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. redfacedanger
    Mar 12, 2013
    1
    This game was a pain at launch, we all know that by now. But don't worry because when you're actually able to get into it, it's actually... mediocre. It's not as good as the reviewers make it, to be honest i'd like my money back, it's pretty to look at but the mechanics are simply broken. It was made so you'd have some choice to how you'd like to build your city, but it feels like there'sThis game was a pain at launch, we all know that by now. But don't worry because when you're actually able to get into it, it's actually... mediocre. It's not as good as the reviewers make it, to be honest i'd like my money back, it's pretty to look at but the mechanics are simply broken. It was made so you'd have some choice to how you'd like to build your city, but it feels like there's only one REAL path to make. it's a unfinished game, don't buy it.… Expand
  2. anmont
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    There is so much wrong with the game, how to begin? I will just iterate the bad items (none of which have to do with the server problems they claim they will fix or their DRM)
    1) Road placement in large grids is frequently buggy, meaning exact placements cant be made
    2) At random points in the game large game logic failovers happen (i.e. no matter how many trash centers you place you    There is so much wrong with the game, how to begin? I will just iterate the bad items (none of which have to do with the server problems they claim they will fix or their DRM)
    1) Road placement in large grids is frequently buggy, meaning exact placements cant be made
    2) At random points in the game large game logic failovers happen (i.e. no matter how many trash centers you place you cannot clear more than 33% of the trash)
    3) It is impossible to control zoning sizes or density of a giving area
    4) You cannot farm
    5) Map sizes are limited to very small areas !!!!
    6) You cannot pass ordinances, edict or other logic based controls
    7) There are no subways
    8) Map overylays (while cool) are very limited
    9) No local single player mode exists (nor saving to your local machine)
    10) lack of ruler based descisions on custom sized grids
    11) no terraforming (your stuck with whatever land shape you have got.)
    12) graphics quality is very low, textures on models are unexciting (i.e. farmville quality)
    on... and on... and on... dont buy it.... It should be a free to play game, and if it were released by anybody but a major game company that would be the only model where this could succeed.    … Expand
  3. Chisan
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    Always on blatant DRM? Day one DLC with an EA guarantee for bucket loads of additional DLC? Tiny map sizes to crush your creative ability? All this and more in SimCity! Run the buggy and taxing Origin while playing! Watch as one of your favorite games gets ruined by a money grubbing corporation! Give EA all the money! And when all is said and done, and EA is tired of supporting the serversAlways on blatant DRM? Day one DLC with an EA guarantee for bucket loads of additional DLC? Tiny map sizes to crush your creative ability? All this and more in SimCity! Run the buggy and taxing Origin while playing! Watch as one of your favorite games gets ruined by a money grubbing corporation! Give EA all the money! And when all is said and done, and EA is tired of supporting the servers for some reason or another, you too can lose your ability to play the game you purchased!

    Or, of course, you could just not buy the game. Maybe buy some other game like Tropico 4. Maybe show EA that they need to fix this crap they are doing. Maybe even do some pirating of the game once it is inevitably cracked. Anything to tell them that they've ruined the franchise. And maybe, just maybe, if the Sun and the Moon and Jupiter and Venus and Mars and Mercury all line up perfectly to the Earth and the center of the Galaxy, maybe EA will actually get around to changing some of the features to allow for people to have the proper playing experience. Personally, I'm not above purchasing the game if they actually went and fixed what was wrong. It'd show improvement, yeah?

    TL,DR version: Maybe don't purchase the game. It's bad, Mmkay.    … Expand
  4. dijrp
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    The score of EA is always 0, Un-installed Origin few months after Fifa12.
    I'll never buy EA games again, and i'm sorry, i can't play SimCity but if a take a look, to the amazing score in red, I do not mind at all.
    EA always buy "Critic Reviews", so this type of journalism is for kids. Pathetic ... Thanks to Gabe Newell and Steam, If the perspectives of PC gaming are really    The score of EA is always 0, Un-installed Origin few months after Fifa12.
    I'll never buy EA games again, and i'm sorry, i can't play SimCity but if a take a look, to the amazing score in red, I do not mind at all.

    EA always buy "Critic Reviews", so this type of journalism is for kids. Pathetic ...

    Thanks to Gabe Newell and Steam, If the perspectives of PC gaming are really different than a few years ago.

    In the while EA ask 80$ for an epic fail since day 1, just as evidence of how ridiculous they are. I hope that everyone, sooner or later, will be aware of this.

    We should have a zero-tolerance and boycott any software which is essentially an $80 rental that comes with intrusive spyware, always-online DRM.

    Who buy EA is a mup.pet.    … Expand
  5. Ktarro
    Mar 12, 2013
    3
    O jogo perde a conexão com bastante frequência, server lotados o tempo todo, não tem nenhum server na America do sul. Deveria ter a opção de jogar off-line sem ter uma conexão constante com a internet isso pra mim o pior. Acho que a manutenção e o custo de edifícios e serviços são um pouco exagerados para uma nova cidade.
  6. Nadz_
    Mar 12, 2013
    1
    The game is fundamentally flawed. Both in design, concept and execution. Beyond the frankly unforgivable server issues at launch, the ridiculousness of online only gameplay for a single player experience, and the apualing response from EA. There are many issues with the game that run very deep into the core of its design, most of which frustratingly become noticeable after sinking (orThe game is fundamentally flawed. Both in design, concept and execution. Beyond the frankly unforgivable server issues at launch, the ridiculousness of online only gameplay for a single player experience, and the apualing response from EA. There are many issues with the game that run very deep into the core of its design, most of which frustratingly become noticeable after sinking (or wasting) several hours playing. The biggest grip I am seeing from people though is that the map size is too small. I agree, it soon becomes apparent that your most important resource by far is space to build. My fond childhood memories of build large sprawling metropolises and micro managing down to the finest details have been completely tarnished. This reboot is nothing short of an insult to the SimCity franchise and all those involved should be ashamed. (Unfortunately as we all know EA never learns)… Expand
  7. SeptimusOctopus
    Mar 12, 2013
    1
    This game is a mess. It's a mélange of poorly implemented bad ideas. For starters it's designed around region play. So you get to build a city and trade resources and services with other cities. That's a pretty good idea, and it was implemented rather successfully in Simcity 4, so it makes sense to add an online multiplayer aspect to that portion of the game. However, intercity tradeThis game is a mess. It's a mélange of poorly implemented bad ideas. For starters it's designed around region play. So you get to build a city and trade resources and services with other cities. That's a pretty good idea, and it was implemented rather successfully in Simcity 4, so it makes sense to add an online multiplayer aspect to that portion of the game. However, intercity trade is horribly buggy. You can initiate trade with another city and not see the results of this for several hours. Given that this mechanic is the foundation of the game's required online component, it's terrible execution severely damages the game from the outset.

    Beyond that, the act of building up your own city features a wealth of bugs and poor design decisions as well. The agent-based simulation, while a cool idea, is extremely processor intensive. The average computer this game is designed for simply cannot handle enough agents to accurately simulate a city. Working within that constraint, Maxis has given us the smallest city maps to date for the franchise. They've said that they're the size of Simcity 4's medium maps, but in game this simply does not seem to be the case. You will run out of room, and despite what others have said, this is not a fun challenge to overcome. To make matters worse the regions have huge spaces between cities that mock your overcrowded city map and cause a fully developed region to look ridiculous in the process.

    Additionally, the resource extraction and utilization mechanic is a truly odd addition to the franchise. I suppose in Soviet Russia it makes sense for a city to run a television factory, but it is simply out of place in Simcity. It would have made infinitely more sense to require the mayor of a resource-rich city to balance business, industrial, and environmental from a governmental perspective instead of allowing the player to open their own mining operation. Also, once the supply chain is set up selling electronics is game-breakingly profitable, to the tune of millions of simoleons per day.

    I won't go into detail on the issue of DRM, but suffice it to say the forced online component would be a bad idea even if it worked properly. However, this game would also fail as a single-player game, so there really isn't anything of value lost due to the always-online restriction.    … Expand
  8. Papagiorgio
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    No excuse for utterly broken always-online DRM and forced "Cloud saves" (i.e. you can't save and reload cities to experiment, a cornerstone of the franchise) for what is fundamentally a single player game.
  9. Janiszewski
    Mar 12, 2013
    1
    One of the most frustrating experience I ever had. Can't change my "game name", can't join to region, even can't play my saved cities if servers are unaccessible. SimCity franchise is now dead for me, after 'SimCity Societes' and this piece of... something I will never buy this title again.
  10. SlyDragons
    Mar 12, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I pre-ordered and deliberately waited a week before reviewing to give EA a chance to bounce back from their self-inflicted launch debaucle. After that, my rating is still "meh". Though I give credit to their server team for standing up so many servers so quickly and a furrow of my brow to whatever management bean-counter prevented them from doing so prior to the launch. As of writing, Origin says I have 121 hours played, but some of that is just watching my my city burn and playing until 5 am (as that's when you can actually get on the servers)

    Some of the positives: When they said they'd be tracking every sim, I feared this would turn out more like the Sims, which was only fun when you mercilessly took away the only pool ladders. However, being able to click on any car travelling on the map and see where it's going, whether it has spending money, and follow it is actually pretty neat.

    Region play. It was in Sim City 4 to some extent, but it's cool to have all the cities work together to build great works. And with it, Multiplayer is a great idea. Sometimes I like a little teamwork, or to flood my neighbouring city with murderers and arsonists.

    Finite resources. Go ahead put all your eggs into the oil mining business and plop some high tax entitlements like education and fire safety for a better society. What's the worst that could happen? Tip: Diversify and plan for renewable income before the well runs dry

    Some of the negatives:

    DRM always on requirement. When I'm not sabotaging my neighbors, sometimes I like to play with myself and I want to build my Dystopian region without the condescending glares of my neighbors. But even as I write this a week after launch, I cannot log into Sim City to do so. One tip, if you get logged in, stay logged in. While you're playing you'll see "server disconnected" messages happen all the time, but then they'll reconnect and presumably everything will be peachy. If you disconnect, however, it's much harder to get connected and a region loaded.

    Difficulty. It's not. Pretty much any city (except one I'm playing now which it about 50% water) can be turned into a cash cow pretty easily. If your planning right, the only thing that throws you a curve is the occasional disaster. I like the idea of the global market, but as near as I can tell, there are hard lines at the minimum prices for buying and selling that pretty much guarantee you can make a ton of profit buying (then refining, smelting, producing) and reselling. I guess it'd be nice if there were bad investments. The only way to screw that up is misjudging your input or output rate, or bottlenecking your supply line.

    City Size. You run out of room fast. Because it's so easy to make money, you end up bulging at the borders in no time and your city become.

    Region play. The idea of region play is great. The implementation of region play is still a little off. Nothing is more frustrating than overloading a city with sweet nuke plants and the other cities in the region not recognizing that there is power available to buy. Or when collaborating on a great work, some cities will recognize that all of a specific resource (metal, allow, oil) has been provided, while others do not or only see that half has been provided.

