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. Rockoman100
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This game is a disgrace to the SimCity franchise. In summary, this version of SimCity equates to a dumbed-down Facebook game. The always-online-DRM is pretty much a dealbreaker, but I might have still considered buying it if it weren't for the restrictions this system places on you. So as the term suggests, always-online-DRM means there is NO offline single player for this game. Want toThis game is a disgrace to the SimCity franchise. In summary, this version of SimCity equates to a dumbed-down Facebook game. The always-online-DRM is pretty much a dealbreaker, but I might have still considered buying it if it weren't for the restrictions this system places on you. So as the term suggests, always-online-DRM means there is NO offline single player for this game. Want to play a single player world? Cool, you can do that, just sign into our servers first. Don't have internet? Need to pass the time on an airplane? Just play SimCity- oh wait, you can't. Ok, surely it can't be THAT big a deal, right? Wrong, not when you learn that you can't even save your worlds to your own hard drive. Everything you do has to be stored in EA's collection of poorly sustained servers. This also removes some of the magic of the old SimCity games, since it restricts you from destroying a city and reloading from an old save. This DRM system is restricting pretty basic freedoms of gaming. So there's the DRM system, which is a dealbreaker in itself, but what about the gameplay? Good news, that's a dealbreaker too. The cities are extremely small, you have no control over regional transport, there are no subways, and there is no terraforming. This game is completely misleading. This version of SimCity does not qualify as a full fledged video game. It qualifies as a Facebook game, at best. Don't waste your money on EA's little trap.… Expand
  2. SharkChum
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I've played games all my life. I still remember finding Space Invaders in the Montreal airport on way to a family vacation. This game and install have been the worst I have ever encountered. I can see crappy software but crappy software that has hooped my entire PC is shocking.
  3. zombiexm
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    The game itself is fine, there are the lacking features tho.
    The size of the space is too small, and theres no farmming.
    But forcing me to play online in a game that does not need to be online for a single player portion of it. Sorry, no sale. The nation does not have 95-100% Broadband coverage, and mobile LTE Does not count has internet when it comes to gaming with these caps on the    The game itself is fine, there are the lacking features tho.
    The size of the space is too small, and theres no farmming.

    But forcing me to play online in a game that does not need to be online for a single player portion of it. Sorry, no sale. The nation does not have 95-100% Broadband coverage, and mobile LTE Does not count has internet when it comes to gaming with these caps on the top two.

    There is no modding system, which should of been BUILT IN when looking at how well sim city 4 has done with modding. But no they claim it will "come". but It will not as they will lose money on DLC, and Add-on packs (see sims 3) Do not buy the game unless they fix this, or someone finds a way to force the game offline.    … Expand
  4. skimmedmilk
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Terrible game overall, here is why:

    - Obtrusive DRM which requies you to be online AT ALL TIMES to play this even single player - The city size is far far too small, this is more like "sim small town" than "sim city" - Limited compared to previous simcity games, im all for new games but they must improve on what came before, unfortunately this game does not, there isnt even    Terrible game overall, here is why:

    - Obtrusive DRM which requies you to be online AT ALL TIMES to play this even single player

    - The city size is far far too small, this is more like "sim small town" than "sim city"

    - Limited compared to previous simcity games, im all for new games but they must improve on what came before, unfortunately this game does not, there isnt even subways in it!

    - Possible the absolute worst most damning thing... there is a good game in there somewhere but it is utterly handicapped by the previous points this is IMO the worst thing. I wouldn't mind so much if it were complete garbage but it could have been so much better than what it is.    … Expand
  5. trytoblockmenow
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    stay far away from this one! EA has screwed game players again with this terrible game. Always online DRM, no save games, gimped gameplay and city size in favor of prettier graphics. EA and this game are everything that is wrong with the video game industry. Do not feed the beast, vote with your wallets and stay away!
  6. ArsenalMark
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    REVIEW SERVER BUST

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

    Next attempt to read: 29:15.
  7. sykokila
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Sorry to disappoint all the naysayers of this game. But I really like it. It is a very deep city simulation that relies on relationships between cities in a region and not just one city. Yes, the game is online, yes your single city region is smaller than people from 10 years ago are used to, but I prefer to have fun in my life and not dwell on such trivial BS. My wife and I are having aSorry to disappoint all the naysayers of this game. But I really like it. It is a very deep city simulation that relies on relationships between cities in a region and not just one city. Yes, the game is online, yes your single city region is smaller than people from 10 years ago are used to, but I prefer to have fun in my life and not dwell on such trivial BS. My wife and I are having a great time and enjoying SimCity. A must buy for fans of the series and gaming. I would say it is not a buy if you are a pessimistic entitled whiner that doesnt enjoy games as much as enjoy spewing negativity in a public forum.… Expand
  8. SubNoize
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Being forced to always be online is pathetic. The servers have had issues since launch and i'm unable to play the game. I've started my city twice now and have had the servers crash and roll back.

    What a joke.
  9. Mcbogsters
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    EA completely deviated from what used to make Sim City great. If you're expecting this game to be better or even similar to SCR4 or SC2000 you are in for a serious surprise. EA has turned the Sim City franchise into a watered down Sims clone. Instead of focusing on bigger macro city building, EA's main concern is making sure each sim has a name and where they are 24 hrs a day!!! Wow whoEA completely deviated from what used to make Sim City great. If you're expecting this game to be better or even similar to SCR4 or SC2000 you are in for a serious surprise. EA has turned the Sim City franchise into a watered down Sims clone. Instead of focusing on bigger macro city building, EA's main concern is making sure each sim has a name and where they are 24 hrs a day!!! Wow who cares. The space you get to build your city is so small you feel like you never can fully max out your city. And don't get me started on the DRM included in this game. This game honestly feels like it should have been a free to play game on Facebook instead of something we pay $60 for. You know any improvements that should have been included in the launch will be offered as a extra buy-able item. My suggestion is to save you money for a better game or wait until you find this thing on the discount rack.… Expand
  10. Ryanjf
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Can not play offline. Servers are overwhelmed and since it uses DRM, even if you get connected, it will disconnect you when it randomly checks your license and can't connect to the server.
  11. wingman2
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Always-Online DRM requirements made me be put into a queue to just play by myself! This game is going to flop and then my money will be wasted even harder when EA eventually shuts down their servers and I'm not allowed to play the game at all.
  12. HonestlyTrue
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    Another example of EA failing royally. Always online, chances you can't reach server, forced social facebook crap, small regions to built cities in, there are simply too many limitations to enjoy the game. Another case of EA trying to build a "product" for the dumb masses and facebook generation, instead of building on the strengths of Sim City 4.

