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. Loler13gr
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    Althought the first few days were horrible with lots of problems I must say the game is pretty good... I had a lot of fun playing it and I can say that I will play this for a long time to come.. The graphics are great and the fact that you can zoom in and be able to see what your sims do and what they think is amazing.. The only problem is that the maps are a little small which means thatAlthought the first few days were horrible with lots of problems I must say the game is pretty good... I had a lot of fun playing it and I can say that I will play this for a long time to come.. The graphics are great and the fact that you can zoom in and be able to see what your sims do and what they think is amazing.. The only problem is that the maps are a little small which means that in order to do everything you have to expand and build more cities in the region and the always-online DRM... This last one is the biggest mistake of the company and if the company doesn't do something about it then they might have a problem...… Expand
  2. Quinzal
    Mar 20, 2013
    7
    EDIT:
    This game is amazing and is the best thing since sliced bread when it finally gets working. When it isnt working, its the best loading simulator ever.
  3. mountainpony
    Mar 14, 2013
    7
    First off, I have to get this out of the way; I am not nor have ever been employed by EA or Maxis (or by anyone, for that matter, with even loose ties in the gaming industry). I am just an avid gamer. I hold no grudges against any developers or publishers, although, as in this case, it's pretty evident when one, or both, of them slips up.

    EA undeniably soured the release of an otherwise    First off, I have to get this out of the way; I am not nor have ever been employed by EA or Maxis (or by anyone, for that matter, with even loose ties in the gaming industry). I am just an avid gamer. I hold no grudges against any developers or publishers, although, as in this case, it's pretty evident when one, or both, of them slips up.

    EA undeniably soured the release of an otherwise sweet game with SimCity, albeit not in the usual way they're accused of. But when we look passed the Always Online DRM, how much of gamers' quibbles with SimCity are actually EA's fault?

    To begin, there have been some redeeming things EA have done (or tried to do) in response to all the anger and frustration aimed at them. On March 18th for instance, "a free PC download game from the EA portfolio" will be available to all active SimCity users. It took less than three days (which by industry standards is blazing fast) to drastically improve server load and performance and increase the total number of servers. How long has Crysis 3 been out? Black Ops 2? Have they even acknowledged the issues with their servers? (For those who don't know what I mean by this, I have been unable to get a consistently lag-free connection with either those games in multiplayer, especially Black Ops 2, and it's certainly not my IP)

    But let's focus on the major complaints from gamers regarding SimCity: small city sizes, forced multiplayer, micro-transactions, inability to save/load on HDD, and Day One DLC. At least one of these isn't even true, and all seem quite clearly to me as design choices made by the developer, Maxis. Let's get two of the easy complaints out of the way; privatizing a game is as simple as checking a box, and I have yet to find ANY micro-transaction opportunity (I don't even see what purpose they'd serve beyond catering to the laziest of players), and even if they were everywhere, they're little more than a purchasable cheat, having no effect on gameplay for those who choose to ignore them. Day One DLC can be controversial, but really? This "DLC" is a tourist attractions package of sorts that offers real-world wonders and buildings such as the Eiffel Tower. Unless you want to recreate Paris, there is absolutely nothing you're missing out on. SimCity was always a creative game where you built cities from your imagination.

    The inablitiy to save onto a private hard disk is kind of dumb but necessary to the whole idea of a pseudo-MMO city simulator. Your cities breathe and produce and work with (or against) other players and their cities. That can't happen if players can simply load a past save when something doesn't go their way. I personally like this feature and don't mind that my saves are located in a "cloud" instead of a physical disk (although the option for both would certainly be preferable). The lack of a save/load feature, however, is a direct result of the more fundamental design choice regarding online play, one that I find very implausible was forced upon Maxis by EA. Many of the game's design choices in general stem from the questionable decision to make SimCity an "online game," like Diablo III or even Guild Wars, which is decision made by Maxis. And if you insist that EA forced Maxis to make SimCity online only from the reboot's inception, then I find it very hard to believe Maxis couldn't get the as big a game as SimCity published under another company that didn't choose to force online play, if they were against the idea that is.

    The final complaint and also my personal gripe is indeed the city size. They're simply too small. The ability to connect multiple cities, using them in tandem to create a mega city, does help mend this but there should be an option to extend city boundaries, or at least a game mode where the limit is removed. A recent interview with a lead game designer from Maxis states that they intend to increase the size limits "eventually."

    Now, EA has been receiving the blame for this design choice since the beta, when it's quite clear to me Maxis should be receiving the brunt of it. I don't quite understand why anyone would even sneer in EA's direction on this one; am I to assume their unabashed greed somehow accounts for them not allowing Maxis to increase the city limits? I don't see how it earns them a profit; in fact it's done the opposite.

    In the end, EA screwed up big time with the servers, but they've made evident and serious attempts to rectify their mistake (at least I feel that way). Meanwhile, Maxis has gotten out seeming guilt-less, when it seems they're liable for most of the complaints. True, the DRM needs to go, not only from EA but industry-wide (I'm looking at you Blizzard).

    I'm judging the game for what it is in it's current playable state, a solid 7. Given time for updates and player mods, I'm sure this game will be incredible and the city limits will hopefully be expanded sooner rather than later.    … Expand
  4. Father_death
    Jun 1, 2013
    7
    The score needs to be reset... This is kinda total I don't like EA but still this game is good people judged it by the starter not the actual game! people are idiots... this game should have a 8-10!
  5. rocketsatdawn
    Mar 23, 2013
    7
    The game was a nightmare to access at launch, but they've since resolved most of the issues by adding more servers and regular updates. There are still some problems that need addressing including contradictory information in game and instances where the server is not syncing with the cities, so you end up having to roll back to a previous state essentially losing all your recent progress.The game was a nightmare to access at launch, but they've since resolved most of the issues by adding more servers and regular updates. There are still some problems that need addressing including contradictory information in game and instances where the server is not syncing with the cities, so you end up having to roll back to a previous state essentially losing all your recent progress. But apart from that its a really good game that is incredibly fun to play. It would be nice to have an offline mode but I have found the multilayer aspect extremely rewarding as I share my region with a couple of my buddies. It's great building different types of cities and either sabotaging your citizens lives or building lots of parks and keeping them happy. Of course its seriously entertaining when you get a zombie outbreak and you can watch them annihilate your population. One real problem with the game play itself is how small the cities are. It's great building multiple cities that work together, but It can be frustrating running out of space especially when nearly all of your buildings are already high density. Its a shame considering how you could make enormous cities in Simcity 4. This is something that should be amended because it really does put a limit on how long you can play the game for. It gets to a point that all you can do is leave your old city and start a new one.… Expand
  6. dkao12
    Mar 19, 2013
    7
    Simcity 5 is an intriguing game and has a lot of potential such as specialization and the complex gameplay. It isn't a bad game, it just had a really bad launch and EA is trying to fix their servers (heck they're willing to give out a free title with your purchase of Simcity). It's the steep learning curve makes it really difficult to start out and inability to change the settings andSimcity 5 is an intriguing game and has a lot of potential such as specialization and the complex gameplay. It isn't a bad game, it just had a really bad launch and EA is trying to fix their servers (heck they're willing to give out a free title with your purchase of Simcity). It's the steep learning curve makes it really difficult to start out and inability to change the settings and rules of the map is ridiculous. The tutorials don't help much and the in-game tips barely give me useful information. I couldn't even start my own city by myself because the amount of money is given to you at the beginning is too little (playing at normal) and the fact that I have to specialize on one thing and cooperate with the other city is even harder. Since you have to upgrade your town hall to city hall which needs a lot of residents then add a department of transportation to ship or gain workers and a trade depot to trade resources WITH ONLY $50,000 which I find ridiculous! It forces you to play with others or claim other lands which shouldn't make me do that and the land size is so small that I can barely call this game simCITY... hey I'm not talking about a metropolis here but the amount of space you get is a one block in the map. The more I played this game the lower my score got... and I'm not judging this game on its servers which I never do. It had great potential and I'm pretty sure it must have been awesome on paper! But I think this game falls short and it does not impress me very well. Bummer... I really wanted to immerse myself in this game but i can't unless I build multiple cities by myself or have to constantly rely on other cities. It's not a bad game but it is disappointing to anyone who is a SimCity fan, it just missing a lot things and the basics.… Expand
  7. danielkyp
    Mar 7, 2013
    7
    If you bought the game already please head my advice! In origin use the Call Me help option, when an agent calls you, simply ask for a refund. I managed to get a refund very simply even though they say they won't give you one for digital downloads form origin. They didn't ask questions, don't vent, don't complain, just simply state that you would like a refund. I only gave this a 7 soIf you bought the game already please head my advice! In origin use the Call Me help option, when an agent calls you, simply ask for a refund. I managed to get a refund very simply even though they say they won't give you one for digital downloads form origin. They didn't ask questions, don't vent, don't complain, just simply state that you would like a refund. I only gave this a 7 so that the icon would turn green and more people would notice my message.… Expand
  8. PossumSocks
    Mar 5, 2013
    7
    Ok so lets begin by me saying that I find this game extremely fun. The problem with it is not the game itself, but EA being a total dickbag.

    EA is very stupid. DRM on this game hurts the players so much more than pirating. When I first hear people talking about this game and the DRM problems. When I heard that the DRM was stupid, I thought back to Steam where I buy most of my games. On    Ok so lets begin by me saying that I find this game extremely fun. The problem with it is not the game itself, but EA being a total dickbag.

    EA is very stupid. DRM on this game hurts the players so much more than pirating. When I first hear people talking about this game and the DRM problems. When I heard that the DRM was stupid, I thought back to Steam where I buy most of my games. On Steam you need to be logged in... and that is no problem because the servers are plentiful. This is why I was somewhat blind-sided by SimCity. I did not have to wait the first time playing. And the experience was great. But after about 2 hours, the server began to clog up. Now I understand some hiccups on launch day but it is sad when you cannot play because the server shuts down on you and kicks you off. Now to be honest. DRM only hurts the people who buy the game. I could probably go on ISOhunt or Piratebay right now and find a copy of the game that is working fine, but I like supporting the game devs.. MESSAGE TO ALL GAME CORPORATIONS!!!! DRM DOES NOT SOLVE ANYTHING!!!

    Now to sum up the game itself. I only played about 2 and a half hours, but what I did play was pretty great. I love the way cities can now have more organic themes with the new options like curvy roads and such. The game is fairly easy to grasp from the beginning and the controls are smooth. The only problem I had with the game itself is the maps feel a little small, meaning that your cities will become hard to control with so little space.

    My scoring: 10
    -0.5 for the small maps
    -0.5 for removing subways
    -2 for the DRM that ruined the experience
    =7/10

    Final notes- This game could have been an 8 or 9 but the DRM caused the servers to crash... disallowing me to play the game.

    also, you guys should stop giving this game a 0 for DRM... honestly that is ridiculous. I know DRM is bad and some may not be able to play the game but in my opinion, you should wait a day and play the game instead of giving it a zero. It is not the game that is terrible, it is EA and Origin that are ruining it.    … Expand
  9. TyBallz
    Mar 6, 2013
    7
    The game itself is actually pretty great. The server issues, while frustrating, aren't too bothersome if you have more patience than a two year old child. I'm sure everything will be smoothed out within a week or two. The unable to save for a lot of users (including myself) is the most annoying 'error' I've encountered so far. If you're thinking of buying the game, maybe give it a fewThe game itself is actually pretty great. The server issues, while frustrating, aren't too bothersome if you have more patience than a two year old child. I'm sure everything will be smoothed out within a week or two. The unable to save for a lot of users (including myself) is the most annoying 'error' I've encountered so far. If you're thinking of buying the game, maybe give it a few weeks until EA/Origin and fix connection/server problems.… Expand
  10. CoachCager
    Mar 7, 2013
    7
    The Sim itself is amazing.
    I am not a fan of the DRM, though I understand where they are coming from.