    Multiple servers. Spreading out the load was a great idea to increase server availability. The downside is that the regions aren't shared between servers. So, if you've spent countless hours building a perfect replica of Trenton, New Jersey and that server is unavailable, EA supports answer is try a different server (where your region does not exist and you get to start all over). The result of this is a bunch of cities in the public regions that don't look like people are playing them. So it ends up as a Multiplayer environment where you're the only one on.

    Summary: After 10 years, they fell on their face at the starting line, but were able to get an Ok game out. They've hinted at some changes (bigger cities is the last one I heard), but I suspect a lot of these enhancements will cost you real-world Simoleans.    … Expand
  11. depl0y
    Mar 12, 2013
    9
    The servers are now very respondent and the game is very cool.

    Still, a very bad launch, but I would like to ask users to update reviews accordingly.
  12. Goordon
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    I also wanted to write a review on here because my frustration reached the maximum level it could ever reach. I am normally a calm person. I normally never rage. But this release is my personal disappointment of the year. I can even predict that nothing 2013 will disapoint me more, because what simcity did is the worst "design-mistake" someone can actually do.

    1. Small Cities.    I also wanted to write a review on here because my frustration reached the maximum level it could ever reach. I am normally a calm person. I normally never rage. But this release is my personal disappointment of the year. I can even predict that nothing 2013 will disapoint me more, because what simcity did is the worst "design-mistake" someone can actually do.

    1.

    Small Cities.

    Maxis is lieing at us saying that bigger cities arent possible because of performance restrictions the engine gives us. Thats wrong. The real problem is their DRM always online stuff. They save our cities locally on THEIR servers. Youre not able to create a local savegame. If we would be able to have local savegames, the game would actually easily run on 10 times bigger cities. But because they had to bring in their always online DRM protection they accept smaller cities wich results in a much smaller long-term fun level.

    2.

    Savegames.

    Savegames on their servers? Why? To sync your city region to the other players? Thats maybe a good thing but it's implemented poorly. Sometimes you just disconnect from a server or they have a maintenance running. If you continue playing now have fun seeing your city rolled back hours when you reload your savegame later. Or the savegame is gone fully. Why not create some kind of backup savegame locally? That could'nt be too hard. Just sync it with the online servers the next time you login.

    3.

    Server capacities.

    They try to fix the problem by adding more and more servers. They actually know that this wont help at all. Why? Simple: The single server capacity is just not enough. I've read in a post that one server can take about 90.000 people. Ive no clue if thats true. I dont even care. But even if a server is able to take half a million players, it will result in problems. Always. What they are aiming for is was your money. Now they have it they wait until a few players drop the game because they are frustrated. On Twitter they only answer to "lol look at my city". Like everything's fine. Then, sometimes they say "Hey look theres a new server online! Check it out!". You enter the server and you see the next worst possible design idea ever: The savegames are'nt even synced to other servers. You have to begin a new Savegame on every single server. If your server is full (lets say 90k people play on it), you come back from work and just want to play simcity for another hour you just simply cant. Well you can.. begin a new city. But you can not continue your current city. What the hell Maxis, what the hell.

    4.

    "Experts".

    These people call themselves experts developing such games. Why. Why the hell are these people even allowed to be called like that. Not thinking about the single server capacity why are they miscalculating the load on the first few days? Why are they panicing NOW when its much too late that theres not enough server capacity. Why are they acting like its a big problem to bring up a few more servers online within just one day? Well, if they are doing it right the only thing should actually be setting up a simple server and run their server software wich registers another server in some central server so the players are able to see it. I bet they are'nt even able to do that. They did some hypercomplicated piece of non optimized software. I am pretty sure.

    5.

    The game will never run properly.

    Why? Simply because this kind of game is not able to work out properly. Savegames will disappear as soon as theres a maintenance. And there will always be one. Your cities roll back. You come back from work and your server is crowded. You cannot play. You probably find the time to play it once a week. If youve the time your server is just full and you're done with it. Next week the same. Also: An offline patch is probably not even possible because of their weird system. It would take "too much efford" to make a singleplayer game singleplayer (offline). If youve a nice savegame on a server wich is usually more crowded you can actually forget about it. You will never have fun with this savegame anymore. Savegame port on another server is not possible. Its also not syncing as said earlier.

    6.

    The game itself.

    The game itself is also actually poorly made, mainly because of these small cities, wich could be soooo pretty and big but because of DRM and online restrictions they will never be able to reach a proper size.
    The game feels pretty okay but if you play it for more than two hours you can easily realise how poorly it's made im a coder myself i know alot about whats cheap and whats not Simcity shall be called a pretty facebook game thats it.

    7.

    I've had trust in them to make it properly.

    But this once again shows me has proven me that even multi billion companies are not able to properly create a good and also brainful online experience. Never again. Never.    … Expand
  13. ND3G
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    How soon we forget. The uproar over Simcity started long before the game was even released. The issue never had anything to do with whether or not the servers worked properly, it had to do with the fact that they shouldn't be necessary at all. Until EA removes the online requirement this game remains a very deserved zero.
  14. dinin70
    Mar 12, 2013
    0
    I've been so so stupid... As a Sim City lover I just bought that game blindly. How can I be such an idiot? I bought blindly Heroes of Might and Magic 6 and it was awful. I bought blindly Diablo 3 and it was disappointing. I bought Civilization V and it was the most terrible video game decision I made up to now... It's the fourth time one of my favourite franchise as been just DESTROYED.I've been so so stupid... As a Sim City lover I just bought that game blindly. How can I be such an idiot? I bought blindly Heroes of Might and Magic 6 and it was awful. I bought blindly Diablo 3 and it was disappointing. I bought Civilization V and it was the most terrible video game decision I made up to now... It's the fourth time one of my favourite franchise as been just DESTROYED. Why the game is so crap? How can someone fail in making a great SimCity? I mean... How is this possible? I'm not talking about DRM, internet only connections and so forth... I mean: how can somebody be able to consciously screw a franchise that every single time one game was released was getting more and more subtle, intrusting? Well... They did it... How then? Take the wonderful (but perfectible) SimCity 4. Make the map 10 times smaller, and take out everything that means "managing something" in that game... I mean, it's incredible. They managed to make a game where you have to think less than in Sim City on Super Nintendo... They did it!!!!!!!! They made a game where you make 1 powerplant, some Water towers, 20 blocks of buildings and that's it... Ok, graphics are fantastic, bit that's it. I won't even talk about multiplayer, projects and so on. I'm talking about the fact that this game should be called "SimTown" or "SimVillage" or even "SimNothing"... It's a REAL shame...… Expand
  15. Gil8ert
    Mar 12, 2013
    8
    There used to be a time when I was able to play games without a computer. Now EA have totally messed everything up because I need a computer to play SimCity. And computers crash, sometimes you have to spend ££s just to get them fixed and they're out of action for days! Risk has never crashed on me. That's basically the DRM issue but from a 1990 point of view. Otherwise I'm a UK player andThere used to be a time when I was able to play games without a computer. Now EA have totally messed everything up because I need a computer to play SimCity. And computers crash, sometimes you have to spend ££s just to get them fixed and they're out of action for days! Risk has never crashed on me. That's basically the DRM issue but from a 1990 point of view. Otherwise I'm a UK player and have only had to wait 20 minutes for servers to be working. And I've played well over 30 hours. So no real launch issues as far as I'm aware.
    As for the game it is ludicrously addictive! Everything you already know from the SimCity world, but tweaked in new ways. The smaller city size is limiting in some ways but it adds a new level of addiction an playability because those individual Cities can share resources which means you now no longer begin a new city and just go through the motions now you have an objective to your new city. Maybe you need to outsource sewage or rubbish to another city, or maybe you need a University. Because of the limits in the map size it means you cannot place everything in one City which means you have to be more tactical about your placements. Oh and word of advice don't place a University on a City, leave it a few hours and then delete it Industrial get right uppity about it and complain about unskilled workers!
    I really do like this game a lot. Too much, I couldn't stop playing it.
    Once you get passed the initial city building stages and you are getting better residents in, the balancing act of money and resources is quite a difficult one requiring a fair amount of attention. And before you know it 18 hours have gone in the real world.
    I'm a big fan of the Tropico series (Though what the difference between 3 and 4 was....I have no idea) and so far I think SimCity is going to trump Tropico in terms of longevity and charm. Because it is really rather charming in most respects. But don't listen to me and don't listen to any of the DRM nay-sayers either, because they're not reviewing the game! Go and have a play yourself, and come back to me when you've totally ruined your entire Real World life because you can't stop being Mayor!    … Expand
  16. Schliemann
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    Great game. Has a steep learning curve, but is extremely rewarding. Too many people hate it just to be hipsters. The launch has been much better than Diablo 3.
  17. Zeeboid
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    I travel for work and as of yet have been unable to play due to the slow/nonexistent internet connections on airplanes and at my hotels. No other SimCity has required me to be online to play, and I feel as a father and husband with two children, if this is what I get for my money, you have done a dis-service. Please restore off-line single play to SimCity. I am ready to never purchaseI travel for work and as of yet have been unable to play due to the slow/nonexistent internet connections on airplanes and at my hotels. No other SimCity has required me to be online to play, and I feel as a father and husband with two children, if this is what I get for my money, you have done a dis-service. Please restore off-line single play to SimCity. I am ready to never purchase another EA game over this.… Expand
  18. EchoBlack
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    The game cannot be played at all. At the time of this writing, the content cannot be accessed due to server problems. The consumer's experience has been, for the past few days, one of paying and getting nothing in return.
  19. Slaymeister
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    I play offline. I play all games offline. Half the time, I'm playing a game as I'm sitting on a plane with no internet connectivity, but I don't play online at other times. I don't care about leaderboards. I don't want achievements. I play games like Simcity because I want a sandbox to play in for a bit before I go back to working on a presentation for my next meeting or trying in vain toI play offline. I play all games offline. Half the time, I'm playing a game as I'm sitting on a plane with no internet connectivity, but I don't play online at other times. I don't care about leaderboards. I don't want achievements. I play games like Simcity because I want a sandbox to play in for a bit before I go back to working on a presentation for my next meeting or trying in vain to catch up on my inbox. I play offline, so that means I can't play Simcity. This new Simcity, tied to EA's servers like a umbilical cord, sucks. Their aggressive DRM goes far beyond mere inconvenience caused by an attempt to strike a balance between playability and ensuring the game is properly licensed by players. This approach is positively antagonistic, with no gameplay allowed without EA in the middle, players needs be damned. Additionally, continued gameplay is beholden to their servers, their desire to continue supporting the game, and the capabilities of their servers to handle the workload. I have always pulled out Simcity games for years after my first play though. But what happens when EA decides the ROI to maintain the game servers isn't there anymore? I can't play this game, and I'm pissed.… Expand
  20. DA2sucks
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    It takes Ubisoft to learn that it just not worth having persistently connected games and deal with the potential customer backlash afterward. I've since wary of buying anything coming out of Ubisoft. I will stay out of EA too if this persist and vote with my money, until they learn...
  21. Shaddowdove
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    Despite the clear lack of foresight with regards to the massive server overload when this game was first released, I really enjoy this game! It builds upon the traditional city building games that we all know and love. They really have out done themselves to create a game where you can govern a city, interact with other cities to create trade deals and still remain connected with theDespite the clear lack of foresight with regards to the massive server overload when this game was first released, I really enjoy this game! It builds upon the traditional city building games that we all know and love. They really have out done themselves to create a game where you can govern a city, interact with other cities to create trade deals and still remain connected with the people of the city. I really enjoyed the fact that you can create one player games as well as the interactive multiplayer games. The game also includes a brief run through of new (and old) controls and goals. People who played pervious Sim City games will no doubt winge and complain, however I found them incredibly helpful. The only major downfall of this game is the lack of and offline mode. Many people have complained about this as well as the server overload. What I dont understand about this is that with similar problems occuring with other online games (such as diablo) why did they not learn from those failures?… Expand
  22. cairam
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Cara quando eu vi pela primeira vez o SimCity (PRIMEIRO) NES, fiquei impressionado pela essência do game. Logo agora depois do SimCity 4,Sociedades, e agora SimCity 5. cara estou tao animado que por vários problemas que o game tem: FALTA DO SINGLE PLAYER,CONSTANTE ASSESO A INTERNET...
    faz do game ter pontos negativos. mas podemos dizer que por estes problemas não vamos para de comprar porque cara e SimCity mano, o ultimo game de serie foi o sociedades lançado em 2007,agora com a volta da Maxis estamos de ante a Volta de um dos melhores simuladores da Historia. por isso coloco NOTA 10 em SimCity não por ser ruim ao contrario por voltar as origens da serie. Entao este foi minha opinião sobre o game. Cairam Ribeiro Game mix    … Expand
  23. WWickedRevenge
    Mar 11, 2013
    3
    I'm going to ignore the server login issues, however once you are in the game you do run out of space quite fast, again not a problem as you increase density. The major issue I have with this game is that you need to cannibalise your city to provide services such as water, power, recycling, etc. Everything takes up more and more space the trading HQ takes upwards to two big city blocks.I'm going to ignore the server login issues, however once you are in the game you do run out of space quite fast, again not a problem as you increase density. The major issue I have with this game is that you need to cannibalise your city to provide services such as water, power, recycling, etc. Everything takes up more and more space the trading HQ takes upwards to two big city blocks.

