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. TheFrapRap
    Dec 26, 2013
    0
    This game was fun for the first 10 minutes. Until it said I wasn't running my town right and it said it could repair it. So I click ok. And it take you back to the main menu. NOW it does it every 5 minutes not saving the progress to my town. They said they'd fix this over 9 months ago. Really EA really?
  2. cn2305
    Jun 12, 2013
    6
    Game appears to be good, but there are a moderate amount of issues with the game. The always-on DRM stops players from getting into the game, even in single player. Secondly there are a number of bugs in the game but there appears to be no way of fixing them, so this game has ton of problems.
  3. Triasadi
    May 19, 2015
    7
    I've done much research on the game before I purchased it because it was on sale, It's quite a good game. Most of the reviews here are irrelevant since Maxis had fixed the server problems and added a single player mode for SimCity. The game is very fun but every city I made usually last for only about a day or two because most people in the region has either stopped playing or abandonI've done much research on the game before I purchased it because it was on sale, It's quite a good game. Most of the reviews here are irrelevant since Maxis had fixed the server problems and added a single player mode for SimCity. The game is very fun but every city I made usually last for only about a day or two because most people in the region has either stopped playing or abandon their city. A better communication system should be added. And the biggest weakness in the game is the city sizes. The size of a city in SimCity is very small and square. It doesn't let me have much space for me to expand my city. The concept for a multiplayer city builder sounds great, but in reality, not everyone is a top-notch city planner. So playing with other people maybe enjoyable. So far I've been playing for about 20-30hrs, and I really enjoyed the game. I recommend buying it when it's on sale.… Expand
  4. Type4101
    Jan 13, 2014
    0
    Electronic Arts ruins yet another franchise, and yet another developer. It is hard to see how Maxis could recover from this nightmare of a game--a cash grab counting on the SimCity name, and nothing more--and we have likely seen the end of the SimCity franchise. Tiny maps, broken mechanics (even almost a year after launch) and dumbed-down casual gameplay makes this one of the worst gamesElectronic Arts ruins yet another franchise, and yet another developer. It is hard to see how Maxis could recover from this nightmare of a game--a cash grab counting on the SimCity name, and nothing more--and we have likely seen the end of the SimCity franchise. Tiny maps, broken mechanics (even almost a year after launch) and dumbed-down casual gameplay makes this one of the worst games ever made, when compared to the classics of SimCity's past.… Expand
  5. aldun11
    Sep 15, 2013
    0
    no fun, i dont understand why they have limited this game to tiny cities...no fun at all, woud have given a score of 5 if it woud be bug free.... minus 1 scorepoint for every 10 bugs i found....equals ZERO!
  6. lominero
    Sep 4, 2013
    2
    Don't bother! The map sizes will completely disappoint you. Just when things start to get somewhere you need to build another city to support your main one. Complete BS. The always online ruined this game. EA is just too greedy.
  7. Xus
    Sep 8, 2013
    0
    Not buying this game just because of the reviews. Thank you contributors. Frankly why make a single player game connect to a server? I hope the next SIM city is a real single player one.
  8. LairdEJM
    Sep 10, 2013
    2
    This game is such a disgrace to what used to be a stellar series, not due to the core game, but due to the cynical and life draining DRM and internet only play which restrict so much of what SimCity is about. Unfortunately even when actually managing to play, the game commits suicide by having tiny city squares and ridiclous restrictions on buildings, whose only raison d'etre is toThis game is such a disgrace to what used to be a stellar series, not due to the core game, but due to the cynical and life draining DRM and internet only play which restrict so much of what SimCity is about. Unfortunately even when actually managing to play, the game commits suicide by having tiny city squares and ridiclous restrictions on buildings, whose only raison d'etre is to persuade you to play with others, a feature that the game already betrays itself!