    My major dislike is the size of the "towns" I used to love building big sprawling metropolises. I can understand that why the size is small due to the level at which they are simming.
  11. ashkonh
    Mar 9, 2013
    7
    The new SimCity is another victim of the Cloud. Online-only is probably the worst decision Maxis could have made. SimCity is for stormy days when you have no internet connection and you make yourself a hot chocolate and create a fantasy city. Now it's dependent and social. Although in this edition they have taken out the most annoying aspects of the last game (SimCity 4 Deluxe for PC IThe new SimCity is another victim of the Cloud. Online-only is probably the worst decision Maxis could have made. SimCity is for stormy days when you have no internet connection and you make yourself a hot chocolate and create a fantasy city. Now it's dependent and social. Although in this edition they have taken out the most annoying aspects of the last game (SimCity 4 Deluxe for PC I mean, not tablet or handheld games) such as having to draw water pipes, they left out some of the best aspects. One of the greatest joys when playing SimCity used to be making the terrain yourself before you started your city. Now you can't even control the terrain, so there literally IS going to be a PERFECT city that somebody in Korea designs. I'm not cool with that, it takes all the imagination out of it. They also left out the ability to drive around doing missions, move in your own Sims, and (I am saying it again) control the size of your city. I am giving the game a 7 because I am trying to take a step back from my years of experience with the previous games and what they have given me, and just looking at SimCity from an objective angle. It's fun, pretty, and conducive to teamwork, and the possibilities for creating unique and interesting cities are enormous.… Expand
  12. Mehlicious
    Mar 8, 2013
    7
    First two days of release I spent 3 hours each night failing to login the appropriate servers for my region (NA East 1 and 2). Last night and this morning, I was pleasantly surprised with stable access and unhindered playability. Although certain details of the game have been removed, overall, the sandbox-like atmosphere of past generations is still there. Aside from an initial shock toFirst two days of release I spent 3 hours each night failing to login the appropriate servers for my region (NA East 1 and 2). Last night and this morning, I was pleasantly surprised with stable access and unhindered playability. Although certain details of the game have been removed, overall, the sandbox-like atmosphere of past generations is still there. Aside from an initial shock to just how unstable the Simcity/EA always on DRM can be, I will most likely continue to play this game. I knocked off 2 points for requiring an always on DRM for single player sandboxes, which clearly can and have ruined playability. There is nothing worse than an unintentional rollback of a city hosted on EA servers because of a crash from server side. The fear of a rollback to my work is in my head every second I play this game, but I will admit it wanes as the stability persists from this point forward. Finally, one other point was taken because the map sizes are too small. I would like to see a larger map size and single player always on DRM removed. Since the developers/staff have been working so hard to stabilize servers and bring additional server capacity online, I logically think that future patches will only strengthen this game and fix the concerns I have stated with map size and single player always on DRM.… Expand
  13. SumoScott
    Mar 9, 2013
    7
    Although the issues logging in are from gone, the game overall is brilliant. Such a shame, if it weren't for poor management SimCity would have scored alot higher.
  14. xo220c
    Mar 10, 2013
    7
    look i see why people are giving it negative reviews but what is the point in playing the game. The point is so that you can see what it is like yeah it may have its flaws but all in all its a good deep simulated city and that is what we wanted at the launch of any pc game the servers will always be at maximum capacity but if you think about it we asked for the game to be launched earlylook i see why people are giving it negative reviews but what is the point in playing the game. The point is so that you can see what it is like yeah it may have its flaws but all in all its a good deep simulated city and that is what we wanted at the launch of any pc game the servers will always be at maximum capacity but if you think about it we asked for the game to be launched early so we brought all of the glitches on ourselves the one thing i do have to say is that the game always skips a frame… Expand
  15. Mooseda
    Mar 14, 2013
    7
    I definitely overall agree that the online-only DRM management for this game is superbly silly. But I really feel for the developers and engineers behind this project that made it come alive. I bet you they have been pouring their soul into this project for years BUT the head producers and directors and managers all made this absurd blueprint on trying to put a fight on piracy when inI definitely overall agree that the online-only DRM management for this game is superbly silly. But I really feel for the developers and engineers behind this project that made it come alive. I bet you they have been pouring their soul into this project for years BUT the head producers and directors and managers all made this absurd blueprint on trying to put a fight on piracy when in fact, I bet you there's less than a 8-13% population out there that REALLY know how to install a cracked game. If I was creating a great game and only 8-13% of them are hacking it because they figured out how to, by all means I would not mind. It's the head of EA that took in the developers of Maxis and corporate-ized them into a DLC and DRM machine. I support the game because of the engineers and the engine.. but I DO NOT respect the politics on how this game was born and how its maintained for audiences.… Expand
  16. FLyNn
    Mar 15, 2013
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The best new thing in Sim City is: you can help your friends with means. And also the new buildings makes the game more beautiful than the other "Sim Cities".
    The worst thing in it is: you really needs to connect to the server to play, and now there are many "network disconnects".    … Expand
  17. wallpaper_01
    Mar 15, 2013
    7
    Crazy reviews on here, so many 0's... Common, chill out!

    I was discussing this with my housemate last night and I think that this game is done so well that it is getting negative reviews! Let me explain... It has a brilliant UI, everything is simple to understand and it is so accurate that we almost want it to do everything! Cities in real life are so complex and this game really is    Crazy reviews on here, so many 0's... Common, chill out!

    I was discussing this with my housemate last night and I think that this game is done so well that it is getting negative reviews! Let me explain...

    It has a brilliant UI, everything is simple to understand and it is so accurate that we almost want it to do everything! Cities in real life are so complex and this game really is pretty accurate, its amazing to watch. Because there are no subways, terraforming etc we get angry, why are they not there?! But so much is there!

    Anyway DRM, people chill out who cares honestly, I waited 4 days after release to play and it all works fine except Leaderboards. I will mark down 1 point for DRM. Also because I can't play it offline on the move, I don't want to but I could see some people would want to. Seeing people give this game 0 because of DRM is idiotic.

    I mark down another point for the map sizes, this is my main gripe about the game. I want to 'design' my city but I feel like you can't. You can at first but demand makes you need to create packed in dense cities that all end up looking the same. You have the tools to be able to, like different class ranges but the city is far too small to do that. Plus specialist cities? No, I want option of all in one like LA, which has everything.

    3rd mark down is for little things missing like subway, little bugs, I don't like the big works idea, I just want a full airport 'in' my city, no bridges when you want them etc...

    Can or will all this stuff be fixed with a patch? I think it could be, but will it? Probably not. If the sims is anything to go by, there will be many expansions to this game.

    7/10    … Expand
  18. StukaJU87c
    Mar 15, 2013
    7
    The user scores are pretty ridiculous here. I mean yes the launch was all kinds of messed up, even still it can be hard to actually play the game...but aside from that I believe it's a decent game...until you run out space to build. The city size is a crippling limitation. Don't feed into the BS that it's because of the inter connectivity of the different cities in a region....that couldThe user scores are pretty ridiculous here. I mean yes the launch was all kinds of messed up, even still it can be hard to actually play the game...but aside from that I believe it's a decent game...until you run out space to build. The city size is a crippling limitation. Don't feed into the BS that it's because of the inter connectivity of the different cities in a region....that could easily be scaled up. The largest maps contain 4 regions of 4 city lots. One city should take up not just those lots, but the entire area...the entire map even if the player chooses. I will give it a 7 because aside from those aspects, the game is nice. Cities XL '13 has better graphics...I will probably go back to playing that.… Expand
  19. Deliriouskiller
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    Although the release of this game has been somewhat of a failure- the in-game aspect of the game is nothing less than superb. The city building game offers thousands of possible scenarios that you could put (or not put) your citizens through. You can use a large region to fashion a sprawling urban empire- or select a somewhat smaller region and create a suburban haven- with one or twoAlthough the release of this game has been somewhat of a failure- the in-game aspect of the game is nothing less than superb. The city building game offers thousands of possible scenarios that you could put (or not put) your citizens through. You can use a large region to fashion a sprawling urban empire- or select a somewhat smaller region and create a suburban haven- with one or two 'city slots'. Crime, fire protection, education, health care, sewage, power, water- are the key aspects that need to be managed when creating a small or large city, and with many types of addons, you can have them function or look exactly how you want them to. Having said all of this, the game is hindered by its omnipresent bugs, errors, crashes and connection issues- leaving it with a positive, yet relatively low score of seven from me.… Expand
  20. PlatinumFlyTrap
    Mar 22, 2013
    7
    This would be a 7.5 if I could rate that.The cities are very small but depending on the region you choose can have multiple cities. These cities can interact but not as much as I expected. Disasters have to be unlocked in regular mode and all... well everything has to be built along roads. Online DRM was a problem at first but it's perfectly fine now except on very few occasions. CityThis would be a 7.5 if I could rate that.The cities are very small but depending on the region you choose can have multiple cities. These cities can interact but not as much as I expected. Disasters have to be unlocked in regular mode and all... well everything has to be built along roads. Online DRM was a problem at first but it's perfectly fine now except on very few occasions. City specialization is vague but it makes you need to make a decision. Pro stadiums and expo centers can make TONS of money and are really "overpowered" in a sense. It is fun and beautiful but has it's flaws game-play wise. I am sure mods will allow for larger cities but until then, have fun in your village.… Expand
  21. scruffycavetrol
    Mar 27, 2013
    7
    Everyone is aware of the disasterous release. The server issues have been corrected and playability is stable now. Online DRM is still a bad idea, and even moreso for a traditionally single player game. Although, I do like the idea of having actual people in a region making cities and trading with other players, it's a very interesting part of it, but playing with friends seems to beEveryone is aware of the disasterous release. The server issues have been corrected and playability is stable now. Online DRM is still a bad idea, and even moreso for a traditionally single player game. Although, I do like the idea of having actual people in a region making cities and trading with other players, it's a very interesting part of it, but playing with friends seems to be troublesome as you all have to be on the same servers, and finding an open game just to join is also a chore....but always online drm isn't needed for that. The game is fun, but it does have its problems. Traffic seems to be a constant problem, how they handle ground water seems to be unrealistic, and some other general oddness. It does seem though they really wanted people to make specialized cities as opposed to the mish-mosh of RCI that we'd normally see. You can still do the traditional cities, but the specializations do make it interesting and are really how to get those high tech buildings people want. Visually the game is nice, and being able to zoom to street level and see sims and thoughts is cool. There are texture problems here and there with building flickering in and out of existance. Play areas are fairly small compared to the old titles, but you will run into the same issues regardless of map size (overcrowding, homeless, etc), and in some ways makes the player focus more on making the areas more desirable. you can however make multiple cities in a region and have them work with each other. So I guess being mayor of 3 or 4 small cities is like being the mayor of a big one. The game is not terrible, although probably had one of the worse releases I have seen in 20+ years of playing video games. It does have its issues, and falling retail prices reflect that. So, if you can get the game on sale at Target, go for it.… Expand
  22. theSCARAYone
    Apr 1, 2013
    7
    This game really deserves 2 separate reviews: One reviewing the actual game when it works, and one talking about the horrible decision of always online DRM. But alas, I can't do 2 reviews so I'm stuck with 1. Starting with the game when it works; it's wonderful. I personally feel that when it comes to the game play aspects of this game in one city, they were almost perfect. I love buildingThis game really deserves 2 separate reviews: One reviewing the actual game when it works, and one talking about the horrible decision of always online DRM. But alas, I can't do 2 reviews so I'm stuck with 1. Starting with the game when it works; it's wonderful. I personally feel that when it comes to the game play aspects of this game in one city, they were almost perfect. I love building a city and watching it grow. They simplified the way water and electricity works, you no longer requires power lines or pipes. Building and maintaining your economy is easy and long as you don't do anything stupid. It's just overall a lot of fun. In my book these aspects of the game deserve an 8.5/10.

    Now we'll talk about the negative things. DRM is never the solution to any single player game, ever. All the arguments that it "stops piracy" or "enhances your game play experience" are total bull shiest. DRM is limiting the people that pay for your game and only slows down those who would steal it. Take a look at Diablo 3, there are more than 10 torrents online that include server emulators. It doesn't stop piracy, it only slows it down. I also can't stand how small the area is that they give you to build your city's. City's in SC4 or SC3000 could be up to 15 times bigger. The excuse that "it won't run on dad's computer" is also bull shiest. I don't have "dad's computer" I have my computer that I spent a good amount of money on so that I could run things like that, stop limiting the people with the better machines to what the people with the lowest machines can handle. These aspects deserve a 2/10.

    Also, anyone who re-reviews this game after giving it a negative one at launch shouldn't. Don't excuse the current game for the failings at launch. I didn't have the game at launch, but if I pay $60 for anything, I expect it to work whenever I want to use it.