    Now this issue wouldn't be an issue if the various cities in the region worked together with any consistent way, i'm always getting messages that x city is no longer sending me water, but I made x city with over 1000 times the water that city needed to supply this one, sending funds or resources seems to take half a day (real time), and each of my various cities in the region saw our Regional Airport at different stages which leads me to believe large amounts of resources were probably going into cyberspace never to be seen again. I have also noted it appears you can only send resources to your closest neighbours not those further distance.

    Until ALL of Simcity's server issues are resolved I cannot recommend this game, it is broken and the long game just doesn't seem to be there, i've played three cities with a region population of 300k and a total bank balance of $55M (through electronics trading) and i've run out of things to do, I have no space, I need to keep my utilities in each city as outsourcing isn't an option, so i'm stuck just watching my balance go up, and my interest go down.    … Expand
  24. ShutUpJustDie
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    A classic example of how not to do it. Servers are usually busy or down. Always-online DRM. The game lags like crazy. It's over-whelmingly easy. Half the content of the game feels like it's missing. In short, this game's launch is probably the worst of any video game ever. A clear sign that it's about time to crash the Titanic that is EA.
  25. MindOfVacuity
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Uses EA's Origin, which EA created because Valve wouldn't spy on their users or agree to never put EA games on a big sale. EA Origin is clunky, badly executed, and down right evil. EA specifically wont sell new games like SimCity on Steam in order to force people to use Origins. Last time I checked, there was huge controversy because Origin's EULA allowed for them to monitor EVERYTHINGUses EA's Origin, which EA created because Valve wouldn't spy on their users or agree to never put EA games on a big sale. EA Origin is clunky, badly executed, and down right evil. EA specifically wont sell new games like SimCity on Steam in order to force people to use Origins. Last time I checked, there was huge controversy because Origin's EULA allowed for them to monitor EVERYTHING that happens on your computer. That means everything you install, every website you go to, heck I wouldn't be surprised if they just plain keylog people so they can track everything possible. AND on top of that, the EULA allows them to give that information to 3rd parties OR allow 3rd parties to directly use Origins to gather information on you!

    It is so bad that in Germany a judge in said that it violates German law and should be considered null and void.

    It's pretty sad. There have been a lot of games I was really looking forward to, only to find out it will only be available on Origins.

    EVEN IF ORIGINS WASN'T EVIL, IT IS STILL BLOATWARE. Remember games that had you install things like GameSpy and games that still install punkbuster. I hate that garbage. I don't want that junk on my computer. It just sucks up resources and is useless. This Origins thing is nothing more than a slightly more sophisticated piece of bloatware.

    EA has got to be one of the WORST game companies out there.

    I've saved over $200 by just not playing a lot of the new games and their DLC--This includes Dragon Age 2, BF3, ME3, Crysis 3 and SimCity. Can't wait until next gen consoles come out with anti-resale measures and find the sales of new games just plummet. Maybe someday EA will stop being evil and I will be able to buy these games as stand-alones, without the bloatware. Until then I just wont play them.

    Everyone I know hates Origins and only a few have broken down and bought a game that requires it. The rest just throw their hands up in the air and play something else.

    The game industry has been overrun by suits. We don't need them. Support indie games, screw EA and the like.    … Expand
  26. DrSasquatch
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    First, a note. I am going to 100% ignore the Always On DRM, even though I hate hate hate it, and I am furious at myself for supporting its continued existence, and it has and will continue to plague players of SimCity for as long as EA keeps the servers up for it, and then it will be 100% unplayable for all time ever, thank you for your money, give us more soon.

    No, I am going to ignore    First, a note. I am going to 100% ignore the Always On DRM, even though I hate hate hate it, and I am furious at myself for supporting its continued existence, and it has and will continue to plague players of SimCity for as long as EA keeps the servers up for it, and then it will be 100% unplayable for all time ever, thank you for your money, give us more soon.

    No, I am going to ignore that because most reviews fall into two camps: The game sucks because of the DRM, or the game is good once you get past the DRM. But even when you ignore the DRM, SimCity is a below average city builder with many glaring problems. First, the roads. The roads are incredibly difficult to place exactly as you want them. They tend to be glitchy, not letting you turn a 3-way intersection into a 4-way or not letting you make a turn if part of the road is bent slightly. Even on flat land, roads can be problematic, but presented with any kind of a hill and roads become hard to place and nearly useless. Nothing can be built on hills, so any road that runs along a hill becomes useless. In real life, hills with water views become covered with expensive houses, but in SimCity, they are just big piles of dirt, sometimes with a road on it. The pathfinding on roads is also incredibly suspect. While en route to a fire, firemen will often go in circles ten to fifteen times before finding the path or finding an even cooler place to do donuts. This is something you will likely experience very soon after starting your first city, because the first thing new fire departments like to do is shoot off a bunch of fireworks, which start fires all over your city.

    Just get one of the many city builders that actually work. I quite like Tropico 4 (which has its own form of annoying DRM, but not nearly as bad as SimCity).    … Expand
  27. temo
    Mar 11, 2013
    3
    Server, DRM and Region issues aside, the GlassBox engine simply isn't very good right and can't keep up with extended game play. Casinos, mass transit, garbage/recycling are broken and the path-finding is appallingly bad. If someone with DLC abandons a city then you can't claim it because you haven't paid the extra $20 to use it. This is brutal because now there's a dead city and nothingServer, DRM and Region issues aside, the GlassBox engine simply isn't very good right and can't keep up with extended game play. Casinos, mass transit, garbage/recycling are broken and the path-finding is appallingly bad. If someone with DLC abandons a city then you can't claim it because you haven't paid the extra $20 to use it. This is brutal because now there's a dead city and nothing you can do to fix it (good luck building a great work or commuting). There's so many other little problems with the inherent game play that it's obvious they shipped it before it was ready. Let me repeat these are core game problems and not just flaky servers.

    Now don't even get me started on the servers, drm and regions...What a mess...    … Expand
  28. sabersin
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM for what's essentially a single-player experience. Please Gamers, vote with your money. Stop providing EA sales figures that their executives use to justify continued anti-consumerist practices. There are lots of fine, gamer-friendly, indie games out therefor you to spend your time and money on. Don't forget, EA turned off server support for Madden and FIfa 2011 already.Always online DRM for what's essentially a single-player experience. Please Gamers, vote with your money. Stop providing EA sales figures that their executives use to justify continued anti-consumerist practices. There are lots of fine, gamer-friendly, indie games out therefor you to spend your time and money on. Don't forget, EA turned off server support for Madden and FIfa 2011 already. Those games are only 2.5 years old and have lost their online support. EA is quite willing to shutdown servers for their games to force you to buy newer versions. What happens when SimCity's servers are shutdown in a few years? You won't be able to play a game that you bought. Actually, strike that. You didn't purchase a game. You purchased a service from EA. A terrible one at that. Can you imagine any other service that's so intrusive and shoddy? I wouldn't pay for it.… Expand
  29. Xen-Masta
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Look at the positive critic reviews. Remember the names of the organizations that gave those ridiculous scores. Remember them and never support them. Their reviews and very integrity are for sale. When users collectively rate a game 1.6 out of 10, and a professional critic rates it 100% perfect, it doesn't take a genious to figure out what is going on. I can only pray that this gameLook at the positive critic reviews. Remember the names of the organizations that gave those ridiculous scores. Remember them and never support them. Their reviews and very integrity are for sale. When users collectively rate a game 1.6 out of 10, and a professional critic rates it 100% perfect, it doesn't take a genious to figure out what is going on. I can only pray that this game is a huge enough financial flop to make EA finally get the message, but i doubt it. 10 years from now, people will still be playing all the old SImCity games, 1-4, but the servers for this latest installment will have been down for years, rendering it unplayable. Fortunately, nobody will want to play it anyways. This game made me want to dust off SinCity 4, and take it for a spin.… Expand
  30. Speedster288
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM was not OK when Blizzard did it, and it is not OK now that EA is doing it either. This is a trend that MUST stop within the gaming industry.
  31. Flopdugan
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    What a sad time for gamer's when the 'mainstream' industry keeps shooting itself in the foot like this with its DRM and 'streamlined for the masses' mentality. It’s obvious why this game tanked on so many levels, too much PUBLISHER influence. The root of all evil in the gaming industry these days and the main reason the industry is tanking as a whole, is the corporate, suit wearingWhat a sad time for gamer's when the 'mainstream' industry keeps shooting itself in the foot like this with its DRM and 'streamlined for the masses' mentality. It’s obvious why this game tanked on so many levels, too much PUBLISHER influence. The root of all evil in the gaming industry these days and the main reason the industry is tanking as a whole, is the corporate, suit wearing Jackoff, that has zero creative and artistic ability influencing game development. The 'Suit' has no place in an artistic and creative industry, they just get in the way. As long as publishers keep messing with the development formula games will only be about, how many 'units' are sold, Metacritic scores, and what the current 'trend' is. Just remember EA, you bang the nails in your own coffin.… Expand
  32. Gamecrafter
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    I frankly don't agree with all the derision out there; although, yes, it is annoying when the servers don't allow you to play clearly needs to be worked out. However I have been able to play enough times to know that the game is actually pretty bad-ass once you get into it. More fun than previous in the franchise. So I'm giving an 8 on the presumption that when Maxis works out theirI frankly don't agree with all the derision out there; although, yes, it is annoying when the servers don't allow you to play clearly needs to be worked out. However I have been able to play enough times to know that the game is actually pretty bad-ass once you get into it. More fun than previous in the franchise. So I'm giving an 8 on the presumption that when Maxis works out their server situation (and hires new IT guys I assume, ahem) that this game will be solid. Zero problem with the design of being online with others in your region that's cool imo. Seriously.. how often is your computer NOT on the internet these days? The off-line argument is old imo.… Expand
  33. Ian277
    Mar 11, 2013
    3
    Ok now that the servers are back up and running alright, here is my proper review. my rating was a 3/10 because of all the crap this game threw at us at its launch. to be honest this game had one of the worst launches of any game, in history. i don't think this game will ever truly recover from it, this 1.5 rating is way too low for a game like this. and many people will not change theirOk now that the servers are back up and running alright, here is my proper review. my rating was a 3/10 because of all the crap this game threw at us at its launch. to be honest this game had one of the worst launches of any game, in history. i don't think this game will ever truly recover from it, this 1.5 rating is way too low for a game like this. and many people will not change their reviews because they are too fed up with the DRM. which is totally understandable. but the game is really fun. you can create entire trade networks and intricate cities. this increases the depth from the previous simcity games. managing the city is very fun. managing buildings is an amazing feature. although map sizes restrict you from building more advanced structures later on that is really my only complaint. this game has tons of potential and will have DLC i assure you (mostly because EA is a jerk) good game. sucks the EA gave it a bad rep. this DRM is a horrible thing for the gaming community but that doesn't mean simcity is a bad game… Expand
  34. Isochronous44
    Mar 11, 2013
    2
    Have revised my score upwards slightly, as EA has now actually allowed me to play the game rather than the loading screen for the first time. It was a lot of fun. A lot. This would be a fantastic single-player game. But then I lost connection, and couldn't log back on. That was not fun. Then EA allowed me to play again several hours later, and I found I had lost hours of progress. That wasHave revised my score upwards slightly, as EA has now actually allowed me to play the game rather than the loading screen for the first time. It was a lot of fun. A lot. This would be a fantastic single-player game. But then I lost connection, and couldn't log back on. That was not fun. Then EA allowed me to play again several hours later, and I found I had lost hours of progress. That was even less fun. Why is there no "Save" option? Never before have I played a game with that gave me such enjoyment before letting me down so badly. If it was an MMO it wouldn't feel so bad. But it's a single player game, and it doesn't NEED to be server-dependent. It really feels like EA is playing some cruel game here with one of my favorite game series of all times. They set it up this way deliberately, knowing that this would happen.… Expand
  35. wolfiesmith
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    One week after launch, I have no issues getting online. It's sad that people review this game without playing it, but there you go.