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

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

    Next gameseries down the drain, just like Dead Space 3. EA has lost their touch, and the developers have to suffer.    … Expand
  13. Ekras
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    What a waste of money. First off the cities are tiny (making you constantly have to re-start and build over from scratch), the AI it horrible, and the interface is lackluster at best. Than you have the perma-DRM which totally wrecks the game- if your connection hiccups you can't save so you have to restart from the last save when you had internet access. The game crashes frequently tooWhat a waste of money. First off the cities are tiny (making you constantly have to re-start and build over from scratch), the AI it horrible, and the interface is lackluster at best. Than you have the perma-DRM which totally wrecks the game- if your connection hiccups you can't save so you have to restart from the last save when you had internet access. The game crashes frequently too which makes this even more frustrating. I'm giving this a "1" just for the Sim City name outside of the little bit of nostalgia this brings back to Maxis' pre-EA classic there is nothing of value in this game.… Expand
  14. tigraner
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Preordered the game and for that Origin decided that I can only download it on march 7 2 days after initial release. Also people who were lucky to be able to download cannot play because of the server problems. Big FAT Fail on the franchise!
  15. PureAqua
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    I understand that DRM might be for problem for some people, but seriously you can't give the game 0/10 because of one element of the game that you don't like, regarding the city size limits; you are meant to build upwards and develop your city that way, build sky-scrappers, the developers intended to restrict the city limits to make you have to think through and choose your actions. TheI understand that DRM might be for problem for some people, but seriously you can't give the game 0/10 because of one element of the game that you don't like, regarding the city size limits; you are meant to build upwards and develop your city that way, build sky-scrappers, the developers intended to restrict the city limits to make you have to think through and choose your actions. The day 1 dlc is basically a skin pack for buildings and a preorder bonus, I wouldn't exactly call that day 1 dlc myself. Regarding to the "Oh my gash" Simcity has changed from Simcity 4, "Simcity 4 is so much better than this crap", the developers have adapted to appeal to a larger audience meaning that some elements of the game may have been altered. And I also don't personally like EA and DRM being used in video games but I don't hate on the game and give it a 0/10, it obviously deserves more score than 0/10. The game is greatly designed and has great interaction with different cities, the amount of work put in the game and the potential that can come out of this game is amazing, and still people hate the game because of one aspect.… Expand
  16. tokyo_hot
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    this game too many problems. please dont buy, thanks all for reading. Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta andthis game too many problems. please dont buy, thanks all for reading. Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta and the city size limits are awful. But it isn't all bad,… Expand
  17. osage888
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Unfortunately the game crashes while loading, so I can't really comment on what remains merely theoretical gameplay. I should also mention that I installed it on two different systems, both running MANY other games successfully. Without any response (at all) from EA, I can only conclude they released it prematurely. Too bad too, since I'm a long time SimCity fan.
  18. docdoc
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    People please do not spend your money on any more EA games, they are total BS. The company used to make good games but since 2007 something changed and EA became a greedy cash making machine. This game is so overhyped, it does not even deserve 10% of attention it is getting. Micro-transactions is just the tip of the ice berg. EA I hope you Banckrupt nice and slowly for turning your marketPeople please do not spend your money on any more EA games, they are total BS. The company used to make good games but since 2007 something changed and EA became a greedy cash making machine. This game is so overhyped, it does not even deserve 10% of attention it is getting. Micro-transactions is just the tip of the ice berg. EA I hope you Banckrupt nice and slowly for turning your market towards 8 year old kids, who do nothing except crying out the money out of their parents wallets. SHAME ON YOU EA.… Expand
  19. ABoone
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    I'll start off by saying its a good game, however the longevity has been completely spoiled by the map size and insistence on 'Multiplayer'. Maxis and EA have forgotten some of the key aspects of what made the SimCity franchise so great such as the aspect of individual immersion. When I play SimCity I don't want to talk or interact with anyone, the door to my room is closed and unlessI'll start off by saying its a good game, however the longevity has been completely spoiled by the map size and insistence on 'Multiplayer'. Maxis and EA have forgotten some of the key aspects of what made the SimCity franchise so great such as the aspect of individual immersion. When I play SimCity I don't want to talk or interact with anyone, the door to my room is closed and unless something important comes up all I want to do is make my city look totally awesome. The people who play SimCity tend to range from kids to people not too far off my grandfathers age and quite honestly I don't think these two demographics particularly want or need to interact with each other. Out of all the games that exist that EA could have chosen to force an 'Always On DRM' I don't think you could have picked a worse game than SimCity. Focusing further on the demographic for a SimCity game, it would appear that EA and Maxis now just assume everybody owns a highspeed internet connection and a relatively powerful desktop computer. One of the dev's I believe had been quotes as saying they wanted to make a game that 'Could run on your dads pc'. Well unless your dad likes to keep up to date with new processors, graphics cards and RAM I think this game will struggle with your every day family PC. As for having an internet connection, I'm sure the developers of a game called 'SimCity' must have come across a thing called a 'Village' or even a 'Small Town' because believe it or not some people who live in such places struggle to have an internet connection that will perform over 24 hours, let alone at a high speed. Moving on to gameplay however, yes, it is an entertaining game. Starting a new city is fun and you can easily get hooked for a few hours trying to manage your city and keep it both proftiable and expansive whilst maintaining your sim's happiness. Being able to choose different paths for your city is fun, going down the root of a Casino town, University town or Industrial town is a lot of fun and the process of achieving your goals is relatively smooth and cathartic. Then after two hours or so, you've filled the map and you have to start all over again on a new plot. How am I expected to grow any emotional attachment to my cities If I can't spend hours upon hours building it up and overcoming obstacles to gain a real sense of achievement? How can I build a city to look unique and have areas such as poor districts for my labour workers, rich districts for my city slickers and the suburbs along long winding roads for the middle classes if I am forced to create a generic high density city grid structure across the entire area? That is not how cities look like! EA may decide to fix these problems with DLC, however quite honestly if I were to buy any DLC from EA it would feel like supplying semtex to the IRA. Everyone knows that EA are quite shameless in their ability to charge people money for DLC that could have quite easily already been in the game, or to charge people money for the right to cheat. Or to charge people money for items within the game, which destroys any form of difficulty curve.