    So overall I think the game is a 7. All the right ideas are there when it comes to game play, but they are severely hindered by the Always on DRM.    … Expand
  23. lok1999
    Apr 20, 2013
    7
    when I first reviewed this I was disappointed about the fact that I HAD to play online all the time but when I actually started playing this game to give it a proper score I was really surprised about the gameplay it is so good I've never really played SimCity before but have seen other people play it before and they were really good but the fact that u have to play online all the time Iwhen I first reviewed this I was disappointed about the fact that I HAD to play online all the time but when I actually started playing this game to give it a proper score I was really surprised about the gameplay it is so good I've never really played SimCity before but have seen other people play it before and they were really good but the fact that u have to play online all the time I would give it a higher score but I have to stick with a score of 7/10… Expand
  24. GuardianQ
    Apr 6, 2013
    7
    In this review I will ignore any issues with the servers or saving mechanics.

    I wasn't excited about receiving SimCity, I bought it as something to do in those long, endless holidays, but that is always what it has been. I have briefly played other SimCity games, but not to a great extent or particularly recently. In reality, I was going in blind. Initially, the menus feel a bit    In this review I will ignore any issues with the servers or saving mechanics.

    I wasn't excited about receiving SimCity, I bought it as something to do in those long, endless holidays, but that is always what it has been. I have briefly played other SimCity games, but not to a great extent or particularly recently. In reality, I was going in blind.

    Initially, the menus feel a bit clunky despite their beauty and this is a truth throughout. I was disappointed by the lack of choice of regions (eight in all from memory), and then even more so by the lack of space to develop a city. I guess it's a 50-50 as it encourages you to be efficient in your planning but in reality the most efficient design is rows and rows of city blocks which look ugly. The small cities really limit the ability of the designer player to build the city of their dreams and still achieve the same successes as was possible in older games.

    The actual game is executed well but not superbly. I like the 'modular' style buildings that you can spring up and all the individual animations of every building and every sim are mesmerising. The specialisation possible in this game is fairly well thought out and the city constraints mean that once you specialise, you don't really have room for a lot else.

    The depth of animation is spectacular and there are many layers which you have to consider in order to get your city running well. That said, there are numerous different approaches to doing that and there's always something you can tweak to work that little bit better, which is always very satisfying. Furthermore, despite the small cities, you can always go out and claim another in the same region and use it to bolster your main one, be that as a commuter hub or power station and they all interlink very well and that is something I feel a lot of players forget.

    I'll be brief with the problems. There are numerous graphical glitches when on certain zoom levels which shouldn't be, I don't feel there is a great selection of buildings to place yourself (there are verging on a million parks, but little else), and I don't feel the AI systems particularly controlling traffic flow are very intelligent. Coupled to this, the way in which your city develops when density starts increasing isn't always smart and I feel as though when starting with a cosy suburb with wavy roads, it starts to upgrade and you get this big, rectangular apartments all of the same size which in turn make half your roads obsolete. I think there are ways in which high density buildings can have small footprints and this should be explored.

    This game is good and well made, but there are problems here and there which can drive you away after a couple of hours. By all means buy it, but don't expect to be blown away.    … Expand
  25. TheHof125
    Apr 6, 2013
    7
    Despite everything that has been said about SimCity, it is an incredibly addictive game. It may cost a lot more than it's worth and you can be disconnected instantly, but the fact that I've put 25 hours into this game already has to say something. A good buy, that at time's will frustrate you, but still is worth a great time.
  26. QuimbyDownUnder
    Apr 10, 2013
    7
    I'm writing this after playing for the past few weeks. I was initially flabbergasted and dismayed by the server issues, but that has "mostly" been resolved. No one likes DRM either, but I doubt we can do anything about it so I'll leave that beast lie. I have played EVERY SimCity since 1994. I consider myself a city-building connoisseur. This new game has many great features that fans likeI'm writing this after playing for the past few weeks. I was initially flabbergasted and dismayed by the server issues, but that has "mostly" been resolved. No one likes DRM either, but I doubt we can do anything about it so I'll leave that beast lie. I have played EVERY SimCity since 1994. I consider myself a city-building connoisseur. This new game has many great features that fans like me have been waiting decades for. Curved roads, upgrade-able buildings, specialized industry, actual tourism. Under-road utilities removes the headache of power-lines and pipes. I have had an enjoyable time learning the system and playing. If you are a true SimCity fan you'll find plenty to enjoy here. That being said.... you will also be frustrated by some of the limitations. City size is a major draw back for me. I always feel boxed in and forced to "go big or go home" so to speak. No room for low density neighborhoods in advanced towns. The size also makes large scale mass-transit impossible, so no highways or subways, which I loved in SC4. Traffic bugs and simulation quirks are also present some areas of improvement but it looks like Maxis is working on updates. This is not a perfect game by any means. It is better in mechanics than anything since SC4. If you like city builders you should try it... maybe once the price comes down...… Expand
  27. HaloFreak78
    May 8, 2013
    7
    Now, while the game-breaking bugs and server crashes are fairly annoying, the gameplay itself is fun and nicely balanced. The data maps are cool, the simulation flows nicely, and the graphics have the whole model train set feel which I find charming. The bugs are the real let-down though. I feel as though if EA and Maxis took more time to fix out the kinks, this would be the best strategyNow, while the game-breaking bugs and server crashes are fairly annoying, the gameplay itself is fun and nicely balanced. The data maps are cool, the simulation flows nicely, and the graphics have the whole model train set feel which I find charming. The bugs are the real let-down though. I feel as though if EA and Maxis took more time to fix out the kinks, this would be the best strategy game on PC now. The multiplayer is also a huge letdown and a waste of time. If you can handle the bugs and crashes, you will find a gameplay experience both challenging and fun.… Expand
  28. Azorax
    Jun 27, 2013
    7
    To really review this game as it is now, you might think that most of the bad reviews are just because people are biased because of server problems. However I am going to compare this game to its predecessors with reference to its supposed 'cloud processing'.
    - It was fun playing with a friend, this was not due to the supposed multiplayer, but it was fun because we could see each other's    To really review this game as it is now, you might think that most of the bad reviews are just because people are biased because of server problems. However I am going to compare this game to its predecessors with reference to its supposed 'cloud processing'.
    - It was fun playing with a friend, this was not due to the supposed multiplayer, but it was fun because we could see each other's development and we strived to make a sustainable and still a good looking city.
    - Cities feel so so very small when we think about what the older simcities were like. My friend and I both agreed that cities should be bigger as it felt very crowded when we made high rises and large buildings and landmarks.
    - More maps and links. We see these maps are even more of an unnecessary restriction, why are we unable to connect every city and great work via road/railways, this would encourage us to play more in order to get every great work and create more cities since they are connected.
    - Ferries are so useless (imo)
    - I believe that they have attempted to (i forgot the word for it) re-make/re-publish this franchise a bit, however they should definitely remove the oh-so many restrictions this game has. Whether it be offline play, or large cities, or amount of cities on one map. I see simcity as a sandbox where I can create whatever I like and how many I want to make, and if you restrict me in this way, I really can't enjoy it to the fullest. While I do take into account that they may or may not be telling the truth that they require cloud processing and if restrictions were not placed then it might be too much, then they could spend more time seeing if they can utilise multi-core properly.
    - I feel that it was rushed and ruined by EA being their publisher. I feel for maxim.
    - Saying that, I have enjoyed the game for most of the 77+ hours (the is because origin booted me out and didn't save more of my hours) that I've played
    - 7/10 for me. I still put more hours into this game than most, though I don't know if the enjoyment factor was as much. I recommend picking this up if you are/were into simcity when it gets discounted/down to a low price    … Expand
  29. DrPepperPhD
    Jun 30, 2013
    7
    Most of the server issues have been resolved, and it seems the devs still haven't abandoned ship (yet), updates are slowly being released, mostly focused on fixing the incompetent agents and traffic AI. While not the best game in the world right now, it defiantly shows potential to becoming the game it should have been at release.
  30. Triasadi
    May 19, 2015
    7
    I've done much research on the game before I purchased it because it was on sale, It's quite a good game. Most of the reviews here are irrelevant since Maxis had fixed the server problems and added a single player mode for SimCity. The game is very fun but every city I made usually last for only about a day or two because most people in the region has either stopped playing or abandonI've done much research on the game before I purchased it because it was on sale, It's quite a good game. Most of the reviews here are irrelevant since Maxis had fixed the server problems and added a single player mode for SimCity. The game is very fun but every city I made usually last for only about a day or two because most people in the region has either stopped playing or abandon their city. A better communication system should be added. And the biggest weakness in the game is the city sizes. The size of a city in SimCity is very small and square. It doesn't let me have much space for me to expand my city. The concept for a multiplayer city builder sounds great, but in reality, not everyone is a top-notch city planner. So playing with other people maybe enjoyable. So far I've been playing for about 20-30hrs, and I really enjoyed the game. I recommend buying it when it's on sale.… Expand
  31. Uncivil_Servant
    Jul 30, 2013
    7
    It seems like most of the technical serer problems have been resolved at this point in time. I have been playing the game for several months without problems. It is a fun game but considerably than earlier incarnations. being able to play and interact with others is interesting. I miss the terra-form and don't like the way cities are limited. Still addicting and worth having.
  32. ye73812
    Apr 28, 2014
    7
    Having read the very mixed reviews for the game, I figured the only way I'd find out if it was any good was to buy it and try it for myself. Downloading from Origin was fairly straightforward and the game was up and running within an hour of purchase.

    Visually, the game is very very good. It looks like an animated model at extreme zoom levels and it's quite nice to just sit back and    Having read the very mixed reviews for the game, I figured the only way I'd find out if it was any good was to buy it and try it for myself. Downloading from Origin was fairly straightforward and the game was up and running within an hour of purchase.

    Visually, the game is very very good. It looks like an animated model at extreme zoom levels and it's quite nice to just sit back and watch the sims go by while having a coffee. It's like Sim Parisian Cafe! The tutorials are straightforward, the controls straightforward and the user interface is very visually appealing.

    On the downside, some of the building menus are a bit hard to navigate. You'll often be asked to build a church, for example, and then give up because the church is hidden in the City Specialization -> Culture -> Worship menu. The maps are small, although it does make the game more challenging and, dare I say realistic, as you can't just plop a building down and build a few houses for the workers - you really have to think about how to balance competing land use demands in order to make the city work.

    A lot of complaints centre on map size, and it is true, they are much smaller than they were in Sim City 4. However, intelligent region play can overcome the limitations of city size by enabling resource sharing, effectively turning separate cities into a conurbation.

    My main gripe is the DLC. It is absolutely terrible. $10 for a building set that gives you a double decker bus, Big Ben and a couple of British-looking buildings? $5 for a few airships or $10 for an amusement park that appears to promise the kind of creative madness of Roller Coaster Tycoon, but ends up being more like Zoo Tycoon. EA removed the modding freedom that Sim City 4 gave us in order to maximize profits from DLC. I don't mind that so much, they are a business and they have to generate revenue, but don't expect value for money because there really isn't much to be had. Wait for the GOTY edition or some bulk bundles and save your cash, because the current DLC is not worth it.    … Expand
  33. AAHK360
    Jun 20, 2014
    7
    I played this game for around 29 hours, and I can say that SimCity 4 was a lot better.
    Now what I hate about it that there is no "blocks" meaning that you can build even stuff, It's so random so you will have some empty places that you can't build anything on, which I hate, in SimCity 4 you could see the actual blocks in the ground and when you put a building you knew exactly how many    I played this game for around 29 hours, and I can say that SimCity 4 was a lot better.
    Now what I hate about it that there is no "blocks" meaning that you can build even stuff, It's so random so you will have some empty places that you can't build anything on, which I hate, in SimCity 4 you could see the actual blocks in the ground and when you put a building you knew exactly how many blocks it's going to take.
    also, you can't longer modify terrain, and you only have what they gave you, small cities which I also hate.
    I really can't find words to describe, but I prefer to play SimCity 4, and it could've been better for them to add the new stuff and increase the graphics to the older SimCity and call it a new SimCity!
    It's still playable though, and there is some nice stuff here and there, but the way that you build and the small cities just kills every thing.    … Expand
  34. Supat97
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    Did You Guy Remember The Sim City DRM Disasters In Last Year In This Year They Have Patch That You Can Play Offline But The Maps Is So Small and Few Bugs However This Is Good Way To Go Check It Out
  35. newalu
    Jan 17, 2015
    7
    I've owned this game on 17 Dec 2014 and im writing this based on the build of that day.the copy i have was the complete edition with all the DLCs included.
    I've been a huge fan of simcity4 and played it for a very long time, i can see why ppl are upset about this game, it had lost of problems when it first started and it had DRM up the ass, however i think EA realized that and they (with    I've owned this game on 17 Dec 2014 and im writing this based on the build of that day.the copy i have was the complete edition with all the DLCs included.
    I've been a huge fan of simcity4 and played it for a very long time, i can see why ppl are upset about this game, it had lost of problems when it first started and it had DRM up the ass, however i think EA realized that and they (with time) worked around it.