    Gone are the minutiae of power lines and water power, and good riddance I say. You now get a loving city with every person and business an AI agent. Cities are smaller, but this forces a more realistic specialization. Make a region private if you don't want    One week after launch, I have no issues getting online. It's sad that people review this game without playing it, but there you go.

    Gone are the minutiae of power lines and water power, and good riddance I say. You now get a loving city with every person and business an AI agent. Cities are smaller, but this forces a more realistic specialization. Make a region private if you don't want multiplayer. Fantastic iteration of the game in a bold new direction, though some hardcore fans may be upset by the changes.    … Expand
  36. Grinchy
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Server issues and always-on DRM aside the city zones are simply too small, presumably to enforce dependency on multi-player interactions. More like Sim-District than City
  37. Pelon316
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    This is a mess form Maxis and Electronic Arts!! If they would have wanted it worst, they wouldn't have been capable to do so!! Sadly, the DRM and the poor servrs decisions have mede this an unpleable game. It has been almost a week since release, and I haven't even been able to launch (and update) the game due to a lack of servers availability. The game itselt may be awesome, but it'sThis is a mess form Maxis and Electronic Arts!! If they would have wanted it worst, they wouldn't have been capable to do so!! Sadly, the DRM and the poor servrs decisions have mede this an unpleable game. It has been almost a week since release, and I haven't even been able to launch (and update) the game due to a lack of servers availability. The game itselt may be awesome, but it's broken, and right now, as it is... It's just a rip off from Electronic Arts!! It's really so sad to talk bad abouta game for this issues instead of the fun factor an dit's gameplay... EA... you should be ashamed and give the money back!! I seriously recomend!! DO NOT BUY THIS GAME (at least, not for now)... If you do (like I did), you'll be throwing your money to Electronic Arts for nothing in return!!… Expand
  38. Wilmaster1
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    Unlike a lot of gamers here at metacritic i find SimCity an amazing game and definitely worth buying. The first days a lot of problems occured with the DRM and servers where out non-stop, but since this monday i found no problems with connecting anymore. SimCity is a well made game with incredible gameplay and amazing artwork that truly immerges the player in making it's own little worldUnlike a lot of gamers here at metacritic i find SimCity an amazing game and definitely worth buying. The first days a lot of problems occured with the DRM and servers where out non-stop, but since this monday i found no problems with connecting anymore. SimCity is a well made game with incredible gameplay and amazing artwork that truly immerges the player in making it's own little world together with friends. To start the game low skill is required but as the player continues the game will grow harder and more challenging for the player!
    Amazing Game and definitely worth your money!    … Expand
  39. Hapa
    Mar 11, 2013
    2
    The DRM in an effort to make money by stopping piracy killed the game and lost them millions. I will never buy a game with DRM again. The gameplay seems meh but I only could play for a small amount of time since the DRM stops me from playing all together. Don't buy this until they remove the DRM!!!
  40. Tjackson31692
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Pretending like the series doesn't exist by not calling it SimCity 5/2013/etc, trying to take credit for something that wasn't their creation (original Maxis founder Will Wright is no longer at the company). Which would be OK if the game was good enough to re-invent the series, but it isn't. It's a sequel to SimTown, the kids version of SimCity, this is NOT SimCity since you cannot buildPretending like the series doesn't exist by not calling it SimCity 5/2013/etc, trying to take credit for something that wasn't their creation (original Maxis founder Will Wright is no longer at the company). Which would be OK if the game was good enough to re-invent the series, but it isn't. It's a sequel to SimTown, the kids version of SimCity, this is NOT SimCity since you cannot build cities. The play area is tiny and you're not going to be able to build huge sprawling metropolises like in previous games, until of course the £20 expansion pack comes out that adds it. Infantile challenge with pre-made regions and already connected transport links, infrastructure being way too simple to set up and provide and the economy is so easy to balance you barely even need to look at your financial menu. Day 1 DLC. Microtransactions in a game you've already paid for. No terraforming. Always on DRM. Always on multiplayer. EA. Origin. Any of this sounding good? You need help. EAMaxis' demographic has been slowly changing since the first Sims, from adult gamers who enjoy in depth simulation games to kids who want to play with a digital dollhouse. Which is fine, kids need games too, but with no adult alternatives and horrible business practices taking advantage of their young userbase (Sims 3 content costs £300+) it dismays me. The positives: the engine is quite nice and stable and it looks pretty enough and I do actually like the region trading system even if I resent being forced into it, but that's not enough to redeem this insult to the series. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to play SimCity 4… Expand
  41. Takeda
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Oh ....always on DRM is for the players benefit? Well that changes everything then.....I had no idea that not being able to play a single player game due to failing server tech is all for MY benefit.

    EA you have sunk to a new low......last game I ever buy from Electronic
  42. murtle52
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Last EA game I will ever buy.........and if this is the way single player games are going on PC....probably one of the last PC games I ever buy.
    EA=FAIL
  43. chirpppy
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    I think this is a great game I got the game Saturday and I played all weekend. The game is addictive and smart and I would suggest It to any one that likes to have fun. Everyone who is hating obviously is not in a good place in there life. Get the game... the only negative I have about it is that I cant play it 24/7
  44. nopistons420
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    incredibly addicting and well made city simulator. its not the same old simcity you used to play a lot has changed but in my eyes for the better. the core game-play here is so good and so addictive once you start its hard to put down. the multiplayer aspects of region play are also very satisfying when they work!

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

    there is a very fun and challenging game to be found trying to manage your city as it grows from a cozy little town into a full on metropolis.    … Expand
  45. Kimomarudotcom
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    SimCity is a case study in the danger of pre-ordering titles. The launch was messed up so badly that even as they restore the title's playability the initial terrible impression lingers and further mars the experience in the future. I've heard the official position of the value of an always-on connection for the game and that it is needed to for "social features". Yeah, I'm not buyingSimCity is a case study in the danger of pre-ordering titles. The launch was messed up so badly that even as they restore the title's playability the initial terrible impression lingers and further mars the experience in the future. I've heard the official position of the value of an always-on connection for the game and that it is needed to for "social features". Yeah, I'm not buying the argument. Look, I get that these games are incredibly expensive to make and that publishers need to fend off piracy and losses from dud releases to stay in business, but I'm positive that this is not the way to approach it. Anyway, there are a lot of cool titles this year (including the release of Playstation 4) and you might want to save your money for those instead. Pass on this one.… Expand
  46. Mddlr
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Take £45 out your pocket and burn it, at least you will get some warmth. My point is, this game is unplayable and a total waste of cash. The server issues due to online DRM ensure that you wont be able to play this game. No point reviewing this any further, its just unplayable.
  47. AnwarBlast
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    Buen juego. En su lanzamiento tuvo problemas con los servidores nada misterioso que no se pudiera resolver en pocos dias, Diablo III tuvo un comienzo mas caotico. El multiplayer esta bien, pero siguen faltando muchas opciones en la interfaz de unirse a una partida, extrañamos un filtro para conseguir partidas de forma rapida y con algunas caracteristicas, da la impresion que la conexionBuen juego. En su lanzamiento tuvo problemas con los servidores nada misterioso que no se pudiera resolver en pocos dias, Diablo III tuvo un comienzo mas caotico. El multiplayer esta bien, pero siguen faltando muchas opciones en la interfaz de unirse a una partida, extrañamos un filtro para conseguir partidas de forma rapida y con algunas caracteristicas, da la impresion que la conexion multiplayer fue tomado a la ligera, pero seguramente sera resuelto. El juego es muy intuitivo, y facil de jugar, buenos graficos y mucha dinamica, el terreno es muy pequeño pero de alguna forma cumple con las espectativas. Muchas carateristicas de versiones anteriores fueron simplificadas, pienso que como todo lo comercial para darle cabida a un publico mayor.