    This puts many people in a worrying position. As someone who likes many of the games and franchises under EA, for example FIFA, Mass Effect, Dead Space etc. If I refused to buy any game release by EA on moral grounds then I would be missing out on quite a lot. However, everytime I purchase an EA game, their disgusting money grabbing antics continue to ruin the market. What I can say though is don't buy SimCity, unless you have the money to burn and don't mind playing something you will get bored of in just a few weeks.    … Expand
  20. ThisAndThat
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Sigh..... Why? I could be happily enjoying this game, but I am not due to the on line requirement. This has been a single player game in the past. The on line OPTION would have pleased some people, but the REQUIREMENT is just crap.
  21. artbot345
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Multiplayer is well integrated. A better and more fun simulation then previous games. Good and easy to use interface. Good graphics for high end PCs and runs well on my 2009 HP G60 laptop.
  22. Ruseman
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    What the is this piece of EA pls stahp. This is a bunch of bull****, most players cant even start up the ****ing game without it crashing, not to mention the fact you need to be ONLINE TO PLAY ****ING SINGLEPLAYER.

    DRM/10
  23. jl0329
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    Not saying it's not a good sim game. In fact, it's a pretty damn good SimCity! However, I had to penalize the greed of EA for making it constant connection required, which impact the user experience more negatively than in a positive way. You want to add multiplayer and social interaction? Fine, give player the choice to do so! DO NO FORCE US.
  24. ofchughes
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I left a review earlier about the game it's still a ZERO but lots of people saying the negative reviews are fake on here so the game gets a bad reception. Well I say go to amazon and read the verified purchased customer reviews same stuff as here. Although amazon rates on a star system SimCity sits at a 1.3 Star rating.
  25. iHateEA
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA has ruined SimCity. Thanks guys for the worst game of the year all thanks to DRM.

    Send money from city to city no.
    Log into play game no.
    Want to play a single player game no.
  26. fyocouch
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Awesome launch, EA. No really...way to keep paying customers from playing your game in SINGLE PLAYER with your servers not working. And now, there's forced rollbacks due to server errors. G.G.
  27. kkqd1337
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    this is a shame. simcity is a good game. however, greed has got to EA. the game is expensive to buy, must be used online, and in reality is nothing more that an online store for you to buy more and more DLC over the years. give this a miss i could forgive it if the games were free.
  28. RaptorJesuss
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Everyone has been talking about the online always DRM, which is a terrible business practice. I want to talk about the gameplay. The city size is absolutely horrendous. They might as well have renamed the game to SimTown, because you will never get a fun and thriving metropolis like you had in SimCity 4. They day 1 DLC is another absolute terror. This game is not SimCity, its FacebooksEveryone has been talking about the online always DRM, which is a terrible business practice. I want to talk about the gameplay. The city size is absolutely horrendous. They might as well have renamed the game to SimTown, because you will never get a fun and thriving metropolis like you had in SimCity 4. They day 1 DLC is another absolute terror. This game is not SimCity, its Facebooks Cityville with better graphics.… Expand
  29. CazzaCanola123
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Such a great game. Everything is perfect! you dont wanna miss this. Graphics are amazing as usual and the gameplay makes you want to keep coming back. Playing with friends is the best experience but alone is great to. you have to get it.
  30. Mudget
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    DRM with endless problems logging on to a single-player game. Check.
    A city so small you're done in an hour or two. Check.
    A future of nickle-and-diming paid customers to death. Check. Following the profit structured Social version rather than the fan-beloved SimCity 4 version. Check. Run by EA. Check. Critics giving 9's and 10's after playing on private servers for critics.    DRM with endless problems logging on to a single-player game. Check.
    A city so small you're done in an hour or two. Check.
    A future of nickle-and-diming paid customers to death. Check.
    Following the profit structured Social version rather than the fan-beloved SimCity 4 version. Check.
    Run by EA. Check.
    Critics giving 9's and 10's after playing on private servers for critics. Check. Everyone else giving 0-3 rating. Check.

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

    This isn't the rebirth of SimCity and this isn't the way games should be made and marketed. Protest with your wallet. Keep it closed.    … Expand
  31. cameronpha
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Garbage. I have purchased every single simcity on release date, since SimCity 2000. This will be the last SimCity I ever purchase. Among my top concerns: Server issues, no offline mode, tiny towns (Is this called SimCity or SimBlock?) I saw the small towns on the beta, and I thought it was just tiny for the beta.. this is absurd..
  32. Steadyriot
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    This game is disgusting. I wasted my money on it and now it is gone. I could deal with the always online drm IF the game was otherwise perfect and they allowed for a offline version to become available when they inevitably shut down the servers. Map size is too small which I have a feeling will be "fixed" by means of in game (paid) download.
  33. site400
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    I'll give it a 5 out of 10. Reading the "professional" reviews is a joke, as they reviewed a product that was still in beta and gave the game exceptionally high reviews, which is suspect. Anyways, online DRM prevents play, citiy plots are two small, and region play isn't all that great. Money, people, and resources don't truly flow through the region based upon need. I can forgive theI'll give it a 5 out of 10. Reading the "professional" reviews is a joke, as they reviewed a product that was still in beta and gave the game exceptionally high reviews, which is suspect. Anyways, online DRM prevents play, citiy plots are two small, and region play isn't all that great. Money, people, and resources don't truly flow through the region based upon need. I can forgive the day 1 server issues, but region play, which is suppossed to make up for the small tiles, leaves a lot to be desired.

    On the plus side, I love the amount of detail regarding resources put into the game, it feels like a true city simulator.    … Expand
  34. CaelFrost
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    While I would love to give it a 10 to help balance out the ridiculous knee jerk reaction of the mob, I have standards and ethics. I enjoy the game, I understand the problems but do believe they should have been anticipated and planned for. There are features like one way roads and overpasses that are important to citybuilding that aren't included.

    However its a deep game, the simulation    While I would love to give it a 10 to help balance out the ridiculous knee jerk reaction of the mob, I have standards and ethics. I enjoy the game, I understand the problems but do believe they should have been anticipated and planned for. There are features like one way roads and overpasses that are important to citybuilding that aren't included.