    you can actually play offline now and you can port maps form online to offline.

    now the game it self is pretty fun and gets you what you expect out of a simcity game, it is a bit easier and less challenging that simcity4, however this is not the biggest problem with this game, the biggest problem is that the map size is WAaaay too small. you can fill it up in 1 hour or 2 Max. this is a huge let down as the game is beautiful and form what i seen lots of thoughts went to it.this leads up to you filling up the landscape before you can build most of its buildings.

    if you get this game its a very beautiful game with lots of things that you can try, i recommend getting the complete edition because of the content it ships with it.however as i said before this space which you can build on is really small and you wont be able to build a huge metropolis as you could on simcity4 or other games.

    this games is not bad on its own but its not any better than other games ether in the same series or other competitors.    … Expand
  36. JakGLaDOS29
    Dec 30, 2016
    7
    I still havent come across a computer powerful enough to give a decent experience. The graphics require a horrendous amount of energy and GPU strength. But when in game, its an amazing experience. In single player, building a city in sandbox mode will forever be one of the best game experiences I've had. The game would have been a great success. Its gameplay is incomparable, and I reallyI still havent come across a computer powerful enough to give a decent experience. The graphics require a horrendous amount of energy and GPU strength. But when in game, its an amazing experience. In single player, building a city in sandbox mode will forever be one of the best game experiences I've had. The game would have been a great success. Its gameplay is incomparable, and I really love it. Maxis decided to do so many things wrong, it turned into a nightmare. Online only, unforgivable tech requirements for us people running old business pc's that have fans louder than a hairdryer, or MacBooks which do run the game, but don't give you the experience it advertises. I mean maybe it is 2016, but I'm a casual gamer and I'm not looking to blow so much money on a computer to play one goddarn game. At its core, Simcity is epic, but all the faults came together at once and spoiled it for everyone. I mean even the price was ludicrous. It is worth playing now if you have the means, but at release it was an utter flop.… Expand
  37. Review123
    Feb 18, 2018
    7
    simcity review 2, oh yeah now thats better, they fixed a lot of bugs, but i still feel that something is needed.
  38. reviewslol
    Sep 18, 2021
    7
    Is it a good simcity game? No, but it's a decent online game. If you didn't play simcity, you should get this game.
  39. mIX
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    The game play is awesome and interface is much easier to use that past versions. This really is a great update to the Sim City series. Unfortunately the launch for this game has been horrible! I played the beta and it ran great. The real thing runs like crap right now... and EA should have known they'd need more servers... we paid enough for the game.
  40. Zentriefugal
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    To be honest, the game itself is nice but Electronic Arts is like a baby that is not interessted in learning from its misstakes. I give this game to lowest scor to continue drop the rating!
  41. smk123
    Mar 26, 2013
    6
    I'm not going to bother talking about DRM if you don't like DRM, don't buy it, simple as that. The game is very enjoyable for the first couple of hours, things move at a steady pace, it is challenging finding a perfect balance within all the different functions. Hell I even like the region system, I think necessitating trade between cities within a region is a fantastic idea, I know it'sI'm not going to bother talking about DRM if you don't like DRM, don't buy it, simple as that. The game is very enjoyable for the first couple of hours, things move at a steady pace, it is challenging finding a perfect balance within all the different functions. Hell I even like the region system, I think necessitating trade between cities within a region is a fantastic idea, I know it's not meant to replicate real life but logically one city can't be the jack of all trades, and this reliance on trade adds a layer of realism that I admire. The art style is also very easy on the eyes and I much prefer it to the previous simcity games. However my major gripe; the city size. You max out your city size a LOT quicker than would be expected, and until this issue is addressed I can't give the game more than a 6. If city size was expanded to similar levels from previous entries in the series I could easily give this game an 8, it's a lot of fun, but due to the size limitations you'll find yourself making new city after new city as opposed to nurturing one city you can truly be proud of.… Expand
  42. Thunderballs
    Oct 26, 2013
    6
    It's a decent game, but it gets old after only a few cities. Origin is a pain in the behind and isn't even close to being on par with Steam. Unless you want to constantly drop $30 for expansion packs (Think Sims 3 style)... than I wouldn't bother getting this game. Sim City 4 will get you immensly more entertainment value for your hard earned
  43. 10k_Volts
    Apr 15, 2013
    6
    I've amended my review to reflect SimCity more accurately now that it can actually be played. So setting aside all the DRM crap and EA's crappy servers and other launch woes the rest of the game is alright. It's good but in all honesty the server's aren't the only thing wrong with this game. Traffic problems run rampant despite several patches to help this and it's almost assured that youI've amended my review to reflect SimCity more accurately now that it can actually be played. So setting aside all the DRM crap and EA's crappy servers and other launch woes the rest of the game is alright. It's good but in all honesty the server's aren't the only thing wrong with this game. Traffic problems run rampant despite several patches to help this and it's almost assured that you will have a 4 mile long bank of traffic waiting to get into or leave your city on the only connecting road you're allowed to the region.

    Despite trying and trying it's just hard to really get that longevity out of the game. I'm not really sold on the multiplayer side of things. I did it once and thought cool, and after a few hours me and the 3 other players I was playing with had filled up most of the city blocks and were starting on a Great Work. Once that was finished then all we could really do was twiddle our thumbs. Traffic problems were horrendous but there was nothing we could do about that, there was only one road in and out of our cities. Sure we could start another region and do it all again but why? there's 8 maps to choose from, the level of variety is obscenely low. I guess I would like the multiplayer and perhaps just SimCity itself more if it actually kept many of the things that made the series so great to begin with. But instead this game forces many sacrifices of things for these new ideas which honestly detract a lot from those ideas. I constantly dream up the things I could do if my city borders were bigger or if I actually could build my own intercity transport routes but instead I'm stuck with what has been decided for me. SimCity has turned itself into a board game rather than being the sandbox city builder we onced loved.    … Expand
  44. TheFadeForever
    Apr 28, 2013
    6
    DRM prevented me from giving it a more positive review. The gameplay for Sim City has improved I give EA credit for that. However, there poor launch held back the potential of the game not to mention the always online single player ruin the experience due to problems connecting to the server. The new updates for the game just made it even more stale than before thank a lot EA.
  45. Abuk007
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    Ok. No big issues with the game itself, city size is the only big flaw. DRM destroys the experiance. Game is unplayable because of EA's servers 3 days after release. If Multiplayer aspect was optional and singleplayer was guaranteed without Internet requirement game would have been better. Now it's unplayable.
  46. Daddy_D
    Mar 17, 2013
    6
    The DRM problems are as good as gone, and if you look past the DRM it's a mediocre game that's playable but not perfect. There are still alot of annoying bugs. The traffic for example which is pretty bad where cars take the shortest way rather than the best way causing traffic jams. I really miss the save function, larger areas and offline gameplay, and these are the main reason I can'tThe DRM problems are as good as gone, and if you look past the DRM it's a mediocre game that's playable but not perfect. There are still alot of annoying bugs. The traffic for example which is pretty bad where cars take the shortest way rather than the best way causing traffic jams. I really miss the save function, larger areas and offline gameplay, and these are the main reason I can't give the game more than a 6/10. I can get along with "Always online", but being able to save and larger areas are what makes SimCity great. If EA release a patch in the future and fix these issues I will change my score to 9/10. SimCity is simply not SimCity without these functions. I want to be able to build up a city, save it and wreck it with disasters, but EA says you, I will deside what's fun for you. IF YOU READ THIS EA, FIX THE GAME!!!!!!… Expand
  47. N8_2
    Mar 24, 2013
    6
    Bought the game last week after patch #6 was released, so I wasn't exposed to the bugs people are talking about. Day 1 network issues are always expected with multiplayer games, but actual gameplay issues can't be ignored.

    This game is fun and addicting. It exercises your brain's creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking muscles. Lacks some of Sim City 4's functionality and    Bought the game last week after patch #6 was released, so I wasn't exposed to the bugs people are talking about. Day 1 network issues are always expected with multiplayer games, but actual gameplay issues can't be ignored.

    This game is fun and addicting. It exercises your brain's creativity, problem solving, and critical thinking muscles. Lacks some of Sim City 4's functionality and content (subways and city ordinances in particular) but trades it for nice graphics and multiplayer gameplay. The multiplayer is amazing, trading resources and services is actually meaningful. Makes the game worth it. The programming for traffic still needs a lot of work but is really only a problem in large, badly planned tourist cities. The current DLCs are worth $2 each, not $30. Lowered score for typical EA DRM/greed and beta status on game release from 8 to 6.    … Expand
  48. chris514
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    This is a good game but don't buy it in its current state. If and when i can connect I have enjoyed it. Problems I have encountered include non functioning menus, inability to connect, inability to use normal functions such as PLAY. Bugs such as a recycling plant that does not function and an inability to see the area map or start a new town. the list of problems is numerous and untilThis is a good game but don't buy it in its current state. If and when i can connect I have enjoyed it. Problems I have encountered include non functioning menus, inability to connect, inability to use normal functions such as PLAY. Bugs such as a recycling plant that does not function and an inability to see the area map or start a new town. the list of problems is numerous and until its fixed don't buy it. Once it is fixed i would give it a solid 8.5 Cheers.… Expand
  49. OnlyJoe
    Mar 6, 2013
    6
    This game has many good parts to it, as well as some frustrating parts. I was amount the group of people who couldn't actually download the game until hours after it was released. So that put me in a bad mood at the start. Then there is the whole cloud and always online issue, being online didn't seem too much of a problem for me, but not know when it saves is annoying. A number of timesThis game has many good parts to it, as well as some frustrating parts. I was amount the group of people who couldn't actually download the game until hours after it was released. So that put me in a bad mood at the start. Then there is the whole cloud and always online issue, being online didn't seem too much of a problem for me, but not know when it saves is annoying. A number of times it has crashed, and taken me to the desktop, so I log back in and the city has gone. But the good things are the sims, amazing seeing every person and every car, and you can follow them all the way to work. It like they are actual people, and traffic is real because too many cars. Public transport does seem very used by sims, put in busses and the car more than half.
    They have put more focus onto having to get the buildings to upgrade, which give more of a challenge. And upgrading buildings is great, and means you spend less time waiting to save up to buy something. Bad things: 1. the map size feels so small, and there is not enough space to match the demands. For me sim city was always about rapid expansion.
    2. When you play with other people, there are loads of plots of land someone has claimed and then not built anything in. And other cities are really important in this version, you have to share sims and resources. And people don't really work together, they just make a tiny city the same as everyone else on the map. Plus everyone wants to get the nice flat area's first, leaving just the cliffs or island levels.
    3. There feels like there is so much missing content. One way streets, highways, subways, etc.    … Expand
  50. DubCheezy
    Mar 6, 2013
    6
    After a couple of days with the new SimCity game, my feelings are most certainly mixed. On the one hand, SimCity is an incredibly deep and engrossing simulation you could lose hours in. On the other hand the game is a flawed with bugs and backed by unreliable serves to maintain the "always online" requirement. There are also unnecessary limitations that appear to set the stage for DLCAfter a couple of days with the new SimCity game, my feelings are most certainly mixed. On the one hand, SimCity is an incredibly deep and engrossing simulation you could lose hours in. On the other hand the game is a flawed with bugs and backed by unreliable serves to maintain the "always online" requirement. There are also unnecessary limitations that appear to set the stage for DLC to be purchased in the in-game store down the road. Lets look at game play first, for the most part the game's engine is stable, I experienced no crashes due to the software itself. SimCity is a much more colorful and vibrant than it's predecessors, resembling the SIMs more than anything else. The depth and detail of the game engine is incredible when you consider everything that goes on in a city at once, all being tracked by the software. You can even select an individual SIM and follow them all around the town as they go from school, to work etc. Building your city has never been easier with a multiple road types including curved roads. And your buildings can be customized in new ways by adding modular additions to hospitals, city hall, and many others. I did however notice some hiccups in the game engine that need to be addressed by the developers; mainly erratic and strange behavior by certain SIMs on the roadways. Delivery trucks and buses would sometimes randomly stall out or just simply drive around aimlessly. Usually a restart would correct this problem, but these errors slowed my city's development to a craw. I also ran into irritating problems placing roads; the game prohibiting me from placing a road where I know it should be able to go. The New SimCity also uses much smaller map sizes for each city. I didn't mind this as much as some people, because once you fill out one map you can move on to the next-door map in the region. Since the cities in the region can share resources, jobs, etc I decided to dedicate each map as a "segment' of a larger city. Now my whole region is one giant city, with one map being the residential area, one map being industrial, and so on. The developers stated the smaller map size was due to limitations of people's computers to run the game with bigger maps. I call BS on that one, checking resources, my 3-year-old PC can run this game on max settings, utilizing less that 70% of the system resources to do it. I expect to see EA cramming DLC large maps down our throats at a later date. Most of my issues with the SimCity are a result of the "Always-online" DRM built into the game. This is not about, whether DRM is "right" or not, or even fair. The issue is the DRM was done very poorly and negatively affects the game-play to a point where it actually hinders the player's ability to enjoy the game they paid 60 bucks for. I was disconnected 5 times form EA's overwhelmed servers, two of those 5 times I had to wait longer than 20 minutes to log back in. Considering I was playing a SINGLE PLAYER game, and I'd paid 60 bucks for it, I didn't expect to have to wait in line to play the game. That's like being told by Ford that you can only drive your new car when/where THEY want you to. If the roads are open, they should be free, and I should be able to drive where I want. The reality is Game companies will continue to do this only if the consumer continues to open their wallets. That being said it's tough to punish SimCity for it's publisher's shady tactics, the game is very fun. But DRM IS PART OF THE GAME, it IS a FEATURE. If a game had a terrible installation program that didn't work on many computers, reviewers would most certainly account this into their review score. DRM must also be considered in the review scores of this game because it is part of the game, just like every other feature whether it be a building or a menu. The bottom line is if you love SimCity, you'll love this game, DRM or not. The DRM does limit the game (and that's the real reason they made smaller maps) and it does make the game downright unplayable at times. This is because when you buy SimCity, you're not just buying the game software, but your buying bandwidth and space on EA's servers, and quite frankly EA hasn't been up to the task so far.… Expand
  51. Rosey-dee-veto
    Mar 6, 2013
    6
    It really breaks my heart to rate this game so low, because it really is an incredible game with immense depth that provides a much needed breath of fresh air to the genre If you manage to log in.