    En fin, antes de jugarlo pensaba en que iba a ser un 10 seguro, pero finalmente soy generoso con un 8, y no lo hice por los problemas de servidor como muchos calificaron con un 1 por aqui, se que es un problema que sera resuelto, me baso en las caracteristicas del juego, asi que un arrastrado 8 es mas que suficiente    … Expand
  48. Diaboliquin
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    "Always-on DRM is a disease that we cannot allow ourselves to be so willingly infected by. It’s a curse on gaming. It’s diminishing our experiences, reducing the possibilities for our play, and creating a space where faulty games are accepted as complete. Always-on DRM is a broken game. They need to be fixed.""Always-on DRM is a disease that we cannot allow ourselves to be so willingly infected by. It’s a curse on gaming. It’s diminishing our experiences, reducing the possibilities for our play, and creating a space where faulty games are accepted as complete. Always-on DRM is a broken game. They need to be fixed."

    http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/11/simcity-is-inherently-broken-lets-not-let-this-go/    … Expand
  49. Sherlocks
    Mar 11, 2013
    4
    This game starts off looing full of potential but after a few hours its very similar style repetitive game play. Online features look fantastic but I wasn't looking for those features in this game. SimCity for me was always a single player game to be enjoyed once you have a few hours spare in the evening. Its very MMO orientated. Offline play please maxis, hope so very much that theThis game starts off looing full of potential but after a few hours its very similar style repetitive game play. Online features look fantastic but I wasn't looking for those features in this game. SimCity for me was always a single player game to be enjoyed once you have a few hours spare in the evening. Its very MMO orientated. Offline play please maxis, hope so very much that the upcoming C&C from EA will be better at launch!… Expand
  50. agsprackling
    Mar 11, 2013
    10
    Have not had a single problem with the game. Brilliantly addictive can lose 6 hours without even realizing! Not a fault with the game play. This is a massive step up for SimCity games!
  51. kilo7echo
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    It's sad to see a great game series like Sim City die at the hands of EA, the two biggest problems I found with this game that goes hand in hand is the forced Online connection and he launch was terrible and just trying to experience the game isnt really even possible
  52. FuriousKane
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    I specifically created a metacritic account to add my voice to the chorus of others here. The game is just flat out broken. When it does work, creativity is so incredibly limited by the small map size that you have no feeling or experience of designing a city the way you want it because you've got to cram everything in so you can place all of the necessary buildings ever growing fireI specifically created a metacritic account to add my voice to the chorus of others here. The game is just flat out broken. When it does work, creativity is so incredibly limited by the small map size that you have no feeling or experience of designing a city the way you want it because you've got to cram everything in so you can place all of the necessary buildings ever growing fire stations, police stations, water treatment plants, hospitals all cool buildings, but space is at such an incredible premium that its irritating not fun. The party line is that you should play with multiple cities in a region but this feature is completely broken and unusable. And even if it were usable, its not fun. At all. This game, and EA's jaw dropping refusal to refund consumers for shelling out $60 for a brick, is a disgrace. I know not everyone will hold to this promise, but I will this is the last EA game I buy.… Expand
  53. ledread
    Mar 11, 2013
    1
    Continue to play simcity 4. This version is better graphically, but gameplay is zero: the maps are tiny, disasters can not be disabled. Big disappointment, and a sense of myself cheated
  54. Thaltom
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    SimCity has a handful of innovation; such as, upgradeable buildings, roads providing power/water to buildings, and the ability to trade resources and services with other cities. Visually, it is a clean looking, well built game. Unfortunately, the much hated always-on DRM and forced multiplayer aspect keep any of the innovations from being noticed. Network outages, problems with savingSimCity has a handful of innovation; such as, upgradeable buildings, roads providing power/water to buildings, and the ability to trade resources and services with other cities. Visually, it is a clean looking, well built game. Unfortunately, the much hated always-on DRM and forced multiplayer aspect keep any of the innovations from being noticed. Network outages, problems with saving progress and difficulty connecting to the game's servers continue even as I post this: 6 days after launch. After every one of the server issues are fixed I feel SimCity warrants a 5 out of 10.… Expand
  55. dougal83
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    Terrible game. You'd be better off playing a free game on Facebook as the depth is comparable. With technology improving you'd expect larger maps and more detail in games. SimCity 2000 is still the best in series but could do with a graphics overhaul and then we'd have a better game than this goldfish bowl. I cancelled an EA subscription game due to the publisher harming consumers andTerrible game. You'd be better off playing a free game on Facebook as the depth is comparable. With technology improving you'd expect larger maps and more detail in games. SimCity 2000 is still the best in series but could do with a graphics overhaul and then we'd have a better game than this goldfish bowl. I cancelled an EA subscription game due to the publisher harming consumers and now this just confirms it was the right decision. I regularly travel on long train journeys and always online games harm my free choice as a consumer. I simply cannot afford the mobile connection data and it is not reliable enough even if I could. I can't believe the prices being charged at launch for this title... £65 for a couple of themes? I remember when these additions were added value/quality. BOYCOTT EA!… Expand
  56. stn1337
    Mar 11, 2013
    8
    The game is very addictive and fun to play. You just want to play more and more allt the time and it was a long time since I felt that feeling about a game.

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

    The game is very simple and basic tough, to the better for new player but to the worse for experienced players. The "play whit a friend" thing is a good idea, but doesnt play out well ingame. Me and my friend ended upp in different "zones" but still in the same region. So we could build our own cities.    … Expand
  57. Johnnersuk
    Mar 11, 2013
    9
    Played the game all weekend with no server problems from launch in the UK. I have no problem with being constantly connected and can't see the issue with DRM.
    Very addictive game, only game where me, my wife, my teenage son, and my 11 year old daughter are fighting for the computer.
    I have played all the Simcity games and for me this is the only one that comes close to the original. I    Played the game all weekend with no server problems from launch in the UK. I have no problem with being constantly connected and can't see the issue with DRM.
    Very addictive game, only game where me, my wife, my teenage son, and my 11 year old daughter are fighting for the computer.
    I have played all the Simcity games and for me this is the only one that comes close to the original. I am not too sure about the long term appeal of the game but I am looking forward to the next few months of playing    … Expand
  58. Daveman
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    What can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Being a long-time Simcity fan, I gave EA the benefit of the doubt despite my past gaming experiences with them. (SWTOR and C&C, to name a few) Unfortunately, my faith in this company has evaporated completely. Thank God I held on to my receipt. Gamespot's review said it best: Simcity "the GAME" isn't as great as itsWhat can I say about this game that hasn't already been said? Being a long-time Simcity fan, I gave EA the benefit of the doubt despite my past gaming experiences with them. (SWTOR and C&C, to name a few) Unfortunately, my faith in this company has evaporated completely. Thank God I held on to my receipt. Gamespot's review said it best: Simcity "the GAME" isn't as great as its predecessors, but it's still fun. Simcity "the SERVICE" is a disaster. Ladies and gentlemen, when a gaming company forces constant connection for you to play a game, speak with your wallets and give them the silent treatment. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find my old Simcity 4 CD to wash out any memories of this... abomination.… Expand
  59. Dai
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    In some ways, the fact that the game's launch was a shameful, shameful disaster is a blessing to it, as it's a distraction from the fact that this is the shallowest, most linear iteration of the game ever. Let's get the launch issues out of the way. The game, out for over a week now, is still normally unplayable, even at off-peak hours. Constant crashes and disconnections may get fixedIn some ways, the fact that the game's launch was a shameful, shameful disaster is a blessing to it, as it's a distraction from the fact that this is the shallowest, most linear iteration of the game ever. Let's get the launch issues out of the way. The game, out for over a week now, is still normally unplayable, even at off-peak hours. Constant crashes and disconnections may get fixed eventually, but who knows? There's never been a game launch this horrible before.

    Aside from the server issues, the game is a bug-riddled mess. The sound randomly cuts in and out, or worse, gets stuck playing the same sound effects over and over again. Strange graphical glitches put buildings on ugly pillars of earth. Fire trucks circle the block endlessly, passing right in front of buildings they're supposed to be extinguishing. I expect more even from shovelware.

    But let's say they fix some of the game's bugs. It's still an inferior product to versions of the game shipped a decade or longer ago, with numerous features removed and replaced with at best busywork. Cities can only be a few blocks wide, severely limiting the available space for creatively making the city your own.

    This would be a 3/10 product if it functioned. It doesn't. Broken products don't get any points.    … Expand
  60. khengoolman
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    I purchased this game to play it, and after 4 days of constantly trying, I don't even have any interest in the game. They charge Australians nearly DOUBLE what the rest of the world pays, then put two Oceanic servers in America, which are never actually available! Do yourself a favour and don't bother.
  61. srl
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    I actually like the game, it is pretty addictive. The thing you should understand about SimCity is that is isn't a single-player game anymore (technically, you can play alone but it is much less fun than playing with other people).
    However, they way they have released the game is horrible, an epic fail. Basically, they didn't do any real load testing they are trying to cope with the    I actually like the game, it is pretty addictive. The thing you should understand about SimCity is that is isn't a single-player game anymore (technically, you can play alone but it is much less fun than playing with other people).
    However, they way they have released the game is horrible, an epic fail. Basically, they didn't do any real load testing they are trying to cope with the server load at this moment. As part of this, they have disabled some of the game fetures. Some features are simply bugged out like sharing resources between cities in the same region.
    So that's where we stand right now it's been a almost a week after the game was released, and it is still unplayable. Yes, you can at least join servers now, but you'd still get a very confuisng gaming experience.    … Expand
  62. YourNeighbour
    Mar 11, 2013
    0
    It's sad to see a great game series like Sim City die at the hands of EA, the wonderful title was again used as an electric boogaloo to milk money off Sim city fans. Having started playing the Sim City series from 2000 it really breaks my heart to see a sequel being put together so halfheartedly. I have nothing to say.

    Bye sim city
  63. thisjustsucks
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    This game sucks. All of this complete about "this game is great if you get around the server connectivity" is 100% shill hype.

    1. The plots are too small. Bottom line. Specialization is required because you can't build everything. 2. player connectivity is vapid. The sharing of resources is stupid. Oh, wow, my friend is doing the garbage/electricity/water for me? Hooray. Who cares?    This game sucks. All of this complete about "this game is great if you get around the server connectivity" is 100% shill hype.

    1. The plots are too small. Bottom line. Specialization is required because you can't build everything.

    2. player connectivity is vapid. The sharing of resources is stupid. Oh, wow, my friend is doing the garbage/electricity/water for me? Hooray. Who cares?

    3. Zoning tool sucks. Maybe eventually you'd get used to the arbitrary sizes. Most cases you'll just build squares or arbitrary shapes. Most of the time this leads to random misused space. Or, you cram everything together and it doesn't expand enough. Hi, we liked original sim city because it was ON A GRID.

    3. Road placement is sketchy. Wow i'm holding shift but it doesn't connect for one of a few vague reasons. How hard would it be for the game to have ghost planning spaces so you don't build something that gets in the way?

    4. terrain is completely a roadblock. Want to waste space in an already small area? Get hills/cliffs jagged coast on your map. No you can't do things like tunnel, build bridges (sometimes you randomly can) blee blah.