    Unfortunately I believe that this game is too flawed at the fundamental level to ever be a worthy successor to the brilliant SimCity 4. A shame, because the franchise at it's heart is legendary amongst the PC community and can be so much better.    … Expand
  9. RobertC
    Sep 17, 2013
    1
    Forget the abusive DRM. It is so buggy it is not worth playing at all. Sure, some great ideas but, you actually have to be able to play before that counts in my book. The trade bug, gifting bug, great works bug, traffic bugs (many), service vehicle bugs (many), the list just goes on and on. The high critic reviews (100?) show they never actually played the game to any degree in myForget the abusive DRM. It is so buggy it is not worth playing at all. Sure, some great ideas but, you actually have to be able to play before that counts in my book. The trade bug, gifting bug, great works bug, traffic bugs (many), service vehicle bugs (many), the list just goes on and on. The high critic reviews (100?) show they never actually played the game to any degree in my opinion (maybe paid reviews or a marketing firm?). Certainly not a human player that knows anything about games.… Expand
  10. tulir293
    Sep 30, 2013
    2
    Ignoring the servers, which are not a problem anymore, the game is playable. Of course, a big thing lowering the score is the map size and the always-online DRM. No local saving, the game will probably be down in some years when the servers get shut down and there is no single player mode. It is true that EA is just fishing for money from the Simcity 4 players who trusted EA that theyIgnoring the servers, which are not a problem anymore, the game is playable. Of course, a big thing lowering the score is the map size and the always-online DRM. No local saving, the game will probably be down in some years when the servers get shut down and there is no single player mode. It is true that EA is just fishing for money from the Simcity 4 players who trusted EA that they would make an awesome new version. I myself foolishly pre-ordered the game too, how could I have known that Simcity Digital was after the Simcity 4 was one of my favourite games when it was released? Unlike those who gave a zero, I am still able to give a two, as the servers are working fairly well now. Though I must admit that on the release the servers simply did not work for even nearly everyone… Expand
  11. Rome
    Jun 13, 2014
    1
    I really tried to like SimCity. I really honestly tried. But it's just not working well. The mountains of problems is huge, even now more than a year after release date. Not calling the game "Sim City 5" but just "SimCity" is very appropriate; because it clearly does not continue the success of it's predecessors.

    The list of issues is huge: - Cities not buying the required amount of    I really tried to like SimCity. I really honestly tried. But it's just not working well. The mountains of problems is huge, even now more than a year after release date. Not calling the game "Sim City 5" but just "SimCity" is very appropriate; because it clearly does not continue the success of it's predecessors.

    The list of issues is huge:
    - Cities not buying the required amount of power and water even though there is plenty of water and power to receive from the cities I have setup contracts to buy from. Forces you to utility buildings in your main city wasting valuable space and land value.
    - Tourists suddenly not coming to your city for no good reason at all, after you've had great success with tourist for a long while and made no changes. Suddenly they just not come anymore destroying your income completely forcing you to re specialize. Which is NOT fun.
    - Water tables drying out and not refilling unless you friggin build a sewage treatment plant just next to your water pump. What the hell is that about?! Like the only way to get clean water is from a sewage treatment plant... Rivers not having any positive effect on water table at...
    - Tiny city sizes...
    - Enormous traffic jams on intercity highways and absolutely no way of improving or building more. Only one road connection to intercity highway causing at times great traffic jams in your city at that road junction.
    - Street cars getting stuck and not moving. Can be 'fixed' by removing and readding section of road in front of street car depot, or sometimes streetcar depot needs to be removed. Not fun.
    - Cities got lost due to EA's crappy servers. Many many thousands of players experienced this.
    - Gifts of goods, like plastic and such, from one city to another cannot even be partially deliver if receiving city does not have storage to receive the whole lot in one go. The deliver truck will be forever stuck in the intercity highway until receiving city builds storage big enough to receive the delivery in one go. Who at Maxis/EA thought that was a good idea?? How hard can it be to implement partial delivery...?
    - Deliveries of goods to great works get stuck in the intercity highway traffic jam and often the delivery disappears or roam for a very long time.
    - Cities of Tomorrow DLC prevents you from claiming cities other players with this DLC have constructed and left, forcing you to buy DLC...
    - While music is not actually bad, it is a pathetic attempt compared to the genius godly sound track of Sim City 4 (search Sim City 4 OST on Youtube if you haven't heard it before). Bu tin that sense SimCity's music does fit the rest of the game.
    - All buildings, both zonable buildings and utility buildings etc. will demolish when just at single patch of road along it's side is demolished. I don't get why that is necessary and it only serves to needlessly complicate rearranging city structure. For example a road can be just next to a utility building and the module to place does not have any other space to be than on the same space as the road. Demolishing the road and replacing it elsewhere and replacing the utility building makes space to place the module on that exact same side. It's crazy that you can't do this without demolishing the whole main building structure.
    - Crappy low value with very limited content DLC's that sell for high prices
    - Great work sometimes not receiving any power (even though your cities clearly has lots of excess power) effectively destroying the whole purpose of great works.