    That's right, the hotly contested decision of SimCity being an online game (needs to be connected to servers in order to play) ended up being a total disaster as so many people predicted.    It really breaks my heart to rate this game so low, because it really is an incredible game with immense depth that provides a much needed breath of fresh air to the genre If you manage to log in.

    That's right, the hotly contested decision of SimCity being an online game (needs to be connected to servers in order to play) ended up being a total disaster as so many people predicted. Forget the problems of not being to download the game on Origin when it launched, the big problem now is that the servers are way overtaxed; so much so that I've been trying on and off every 10 minutes for the past 6 hours to log in with no luck. This fatal flaw is the only reason I have not rated this game at least a 9/10.

    The gameplay is a little different in that your city borders are smaller and you need to specialize your city and work with other cities in the region to run efficiently. Regions range from 2 city regions up to 16, and you can either decide to play it solo by claiming all the cities in a region for yourself or with others by allowing others to join the region and create their own cities. I admit, however, that it is rather difficult managing more that 2 or 3 cities in a region and although possible, this is not how Maxis intended for you to play the game. It's also noteworthy that Maxis has stated that they will increase the city sizes "eventually" as this is one of the more common complaints among play testers and consumers.

    I won't give you a huge breakdown on how the gameplay works check out any professional review site and you'll get that. I will tell you that the game is crazy addictive and incredibly fun. Just wait until Maxis EA Origin work out the server issues (as they have promised to do) before you buy it.    … Expand
  52. Friendzie
    Mar 15, 2013
    6
    People go on and on about the online-only, but that is only a temporary issue. The biggest problem with Simcity that's been discovered since its launch is that the AI the game uses for the citizens is absolutely abysmal. Citizens don't really live anywhere or have jobs. They just appear out of houses each day and roam around looking for jobs. If they cant find any, the housing losesPeople go on and on about the online-only, but that is only a temporary issue. The biggest problem with Simcity that's been discovered since its launch is that the AI the game uses for the citizens is absolutely abysmal. Citizens don't really live anywhere or have jobs. They just appear out of houses each day and roam around looking for jobs. If they cant find any, the housing loses happiness. It doesn't matter if all your jobs are connected via roads. The citizens will simply march to the nearest jobs and keep going door to door. What this means is that your important mining industry on the other side of town will keep closing due to worker shortages, while some citizens will still complain they couldn't find a job. The only way for a player to fix this is by meticulous trial and error or by making the city have only one winding snake-like avenue with a good distribution of zones so that it's impossible for citizens to not find the local shopping and industry every day. Somehow the game is still pretty fun for a city-builder, but I hope they fix the idiotic AI.… Expand
  53. Zirrkis
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    I found that Simcity is a good game that was held back by a poor business model and its online features. It feels as if there is a physical wall blocking the game from the customer, which many people are complaining about. There is a severe problem with the DRM, its very restrictive. Personally, I have never had a problem with Always online drm, but one that keeps the player from playingI found that Simcity is a good game that was held back by a poor business model and its online features. It feels as if there is a physical wall blocking the game from the customer, which many people are complaining about. There is a severe problem with the DRM, its very restrictive. Personally, I have never had a problem with Always online drm, but one that keeps the player from playing what they payed for is very much a problem. Its like paying 20$ for a movie and food and not being able to eat your food or watch the movie. What people need to know is that its not a bad game at all. The developer has nothing to do with the main problems. Its EA's poorly layed out buisiness model that is the problem, and thats why I give this game a 6.5, its game mechanics are fine besides some bugs here and there. the real problem is the restrictive and near completely broken servers/DRM.… Expand
  54. Greatrock
    Mar 9, 2013
    6
    I'm updating my review to reflect some of the patches that Maxis has put into place. The game is really good, but still has some annoying features:
    1. When you lose connectivity with the servers, the game still allows you to play, but timers and quest objectives break.
    2. I had a server crash, and when it came back, all of the gameplay for the day was missing (about 3 hours worth) 3.    I'm updating my review to reflect some of the patches that Maxis has put into place. The game is really good, but still has some annoying features:
    1. When you lose connectivity with the servers, the game still allows you to play, but timers and quest objectives break.
    2. I had a server crash, and when it came back, all of the gameplay for the day was missing (about 3 hours worth)
    3. Filters are still turned off, which means its really hard to find an existing game with an unclaimed city.    … Expand
  55. PwQt
    Mar 8, 2013
    6
    SimCity is a GREAT game. When it's working! EA hasn't learned over the fail-Diablo III release problems, and me, I wasn't able to play for a ONE day after downloading the game, cause of the servers overloading. EA seems to be working on this problems, and now we can play this game, but several features are off. SimCity, and similar games were always about single-player experience, so weSimCity is a GREAT game. When it's working! EA hasn't learned over the fail-Diablo III release problems, and me, I wasn't able to play for a ONE day after downloading the game, cause of the servers overloading. EA seems to be working on this problems, and now we can play this game, but several features are off. SimCity, and similar games were always about single-player experience, so we should have the possibility to play OFFLINE, but the games' DRM-system requires connection to EA servers at all times Disconnect for 1 second possibility of losing several hours of gameplay.

    Game also suffers from claustrophobic maps. After one-two hour session, you can finish creating one city, without space to create new places to live on your City. You have to create another city to do other things.

    Nevertheless, the Glassbox simulation engine is doing it's best to simulate real city life, and it does it PERFECTLY. When you solve one problem(f.e. Sewage), you must be aware that this could cause another problems, needed to be solved quickly. Personally, I like SimCity, the score is low, because of the fail start, and possible problems in future (servers could be off in ~5-6 years). Gameplay does perfectly the thing called "just one more hour".    … Expand
  56. reticle2020
    Mar 8, 2013
    6
    Well despite the glaring server issues, bugs and inability to play offline. This game is actually a lot of fun. I was able to play for several hours last night, however, on one of the European servers. There are some game crippling bugs I will admit. It's a shame that Maxis is under the thumb of EA I honestly believe that, if they were under the banner of any other producer they wouldWell despite the glaring server issues, bugs and inability to play offline. This game is actually a lot of fun. I was able to play for several hours last night, however, on one of the European servers. There are some game crippling bugs I will admit. It's a shame that Maxis is under the thumb of EA I honestly believe that, if they were under the banner of any other producer they would have waited, ran proper beta testing and released the game when it was ready, instead I think big brother EA was pushing them to release a product to meet their budget. It's a shame really, because once your able to play the game it's really a lot of fun!… Expand
  57. Aquazi
    Mar 9, 2013
    6
    I will skip the drm part. The game is a limited version of sim city 4, cities are small, gameplay is limited. The cooperation and social part is interesting, but soon this new aspect gets boring and what you have is a very limited game. It is not that bad, but afterall games like Tropico 4 and all dlc's feel way more fun and cost 9 dollars not 60.
  58. Tropicantroll
    Apr 4, 2013
    6
    I were too kind to Simcity in the first place.. Theres still Huge Problems, Like Online RDM.. Seriously? The servers aren't atleast full anymore.. but also.. the Cities feel too "American" i mean of course most of the players are mostly american.. But, i mean.. School buses? Seriously?? But well, Forget that.. But what about the London, French and the german Expansion? Well.. They are someI were too kind to Simcity in the first place.. Theres still Huge Problems, Like Online RDM.. Seriously? The servers aren't atleast full anymore.. but also.. the Cities feel too "American" i mean of course most of the players are mostly american.. But, i mean.. School buses? Seriously?? But well, Forget that.. But what about the London, French and the german Expansion? Well.. They are some waste of money.. i didn't see anything change in the city! It feels like i wasted 100 NOK (norwegian Crowns) for the Packs! Why they do that?

    Well i haven't given up the hope yet, hopefully they might do something to fix alot of the stuff' they have alleredy fixed the servers.. But theres still a chunk of Problems they have to fix:

    1. More realistic Traffic.. i mean.. They only take the shortest way.. Seriously?
    2. Less Limit for the city to Grow.. I mean.. I can't even make wonders in the Normal Mode.. AT ALL..
    3. Why is there only hotels in Casinos? They shud had made Hotels outside of that.. I mean Only Hotels in Casinos? What were they thinking??
    4. I know theres some bugs with people going into wrong houses.. But i don't really mind about that..
    5. Horrible to search for a game with an Empety place.. I mean.. You can't SEARCH?? YOU CAN'T?? They should had fixed that..

    Now, i will try to update this review if theres stuff they fix.. But the game won't probaly go up in ratings so much.. Cos of the fact that the game had a horrible release.. but they have got people more Happier now.. cos before there were 1.6 in user score.. now there is 1.9.. Now that isen't so horrible..
    And there were alot of things that were good at the game.. I mean the game is actuly fun in the beginning.. The Citizens make a nice view.. And you can see them talking.. theres some humor in it too.. But still The Building limit is the WORST monster.. I mean.. With that, you will just rage to the end.. Please Remove some of the limits atleast..    … Expand
  59. Darkcrusader8
    Mar 17, 2013
    6
    I feel that the game has a low survivability, as this is on the cloud and server based. This means that if a hacker decides to screw around with the servers and delete all the datas, you'll possible not get your cities that you painfully made back.

    However the guides stuff and the NPCs are good.

