SimCity

 PC
User Score
2.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4557 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 602 out of 4557
  2. Mixed: 428 out of 4557
  3. Negative: 3,527 out of 4557
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Complexes
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I'm confused why this is in the PC games section. I thought you were meant to play games, not watch a server time tick away for hours. I strongly suggest this is moved to the movies section.
  2. Mawz
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bruuuuuutal. Not what I thought I was buying. So much anticipation for this game... and let down. It looks far to cartoony, and too damn easy. The taxes are a joooke.
  3. Leviathan737
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I'd love to give it a better review.. but since I can't actually play the game I paid for... still... day 2. This is the score it gets. Am I at 150 characters yet? It doesn't deserve that many either.
  4. Protons
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................I hate EA..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................I hate EA.......................................................................................................

    .............................................................................................................................................................................................    … Expand
  5. hoytick
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    SimCity is a beautiful game, the developers really really really did a great job on it. The greed of EA really killed the game. It is really sad that these great developers are being controled by a money hungry greedy monster, EA. When the game is playable (since it is an always online game which requires strong servers) it is a fantaastic game, however it is very rarely playable. EA hasSimCity is a beautiful game, the developers really really really did a great job on it. The greed of EA really killed the game. It is really sad that these great developers are being controled by a money hungry greedy monster, EA. When the game is playable (since it is an always online game which requires strong servers) it is a fantaastic game, however it is very rarely playable. EA has destroyed a beautiful game. DO NOT BUY IT until it is clear that EA/Origin has "Fixed" their servers. You will know when to buy it, just keep checking the SimCity facebook page and if most the posts by users are negative, do not buy it.… Expand
  6. PrinceofNessus
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Every aspect of this game is a failure. From city size to server reliability to premise. The game is a rehashing of SimCity Societies with enough alterations to remove the Societies moniker. It's spiffy that SimCity 2013 has individual Agents and all, but it's taken a functional system and given it more moving parts to attempt to achieve the same results; an engineering sin. I don't careEvery aspect of this game is a failure. From city size to server reliability to premise. The game is a rehashing of SimCity Societies with enough alterations to remove the Societies moniker. It's spiffy that SimCity 2013 has individual Agents and all, but it's taken a functional system and given it more moving parts to attempt to achieve the same results; an engineering sin. I don't care about my agents that much, I'm looking for a city simulator not a macro version of The Sims. EA may fix server issues and I may not have to wait in a queue to play the game I bought so I'm giving them a pass on that. The game however is not what I was hoping for, it's what I feared it would be. It's like Babby's first city builder game, complete with toy-like graphics and mindless game-play.… Expand
  7. omahastylee101
    Mar 9, 2013
    1
    This user rating is proof that the critics are on EA's payroll. How could the critics ratings be so far off of the consumers? This is the second time I have personally seen EA get amazing ratings for a garbage game. I am sorry that Maxis was sold off to EA. They will go down in history as the simulation trail blazers. Unfortunately, their money hungry master has tarnished the Maxis nameThis user rating is proof that the critics are on EA's payroll. How could the critics ratings be so far off of the consumers? This is the second time I have personally seen EA get amazing ratings for a garbage game. I am sorry that Maxis was sold off to EA. They will go down in history as the simulation trail blazers. Unfortunately, their money hungry master has tarnished the Maxis name for me forever.… Expand
  8. uberzoned
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    Remember the last time you bought a book that was missing the first 10 chapters? Neither do I............................................................................................................................................................
  9. NullRider
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    I will only play this game alone. DRM automatically sucks, but having to be online at all times is like having to confirm your account number every time you change the channel on your TV.
  10. ZoltyKot
    Mar 10, 2013
    1
    Piece of crap. I just lost my 5h city and since then i can't even login into that damned thing. Last night i managed to play for entire of 15min before it disconnected me from server. WASTED MONEY don't buy it!. Fok you EA!
  11. peterplane80
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    Drm, internet connection, small map but mainly a buggy game and the worst support i 've ever seen since battlefield 3... Thanks Ea Last game i bought on origin or EAgame...
  12. tartarus1312
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    First of all, there is the always-on DRM. EA tried to lie about this by saying the server connection was essential to running the game because a lot of calculations were made on the server. Turns out, that's not the case, as proven by a modder: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/modder-proves-simcity-can-run-offline-indefinitely-20130314/. So the server connection is just for theirFirst of all, there is the always-on DRM. EA tried to lie about this by saying the server connection was essential to running the game because a lot of calculations were made on the server. Turns out, that's not the case, as proven by a modder: http://www.geek.com/articles/games/modder-proves-simcity-can-run-offline-indefinitely-20130314/. So the server connection is just for their ridiculous DRM.