    However its a deep game, the simulation is beautiful and it satisfies my inner nerd. Here's to hope that they continue to put genuine effort into it without money gouging for DLC too much.    … Expand
  35. paketep
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Origin, DRM that won't let you play this as a single player game and a complete lack of saving and reloading makes this POS rather unworthy of the name SimCity. FU, and F your online checks, EA.
  36. lmirante
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This game LOOKS like it will be good but who knows? It's not as if you're able to play. I paid $80 for a game I cannot play after spending an hour downloading it and another 15 minutes waiting to get connected to a server. Played for just long enough to feel my way around and then it just hung. I have no idea what state it will be in when (if) I get back in. So let's assume somedayThis game LOOKS like it will be good but who knows? It's not as if you're able to play. I paid $80 for a game I cannot play after spending an hour downloading it and another 15 minutes waiting to get connected to a server. Played for just long enough to feel my way around and then it just hung. I have no idea what state it will be in when (if) I get back in. So let's assume someday they work out these problems. What happens when EA decides it doesn't want to support the game anymore? I just can't play? Everyone who can't play should cancel their credit card payments.… Expand
  37. Haajib
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    This game had potential, but even more problems that needed to be solved. Their sell scheme is a bizarre combination of licenses, cut content from the game, and day one DLC. The game itself punishes you for playing alone, due to the fact that you are extremely limited to expand anything, giving the fact that you only get 2km x 2km to build at, while other Sim city games in the past had 10This game had potential, but even more problems that needed to be solved. Their sell scheme is a bizarre combination of licenses, cut content from the game, and day one DLC. The game itself punishes you for playing alone, due to the fact that you are extremely limited to expand anything, giving the fact that you only get 2km x 2km to build at, while other Sim city games in the past had 10 times as much space.

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

    Full EA servers that forces you to wait hours to play is also bad.    … Expand
  38. Boelens
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    The game itself, as I have seen is lots of fun. However, the restrictions are horrible. Cloud based saving, so you can't have your save files on your PC, small cities, and the DRM,always online Origin. This game could have been good, but they made it terrible.
  39. LeVoiceOfReason
    Mar 5, 2013
    8
    I'm really disappointed with this game and DRM. All I wanted to do was go camping or to a tropical beach and bring my computer to play my favorite sim game on my laptop pc. Crybaby gamers who only want to pirate games, shouldn't be playing games if they can't afford them. Never once have I had an issue with DRM. To be fair the game has been toned down and more "Sim"ified but there is a lotI'm really disappointed with this game and DRM. All I wanted to do was go camping or to a tropical beach and bring my computer to play my favorite sim game on my laptop pc. Crybaby gamers who only want to pirate games, shouldn't be playing games if they can't afford them. Never once have I had an issue with DRM. To be fair the game has been toned down and more "Sim"ified but there is a lot more depth added that is seriously needed for the series. There are elements of Civ involved where you can communicate with your neighboring cities, which just happen to be your friends from your friendslist. The game runs incredibly smooth for how far you can zoom in and out of your city. If you don't like DRM start voting with your wallets, this idea was not up to the developers and coders. It's a sort of a poetic justice when gamers gripe about too much control in a game where the goal is to control. I don't play games while camping.… Expand
  40. morty
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM, tiny cities and no game saves. Your review must be at least 150 characters long. Your review must be at least 150 characters long. Your review must be at least 150 characters long.
  41. Mike_D
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I have completed everything that the game allows. Meaning I installed it and started it up. I would give it a 0 but the menu looks nice. There is no way to actually play the game so it is broken and should be avoided at all costs. I want to play BY MY SELF but it will not allow me to do so. Therefore it is broken and not worth buying.
  42. corhen
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    a mix of smaller cities, no pre load, horribly DRM, Horrible origin.

    When i first tried to play it, it didnt unlock... after i mixed that (an hour wasted) i had a 30 minute log in time...

    Skip it, you will thank me.
  43. Zacpod
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Small maps, always on DRM, and overloaded servers that don't allow you to play single player games offline. Pathetic. EA needs to go bankrupt. 1 star as it IS pretty.

    CitiesXL is a MUCH MUCH (x1000) better game, doesn't require an internet connection for single player games, and will happily let you play 10 years from now.
  44. JohnWayne
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA over it's fans and destroys another franchise. Why they didn't just publish this to Facebook instead of through Origin is the question. If you're a fan of DRM, empty games that you need DLC to make even remotely interesting, and having your game become unplayable whenever EA decides, I can highly reccomend this game to you.
  45. Jerik02
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Aside from issues such as origin, requiring a constant internet connection (I already have this wonderful device to save my games it's called a hard drive), and DRM which has been proven to promote piracy, the game is simply crap. Regions cannot be edited, the city sizes are tiny and all the finger details which made simcity great are gone. This is simply a dumbed down version of simcityAside from issues such as origin, requiring a constant internet connection (I already have this wonderful device to save my games it's called a hard drive), and DRM which has been proven to promote piracy, the game is simply crap. Regions cannot be edited, the city sizes are tiny and all the finger details which made simcity great are gone. This is simply a dumbed down version of simcity 4 that looks nice. Check the ratings, the prime demographic has spoken, but as usual EA is too stupid to listen to their customer base. Ignore the hired spokesmen, which includes the media, this game is crap.… Expand
  46. WordsPerVerbati
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    I wish this game was released as a standalone game, I was looking forward to playing both Battlefield 3 and Sim City 5.

    The requirements are unreasonable for me, being always online, the servers having enough capacity for me to play when and where I want. What happens when there is lag? When the number of cities you can have gets limited artificially? When they shut down the    I wish this game was released as a standalone game, I was looking forward to playing both Battlefield 3 and Sim City 5.

    The requirements are unreasonable for me, being always online, the servers having enough capacity for me to play when and where I want.

    What happens when there is lag?
    When the number of cities you can have gets limited artificially?
    When they shut down the servers?

    Maybe they should focus on making good games, instead of trying to figure out what is the best way to make money from day one with DLC.

    I'm never installing origin or a game that uses it.    … Expand
  47. Nathire
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    Yes, this game is a lot of fun. Yes, it's more user friendly than the old versions of SimCity, but what does that matter whenever their servers that you HAVE to use are down? You can't play if that's the case and, surprise surprise, that's the case this morning on the -first- day of launch. Hopefully this deplorable score will wake up EA to finally get their act together.
  48. CNaish
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    The menu looks and works great. However, I can't play it because the servers are down. Supposedly, the city size limits are pretty bad as well, but I'll give the game a 1 in the hopes that they'll patch in a bigger city size.
  49. Shaddock
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Despite promises of servers being ready I am unable to access what has in the past been a single player game due to always online DRM. I have no issues with the concept in theory from my side as I have an extremely reliable internet connection, but if the company itself cannot have and keep their servers up to allow me to access products I paid for they shouldn't do it.