    So whatever, I'm sick of reviews about how its so addicting, so awesome, great except for the server issues. Look at the shill "industry reviews." They're just inventing a game that's behind the broken server, that isn't really there.    … Expand
  64. Gobertron1
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    the two biggest problems I found with this game that goes hand in hand is the forced Online connection need to support the DRM.
    the other factor is no bloody single player, sorry I don't want to play with others, I want to build a massive city and then make robots attack it like the old simcity.
    how hard is it to copy/clone the old version of the game and make it with a new engine and    the two biggest problems I found with this game that goes hand in hand is the forced Online connection need to support the DRM.
    the other factor is no bloody single player, sorry I don't want to play with others, I want to build a massive city and then make robots attack it like the old simcity.

    how hard is it to copy/clone the old version of the game and make it with a new engine and doll it up...

    the EA CEO needs to be fired or/and dragged into the street and horse whipped for this.

    thank god I didn't buy this game, I got it for free and I feel like EA should be paying me to play it.

    EA CEO needs be dragged out on the street and beaten with    … Expand
  65. androidpk1
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Almost a week after I purchase this game and I'm finally able to play decently. I've lost my first 3 cities due to this mess but I'm not TOO concerned about that. This always online DRM is not for me though so I just got through getting a refund for the game. If they ever put out a single player offline mode I might come back for it. Until then I'll be putting my money towards the CivitasAlmost a week after I purchase this game and I'm finally able to play decently. I've lost my first 3 cities due to this mess but I'm not TOO concerned about that. This always online DRM is not for me though so I just got through getting a refund for the game. If they ever put out a single player offline mode I might come back for it. Until then I'll be putting my money towards the Civitas kickstarter.… Expand
  66. ballard26
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    Yes there were problems in the beginning, however people are all to quick to come to conclusions. What people fail to realize is the Maxis was not requiring all-the-time connectivity to be greedy, but rather to allow full fruition of the visions they had for the game's experience. They imbedded this new idea into the game to allow for brilliant simulations of cities, simulations of whichYes there were problems in the beginning, however people are all to quick to come to conclusions. What people fail to realize is the Maxis was not requiring all-the-time connectivity to be greedy, but rather to allow full fruition of the visions they had for the game's experience. They imbedded this new idea into the game to allow for brilliant simulations of cities, simulations of which many older computers of which the game is supporting would cause the game to be horribly slow if not for offsite calculations. Yes this idea didn't work out in the start, and yes the other motives behind the ideal were less than benevolent, however once again I must point out that Maxis has apologize and is trying there best to make amends. Honestly in my view the true problem isn't the company(at this point they are near to resolving the issue and getting back to near 100% uptime), but rather the players. It honestly sickens me to see how critical and cynical gamers have become about the industry. Game companies as of late have been trying to bring about a revolution to a industry that is in need of one. "We paid for the games, we have every right to play it right away!" Oh boo hoo, you can't play the game, so lets instead go and be little children throwing tamper tantrums and downrating the game on every review site we can find. Let me ask you, if any of you read this far, when Amazon ships you a defective product do you refuse to use Amazon anymore and downrate it, or Apple's new iPhone comes out and the site is down due to traffic do you go about to every site and downrate the phone, or when any MMO takes a server down for maintenance downrate it, or... well it's easy enough to make a list that'll make anyone scoring the game with a zero due to server issues seem like children. In the end Maxis has been putting countless hour and dollars into fixing their problems and have been apologizing many times over, they have done their part, now due yours. Stop being impatient, wait a day, then play the actual game and rate the game, not the servers. If not just remember the more you act like children and constantly go around berating every game company that makes a game with a few issues, the less these companies want to take risks. The less risks the less of the games we've come to love. Eventually the wondrous and full featured games like this and others will be gone. Only to be replaced by freemium model casual games, of which are extremely cheep to develop and make profits similar if not greater to full-fledge games such as this. Because of this I feel the need to reiterate a point, stop being children, wait until the game can be played to rate the game.… Expand
  67. nikkigrl19
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    So I had to give it at least a one on the score, but that is only because for the brief moments I have been able to play it was the Sim city game. Though this is not worth $60 and if I knew that I had to wait sometimes over an hour to just begin to play I would not have never bought this. My husband and I both bought it because we though we could play together but that has yet to happenSo I had to give it at least a one on the score, but that is only because for the brief moments I have been able to play it was the Sim city game. Though this is not worth $60 and if I knew that I had to wait sometimes over an hour to just begin to play I would not have never bought this. My husband and I both bought it because we though we could play together but that has yet to happen since the servers are constantly too busy and there is always an error in connection.

    Major Fail on EA's part. I get everyone wants to do the next big thing and on line is the next thing but it sucks to be forced to play only on line. If I am going to play solo than let me play and not make me connect. I want my money back and will never be buying any game that is on line only and will never buy another Sim City game again.

    I have heard rumors that to make up for the terrible experience that a free game will be given but I don't want some pre-picked game that is probably going to suck as well. Just give us a refund or at least a free game or games up to $40-$60 of our choice.

    Don't waste your money and if you really want it wait until they fix all the problems. Though that might be never cause the internet is not reliable and servers usually crash when so many people try to play something at once     … Expand
  68. TixyLix
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    The game is great, my fave SimCity game so far and I'm liking it's focus on multiple city and online play, it's really a good direction to go down. It would have been nice to have the option to play with a single big city in the sandbox mode in offline, however that could come later, it's better they focus on doing one thing really well, than spreading out too early. I think the generalThe game is great, my fave SimCity game so far and I'm liking it's focus on multiple city and online play, it's really a good direction to go down. It would have been nice to have the option to play with a single big city in the sandbox mode in offline, however that could come later, it's better they focus on doing one thing really well, than spreading out too early. I think the general hate to this style of play and the city size comes from people who just see it and haven't actually played it. I think the direction has made each city more personal and look less generic than the cities of old which were really copied and pasted and you felt so far removed from the people in the city.

    There are a few issues I have with building placement, I wish there was an indication on the floor before it snaps, I wish you could rotate and I wish you didn't need a road for every building, the airport is really annoying to place. It also makes it annoying because you want to place parks and things away from the roads, however you cannot, so you end up having to make so many pointless roads. I also wish'd you could undo changes like you can in photoshop. So many times have I upgraded and hit the wrong one and not been able to change it.

    There are a few problems with the gameplay here and there, however what game doesn't have small issues? I just hope they listen to people and patch the issues rather than putting them in as DLC or something weird like EA is prone to do. One DLC feature I would like however is to be able to build buildings like you can in the Sims, however then save them and use them like prefabs, it would make our cities look even more unique. I don't get why people are moaning so much about the 3/4 days of unstable servers. This game is always online, they haven't kept it secret and we all knew it would be like this for a few days until they judge the amount of servers they need. People are acting like such pathetic kids and the worst thing about it is I bet all the people complaining knew it would happen and yet still bought it day one and still are complaining. I bet most people in fact never even bought the game but are moaning. Like get over it people, this happens with every online game of it's nature and even COD got it wrong once and had poor servers at launch. Just wait until they get it under control and then buy it.........

    Amazing game, I've been playing it pretty much non stop since the UK launch on Friday (Sunday now) and I'm having such a blast. I'm loving the online play as well, it's so much fun with friends. I just hope they add filters in if you want to play a public game as it's hard to find empty slots in them. I wouldn't listen to the whiners though, they're just being pathetic, just give it a week and then go and purchase it.    … Expand
  69. sighhifi631
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    One of the first games I played on PC was the original Simcity. That has been my favorite game of all time and it grew into the whole series of Sim games including SimFarm, SimEarth, and SimAnt to name a few. When I first heard about another Simcity coming out, I was so overjoyed that I actually downloaded Origin and preordered the Limited Edition against my better judgement. On theOne of the first games I played on PC was the original Simcity. That has been my favorite game of all time and it grew into the whole series of Sim games including SimFarm, SimEarth, and SimAnt to name a few. When I first heard about another Simcity coming out, I was so overjoyed that I actually downloaded Origin and preordered the Limited Edition against my better judgement. On the day this game came out, my heart got stuffed into a wood chipper. This game has failed on many levels of trying to live up to it's past history. Most of the fan base that has followed SimCity through the ages grew up on the single player mode of making your own mega-city. This game with it's "regions" should be renamed to SimTown. The areas in which you build your "town" are as small as the original SimCity. Nothing like SimCity 4 (which I have reinstalled to play in order to get over my heartache). The game tries it's darn best to force to play with other people in order to share resources between "towns". This right now is bugged 6 ways to Sunday with people constantly dropping off or causing an action that can easily destroy your "town". The 0-day content already being offered makes it seem like EA is already going to nickle and dime gamers in order to add more content (The Sims 2 and 3). Then we get into the nuts and bolts of the game. The DRM is a real killer for this game. You have no hard drive saves of your game at all. All the saves are cloud saves and if the server has a hiccup, your hard earned "towns" are gone for all of time. This "towns" can only be stored on the server you use them on and can't be transferred at all. If EA decides to get rid of the servers, this game then becomes UNPLAYABLE for the rest of time. The line trotted out by the development team that most of the calculations are done on the server and that's why gamers need to be always connected to their servers is just making the gamers mad because they believe that all EA wants is DRM on all the future games and don't want to say it out loud. This is just bad PR on their part. The only thing that prevented the score from being zero was the music was just right for a SimCity game and that was the only saving grace(not much of one). Congratulations EA, you have just destroyed a historic and treasured game series with a game that has cemented the view of many gamers that you are now the Evil Empire.… Expand
  70. ans247
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    I just purchased this game over the weekend even though I heard the servers were having trouble. I know they will fix the servers soon so that was not an issue for me since most games have some issues around launch. I have not had any issues with the servers, I was able to play fine last night and today. I am having a great time! This is such a fun game that hours just seemed to fly byI just purchased this game over the weekend even though I heard the servers were having trouble. I know they will fix the servers soon so that was not an issue for me since most games have some issues around launch. I have not had any issues with the servers, I was able to play fine last night and today. I am having a great time! This is such a fun game that hours just seemed to fly by without me even realizing it. I let my husband try it on my computer since he was curious about it as well. He didn't expect to play it long and about 3 hours later he was still playing! It has such addicting gameplay that just makes you want to play for hours. Needless to say he purchased a copy shortly after. We are now looking forward to building cities together. Minus the server issues that people seem to be having, Maxis deserves praise for creating such a fun game. … Expand
  71. Jonnybb88
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    This game is pretty shameful, the launch was terrible and just trying to experience the game isnt really even possible. Forced DRM is terrible too. Everybody already hates EA and they aren't making this any better. EA SCREW DRM.
  72. JohnKrisfalusci
    Mar 10, 2013
    8
    Listen, get past the server problems, random crashes, and the queues and when you DO play like I finally did I have to say I LOVE this game! I spent at least 6+ hours straight and I wasn't even aware until I was starving because I had skipped lunch and dinner. You know the devs are working like they said they would because on those new servers, I had no problems in connection. (However,Listen, get past the server problems, random crashes, and the queues and when you DO play like I finally did I have to say I LOVE this game! I spent at least 6+ hours straight and I wasn't even aware until I was starving because I had skipped lunch and dinner. You know the devs are working like they said they would because on those new servers, I had no problems in connection. (However, the 1st and 2nd servers are still very busy). You know the game is good when you spend hours doing a million and one things, and even after all this, you don't feel burned out or bored like many other games out there. Each time I play this game, I can't help but smile because it's like a brand new game everytime! That is my honest opinion and I give it a 8.1. It could have been a 9.1 easy! In conclusion, once this whole login/ server busy/ queue issue gets worked out, this game will become another classic and fan favorite! ^_^ Cheers.… Expand
  73. JasonTheLazy
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Sim City sucks. Your city is very small. DLC on release day, EA just wants to molest your wallet. EA forces you to be online even though their servers cannot handle you. DRM sucks, single player requiring online connection sucks. Don't expect to play this on your laptop unless you have wifi. I hate you EA you are ruining gaming.
  74. CloudTheValkyre
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    A pretty fun game. Everybody says that the DRM is a problem, but i'm sure that they will have the issue sorted out eventually. It certainly is a improvement on the older games.
  75. zerza
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    I knew this would be a hot mess, its EA after all. I play games for fun, and dont have the time nor the patience to be put out by shoddy developers. EA treats its paying customers like they are beta testers, when the game should be gold standard on the day it releases. Maybe the reason EA was so strict with the actual beta of this game is because they knew everyone would hate it andI knew this would be a hot mess, its EA after all. I play games for fun, and dont have the time nor the patience to be put out by shoddy developers. EA treats its paying customers like they are beta testers, when the game should be gold standard on the day it releases. Maybe the reason EA was so strict with the actual beta of this game is because they knew everyone would hate it and cancel their preorders. They played us as suckers again, I will just continue to play SimCity4.… Expand
  76. ender732
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    Score of 2 is based on +8 for the game, -4 for EA/Origin (2 average). It's sad that a very good game has been greatly negatively impacted by technological problems on their end which should never have been an issue for a single-player game. What makes this worse is EA's response, which at one point fell to the level of blaming players for playing the game too much.