    I won't play this game for a long period of time though, prob once a week or so when I'm bored.
  60. godlymonkey
    Mar 19, 2013
    6
    Buggy gameplay leads to a frustrating gameplay experience. Resources not shared, or being used when readily available. Cant join multiplayer games, all suggested are always the same and are full.
  61. BobLennon
    Mar 22, 2013
    6
    I really do not understand all these people who are giving this game 0's 1's and 2's. Ok, the game has problems: Servers that malfunction, no subway, small maps (this decreased my grade of this game by 1).
    But the rest, is, Awesome. Wether your city is bad or really good you are, in the end, really proud of your result. Seeing huge buildings pop up in your city is just great. The game is    I really do not understand all these people who are giving this game 0's 1's and 2's. Ok, the game has problems: Servers that malfunction, no subway, small maps (this decreased my grade of this game by 1).
    But the rest, is, Awesome. Wether your city is bad or really good you are, in the end, really proud of your result. Seeing huge buildings pop up in your city is just great. The game is beautiful (eats up resources though), the road system is almost flawless and the new module concept is enjoyable (sometimes annoying though when you have allot of money and you have to put the modules 1 by 1 instead of having some button that makes that building automatically go at max), the game is challenging and finally it is NOT buggy at all. Depending on how much you are a fan of the series, you will probably, like me, get 20 hours of super fun on this game (for myself 27 with the beta). The problem here is that after that 20 hours, the game will start being boring, even when you take your time. The biggest reason for this is the repetitiveness of the cities. They really will look similar. A 6/10 seems like a justifiable result for this game. Simcity 4 is definitely better but this game is fresh anyway. and thanks Maxis for the free game.    … Expand
  62. Gandal13579
    Mar 24, 2013
    6
    I have a big problem with this EA Server for 2 weeks but now I downloaded free crack for Offline Mode so it's working great but other negative item is a small map of the city. If you want crack here it is http://penguinhackz.blogspot.com
  63. winter33
    Apr 27, 2013
    6
    I have spent quite a bit of time playing Sim City. For a AAA title the game is not bad but some serious bugs with gameplay. E.G. recycling bug, fire trucks etc. The graphics are nice and it runs pretty smooth. Currently Sim City is average at best.
  64. LHR_Redemption
    May 2, 2013
    6
    Well without going into the launch woes which were so bad that you could not even play the game lets delve into what is on offer with this Sim City.

    The game to me is alright, when all the systems are working it can be an enjoyable experience seeing your city start as a small town and grow to a bustling city. The one downside is that the areas that you build in are really not that big    Well without going into the launch woes which were so bad that you could not even play the game lets delve into what is on offer with this Sim City.

    The game to me is alright, when all the systems are working it can be an enjoyable experience seeing your city start as a small town and grow to a bustling city. The one downside is that the areas that you build in are really not that big so you have to learn to take advantage of the space that your given. My story with cities working together may be different than others but i had a group of friends and we were all in a territory helping each others cities out. For example I had a gambling city and one of my friends would send me power from his city this allowed me more room to build since did not have to worry about a power source.

    Now granted this is not the Sim City of past but it is still an enjoyable experience when everything is working. If you have friends that have picked it up then i would do it as well if you have loved past Sims games because it is definitely more fun with friends.    … Expand
  65. CobraCarl
    Apr 28, 2013
    6
    First of all, i have to say that the games is very fun to play.

    BUT i has some problems:
    -Streets are always clogged up, because Sims don't drive around traffic jams.
    -Some of my cities cant be loaded anymore since the last patch.
    -Cities are way to small.

    When maxis is improving on some of the games problems it could be an awesome game.
  66. Jakovas
    Jun 3, 2013
    6
    I love SimCity, this is a great game and really sates my desire for well polished sandbox city simulation, however it is a great game with some serious flaws.

    Online: A bit of a pain however I enjoy plenty of games with an always online requirement, my key gripes are; server fragmentation (you cant invite or join friends unless you are on the same server); Cities roll back sometimes    I love SimCity, this is a great game and really sates my desire for well polished sandbox city simulation, however it is a great game with some serious flaws.

    Online: A bit of a pain however I enjoy plenty of games with an always online requirement, my key gripes are; server fragmentation (you cant invite or join friends unless you are on the same server); Cities roll back sometimes costing you much time; cities corrupt still (as of 03/06/2013); and there is no support in place to manage these City Load issues.

    Game Objectives: SimCity is a playground, it is a bit small though and the simulation between Residential, Industrial and Commercial is a little nonsensical, however many a patch has come and gone an Maxis/EA are definitely on the right track. I'd like to see more options without investing in specialization, or at least some changes to help tie the profits and losses from both City management and business management together.

    Creativity: SimCity has rules, which makes sense as it is a game after all, however with the tiny plot sizes and bugs/design decisions around how cities interact and support one another, you will never truly be able to create a Solo region as all cities must be played to supply resources such as power, water etc. due to asynchronous design.

    For those on the fence, I'd say hold off and see what they do to address these issues, you may find they just throw content at the game and nothing really changes regarding the core issues, however if they change some mechanics and give players more options to create the City they want to build, it could be a late success story in terms of a quality.    … Expand
  67. cn2305
    Jun 12, 2013
    6
    Game appears to be good, but there are a moderate amount of issues with the game. The always-on DRM stops players from getting into the game, even in single player. Secondly there are a number of bugs in the game but there appears to be no way of fixing them, so this game has ton of problems.
  68. COLOAGNT1
    Oct 29, 2013
    6
    I'm relatively new to the game so far and have the following to say:

    PROS Beautiful graphics Nice new features (ie adding features to existing structures) Streamlining of "monotonous" tasks (ie power lines/water pipes) CONS Small build sites Some say this is unimportant, definitely not true. Hopefully since this game is an "online" game that can theoretically "evolve", this can    I'm relatively new to the game so far and have the following to say:

    PROS
    Beautiful graphics
    Nice new features (ie adding features to existing structures)
    Streamlining of "monotonous" tasks (ie power lines/water pipes)

    CONS
    Small build sites Some say this is unimportant, definitely not true. Hopefully since this game is an "online" game that can theoretically "evolve", this can eventually be expanded. If city sites are to be small, they should also show some variation instead of just being same sized square boxes.

    Some reviewers state that a city in real life "cannot have all things"... simply not true. New York City for instance is not "buildable" in the games current form. The game really does need the ability to "expand" beyond a square box borders.

    Elimination of some items (ie subways)

    Fact that you're "buying" a game that may someday be no longer supported, in a sense you're "buying" a game that's in some ways being treated as a rental.

    While a good start (I hope they don't stand pat), the regions concept is just not realistic in the sense that you have multiple "squares" for cities... while the land separating these squares are never "develop-able".

    In the end, I'm not sure if I had it to do all over again, I would spend $60. The online feature of the game is not that big a deal however the unrealistic nature of the game (in the name of multi-player) is pretty disappointing when compared to past versions. I'm open to something "new" but not if it only "limits" your "powers", so to speak.

    Right now, I'd advise people to wait to see if the developers improve the game. In some ways it's an improvement but in too many others, it's a regression.

    Looking forward to playing it but overall, fairly disappointed.

    One last thought Similar to EA Sims franchise, they tend to "nickel and dime" you for every new minor feature... that seems to be where they're headed with this as well. Before offering all these new "bells and whistles" for a price, they really need to expand the space on which you are able to build.

    It's interesting they did not name it SimCity 5... Truth be told, it's more like SimCity 2.8 3.2...

    Sim City 4 is still superior to this new effort.    … Expand
  69. Elscorpeo
    Feb 28, 2014
    6
    I found the game to be somewhat fun and irritating it seems to me that EA failed to to give and deliver there promise to make the game fun instead the game is just sad yet amusing now that simcity has "multiplayer" make's it worse and that online DRM isn't helping ether and there isn't even a single player or an offline mode. simcity 5 i should say this game make's all the other simcityI found the game to be somewhat fun and irritating it seems to me that EA failed to to give and deliver there promise to make the game fun instead the game is just sad yet amusing now that simcity has "multiplayer" make's it worse and that online DRM isn't helping ether and there isn't even a single player or an offline mode. simcity 5 i should say this game make's all the other simcity game's look like gold. i feel sad for Maxis for partnering up with EA and destroying one of my favorite game's.… Expand
  70. DanteV
    May 23, 2014
    6
    Not the worst but its not the best SimCity neither. The game contains too many bugs and glitches like Maxis trying to launch this game on deadline. I would say the new expansions like Cities of Tomorrow and other more did made the game a little more interesting, but bugs and glitches ruined it. Also the city size is a little dumb-down, limiting the player's creativity.
  71. eddroos
    Feb 21, 2015
    6
    THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONLY ONE: Maps size!

    The game is perfect until you can't edit the map, trees, lakes and more. Also until the public transport and more things has changed, the game and graphics are really, really good! But the main problem is that the map size is so small, so when you are starting, like 2 hours you have constructed in the half of the map and in 4 hours your map is    THE REAL PROBLEM IS ONLY ONE: Maps size!

    The game is perfect until you can't edit the map, trees, lakes and more. Also until the public transport and more things has changed, the game and graphics are really, really good!

    But the main problem is that the map size is so small, so when you are starting, like 2 hours you have constructed in the half of the map and in 4 hours your map is full. So you start to boring as you don't have anything to do, you only can see your city and after some hours your city crashes and is the end of it.

    So is a good game at the beginning, after some hours, no days, it's boring and you feel frustrated as you have to do the same ALWAYS!
    You can do different things, but always the map is full after some hours and the city collapses!

    Good graphics, new things, etc., but you don't have the correct map size.    … Expand
  72. Jim74656
    Dec 2, 2021
    6
    REVIEW EDITED: I originally had given this game a 0/10 due to a glaring issue where you could not start multiple cities, however since the last review this issue seems to have been resolved, so I am changing my score to reflect the changes, I just hope EA would continue to improve the game like making city build areas larger, much larger, as this game had potential!!
  73. dustin12345678
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    I am going to ignore the server issues per this review. Great looking game. Great concepts. Specializations nice. The biggest issue with this game is the map size and inability to edit regions. Not possible to focus on nice looking City. Instead, game forces you to really manage how City functions. Older SimCity games allowed you to manage but ALSO focus on aesthetics. Not really sure whyI am going to ignore the server issues per this review. Great looking game. Great concepts. Specializations nice. The biggest issue with this game is the map size and inability to edit regions. Not possible to focus on nice looking City. Instead, game forces you to really manage how City functions. Older SimCity games allowed you to manage but ALSO focus on aesthetics. Not really sure why it forces you to play online because me and my buddy haven't been able to connect on a private region for over a week now. I feel like Maxis and EA dropped the ball on this. There was no point to have agents and individual people simulated in this game. Should have just built off of what made SimCity 4 great. I am going to hope this gets better a year from now (bigger maps, regional editing capabilities, off-line play), but i'm not going to hold my breath. I have been waiting ten years for this? guess i'll open SC4 back up.… Expand
  74. yogibbear
    Mar 6, 2013
    5
    Played the game for 3 hrs today. Thought waiting two days would make everything OK. Game crashes after 3 hrs of happily playing an online game with 6 other people... guess what... this is why online saves are terrible and you get metacritic stomped... because the entire save is gone and none of us have any of our 3-4 hrs of progress to continue with. The experience of all building ourPlayed the game for 3 hrs today. Thought waiting two days would make everything OK. Game crashes after 3 hrs of happily playing an online game with 6 other people... guess what... this is why online saves are terrible and you get metacritic stomped... because the entire save is gone and none of us have any of our 3-4 hrs of progress to continue with. The experience of all building our cities to help each other is simply lost in the cloud forever. Well that's a 5/10 or below in anyone's book. Fix this please. It is depressing that even 2 days post launch you still don't have the cloud side save system figured out if you're going to go live with this sort of DRM it better damn well at least save the game.… Expand
  75. Jimbob2k666
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    I'll start by saying I've had no online DRM issues with the game, although I've had to switch servers a couple of times since first playing. I've played the game now for about 30 hours, yet I seem to have become bored with it already. Realisticaly, due to the limits on city size, there is really only a couple of ways to build a successful city and the idea of starting a new one makes meI'll start by saying I've had no online DRM issues with the game, although I've had to switch servers a couple of times since first playing. I've played the game now for about 30 hours, yet I seem to have become bored with it already. Realisticaly, due to the limits on city size, there is really only a couple of ways to build a successful city and the idea of starting a new one makes me want to quit and do something else..................................... My biggest gripe is the illusion of multiplayer or it's supposed social interface. The chat box never works, I think in the whole 30 hours i've seen one person say "hello" and that's it. I've tried to type replies but these never show up anywhere. Citylog is a waste of time, zones are always full, as they are when you try to search for a game......................................Graphically it's quite nice, but I get a constant, strange flickering anomalies all the time (i have a 7950 card latest drivers etc etc). This is the only game where this occurs and it's quite annoying. I was expecting more details sims though as their appearance is like something from a game 10 years ago......................overall I give the game a 5.… Expand
  76. malfunkt
    Mar 9, 2013
    5
    Got this game after reading the early praise and then much of the anger after the technical issues. Perhaps as I work in application development I have a bit more patience, and I have no wrath towards the EA team. I know they are going to iron out the technical issues and once they do, what's there is actually pretty cool. I have not encountered any issues as yet. So I can only speak toGot this game after reading the early praise and then much of the anger after the technical issues. Perhaps as I work in application development I have a bit more patience, and I have no wrath towards the EA team. I know they are going to iron out the technical issues and once they do, what's there is actually pretty cool. I have not encountered any issues as yet. So I can only speak to the game experience. What we have here is a great simulation engine, it's like having a digital ant-farm that you cultivate and create again. It is an MMO of sorts and for a myriad of reasons, EA and Maxis have forced a multiplayer experience. I can see why many customers are asking for an offline, large scale sandbox equivalent that is after all what SimCity has always been. I would like this too, but that is not what I bought the game for.