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

    EA knows exactly how many preorders and copies they expected to sell on day 1, there is no excuse to not have been prepared for the server loads they are experiencing. My complete inability to access my game has resulted in the given score.    … Expand
  50. TylerDurden85
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Online Only DRM breaks this game. Data does not sync that often, and you can lose hours of work if EA's servers go down or your internet connection cuts out. Servers are also currently very unstable and it's sometimes not even possible to play this game EVEN IN SINGLEPLAYER because you can't connect to the server. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME
  51. Koruna
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    This is what you get for having an always online DRM Model: If your launch goes poorly, expect your customers to give your game a score of 0 when they are trying to play the game but are forced to write reviews on metacritic instead of playing what they paid for. It does not matter how good your product is if you fail to deliver it on time or intact.

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

    Your cities are at the mercy of EA's benevolence and server stability, neither of which they possess. If their servers go down, your cities do not save and you receive a large roll-back; that's if you can log back in to begin with. Launch day has been very bad, despite EA's numerous assurances they would be able to handle the load. They refused to let players pre-launch the game, for no explicable reason, so many customers have not even downloaded the product due yet. The cities spaces are very small. It forces you to use multiple regions by yourself, or play with others in order to have an efficient metropolis. You cannot modify the terrain in any way. You cannot un-do, quick-save or quick-load.    … Expand
  52. physical0
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    No single player option, Tiny maps. I anticipate that you will be nickel and dime'd by microtransactions. Launch flop. It seems they've forgotten what made Sim City a good game.
  53. viatorci
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    When working properly, the game is enjoyable. However, there remains few opportunities to enjoy the gameplay with beleaguered servers unable to connect preventing players from using their purchased products (even in a single player environment).
  54. oliver1h
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Basically you buy a game for full price, and you do not even own it. Imagine 5 years from now EA closing the servers for the game. What now? You have a game you paid full price, but you can not play. Honestly if you pay for this, you are one of those people who do not mind being fooled by multi-billion-dollar corporations that exploit gamers. EA is ruining the gaming world with itsBasically you buy a game for full price, and you do not even own it. Imagine 5 years from now EA closing the servers for the game. What now? You have a game you paid full price, but you can not play. Honestly if you pay for this, you are one of those people who do not mind being fooled by multi-billion-dollar corporations that exploit gamers. EA is ruining the gaming world with its actions. You can vote with your wallet! I only feel sorry for the developers who put a lot of work into their game just to be ruined by EA.… Expand
  55. Aceshot88
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    DON'T LISTEN TO THE BAD REVIEWSssss!!!!!!! The game is awesome, if u love the old Simcities then there is no reason u shouldn't love this one, all this stupid talk about the DMR is for people who don't understand the difference between hating a game and hating its publisher, if ur a real computer gamer and live in this era u should have no problem being online all the time, and as forDON'T LISTEN TO THE BAD REVIEWSssss!!!!!!! The game is awesome, if u love the old Simcities then there is no reason u shouldn't love this one, all this stupid talk about the DMR is for people who don't understand the difference between hating a game and hating its publisher, if ur a real computer gamer and live in this era u should have no problem being online all the time, and as for origin, I haven't seen a problem with it and it been playing the game for 9 hours. Yea maps are a little smaller, but the interaction between the region proves exactly why that is. Instead of building a city and dumping it, this type of game play gives each city purpose and a direction, making it way more in depth then controlling one big city.… Expand
  56. JBUTT
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I'd love a 3d online simcity, it's a great idea, but "Simcity" is a bunch of good ideas horribly implemented.

    The glass-box engine that tracks every sim sounds good on paper but adds nothing to the gameplay. It's a dumbed down ugly simcity experience with most of the features built up over generations abandoned in favour of tacked-on online play and useless over-detail. The graphics    I'd love a 3d online simcity, it's a great idea, but "Simcity" is a bunch of good ideas horribly implemented.

    The glass-box engine that tracks every sim sounds good on paper but adds nothing to the gameplay. It's a dumbed down ugly simcity experience with most of the features built up over generations abandoned in favour of tacked-on online play and useless over-detail. The graphics are poor, the zoning system is horrific and leaves your city full of ugly holes, and despite there apparently being insane detail under the hood, as a player none of it really effects you or the gameplay. They could have abstracted a the traffic and sims's needs to a much higher degree and be left with the exact same gameplay but much bigger maps. The new casual focus is a failure, the scale is a failure, the online component is a failure, and the new art style is a failure. All good ideas on paper but EA just didn't quite manage to pull it off. The bottom line is that this game does not scratch the itch I have to design a city with the scope, control, or realism I've come to expect.    … Expand
  57. allalpha12
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I pay sixty bucks for this game and I can't even play it because of the stupid servers! I don't want to play multiplayer! Why can't i just play Single Player!
  58. Kel
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    This game brings back the charm and magic of the SimCity series. It truly is a game worthy of the name, unlike the SimCity Societies and various DS/Wii titles. I was wary of the online only thing when I first heard about it, but I think it was done very well and it is not some 'Facebook game' as others have said. The interactions between cities is nothing like the spam your friendsThis game brings back the charm and magic of the SimCity series. It truly is a game worthy of the name, unlike the SimCity Societies and various DS/Wii titles. I was wary of the online only thing when I first heard about it, but I think it was done very well and it is not some 'Facebook game' as others have said. The interactions between cities is nothing like the spam your friends nonsense and micro-transactions to build things of value. Everything is there to build fully functional cities and the interactions between the cities is amazing. The deals between neighbors are sweet that they use up the excess of power, water, water treatment, and other services to make money for one city and save the other one the cost of building the services. If the mayor selling services wants to they can increase capacity to make sure that the other city will have enough or they can shut down capacity and make the other mayor find a different way to meet their city's needs.
    Region play can be either open to the public or private with just friends or only by yourself. You can work together to make thriving cities and great works. The interactions between the cities is very nice and detailed and has been stated by the developers during interviews, lays the groundwork for even more amazing regions and larger cities in the future. Right now though, the game is balanced very well for meaningful decisions in each city that affect the surrounding region and the small city sizes seem to actually be more meaningful than just a large urban sprawl with everything possible built into it.
    Overall it has personality and charm between the names of the sims, houses, businesses, and factories and the general atmosphere and mood of the game. The music and visuals change as your city changes in amazing ways.    … Expand
  59. Mattlab
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I am giving this a score of 0 since I can't log in and play. It's a singleplayer game and its saying the servers are full. This is crazy! Did EA not plan for launch at all? It's only going to get worse as this goes worldwide. I will only give this a good review once I can actually play the game.
  60. SneerValiant
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I don't see any justification for giving this game a score other than zero for the following reasons:

    Always online DRM
    Small city sizes
    Features deleted

    I'm happy for game companies to make money, but to deliver a subpar game to capitalize on its name recognition should not be tolerated by consumers. Don't buy it.
  61. 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.
  62. herpderp316
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA paid "critics" who played the largely empty press beta? Check. EA apologists trolling? Check. Another online only required game falling flat on launch? Check. $60 wasted on a game that I can't play cause I thought EA would get it right after the epic failure the Diablo 3 launch was? Check.
  63. Zorrac555
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    So disappointed that they didn't lean from the D3 debacle and again saddle customers with unwanted DRM in the guise of connectivity-enabled features. Shame on you EA.
  64. Yoolius
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    POS. Another example of why EA is consistently in the running for most hated company in America. I was excited to try Maxis' new Sim City, but their partnership with EA has ruined it.
  65. MattR69
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    DRM blows. Why do I need to be online to play in single player. Maps waaaaaaaay to small. Perhaps call the game SimVillage. Then there's DLC... oh come on I just paid for the game. EA have done it again. Yet another great series ruined.
  66. dwood82
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I don't usually hold sway with down-rating games on metacritic, but this release ticks enough obnoxious-boxes that I feel it's warranted.
    The £45 asking price on Origin is obscene, especially considering the inevitable drip-feeding of endless DLC content that should rightfully be included in the game.
    The DRM is inexcusable, no matter how much they dress it up as "social gaming" if it's    I don't usually hold sway with down-rating games on metacritic, but this release ticks enough obnoxious-boxes that I feel it's warranted.
    The £45 asking price on Origin is obscene, especially considering the inevitable drip-feeding of endless DLC content that should rightfully be included in the game.
    The DRM is inexcusable, no matter how much they dress it up as "social gaming" if it's mandatory in a single-player game, it's wrong.

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

    The game might be amazing... looks like I'll never know.    … Expand
  67. kalahari
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Wow, disappointment of the decade. Horrible DRM, microscopic maps, basic features missing. You're locked into a specific playing style. "Your city, Maxis' way" (or the highway if that doesn't suit you).
  68. maxg
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Game crippled by DRM, missing a lot of content to be sold as DLC later, requires internet connection, despite being traditionally a single player game and everyone being upset with the decision. Game currently doesn't work and probably won't in the near future when they decide it's no longer profitable to run the servers. Avoid this game and this publisher.
  69. Nevon
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Unable to preload the game, the Origin client failed to give me access to Sim City (or any other game I had purchased through it) for a few hours after my purchase. There's a wait to access a single-player game, which should blow any rational person's mind. Save files are frequently corrupted, causing you to lose your progress. The plot sizes are hilariously small. You're not building aUnable to preload the game, the Origin client failed to give me access to Sim City (or any other game I had purchased through it) for a few hours after my purchase. There's a wait to access a single-player game, which should blow any rational person's mind. Save files are frequently corrupted, causing you to lose your progress. The plot sizes are hilariously small. You're not building a city, you're building a town with high-rises. Even if the technical problems with overloaded servers and corrupted save files are solved, we all know EA is going to nickle and dime us for larger plot sizes, and they're going to hail their DRM their lord and savior. Don't make the same mistake as I did. Don't support this stuff.… Expand
  70. razster
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    Though I did play the BETA for 1hr, I liked what I was able to create, the game itself was very pleasing to the eyes and the features/functions were nice... BUT the reason I gave it a lower score of 5 is because I cannot play the game I bought. This is like D3 all over again and I was hoping that a large company like EA would see the folly that Blizzard had, I was wrong.

    So I will only    Though I did play the BETA for 1hr, I liked what I was able to create, the game itself was very pleasing to the eyes and the features/functions were nice... BUT the reason I gave it a lower score of 5 is because I cannot play the game I bought. This is like D3 all over again and I was hoping that a large company like EA would see the folly that Blizzard had, I was wrong.

    So I will only five this a 5 review and nothing more. I think I may have regrets.    … Expand
  71. fanboyzsuck
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    There are some great ideas here, especially with the way the simulation works and includes surrounding regions in multiplayer. I just can't experience them for myself because EA didn't bother to provide enough server power to support the launch. Instead, I paid $60 for a mini-game where I sit in a queue for a half-hour at a time, only to restart that line when the server still isn'tThere are some great ideas here, especially with the way the simulation works and includes surrounding regions in multiplayer. I just can't experience them for myself because EA didn't bother to provide enough server power to support the launch. Instead, I paid $60 for a mini-game where I sit in a queue for a half-hour at a time, only to restart that line when the server still isn't available. I could care less about it being DRM. I want to play the game I paid for, and I can't.… Expand
  72. MayhemMike83
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    My gf bought it, but wasn't at home the whole day so I had the pleasure to try it out so here are my impressions:

    1. Pricing: It looks like a typical EA cash grab. The game isn't feature complete (subways?) so expect a lot of expensive but low value DLCs coming our way. I wouldn't buy it until they release a discounted "Gold" version including most of the upcoming extras. 2.    My gf bought it, but wasn't at home the whole day so I had the pleasure to try it out so here are my impressions:

    1. Pricing: It looks like a typical EA cash grab. The game isn't feature complete (subways?) so expect a lot of expensive but low value DLCs coming our way. I wouldn't buy it until they release a discounted "Gold" version including most of the upcoming extras. 2. Always-On-DRM: It took ages until I was able to log in. This is just unacceptable and shows the flaws of this kind of DRM. Also keep in mind that EA will shutdown the servers once the game doesn't make enough profit, or when a newer version gets released. 3. Look and Feel: It looks really nice and watching the little sims doing their thing is amazing. It really feels like a living and breathing city.
    4. The building part: The maps are just too small. Takes you around 1-2h to fill up the entire square and then you can either refine the city or move on to another one so don't expect to spend days or even weeks on a single city. If you have several cities in a region then they will work together but it is just not the same.