    I could go on and on and on but whats the point. I don't even want to talk about the (few) positive aspects. F*** you EA, go to hell and leave our games alone    … Expand
  12. Abarmard
    Oct 7, 2013
    0
    From download to start this game is not worth the time and money. I have been playing simcity since early days and this is a dumb down version of a game that should get more complex and interesting. Instead it is designed for kids to play. Download and software updates takes a long time and it's very frustrating. Almost nothing positive about this. I wish they took the concept of previousFrom download to start this game is not worth the time and money. I have been playing simcity since early days and this is a dumb down version of a game that should get more complex and interesting. Instead it is designed for kids to play. Download and software updates takes a long time and it's very frustrating. Almost nothing positive about this. I wish they took the concept of previous game and built on that rather they tried to mix Sim Societies and sim cities. You are not a mayor, you are a player who just puts things in spots that were promoted to put. Size of the map is small and limited options (rather than more) is provided. Don't like this game at all.… Expand
  13. bluered1956
    Oct 15, 2013
    1
    My husband bought and installed SC5 last weekend. I managed to play once. Every time I try to open it, I get a message saying we have not registered the Origin. Each time we have to re-register and then wait for 2-3 hours for the game to upload. Total waste of money. I can't understand why other game companies have not had the good sense to create city building games such as SimCity.My husband bought and installed SC5 last weekend. I managed to play once. Every time I try to open it, I get a message saying we have not registered the Origin. Each time we have to re-register and then wait for 2-3 hours for the game to upload. Total waste of money. I can't understand why other game companies have not had the good sense to create city building games such as SimCity. Truth be told, I will never buy another SimCity again.… Expand
  14. exdahle
    Oct 24, 2013
    0
    This game is over the user. Just you right? too small maps, no possible way to terraform areas, road system. Generally downgrade its soo much more to write
  15. rxgamer
    Nov 5, 2013
    0
    Corporate greed at its worst! DRM ruins a potentially good game. Like others have said, I will never support draconian DRM measures ever again especially for what should be primarily a single player game.
  16. zeNap
    Dec 16, 2013
    0
    I can not believe how people would actually give this a perfect score. It's completely rubbish compared to the previous game. Always some kind of a problem with the servers and not to talk about the "citties" you're supposed to build. In SimCity 4 you had the chance to build a real city unlike in this game where you can build a village. I regret spending money on this game so if anyoneI can not believe how people would actually give this a perfect score. It's completely rubbish compared to the previous game. Always some kind of a problem with the servers and not to talk about the "citties" you're supposed to build. In SimCity 4 you had the chance to build a real city unlike in this game where you can build a village. I regret spending money on this game so if anyone thinks about buying ths game: Do not. You're better off downloading/buying SimCity 4.… Expand
  17. TheExtraGuy
    Sep 30, 2014
    4
    Compared to Sim City Societies it's a lot better and at least acts like a Sim City game, but compare it to Sim City 4 and it's just an executive meddled piece of software that doesn't deserve to be considered a Sim City game. While there are some very interesting concepts with in the game like the statistics system and the fact you can have curved roads, as well as some of the conceptsCompared to Sim City Societies it's a lot better and at least acts like a Sim City game, but compare it to Sim City 4 and it's just an executive meddled piece of software that doesn't deserve to be considered a Sim City game. While there are some very interesting concepts with in the game like the statistics system and the fact you can have curved roads, as well as some of the concepts within the Glass Box game engine itself, however I don't think it's at all perfect and I certainly don't think it works well when it should.
    Gone is the easy and free placement of buildings, parks, etc. gone is the simple zoning... and in it's place are a lot of empty spaces that you can't fill because everything is bound to the road system.
    There's also annoyances with the fact that so early on in a serious game you can lose money just by building roads and not have enough money to buy police, fire and medical services which your city will desperately need early on.