    In the end, it    Score of 2 is based on +8 for the game, -4 for EA/Origin (2 average). It's sad that a very good game has been greatly negatively impacted by technological problems on their end which should never have been an issue for a single-player game. What makes this worse is EA's response, which at one point fell to the level of blaming players for playing the game too much.

    In the end, it boils down to a few key points:
    1) DRM is anti-consumer. It works for games like MMOs that are inherently always online, but it does not work for games meant to be single player even if it has multi-player elements.
    2) Forcing customers to play a certain way (always online, forcing multi-player, etc) results in a poor experience.
    3) NEVER NEVER NEVER purchase an EA/Origin or any DRM game without waiting 2 weeks post-release so you can read reviews on metacritic/destructoid/kotaku/etc. Paying $60 for something that causes more stress/frustration than enjoyment is not a good thing.

    Remember the only way we can make our voices heard is through sites like this and our wallets. So voice your opinions and stop purchasing their products.    … Expand
  77. Rea
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Don't you just love the (paid) whining about people refusing to pay heavily for DRM-infested software?
    EA wants to live in your wallet, and if you buy this game, they do.
    This game can be reviewed for its real worth AFTER all the crapware is removed.
  78. andyboy64
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    It's all been said. A great city building game for anyone who doesn't like playing city building games. It has far more in common with Simcity Societies than Simcity4.
  79. Kp_109
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    To be honest the gameplay of the game is good, it has his pros and contras like every game.
    BUT if you want to join the game with the fully cloud storage you have to get a place at the server.
    If there is none well then you have to wait for 30 minutes YES 30 Minutes Save your money for something better than this! I made the mistakes to spend 50€ for a game where i can wait some    To be honest the gameplay of the game is good, it has his pros and contras like every game.
    BUT if you want to join the game with the fully cloud storage you have to get a place at the server.
    If there is none well then you have to wait for 30 minutes YES 30 Minutes Save your money for something better than this!
    I made the mistakes to spend 50€ for a game where i can wait some hours to play it and that just totally sucks!
    Goodbye forever EA!    … Expand
  80. ButtmadFred
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    As a HUGE SimCity fan, this game is an insult. No terraforming, 2km of space, (Which for a SimCity game, is really small.) FIRST DAY EXPANSIONS, and always online drm. If you want an online SimCity game, just go play SimCity 2000: Network edition. Don't wast money on this crap.
  81. Verencius
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Absolute crap. Seriously. If you manage to connect to a server (there should be achievement if you do that, seriously, and then probably achievement for every 5 successful connections) then you might find your city there... or not. You may have an option to continue building your city, or not. Schroedinger is laughing in his grave. Even worse, if you don't find your city on the server thenAbsolute crap. Seriously. If you manage to connect to a server (there should be achievement if you do that, seriously, and then probably achievement for every 5 successful connections) then you might find your city there... or not. You may have an option to continue building your city, or not. Schroedinger is laughing in his grave. Even worse, if you don't find your city on the server then you can only play a tutorial (someone who came up with this idea should be fired and banned from the industry forever). 3 days after the release I've got to play the tutorial about 10 times. seriously if you are into sim city just wait 6 months until they finally improve the servers and you will most likely save money on the game too.… Expand
  82. Sionleo
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    El juego en si esta excelente (en el tiempo que pude jugar), pero los malditos servidores dejan de hacer su trabajo y adiós todo lo que hice en mas de 4 horas, en verdad eso si es muy frustrante.
    A ver si los de EA se ponen las pilas y ya resuelven este problema o de plano quiero mi dinero de vuelta.... y pues volver a Simcity 4 jajajaja
  83. coolkev99
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Don't fool yourself. This is a $60 game rental. After an undetermined amount of time, EA will turn off the servers, meaning you can't play anymore. Forget about your future children enjoying this game. It won't be possible. Not only is it a rental, it is one that requires you to be on the internet ALL THE TIME. Forget taking this on vacation with you where you won't have internet. Have aDon't fool yourself. This is a $60 game rental. After an undetermined amount of time, EA will turn off the servers, meaning you can't play anymore. Forget about your future children enjoying this game. It won't be possible. Not only is it a rental, it is one that requires you to be on the internet ALL THE TIME. Forget taking this on vacation with you where you won't have internet. Have a lousy internet connection? Guess what, your game will drop. If you want a future where ALL video games are like this... and possibly where all music, TV, Movies... basically anything digital works like this, and where you HAD to be online ALWAYS... then by all means, be a fool and waste your money "buying" this game.… Expand
  84. del2608
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    great game, have had almost no trouble getting on playing. Carries the SimCity name very well.Negative reviews are just kids about EA ignore them
  85. MrDMan
    Mar 10, 2013
    3
    The good: Building models look very detailed and nice. The roads are much more realistic and easy to be placed. The upgradable buildings give more control over city services and allow city blocks more customization. Also, the city specialization gives each city its own personality. Teaming up with other players in one region can be interesting.

    The bad: Launch day was a mess. Many    The good: Building models look very detailed and nice. The roads are much more realistic and easy to be placed. The upgradable buildings give more control over city services and allow city blocks more customization. Also, the city specialization gives each city its own personality. Teaming up with other players in one region can be interesting.

    The bad: Launch day was a mess. Many (actually, most) could not join any server to play the game. Despite the game costing $60 for Limited Edition, EA underfunded their servers and support for the game. This left a sour taste in customers' mouths. Once in the game it is easy to lose connection to the servers and possibly lose work. The whole process of building a city seems far too streamlined. Do this, then do that. Before you know it, your city cannot grow due to map size limitations and a quarter of your allocated map space is filled with city utilities and services along with a large possible amount of ground pollution if you don't have a Department of Utilities in the region. The removal of subways and certain types of rails also limit this game. Another aspect that hurts this game is the need to be constantly connected. Once the map is filled, what do you do? Go start another city and do the same thing over again? That is really the only choice. Aside from the server problems, when this game is no longer supported by its makers, will our copies of SimCity be unplayable and useless? My guess is, "Yes".

    Overall: This game is not worth the price. I'm not sure it ever will be after hearing about micro transactions and a possible in-game store. That will only drive the price up the more it is played. Save yourself the cash and do not purchase this game.    … Expand
  86. dmp19
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    The game requires that you play mutli-player online, which is awful idea in my opinion. Since when to mayors want go head to head. At least let those who desire play the single player version should be allowed to. There are tons of single player with online mutli-player mixed that are great. The server issued, although sometimes expected a little for a new game, but this is at ridiculousThe game requires that you play mutli-player online, which is awful idea in my opinion. Since when to mayors want go head to head. At least let those who desire play the single player version should be allowed to. There are tons of single player with online mutli-player mixed that are great. The server issued, although sometimes expected a little for a new game, but this is at ridiculous levels. I played a total of a couple hours and I prerecorded the game, so I started playing on release date. The servers would not be an issue if you cold just player the game not multi-player, and just sign in basically instantaneously via internet like all steam, etc. games. This games fails horribly on all aspects, except for ok graphics. As far as gameplay itself, it has clunky controls and no room to build or move.… Expand
  87. jmc8888
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    On Sunday this game is STILL massively broken, and there is little hope it will EVER be fixed. The reason being, is that the problems are fundamental DESIGN decisions that broke this game and unless EA decides to go against those DESIGN decisions that massive amount of players have been rightfully criticizing for MONTHS are finally listened to and heeded, this game will be referenced asOn Sunday this game is STILL massively broken, and there is little hope it will EVER be fixed. The reason being, is that the problems are fundamental DESIGN decisions that broke this game and unless EA decides to go against those DESIGN decisions that massive amount of players have been rightfully criticizing for MONTHS are finally listened to and heeded, this game will be referenced as THE screwup to reference for YEARS.

    The online DRM is beyond idiotic. Morons keep stating, well ALL GAMES are like this at launch like this. WRONG. Even IF it HAPPENS fairly regularly, it shows complete INCOMPETENCE to allow it to happen AT ALL. They KNOW how many preorders occur, they can tell in REAL TIME how many people are buying it and extrapolate how many servers they should need. But it goes beyond this farcical rationale of allowing the shaft up ones butt to say 'this is normal'. It's not normal, SimCity is a game that DOESN'T NEED online anything. Now, if they WANT to OFFER multiplayer, FINE. In fact it would be a PLUS to OFFER it. But NOT at the expense of forcing your customer, in a depression mind you, to put up with crap that they don't need to after paying. Single player should always be able to work OFFLINE. Period, end of story. There is NO legitimate rationale that beats this, and they made the game MORE EXPENSIVE to render it useless as such.

    Additionally it makes the game MORE expensive to maintain, even MORE so then they obviously were expecting, which DOES mean that THIS game will have a short shelf life, as EA will pull the servers relatively quickly if they need 2-4-8x the amount of servers 'necessary' to play the game, even though the whole process was UNNECESSARY to begin with. A single player game should not be rendered unplayable on day 1 or year 2 or 3 because the servers are offline. Though even if they had a five year plan, does it now become 2 or 3 because they need to run all these extra servers? Given EA's track record, that's almost assuredly YES.