    Overall some interesting new ideas, a nice look and feel but a lack in its core city-building mechanic.    … Expand
  73. BulletBR
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    The game is terrible, very disappointed. I paid a lot of money for crap. The size of the city is ridiculous and I would take care of the city, not the sims. Sim City 4 forever...
  74. u2mofo
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    I've played the beta's, and i feel this could be a great game.
    I've bought the game, but i haven't been able to normally play it due to server issues.
    It's sad that EA have decided to cripple it. They've crippled it in two ways: 1. DRM 2. City size. 1. After i added my key the game didn't show up in Origin until much later. Once i was finally able to launch the game i had to    I've played the beta's, and i feel this could be a great game.
    I've bought the game, but i haven't been able to normally play it due to server issues.

    It's sad that EA have decided to cripple it.

    They've crippled it in two ways:
    1. DRM
    2. City size.

    1. After i added my key the game didn't show up in Origin until much later. Once i was finally able to launch the game i had to wait forever to be able to play due to the server being full (why?! i want to play single player! why do i have to wait for a server to play a single player game?!)

    Also what happens in 3 years when they release Simcity 2016? The servers will close and you can't play this game.

    I've paid EA money to play a game when EA lets me play, not when i want to play.... i am never going to do this agian.

    2.The city size is to small. This was a commercial decision by EA to maximize profit, they want as much people as possible to be able to buy the game, even people with a very old computer. It gives the people with a up to date computer a poor playing experience since they don't even have the option to play a bigger map, even though their computers can handle it. It's nice that the game has curved roads, but the city is so tiny there's not enough room to place curved roads...    … Expand
  75. Tomlius1
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Do not listen to all these people reviewing the game as zero, the game is good but all these people are just about EA. And to the people who say its nothing like the originals, thats because its no longer the same game, its a complete reboot of the series and as for the small maps they said they will enlarge the maps in time
  76. neko_ceko
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Terrible, just terrible. And yes, the game does deserve this low score just because of the DRM. If it had the best gameplay on the world it wouldn't be worth barely 2/10 with this s**t DRM system.
  77. barboris
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I'm surprised that so many people were able to get to the point of at least having difficulty accessing the game servers, because I wasn't even able to get the game I paid for. After fully paying for the game and receiving the order confirmation email half a day ago, the game is still not showing up on my Origin for download. I am currently trying really hard to reach EA to request anI'm surprised that so many people were able to get to the point of at least having difficulty accessing the game servers, because I wasn't even able to get the game I paid for. After fully paying for the game and receiving the order confirmation email half a day ago, the game is still not showing up on my Origin for download. I am currently trying really hard to reach EA to request an immediate refund, after such low quality service, for such not at all low priced product. I will stick to Steam and play my games as soon as I pay for them.… Expand
  78. woromatt
    Mar 5, 2013
    9
    Don't see why everyone is bashing this game it's very fun. The city sizes are smaller but it focuses on making a specialized city to build up your region. Like I played for two hours so far and I have an industry and mining city and then I made a tourism casino city, later I'm going to develop a beachfront residential area. So each plot to develop is small but then you're alsoDon't see why everyone is bashing this game it's very fun. The city sizes are smaller but it focuses on making a specialized city to build up your region. Like I played for two hours so far and I have an industry and mining city and then I made a tourism casino city, later I'm going to develop a beachfront residential area. So each plot to develop is small but then you're also interconnecting and developing the entire region. Also for people complaining about being always online just get a better internet connection brah! I didn't have any issues getting into the servers today at all.… Expand
  79. Yaemon
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    drm store dlc social multiplayer? No thanks.

    Also, the cities are so small that they are all the same, this game is dumb and just a money milker. There is no space for creativity or challenge.
  80. psyestorm
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    The game I'm sure is great. Maxis always does a great job. Unfortunately, I can't play it right now because of Server issues. There was no pre-load available. Can't play a a single player game because of always on DRM. THIS WILL NOT STOP PIRACY. All EA is doing is inconveniencing paying customers. Of course they wont listen to reason. So we all vote this game down.
  81. Xel
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Paid $60 to be unable to play the game on release due to EA's DRM, thanks Should have never bought and supported a DRM game. Clearly I won't be making that mistake again.
  82. PhileDealer
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Always on DRM. Do not buy. Waiting in a queue to play a single player game? No thanks. I had high hopes for this game. I hope this is patched to go online for install, but offline after that.
  83. Positron3006
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    It's brilliant!!
    The game design was helped by a city planner and it shows. You never stop having fun with it. I loved every single minute of playing it!
  84. 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
  85. WJ12P
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    For everyone who says that constant DRM and a botched release are not a good enough reason to destroy this game's ratings they are wrong. EA needs to learn that these types of releases cannot happen. Three hours after registering my game and it hasn't even shown up in the "My Games Library" on Origin. Pathetic and unacceptable.
  86. gapid
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    If you've never played a simcity game, this is an amazing game on its own. But having played every simcity game in the franchise, this is really disappointing. The main complaint is the extremely small city size compared to its predecessors. The always-online component is not necessary.
  87. Darkmater
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    A game is truly poor when its unable to be enjoyed, and this game falls completely in this category. With the always on DRM and a very poor delivery of server services. I am unable to play a game that is installed on my machine. For the only reason so that I can be social, its interesting then that in EA's mind that they have chosen social as the main means of driving their game design. ToA game is truly poor when its unable to be enjoyed, and this game falls completely in this category. With the always on DRM and a very poor delivery of server services. I am unable to play a game that is installed on my machine. For the only reason so that I can be social, its interesting then that in EA's mind that they have chosen social as the main means of driving their game design. To which they are a complete success, I have not even played the game, but I am pushed into the world of social sharing by the game to state, "its poor, and unplayable due to the server restriction and poor overhead server capacity. Thank you, Simcity you have delivered me into the social space per your game, and it is making meaningful connections for me, and hopefully those connections that read this will think twice about purchasing a game that is so limited in ones ability to play it.… Expand
  88. djodars
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    The usual "EA corporation" destroying awesome companies like Maxis. DO NOT BUY SIM CITY! Not only you need to be online at all times to play, but in a few years from now, the game will NOT be playable anymore (when they take the servers down). Do NOT encourage this practice. This is bad for everyone who likes video games if only a little.
  89. Anitaaa
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Playing with my boyfriend and a couple of other friends right now. We're playing on a 16 city region and it's a ton of fun. we're enjoying the game very much. I recommend it
  90. volver321
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Remember back when you were a kid and Mario 3 had a 30 min wait time to play the game? Well i don't ether, do not buy this game for any reason, It will be unplayable in a few years and dose not work now. Take a look at the critic reviews, they have been given a lot of money to lie to you.
  91. 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
  92. matthatter
    Mar 5, 2013
    10
    Haters... sheesh. Game is great. Not the game developers' fault if EA can't keep it up. :)