    I go on about the littlest of details but that's what made the previous games successful, the little details that you can change and dictate yourself because it's your city, not EA's city.
    I really hope in the future somebody just buys out maxis and gives them free reigns over the work they used to produce. There is so much potential in the Sim City franchise and long times fans like me have been dreaming of a true sequel to Sim City 4... but it's sad that publishers these days particularly EA just care about appealing to a wider audience to get tons of money and doing it in the least amount of effort possible.    … Expand
  18. DownBusiness
    Nov 27, 2013
    3
    I really wanted to like this game. And the first couple of hours are nice. Its not broken because the game is playable. Its just bugged.

    Always online DRM is really bad.
    Servers are really bad: either its full or saves dissappear.
    Cities are too small.
    Still buggy after all this time.
  19. Hristos1982
    Nov 23, 2013
    0
    10 months after the release of the game and after so much talk at forums about city sizes and bugs EA releases an expansion? Are they kidding us? DO NOT BUY any simcity game. They suck a lot.
  20. Shulkster
    Nov 24, 2013
    4
    Sadly, i was disapointed by SimCity. I expected alot, and i was let down. You are forced to be online all the time, and then the servers are not working. What a great start. Anyway i forgave Maxis and after they fixed their servers i gave it another try... It is just so messy and buggy. It really seems unfinished to me.
    Missing support and not listend to the beta Testers SCREAMING:    Sadly, i was disapointed by SimCity. I expected alot, and i was let down. You are forced to be online all the time, and then the servers are not working. What a great start. Anyway i forgave Maxis and after they fixed their servers i gave it another try... It is just so messy and buggy. It really seems unfinished to me.
    Missing support and not listend to the beta Testers SCREAMING: "BIGGER MAPS!!" those are the things that make me tell you:
    Dont waste your money on this one, Seriously.    … Expand
  21. Janpi
    Dec 1, 2013
    3
    smh. So how does EA screw this up? The "always on" doesn't bother me much, its just that I can't even play the game without feeling frustrated. Traffic patters all screw up, cities being square and small. I don't understand why there is a city, and then next to it there's nothing just plains, no suburban, no rural towns, just trees and a road. Resource sharing is awful.
  22. Atraxerxes
    Dec 2, 2013
    2
    Honestly, buy SimCity 4 instead.

    The newest SimCIty should be called SimGraphicsCity instead. The only thing better about this version is that the shadows and lighting effects are cooler. Gone is the ability to create large sprawling cities with downtowns and residential neighborhoods. What really made the previous games fantastic was the amount you needed to micro manage. For god's    Honestly, buy SimCity 4 instead.

    The newest SimCIty should be called SimGraphicsCity instead. The only thing better about this version is that the shadows and lighting effects are cooler. Gone is the ability to create large sprawling cities with downtowns and residential neighborhoods. What really made the previous games fantastic was the amount you needed to micro manage. For god's sake, you had to lay water pipes and electrical lines.

    Did you like subways? yeah forget about that, it's gone.

    Remember how there were other cities you could interact with but it didn't matter? Well this is almost all about interacting with neighboring cities.

    Honestly, it feels like Farmville 2.0 at times. Here let me gift my neighbor a garbage truck.

    The only thing I can say that really stops this from being a complete turd is that the Info-porn graphic overlays are amazing.