    Second, the game itself is not even good. The AI is dumber than Simcity 4 from 10 years ago. The pathfinding is especially horrible. Vehicles and Sims take completely insensible paths to reach their destinations. This leads to traffic jams all the time which shouldn't exist. School buses run empty but don't pick up children because they are full. Emergency vehicles get stuck in traffic, and also drive past their destination because they're on the wrong side of the road. These are just specific examples of how the game's AI is terrible.

    Thirdly, thanks to EA hating single-player games, and trying to make this an always-on multiplayer game, the amount of space you have to build your city is pathetic. It looks more like SimVille: The Facebook Game than a respectable PC game. I was looking for a modern, updated version of Simcity 2000 and Simcity 4. With today's graphics and CPU power, we could have built sprawling metropolises with stunning graphics. Instead, we have this pile of rubbish.

    I think it is time for gamers to simply boycott EA as a whole. Battlefield 4 is coming out? It's just a game, you can do without it.

    Don't buy EA games. whether created or published by them. Period.    … Expand
  13. 1Khronos
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    This game is truly pathetic and has caused me more grief than actual enjoyment. Not only was it released on the 7th of March for me which is 2 days after the "official" release date, but playing the game has been far from an enjoyable experience.

    For the first week, I couldn't even logon to the game due to EA's servers being inundated with traffic. When I finally could, I realised how    This game is truly pathetic and has caused me more grief than actual enjoyment. Not only was it released on the 7th of March for me which is 2 days after the "official" release date, but playing the game has been far from an enjoyable experience.

    For the first week, I couldn't even logon to the game due to EA's servers being inundated with traffic. When I finally could, I realised how poor the actual gameplay was. Most notably, you're given a tiny map to work with which is a fraction the size it was in Simcity 4 and leaves you very limited options to expand your city.

    To top it all off, one and a half weeks after the game was finally activated on my account, Origin asked me to "re-activate" Simcity and asked for a product key. When I tried entering the product key I paid for, Origin advised me that the code has already been used. When I contacted Electronic Arts, I was told there was nothing they could do.

    This game truly deserves a 1 star rating due to its lack of features and extremely poor handling of its release by Electronic Arts.    … Expand
  14. consiefe
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    Broken mechanics such as no need to make any Industrial zones especially and no need for commercials also are unacceptable. There is no meaningful corelation between zones or agents. This game is painting zones with no purpose! Besides all agents are moving mindlessly, creating chaos. ie While there is an avenue goes to point A and a dirt road, they choose dirt one for being a bit shorterBroken mechanics such as no need to make any Industrial zones especially and no need for commercials also are unacceptable. There is no meaningful corelation between zones or agents. This game is painting zones with no purpose! Besides all agents are moving mindlessly, creating chaos. ie While there is an avenue goes to point A and a dirt road, they choose dirt one for being a bit shorter then avenue although traffic is hell on that. Firetrucks respond all together to the same fire while your city is on the fire. List goes on and on. God bless us! That's not even a game.

    Stay away, because i don't think developers will accept their fault and fix these problems.    … Expand
  15. Big_Nookie
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Huge step back from Simcity 4. Restrictive DRM and online only. Buggy and dumbed down from previous games. Maxis and EA lie about online requirements and "computations" being done by their servers. I will never pre order a EA or Maxis game again. I feel cheated and tooken advantage of. Graphics are nice but I've gone back to Simcity 4. More fun and mod supported, the way PC gamingHuge step back from Simcity 4. Restrictive DRM and online only. Buggy and dumbed down from previous games. Maxis and EA lie about online requirements and "computations" being done by their servers. I will never pre order a EA or Maxis game again. I feel cheated and tooken advantage of. Graphics are nice but I've gone back to Simcity 4. More fun and mod supported, the way PC gaming was meant to be.… Expand
  16. Plantface
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Weeks after its release and after 'everything returning to normal' according to EA the game is still plagued by connection issues.

    After having spent a lot of hours into several cities on different servers, all my cities got deleted when randomly getting a 'city could not be processed properly' and doing a failed roll back to the last known normal state. Not worth the money, not worth a    Weeks after its release and after 'everything returning to normal' according to EA the game is still plagued by connection issues.