    The game feels a bit more alive knowing that there are other cities growing beside you. The interaction is limited and just enough that you can play in your sandbox without someone coming over and destroying your creation.

    As a game, it's fairly easy to set up a functional town. Specializing and leveling up is more of a fun chore. Its enjoyable to watch the impressive details. The first time I saw criminals and police have a gun fight with funky music thrown in I knew the devs had more details in store. Also, the game has an addictive and casual nature to it. I've been so immersed in first-person shooters (Red Orchestra 2, Counter Strike Global Offensive, BF3) that I thought this would be a nice break more relaxing and less demanding. It's perfect in that regard.

    Expect to EA monetize it to bits. Which will be okay providing they provide quality content. Buy this game if the premise, detail, lively town-sized maps, persistent online regions, always on connection has appeal or if you can live with some of the DRM downsides. Do not buy this game if you want massive SimCity sprawls, reliable offline play, terraforming, and user mods. Oh and performance is solid too, most computer should run this well providing they have dedicated graphics card.

    For those that have shelled out your dough, had a rotten first week, give this a chance. If they get it running consustently (which by latest accounts is where it looks like thus isheading), compensate for the week of lost gaming, and continue to update and tweak then its worth reconsideration.    … Expand
  77. Jack91
    Mar 13, 2013
    5
    Just got the game after most of the original problems seem to be fixed, a few disconnections from the main servers a few times but eventually restored. The worst thing I found is the big price they are charging yet it didn't take me long to complete most of it. The zone you get is simply too small and you have to cram so much into one square it's ridiculous. Fun to play but does not lastJust got the game after most of the original problems seem to be fixed, a few disconnections from the main servers a few times but eventually restored. The worst thing I found is the big price they are charging yet it didn't take me long to complete most of it. The zone you get is simply too small and you have to cram so much into one square it's ridiculous. Fun to play but does not last long and by far not worth the price tag that comes with it.… Expand
  78. runbmp
    Mar 9, 2013
    5
    I had the chance to spend 23hrs in simcty 5, unfortunately both cities I worked on are now corrupted and the suggested rollback has left them inaccessible...

    The game play is a lot of fun and the game does guide quite a bit on how to take on the problematic issues within your city. The GUI and over aesthetics are already well craft, more so the graphs and animation for water, sewage    I had the chance to spend 23hrs in simcty 5, unfortunately both cities I worked on are now corrupted and the suggested rollback has left them inaccessible...

    The game play is a lot of fun and the game does guide quite a bit on how to take on the problematic issues within your city.

    The GUI and over aesthetics are already well craft, more so the graphs and animation for water, sewage and electricity. I do think a little more effort and assets could of been given to variety of buildings and detail. However that's just me.

    One of the things lacking, which is noticed within an hour of the game, is the how small the regions are and the dismissal of macro management which has been removed. (when compared to Simcity 4 For me these are two things that had been come back to simcity 4 to this day.

    However, with the server issues still on-going, looks like I may have to play Simcity 4 just a bit longer. With the server issues in mind, which are game affecting, I can't give it a full rating sadly. It also begs the questions, how long with Simcity 5 last until EA shuts down the server.    … Expand
  79. adamwouldcould
    Mar 8, 2013
    5
    Time for me to pile on also. I've lost several hours of gameplay due to server issues. I know it's ultimately my fault for expecting more... but the nostalgia of playing the original made me do it. The DRM is the problem for me.
  80. 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.
  81. Diosys
    Apr 14, 2013
    5
    This was by far the worst thing EA and Maxis could have ever done to the Legendary city simulator. The small, focused cities allow no freedom to build the cities the player wants and instead determines that players need to work hard to maximize their populations. Their achievement system even reinforces this. Their non-working game mechanics allow rather dumb strategies to work in a city,This was by far the worst thing EA and Maxis could have ever done to the Legendary city simulator. The small, focused cities allow no freedom to build the cities the player wants and instead determines that players need to work hard to maximize their populations. Their achievement system even reinforces this. Their non-working game mechanics allow rather dumb strategies to work in a city, where a real city could never function.

    City Simulation should not be based around a social experience. I liked the idea of a neighbouring city being built by another player, but they should have adopted a similar region concept to their previous titles, the fact that they used this is asinine. EA games needs to pull their heads out of the ground and start listening to gamers about always online DRM. Plenty of other companies show healthy profits. Maximizing profits does not earn you my dollar, respect does. It sucks that this company has ruined so many great and legendary gaming franchises. Hopefully Cities XL will pick up on all the problems of SimCity and never repeat them.    … Expand
  82. Vihazur
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    I think a huge part of the problem with making it multiplayer is that they didn't make it multiplayer enough, to be worth all the crap players have to put up with, for it. I mean, they could have made a really unique game, where players have all sorts of tools to customize their cities, earn revenue from other players visiting their cities, all sorts of stuff.. but just some resourceI think a huge part of the problem with making it multiplayer is that they didn't make it multiplayer enough, to be worth all the crap players have to put up with, for it. I mean, they could have made a really unique game, where players have all sorts of tools to customize their cities, earn revenue from other players visiting their cities, all sorts of stuff.. but just some resource trading? That alone is supposed to justify the online requirement? (LINE-BREAK) It still feels like a largely single-player experience, so all these issues its having, including the design sacrifices they had to make, like small city sizes, just feel like a needless crippling of what could have been a decent, modernized, but rather stock formula city builder. (LINE-BREAK) They could have done something uniquely ambitious with the multiplayer, they could have made it optional, or they could have just stuck with the tried and true single-player experience but instead, they didn't do either. It's just another city builder, unique for how they've had to gut it, rather than for anything new they've brought to the genre.… Expand
  83. AFCA_FLORIS
    Mar 22, 2013
    5
    The detail and expandability of buildings are really cool in simcity. But, (in addition to the horrible servers,) I think that in the squares you can build your city in, there's nit enough space to build a big city. For example, in all of the cities i've build so far, there was a point where ididn't have enough space to expand my garbage dump, which results in all the citicens beingThe detail and expandability of buildings are really cool in simcity. But, (in addition to the horrible servers,) I think that in the squares you can build your city in, there's nit enough space to build a big city. For example, in all of the cities i've build so far, there was a point where ididn't have enough space to expand my garbage dump, which results in all the citicens being unhappy and complaining.… Expand
  84. Jessrond
    Jun 19, 2013
    5
    Before SimCity came out, I was hyped for it. The idea of working with friends (and even strangers) to build a region was something I've wanted to do for a long time. I knew going in that the game would not be quite as detailed as SimCity 4. But at launch, and even a few months later, hardly any of the "online play" features have come to pass.

    You have to sign in to Origin to play, yet    Before SimCity came out, I was hyped for it. The idea of working with friends (and even strangers) to build a region was something I've wanted to do for a long time. I knew going in that the game would not be quite as detailed as SimCity 4. But at launch, and even a few months later, hardly any of the "online play" features have come to pass.

    You have to sign in to Origin to play, yet the region rankings and other leaderboards hardly seem to work at all. Disappointing. The game itself isn't terrible. The missions are enjoyable and the game maintains its sense of humor and excellent music that have been with the series for its entirety.

    But overall, it's just not what I was hoping for, and I still play SimCity 4 more than I play this.    … Expand
  85. Mathew952
    Mar 17, 2013
    5
    I can honestly say I am very disappointed with Sim City (2013) as a lifelong fan of the Sim City Franchise. The game is riddled with bugs; you will watch your city burn as fire trucks drive around the same block over and over, and as cars take the most bizarre routes totally jamming your streets; even with a really thorough mass transit network, the city is impossible to get runningI can honestly say I am very disappointed with Sim City (2013) as a lifelong fan of the Sim City Franchise. The game is riddled with bugs; you will watch your city burn as fire trucks drive around the same block over and over, and as cars take the most bizarre routes totally jamming your streets; even with a really thorough mass transit network, the city is impossible to get running smoothly; perhaps this is to be expected of a very dense city, but building a very dense city is your only choice! The maps are very tiny, especially when the game's balance is totally dependent on specializing on some sort of huge space consuming industry. You have to build mines and oil wells, refineries, trade depots, HQs; There's something absolutely bizarre about having and oilfield in the equivalent of downtown New York!. In addition, everything _must_ connect to a road, which now also provides power, water, and sewage; and it's permanently attached to that road. Want to upgrade a road to an avenue? Say bye bye to EVERYTHING on that road, EVEN IF you _instantly_ replace the road. Not only that, but even parks and ponds need road access, since it would be utterly impossible for people to walk to a park behind their house, and since space is at an ultra premium, you will simply ignore parks. Simply put, Sim City looks nice, sounds nice, and has so much promise, but is crippled by a long series of terrible design choices that ultimately reduce Sim City (2013) to a boring mess. Pass on this, avoid the DRM nightmare, and get either Cities XL or even Sim City 4.… Expand
  86. SirGregMac
    Mar 8, 2013
    5
    I've played every Sim City released on PC and this is by far the worst, yet it has the potential to be the best. Besides the server issues happening at the time of this review, 122 hours after North American launch, the game is limited. The size of cities is so much smaller than previous versions, which is weird because with video games I am use to them improving over the course of aI've played every Sim City released on PC and this is by far the worst, yet it has the potential to be the best. Besides the server issues happening at the time of this review, 122 hours after North American launch, the game is limited. The size of cities is so much smaller than previous versions, which is weird because with video games I am use to them improving over the course of a series, not getting worse and removing features. Speaking of removed features, build a road at the edge of your map, nothing happens, in Sim City 4 it prompted if you wanted to connect this to the neighboring city, not allowed here. Heck you can't even connect a subway to anything, cuz they simply don't exist, that's right, the lifeblood of every major city in the world is completely removed for Sim City. Sadly my friends and I believe that this was not included so as to be added as paid DLC at a later date. Similarly the small city size and lack of terraforming, a huge part of previous versions, limits the ability to do anything creative, which is what this series is about, again my friends and I believe these may be changed via paid DLC, which would be a complete disservice to fans and a giant step back for games in general as they get better and improve on previous features of a series, not remove the popular features, like playing a single player without having to be connected to the internet at all times, and change the principals of the series to the point of making the game unplayable, literally. The worst part is that when I have been able to connect to their servers and join a friend's region they start to purchase some of my excess power and then inexplicably my power plant continues to feed my city uninterrupted, yet stops giving him anything, even though I have five times the excess power than he needs, blame this on the servers if you want, but we are playing on the same server at the same time and talking on skype, which brings me to another drawback, how do you not include something other than a basic text chat in a game that requires you to be online. If my friend is having a zombie outbreak and needs police assistance he's not going to stop everything, let the zombies continue to destroy his city, or rather town considering the size limitation, he is going to try to do his best, but if all he had to do was ask us for help using his voice we can send any and all spare resources to assist him, but you can't reasonably expect a $60 online game to include simple communication tools. While they may fix their server issues, EA's what to get back in our "good graces" and still "be friends" is offering me a free Origin game, funny thing is I can't play the one and only Origin game I care to play, so why would I want to use another one of your games? The absolute worst part about this game is how a series that has been played offline for almost 25 years, except for Sim City 2000 Network Edition (a little known spinoff) no requires EA servers, so if I want to play this game in 5, 8, 10 years, as is my case with older Sim City games, I probably won't be able to as EA loves to shut down servers as they release the next game in a series or 2 years in a game's life span, sadly most of those games are still playable in the single player mode, which this simply doesn't offer, at least not without a major patch, that will probably never be released. Which probably accurately describes the venom many people have for EA and Maxis right now, it too will never be released, at least until they change menu system of the game as too many of us are all too familiar with the plane that's stuck in mid-air while we hope to find a working server. I'd love to give this game a 0, but the few moments I have been able to play and not rebuild the last 3 hours of unsaved work the game has been one of the best experiences I've ever had, so for the potential of playing it I'll give it a lowly single solitary one, which is exactly the amount of players it takes to play this game.… Expand
  87. matticitt
    Mar 21, 2013
    5
    It's not a bad game, and it really deserves more that 1.7 user score. However it has many flaws. For me SimCity always was the best city simulator. Now, after 10 years since SC4 release, it should redefine its genre. It should be much better than Cities XL for example. Instead, it not only isn't better than Cities XL, in many ways it's worse than SimCity 4! The city size is way too small.It's not a bad game, and it really deserves more that 1.7 user score. However it has many flaws. For me SimCity always was the best city simulator. Now, after 10 years since SC4 release, it should redefine its genre. It should be much better than Cities XL for example. Instead, it not only isn't better than Cities XL, in many ways it's worse than SimCity 4! The city size is way too small. That means that after max 8 hours you need to abandon your city, because there's noting left to do in it except for watching traffic jams. That also means that you won't be able to ever build 50% of the buildings, because they take up so much space! Also the AI is completely broken. This causes huge traffic jams. You need 3x more trams, busses, police cars and garbage trucks, because instead of spreading, they all follow the same route! It's so bad that busses, instead of reducing traffic, are causing it! There's also no terraforming, no highways, not metro. The graphics are quite good, but too childish and sims-ish for me. Music is also good, but not as good as in SC4.