    Oh yeah, and forget about playing this game on your laptop on the commuter train, or any place where you don't have internet access. You need to be constantly logged in for it to work.    … Expand
  23. ChrisLight
    Dec 3, 2013
    1
    Better graphic doesn't mean better game,the game is downgrade of Simcity 4.The online DRM is the worst thing ever because the server always full.I prefer my Simcity 4 than this Simcity...
  24. Probes
    Dec 3, 2013
    0
    Too small city areas and you have to be connected to a server at all times. Very bad implementation of a good concept. EA should be forced to refund this product or deliver a real single player mode with larger city areas.
  25. Stigggggggy
    Dec 9, 2013
    2
    Really looked forward to this game, but it just does not deliver to what it once was. If you want that old-school SimCity feel? Look elsewhere, you are gone so regret buying this game.

    Ill gibe em 2/10 for the effort yeah effort of ruining a perfect franchise...
  26. guest91111
    Dec 28, 2013
    0
    This game is, like most other EA games (I know Maxis made it, but EA did parts of it), terrible. But EA brought this to a whole new level of terribleness, by putting always online DRM on this game. They said you have to be online, which is nonsense; People have changed the code and made it possible to play offline! Furthermore, the graphics are reasonable, 3D is ok, maps are tiny,This game is, like most other EA games (I know Maxis made it, but EA did parts of it), terrible. But EA brought this to a whole new level of terribleness, by putting always online DRM on this game. They said you have to be online, which is nonsense; People have changed the code and made it possible to play offline! Furthermore, the graphics are reasonable, 3D is ok, maps are tiny, menuscreen is worse than Big rigs over the road racing's one.… Expand
  27. Magnetarizgin
    Dec 30, 2013
    3
    Suits in charge have runed another franchise, why do people that probably hate videogames think they know better than us? Easy, they may think they are superior to us and they dont respect us at all... Suits also seem rushed in t making a new videogame crash, I don't know, maybe they want to kill videogames alltogheter in the firstplace so their normal perfectly fine hoobies return onceSuits in charge have runed another franchise, why do people that probably hate videogames think they know better than us? Easy, they may think they are superior to us and they dont respect us at all... Suits also seem rushed in t making a new videogame crash, I don't know, maybe they want to kill videogames alltogheter in the firstplace so their normal perfectly fine hoobies return once again to supremacy?? Whatveter, the future for this inustry is grim if we keep enabling this retards.… Expand
  28. shywen2004
    Feb 16, 2014
    0
    Game was poorly made. Marketing tactics were deceiving and unethical. We were told that the game was build around an "always online" experience and offline single player mode is just not possible. And here we are almost 1 year later with the impending release of an offline mode. Next, we're probably going to get bigger maps and EA expects us to forget what they said during those pressGame was poorly made. Marketing tactics were deceiving and unethical. We were told that the game was build around an "always online" experience and offline single player mode is just not possible. And here we are almost 1 year later with the impending release of an offline mode. Next, we're probably going to get bigger maps and EA expects us to forget what they said during those press release? Glad I cancelled my pre order the moment I heard of always online DRM.… Expand
  29. PartyTurtle
    Jan 13, 2014
    3
    I was soooooo excited to play this game with all the famous people playing it and all, but when I bought it and it crashed on me and it deleted it and tried to redown load it and it sad it wouldn't because some on else bought it. sooooooo angry and no refund for $69.99.
  30. alexanderyou
    Feb 1, 2014
    3
    There are many great features in this game: beautiful graphics, multiplayer (kinda), and that's pretty much it. The many faults I found in this game are: 3x the price for a third the content, almost completely unbalanced and impossible to fulfill late game requirements, and very limited options compared to the vast amount of buildings present in previous simcity games. I have simcityThere are many great features in this game: beautiful graphics, multiplayer (kinda), and that's pretty much it. The many faults I found in this game are: 3x the price for a third the content, almost completely unbalanced and impossible to fulfill late game requirements, and very limited options compared to the vast amount of buildings present in previous simcity games. I have simcity creator on the Wii and it has more content...… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

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