    I haven't explored mult-play yet, but building up a city by myself was FUN.
  93. MeganFoxThumbs
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    First of all, please stop making fun of my thumbs.
    Second of all, DRM...really EA? oh wait, it is EA after all and they like sucking our money. Think of EA like the federal reserve unregulated and unethical
  94. Daikaze
    Mar 5, 2013
    7
    I'm not a fan of the DRM or the map size, but the game is actually quite enjoyable. It really seems like most of the reviews are dishonest. The negative reviews are largely from players that didn't buy the game and the positive reviews are bloated as people feel the need to "balance" things out. After some time with the beta and live builds of the game, I can say it is quite enjoyable. TheI'm not a fan of the DRM or the map size, but the game is actually quite enjoyable. It really seems like most of the reviews are dishonest. The negative reviews are largely from players that didn't buy the game and the positive reviews are bloated as people feel the need to "balance" things out. After some time with the beta and live builds of the game, I can say it is quite enjoyable. The small map size makes things a bit more challenging because you don't have room for error when it comes to maximizing your population/income. The map size really puts emphasis on city specializations, and I'm okay with that. It's a bit different, but it ends up playing well. The game is simple enough for novice users and offers plenty of challenge for experienced users to work with. It's a shame they didn't offer a 1-hour demo build for everyone to try.… Expand
  95. griffordson
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Can't even get the game to download. And once I do, it appears the game will be unplayable since their servers are overloaded. I do hope they get these problems worked out, but until then, avoid it.
  96. lucassandro
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    -No option to be 100% offline with single player mode
    -Always-on connection to Origin -Limitations to players in fake single player mode
    -The presence of empty spaces not editable (useless empty spaces) with automatic road connections -Absence of farms -Road connections placed in a fixed and pre-determined location on the map -Airport City (the city is only one International Airport,    -No option to be 100% offline with single player mode
    -Always-on connection to Origin -Limitations to players in fake single player mode
    -The presence of empty spaces not editable (useless empty spaces) with automatic road connections
    -Absence of farms
    -Road connections placed in a fixed and pre-determined location on the map
    -Airport City (the city is only one International Airport, occupying the entire mao 2x2km)
    -Automatic road connections
    -Player doesn't have complete control over the zoning by population density (almost automatic zoning)
    -Dead space between all the buildings
    -Size of the maps is 2km by 2km (small maps)
    -Not being able to control the regional transport
    -Modding restrictions

    NO SUBWAYS
    NO FREEWAYS
    NO TERRAFORMING
    NO SAVING OR LOADING
    NO SPACE TO BUILD
    MUST LET STRANGERS RUIN YOUR CITIES MUST BUY RESOURCES TO POWER YOUR CITY    … Expand
  97. 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!
  98. Martytoof
    Mar 5, 2013
    4
    Between city size, no save/load functions, necessity to be always-online, I'm not sure I would buy this game at full price as it exists right now. The gameplay is enjoyable and the visuals are nice, but it feels incredibly limiting. This game has a lot of promise but sadly the product as delivered just feels clumsy. Hopefully EA takes criticism to heart and actually attempts to learn fromBetween city size, no save/load functions, necessity to be always-online, I'm not sure I would buy this game at full price as it exists right now. The gameplay is enjoyable and the visuals are nice, but it feels incredibly limiting. This game has a lot of promise but sadly the product as delivered just feels clumsy. Hopefully EA takes criticism to heart and actually attempts to learn from missteps instead of just handwaving all concerns.… Expand
  99. vetyu
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Another horrible always online DRM game. I still play the original sim city single player and that game was made 20 years ago but with this new sim city EA will turn off the server making this game unplayable in a year or two, also i don't like how small the cities you are aloud do build are, theres no subways and no terraforming. I would recommend nobody on buying this game.
  100. Minatanae
    Mar 5, 2013
    1
    Now this is just another horrible instance of how a greedy publisher can destroy a potentially awesome game, from a really good series of games.

    First of all, Maxis, well done. You've created an interesting, fun and absorbing game, like you have done in the past. Secondly, EA Games, go bury yourself. The gameplay itself is nice and fun. But it's impossible to not notice the    Now this is just another horrible instance of how a greedy publisher can destroy a potentially awesome game, from a really good series of games.

    First of all, Maxis, well done. You've created an interesting, fun and absorbing game, like you have done in the past.

    Secondly, EA Games, go bury yourself.

    The gameplay itself is nice and fun. But it's impossible to not notice the obvious parts that are missing, just so they can be added as DLC and sold for more profit later on. Subways for example and other means of transportation that could easily have made the "final product". Also, regarding this whole "always online" way of avoiding piracy, that does'nt work so well does it. First of all, on launch day, the game is still unaccessable. Secondly, if you do create a nice city that you wish to continue playing, you're out of luck if your server is full. Either you're put into a queue, or you will have to start a new city on another server, putting your old favorite in the do-it-later-when-I'm-allowed-to-play-what-I-want pile. Great.

    Also, Sim City is one of those perfect games to play when you just want to chill out and relax a little by yourself. The Sim City series have always been like that. Going away to your cabin for the weekend? Want a single-player game that ain't demanding, that you can just play for fun? Sim City has always delivered, along with other "tycoon" games.

    But now, thanks to the DRM, you always have to be online. So you can kiss those days goodbye as well.

    This could have been a great game worth spending hundreds of hours on. Thanks to the greed of the publisher, it's the complete opposite. Way to go there, ruining many players hopes of finally getting the best Sim City experience yet.

    I can't recommend this as a purchase for anyone. No matter how fond you are of city-sim games.    … Expand
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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]
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