reviews are so positive. The game is very disappointing for me. I'd suggest not to buy it to anyone who has every played any city simulation games. It may be fun for you if you are playing with friends or don't like to spend some time planning your actions. The game looks like it's made for tablets and phones, it's very oversimplified. You can't control traffic, you can't build flexible transport networks, etc. The size limits are awful. There are no improvements over SC4 except graphics. But the worst thing here is that it requires you to be always online and it has HUGE problems with server availability. I was forced to wait FORTY MINUTES (40) before I could start the game to play with my city in my own private region! And EA doesn't care about their customers, refuses to give money back and threatens to BAN MY ACCOUNT if I open a dispute in my bank! EA go die please already, I didn't expect you to kill one of my favorite game franchises but you did.… Expand
  95. drkplx
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    GG ea on blowing the release of an otherwise good game (from what I hear). I wouldn't actually know because I can't even play the game I paid $60 for. Apparently some people have received refunds via their support chat, however I had no luck. Boycott, boycott, boycott.......
  96. owuaarontsi
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Still haven't been able to play once. Completely unacceptable. The servers show more full than they did on launch day. How could they not be prepared for this?
  97. wahey1079
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    bought the game after 2 days still havent played it ihave a very high expectation for this game. i wish a lawsuit will come next i wish i have bought the starcraft 2 on sale but i elected to buy this one because i missed playing this game.
  98. knight9158
    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.
  99. patax23
    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
  100. Marra82
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    The game itself is fun, but I can't give this anything else than a 0 just because it's basically unplayable for longer periods than a few minutes at a time. Stupid DRM destroys everything for all the honest paying customers who have longed for this game for ages.

    My origin account says I've played SimCity for 14 hours, but I'm certain I haven't been building cities for more than 30    The game itself is fun, but I can't give this anything else than a 0 just because it's basically unplayable for longer periods than a few minutes at a time. Stupid DRM destroys everything for all the honest paying customers who have longed for this game for ages.

    My origin account says I've played SimCity for 14 hours, but I'm certain I haven't been building cities for more than 30 minutes, tops. That kinda sums it all up.    … Expand
Page:

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 »