    It's a nice game with good music and sound effects, and quite nice graphics. Unfortunately it's also quite broken and is twice the money of Cities XL. Also the performance isn't great and there are some graphics options that are clearly broken and cause huge fps drops even on a high end pc.    … Expand
  88. 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
  89. zGeneral
    Jun 16, 2013
    5
    This is not Simcity
    The maps are tooooo small
    very limited road options.

    I am not playing the game until they make larger maps and fix the roads it is a joke.
  90. luck
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    I preordered this game when it was announced last year. I am very disappointed. All they need to do was update and add features to Simcity 4. I will say the somethings. I hate you have to be online to play. This is the type of game i would just open to kill time, because you can quit anytime. The cities are small and limited. I have no interest in multiplayer. So the small citiesI preordered this game when it was announced last year. I am very disappointed. All they need to do was update and add features to Simcity 4. I will say the somethings. I hate you have to be online to play. This is the type of game i would just open to kill time, because you can quit anytime. The cities are small and limited. I have no interest in multiplayer. So the small cities are limited. The concept could work, but let us decide how they are connected and merge into each other.

    I miss terrain editor. I will still get enjoyment out of playing this game, but it makes me want to just turn on Simcity 4.    … Expand
  91. Orctownorc
    Aug 24, 2013
    5
    EA is a business that seems to want to destroy its own business. Which other games publisherhas such a perfect ability of smelling out what their customers like and then going and doing the EXACT opposite. What other company is as loathed as EA, in an industry where the customers actually want to love them but can't???? Obsessed with their need for Origins to be successful, obsessed aboutEA is a business that seems to want to destroy its own business. Which other games publisherhas such a perfect ability of smelling out what their customers like and then going and doing the EXACT opposite. What other company is as loathed as EA, in an industry where the customers actually want to love them but can't???? Obsessed with their need for Origins to be successful, obsessed about piracy, which is irrelevant in a world where the number of happy paying customers is booming, obsessed about getting as much blood from a stone as they can with DLC and micro-transactions, EA corporate apparently spends zero time thinking about games, the gamer of the gaming experience. EA seems to be rendered insane by its own greed. It has a genius for destroying games and the fun of gaming. And by all appearances there is no one with any power or control in EA who actually CARES about this either. Look at the millions and millions they blow on advertising! Look at the way gameplay and game fun and game design considerations stagnate or go backwards and get worse! What's wrong with this company? Why are the fools crashing the ships into the rocks NOT getting sacked? The answer can only be that the rot is coming from the very top. It's the EA executives who are making this company a joke. These are obviously men with big egos who never actually play games, and feel an innate contempt for gamers, indeed for games. Gamers should seriously boycott the products of this company, because it's evident from the long string of ruined franchises and studios EA has destroyed in the past 2 years that this company represents a DISEASED corporate culture that will obviously continue so long as the corporate machine is making revenue. Until EA starts taking significant financial losses on their horribly skewed 'games' they have no real reason to change what they are doing. This game is a horrible warning sign of how EA hopes to suck gamers into a DLC-addled, micro-transaction infested, pay-to-play, pay to win, charge by the month toll booth on our lives. They have so much contempt for games and gamers that they even try to chain us to their machine with BAD games. Like we are DUMB enough to allow it. The answer is to say NO. Don't buy their games. Score bomb their games. Don't support these people. EVER. Buy from companies with a better philosphy and with more love for the art and fun that represent gaming at its best. Starve the beast. EA is truly, really, deeply SICK. The shareholders need to replace the entire executive of the business with people who actually, know, love, understand and live for making good games. A company with the financial resources to be an industry leader should be an industry leader. Right now they are wasting and losing billions in potential revenue. They are not only losing-out in terms of game design, creativity and popularity, they are missing BILLIONS in revenue. They are a bad publisher and a BAD business model. Dozens of corporate shills in suits with no understanding of games, gaming or gamers need to be permanently retired, starting with ALL their present executives. A Sim City in 2013 should have been a blow-your mind awesome experience not only in the dimensions of cartoon world creation, but also in hyper-real SERIOUS civic engineering. It could have and should have been not only a toy, but a platform that could be used by architects and engineers to mock up real-world projects. Instead of investing in a state of the art engine however, EA blew its budget on hookers and blow again: AS ALWAYS: giving us a sad reboot of a 1997 experience on the back of a vast, wasted advertising budget. Casuals don't care and will get their kicks elsewhere. The hardcore knowingly laugh. Why do these fools make games for 12 year old, and hope to use DLC and micro transactions to get kids to hit their folks with the credit card? Does no-one with authority in EA have the slightest interest in ACTUALLY MAKING GOOD STATE OF THE ART SOFTWARE? If they stopped trying so hard to work angles with DLC and such and just made plain awesome games they would double their profits in 12 months and start to regain some of the good will they have so steadily squandered in the past three years! SACK the present boss and reset your agenda !

    THE GROT REVIEW CRITERIA: After a long time writing reviews like an anus, think its time to set a few bad habits straight: Stop insulting designers. Show some respect for the design process and getting games in circulation. Hence (1) No Red scores. (2) Game scores as follows: Bad Game 5/10. Poor Game 6/10. Mediocre Game: 7/10. Good Game 8/10. Great game 9/10. Stella Game 10/10. To get 10/10 it must be a game that can be (theoretically) play-able for 1000+ hours. Not only great but near endless fun. Games may be bad or poor but making them should earn respect. Thus even the worst POS will still be a 5/10. 0/10 no longer exists in my vocabulary. Yellow is the new red. For the sake o    … Expand
  92. Tornnight
    Mar 8, 2013
    5
    -3 for Server downtime fiasco during release. Even if their division isn't big on multiplayer, this is unforgivable. They should have known better. I can forgive DRM and online only, but not if it doesn't work. This is worse than an alpha game in this state.
    -2 for Map Size which is ridiculously small. You can almost 'finish' a 'city' in one play session
    +1 for over fun while you're    -3 for Server downtime fiasco during release. Even if their division isn't big on multiplayer, this is unforgivable. They should have known better. I can forgive DRM and online only, but not if it doesn't work. This is worse than an alpha game in this state.
    -2 for Map Size which is ridiculously small. You can almost 'finish' a 'city' in one play session
    +1 for over fun while you're still developing your 'town'
    -1 for blurry graphics and poor terrain textures unless you zoom in enough.
    +1 for the fun disasters
    -1 for lack of any terrain adjustment options. A little, limited ones would have gone a long way.    … Expand
  93. McFungus
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    After attempting to connect to Simcity for over an hour today I feel I can comfortably say that the server connection screen is not crash hot. I've seen worse, but I've also seen sexier.
    As for the game I am sure it will be a great deal of fun once I am able to play it.
    But as the old proverb goes, "don't steal from your own rice bowl". Some food for thought in these trying times.
  94. 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
  95. Babaganoush
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    The game itself is fun. You have a limited space... really limited space compared to previous SimCities, but it's actually pretty challenging. Besides, what city was ever self sufficient? Multicity play is great even with playing with friends, but joining a public server might get you griefed. Such examples as your neighboring city constantly streaming criminals down your path or cuttingThe game itself is fun. You have a limited space... really limited space compared to previous SimCities, but it's actually pretty challenging. Besides, what city was ever self sufficient? Multicity play is great even with playing with friends, but joining a public server might get you griefed. Such examples as your neighboring city constantly streaming criminals down your path or cutting off your bought power. All in all, Maxis' reboot of SimCity is pretty decent.

    Except one thing. Electronic Arts. Their publisher dropped the ball on this game. As usual. The Online DRM has led to problems such as cities not saving, THIRTY MINUTE SERVER QUEUES, and even cities being rolled back. That's enough to dock five points off. We can't even play the game in the meantime. Thanks to EA. Again. I think they just took back the most hated gaming publisher award from Activision.    … Expand
  96. Spacerogue
    Mar 17, 2013
    5
    I rather like the game, but after a few hours of working I have not been able to play anymore, it simply will not start up and I'v tried EVERYTHING by now. Sadly enough I live in a place where PC games can't be refunded so I'm screwed once again. I'm guessing its the draconian DRM locking me out for no reason. I'm giving it a 5 because I feel sorry for the artists working on this game. I'mI rather like the game, but after a few hours of working I have not been able to play anymore, it simply will not start up and I'v tried EVERYTHING by now. Sadly enough I live in a place where PC games can't be refunded so I'm screwed once again. I'm guessing its the draconian DRM locking me out for no reason. I'm giving it a 5 because I feel sorry for the artists working on this game. I'm guessing the coders where playing Plants VS Zombies and everyone seemed to be fine with this as the PR made up wonderful stories of a game that people wanted but won't exists.… Expand
  97. minijeffrey
    Mar 14, 2013
    5
    The game has one major problem: everything works and is broken at the same time. The bugs and gameplay-problems I have seen are unbelievable: from a locked time (5:40 PM) to complete broken traffic and money-systems. A realistic simulation game, failed.
  98. Annoymous1
    May 3, 2013
    5
    It is shocking to see such a good series become terrible within 2 hours of playing it. Seriously, EA forces you to use internet in this game, despite great internet, it repeatedly says 'NO INTERNET' and then after at least a few seconds it crashes. The only good things were the graphics and the rioting but it still doesn't develop realistic characteristics
  99. djferris
    Nov 19, 2013
    5
    Simcity is the best bad game ever. When you first get into it, the happy go lucky nature of it coupled with its bubbly and user friendly UI and graphics will have you smiling ear to ear. As you start to "complete" your first city or two the flaws really come to surface and they really take away a lot of the fun.

    It's lost the charm of the Simcity series but you can still find a good few    Simcity is the best bad game ever. When you first get into it, the happy go lucky nature of it coupled with its bubbly and user friendly UI and graphics will have you smiling ear to ear. As you start to "complete" your first city or two the flaws really come to surface and they really take away a lot of the fun.

    It's lost the charm of the Simcity series but you can still find a good few hours of entertainment here. Hopefully the next installation will get rid of the "dumbing down" and back into actual city building like Simcity 4.    … Expand
  100. Waclaw
    Aug 1, 2013
    5
    After a while since the official game launch, I thought to review the game and I don't really know where to start...

    The game has some design flaws that make it really hard to enjoy once you finally accept the fact that you no longer control a city but need to take care of a bunch of them in order to reach the upper levels of development or cooperate with friends or random people.    After a while since the official game launch, I thought to review the game and I don't really know where to start...

    The game has some design flaws that make it really hard to enjoy once you finally accept the fact that you no longer control a city but need to take care of a bunch of them in order to reach the upper levels of development or cooperate with friends or random people. Still, the difficulty level is so low (with limited options in terms of finance or policies that were present in past SImCity games), that people looking for a challenge should steer away from this product as the problems you may get come from faulty game mechanics, not the level of proficiency needed to design and maintain a city. There are still major problems with connectivity after so many months and it's more than just a nuisance when you can't even play singleplayer because servers are full... Plus, you can loose a city you built! Regions just disappear from the servers or they are there but you won't be able to access them getting an error message frustrating at best.

    Given the franchise history, the developer of the game and the publisher, this should have been at least a 8/10 game. At the moment, after a countless number of patches focused on resolving issues with people being able to play at all, not addressing real issues like malfunctioning game design (horrible transportation aspect for instance and constant problems with that no matter what you try to do with it), this game is a 5/10 for me and that's only because I still hope that major problems will be resolved and that this game will be playable.

    If you're new to the genre, go play something else. Veterans you have been warned.    … 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]
See all critic reviews »