    Now what's the 2nd most debilitating aspect of this game? THE SAVES. We've had hard drives available to us since the 1980's. There simply is NO REASON to make it a cloud only save system. It's a big middle finger to ALL of us. Already I've had THREE CITIES, including one this morning Sunday, March 10th that cannot be loaded. Oh it's registering that it was lucky enough to be saved as it's showing up in resume, this time, but it simply won't load. Again, this is ANOTHER unnecessary DESIGN decision. One they need to give up on, and one if they WANTED TO, could be done in a single day. Not hard to develop a save system. Simple as pie. Why don't they? BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO.

    Even IF it worked, it takes AWAY your ability to take cities different directions. To try some stuff out and decide whether or not you made a mistake without having to start a brand new city. Disasters? Well hey one of the major fun times of Sim City is the ability to save something, and destroy the hell out of it with disasters, and then reload it and it's good as new. Nevermore. Because of a DESIGN decision.

    So this game doesn't JUST have issues that are 'normal' for online only games, it's a single player game that has problems at launch which are completely unforgivable AND the problems overall with these design decisions won't go away with simply more servers. They neuter the game throughout the gameplay, add unnecessary reliability issues, and will shorten the games life, guaranteed.

    Then I can go with the FACT that these cities are absolutely TINY. You used to be able to have 30 huge megalopolises to now 15 or so tiny neighborhoods? Quite a few features have been removed too, but I can understand some change on that front, but the size of cities is simply unforgivable. The city size is also most likely due to NETWORK ability to handle them, with perhaps some issues with power of ones PC. Don't listen to the morons who are scoring this well. They simply don't have the tools to understand the whole breadth of the situation. If they can get full on crackers and call it a meal, good for them, but it is by definition, not an all-you-can-eat. This game has MAJOR problems, and more servers will not solve them. Only a proper patch that EA must have a mea culpa on to change some of these design decisions will salvage this game. One that I do not believe EA has the balls or customer appreciation to engage in. Allow people to save their games on THEIR system and control that. Allow them to play offline so that if servers go down, either through errors or eventual discontinuance, people can still play their games. After this address the city sizes, as most likely it IS the network aspect that helped limit their sizes. So once you remove that, and realize there are plenty of people that can play larger maps, there simply is NO REASON to limit their city size in the way they have.    … Expand
  88. C_Arnoud
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Can't buy one of these always-online games. Couple this with it being a digital copy that you cannot resell and i dont think you really own this. Instead of charging an amount for people to BUY the game, they should rent it. because thats what it is.
  89. industrialspark
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Don't waste your time buying this over hyped piece of crap. The DRM, always online requirement completely cripples the game. But if you, like me, have made this purchase on good faith, knowing how well the simcities have been done in the past. Then you are a sucker, like me, and EA does not care if they sell you functioning game or not, they have your money and are laughing all the way toDon't waste your time buying this over hyped piece of crap. The DRM, always online requirement completely cripples the game. But if you, like me, have made this purchase on good faith, knowing how well the simcities have been done in the past. Then you are a sucker, like me, and EA does not care if they sell you functioning game or not, they have your money and are laughing all the way to the bank. Good job EA! You have stained your name for a very loooong time for this customer of the past.… Expand
  90. Coffeewaffee
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Where do we begin? The needless forced online play? The gargantuan amount of guns? The fact that the game has become a restricted mess in order for EA/Maxis to "fix it"? This game was probably a good idea once upon a time, but now it's simply terrible. The tilt-shift effect doesn't work correctly and just looks incredibly ugly, singleplayer is inherently broken since most of the usefulWhere do we begin? The needless forced online play? The gargantuan amount of guns? The fact that the game has become a restricted mess in order for EA/Maxis to "fix it"? This game was probably a good idea once upon a time, but now it's simply terrible. The tilt-shift effect doesn't work correctly and just looks incredibly ugly, singleplayer is inherently broken since most of the useful features do not work thus forcing players to play with others just to get the mechanics working. The game is incredibly overpriced for what you get and if you want EA to actually support you in the case that you have an issue with the game, you don't get any decent support. EA has outsourced most of the support to a text based thing that is ran in India, or a user-ran forum that never solves anyone's issues. The cities are too small, in reality, cities don't just suddenly end at a line, they sprawl out over a very large land mass. The game is more like Simtown. It's not even fun to play; this game is awful.… Expand
  91. james022
    Mar 10, 2013
    2
    Has a significant amount of potential. Visually the game is awesome. They did incorporate some great ideas such as interacting with other cities for trade, sharing resources, commuters, etc. However, the specialization provides limited options. Major Problem #1: Cities are too small!! I know their excuse for it but really? It's ridiculous and almost ruins the game on its own. MajorHas a significant amount of potential. Visually the game is awesome. They did incorporate some great ideas such as interacting with other cities for trade, sharing resources, commuters, etc. However, the specialization provides limited options. Major Problem #1: Cities are too small!! I know their excuse for it but really? It's ridiculous and almost ruins the game on its own. Major Problem #2: It's just too easy, there isn't a whole lot to it and it can be mastered quickly Major Problem #3 There are no ordinances, policies etc to run the city--it has simply been turned into a city building game with sometimes silly animated visuals Major Problem #4: Big changes have minimal impact-- for the city to really go downhill you really, really have to do it almost on purpose, you can get away with a lot, this isn't realistic.

    Overall I am VERY disappointed with SimCity (5). Not because it wasn't made well (it was, it's def. quality) but because they put in all of this thought and missed the main reasons why people love the SimCity franchise--you can run all facets of a city including policies, more detailed finances (what about budgeting by department??) and other strategically driven options and inputs. I still recommend the game but only for those interested in a pretty straight forward city building game- the management people should leave it.    … Expand
  92. Tacobadgers
    Mar 10, 2013
    4
    This game was fun at first but the limited city size and laughable multiplayer take the fun away about two days after you start playing. At first I loved it but then after playing about 12 cities it got old really fast. The multiplayer is stupid sure if you're connected to another city via a highway its fun you can send police, fire, trucks, amberlamps and sell or buy services from anotherThis game was fun at first but the limited city size and laughable multiplayer take the fun away about two days after you start playing. At first I loved it but then after playing about 12 cities it got old really fast. The multiplayer is stupid sure if you're connected to another city via a highway its fun you can send police, fire, trucks, amberlamps and sell or buy services from another city that is connected with a highway. The problem is only about 4 of the 16 cities are connected via highway in a region so whats the point. Sure those cities are connected but what about all the others they don't benefit from anything you do in the other cities. It even says your departments connected to your City hall are supposedly region wide but they aren't so if you start a city that's not connected with a highway you are basically starting from scratch on a tiny patch of land that's often full of hills and valleys and water that you can even build on and there is no terraforming only what your road does to the land when you lay it down except it just terraforms around the road still leaving the land around it completely incapable of supporting structures.Notice how i said nothing of the DRM or Server issues that also plague this game. If you do buy this game make sure you buy it at a place that will take your return cause its not worth staying.… Expand
  93. zleerichz
    Mar 10, 2013
    9
    Since I started playing the game on launch day at 3pm (UK) I had one game drop out and I was and hour into my game...... I just loaded it back up and I was back on my merry way no big deals......I've not created a public game yet but am looking forward to it I must say, I'm just enjoying creating my own region for the time being, just create a private game from a choice of many greatSince I started playing the game on launch day at 3pm (UK) I had one game drop out and I was and hour into my game...... I just loaded it back up and I was back on my merry way no big deals......I've not created a public game yet but am looking forward to it I must say, I'm just enjoying creating my own region for the time being, just create a private game from a choice of many great regions/maps some that I must add are huge! I'm on a map that has 7 build zones and I've only partly built on 2 after a few hrs of taking my time building.... I've got them exporting goods with each other and commuting I am enjoying the whole experience....... I understand people's frustration with the servers but you can't review a game on that basis surly? There's a lot of haters out there at the moment regarding this and other topics, seems like there's a big EA hate campaign going on. Overall I reckon Maxis has created a great Sim City keep up the good work, and I look forward to spending many hrs on this game in the future.… Expand
  94. ArkZilla
    Mar 10, 2013
    8
    Although the launch was a disaster, I can't help but love the game. It is fun, engrossing, and complex. I have not been able to play as much as I'd like to because of the server trouble, but every time I do get in I find myself having a great time. And the music is absolutely some of the best I've heard in a soundtrack in ages. The smaller cities are a little bit of a bummer, but theAlthough the launch was a disaster, I can't help but love the game. It is fun, engrossing, and complex. I have not been able to play as much as I'd like to because of the server trouble, but every time I do get in I find myself having a great time. And the music is absolutely some of the best I've heard in a soundtrack in ages. The smaller cities are a little bit of a bummer, but the fact that your cities link together makes up for it a bit.… Expand
  95. 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
  96. Sydian
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    This online-only game was pretty much unplayable due to EA's servers and lack of testing. I was able to login for a total of 2 hours in the first four days. None of my progress or cities were ever saved on EA's servers. On top of this, EA is refusing refunds for online purchases. This lack of goodwill gives me little faith that the issues will be resolved. If the game was playable itThis online-only game was pretty much unplayable due to EA's servers and lack of testing. I was able to login for a total of 2 hours in the first four days. None of my progress or cities were ever saved on EA's servers. On top of this, EA is refusing refunds for online purchases. This lack of goodwill gives me little faith that the issues will be resolved. If the game was playable it might deserve a 5/10. It was certainly massively over-hyped by the critics. I won't be trusting any critic site reviews after this release.… Expand
  97. Digido
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    Connection problems have been fixed. :P. Very impressive since the last game, even though some features were left out. People vote this down because of the connection problems, well they're fixed, so rewrite the review, because this game deserves a better score.
  98. Sanxx
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    I bougth it days ago and i just cant play. EA shlound remove that unfair DRM. This just affect to legal consumers like me. Meanwhile, the pirates are playing as they want. Sorry for my bad english. See you around.
  99. knarkworst
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    Worst server/drm problems ever! This game just became a scam and i demand refund for every victim that bought this game. Stick that free game up ur @ss
  100. Viriatus20
    Mar 10, 2013
    10
    Most games that have required online connectivity have issues for a short period of time when they are first released, WoW had it Diablo had it Final Fantasy XI and XIV had and so on, no a real reason for a bad review. Online DRM not relaviant enough anymore to give a bad review, just because you have to buy the game to play. Multiplayer is an option not a requirement as you can makeMost games that have required online connectivity have issues for a short period of time when they are first released, WoW had it Diablo had it Final Fantasy XI and XIV had and so on, no a real reason for a bad review. Online DRM not relaviant enough anymore to give a bad review, just because you have to buy the game to play. Multiplayer is an option not a requirement as you can make mulitpule of your own cities in a region and work together with them. I personally enjoy the game play and the multitasking required to play it correctly. Once people get over there own grudges toward online requirements the game is fantastic.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
21
#21 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 75
  3. Negative: 10 out of 75
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    65
    Given enough patches and DCLs, SimCity might eventually become the game that should have been on its release and justify the ambiguous choices that its developers made. [May 2013]
  2. Games Master UK
    May 9, 2013
    68
    Hints at great things but is limited by small cities and promises it can't deliver on. [June 2013, p.80]
  3. Hyper Magazine
    May 9, 2013
    40
    There's more problems with this game than I have words. Looks great though. [June 2013, p.80]
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