    After having spent a lot of hours into several cities on different servers, all my cities got deleted when randomly getting a 'city could not be processed properly' and doing a failed roll back to the last known normal state. Not worth the money, not worth a in-depth review.    … Expand
  17. krunchysock
    Mar 19, 2013
    0
    I am completely ignoring the DRM issue. My issue is with both Size, and complexity you have neither in this game. Even when you expect to have at least one or the other. Please do not support this product. Give it about 6 months.. and MAYBE they will have it patched enough to be somewhat fun. I honestly can't beleive i pre ordered this game.
  18. Ahazy
    Mar 21, 2013
    0
    This is a very poor attempt at a simcity game. Not only can this game not be played offline, but it's riddled with bugs, design errors, and nazi style DRM. It looks like EA managed to destroy SimCity too, but I'm sure they will fix it with overpriced DLC. Count on it.
  19. staino
    Mar 21, 2013
    1
    Gave up. Hours of time wasted when I was booted and lost my game as it didnt save. Started a new game and was booted again after 2 hours with a "Simcity save corruption" error. EA refused a refund, instead told me to call a 1902 number which is charged at $2.50 per minute. I went to the bank and got my money back. Game was released 6 to 12 months too early.
  20. JohnWayne
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA over it's fans and destroys another franchise. Why they didn't just publish this to Facebook instead of through Origin is the question. If you're a fan of DRM, empty games that you need DLC to make even remotely interesting, and having your game become unplayable whenever EA decides, I can highly reccomend this game to you.
  21. Powerkeeper
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Like I usually do with any extremely hyped game, I didn't sweat not jumping in on launch day. Usually waiting a day or two after means I miss the stress of launch issues (server downtime, game breaking bugs, etc). However, this time it looks like even waiting until the evening on the second day after launch isn't sufficient to shield me from EA's failure. After loading from the disc andLike I usually do with any extremely hyped game, I didn't sweat not jumping in on launch day. Usually waiting a day or two after means I miss the stress of launch issues (server downtime, game breaking bugs, etc). However, this time it looks like even waiting until the evening on the second day after launch isn't sufficient to shield me from EA's failure. After loading from the disc and waiting for the super slow Origin updater (no matter what anyone tells you, getting roughly 14K down on any modern high speed connection is not your fault but the server sending you files) I finally was able to launch the game.

    Boy was I surprised when I was greeted with yet another patch, independent of the Origin one. So the EA controlled content delivery system cannot completely patch the game tied to it? I have to launch the game and use another proprietary updater? Once again I had to wait out a slow update speed, this time without even the benefit of knowing just how slow it was going. But whatever, it will only happen once....hopefully.

    Once I completed that patch, I was finally greeted with the server selection screen. I can play!

    NOPE! Unable to connect to the SimCity Servers. Please try again. I click Okay and a server is selected for me. I click the play button expecting to get in and start Mayoring it up. I watch the intro showing me all the cool things I will soon be building. The intro finishes and I eagerly click to select my region etc.

    NOPE! Server not available. Even though it specifically said it was. So now I have a screen without a functioning button except settings and quit.

    So at this point, I have spent $60 and some change to close the game, plop their software on my computer and wait for the incompetents at EA to get off their lazy butts and fix what should have been a known quantity.

    If you are going to force persistent online authentication, at least plan for multiple redundancy and overflow. Don't have a few small servers and then act surprised when they are overflowing in a few short minutes. That might have flown 10-15 years ago, but in this day and age it is totally unacceptable for a publishing studio to demonstrate this atrocious lack of planning/

    To top it off, if you insist on acting like this was an unexpected event at least have the courtesy to maintain good communication with your customers. At the end of the day, they are the ones who are paying for this useless piece of garbage and if handled properly, may just stay once things settle down. If you do as EA is currently and release sporadic and uninformative propaganda instead, you are only pushing your already dissatisfied customers closer to abandoning the game before it even gets off the ground. To condense since most people don't have the attention span to read for very long here it is:

    Don't pretend this wasn't a foregone conclusion with the lack of preload, limited beta that didn't test anything and a gross underestimate of the hardware needed to support the game.

    As bad as it sounds, throw some of that money you have stashed in the back at the problem! Add hardware, add connections, whatever needs to be done to remedy the situation. After the explosion is not the time to worry about how much bandages might cost. Fix the problem and then figure out money later.

    Provide honest and consistent updates to your player base. Don't lie about what is and isn't being done, don't act like everything is working fine when your entire playerbase is telling you otherwise. The server are not online, no one can play. Constant updates until things are working again should be priority #2, right behind the actual problem resolution. Every 30 minutes to an hour until it's fixed. Not that hard, take a page from other companies.    … Expand
  22. Icewind31
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    People say that you can't review a game if you haven't played it... but being able to play is an absolute criteria to be able to review. Even the tutorial doesn't work. Would I be wrong to give a car a bad review because it doesn't start? You should be allowed to create regions locally and have your own pc keep track of single player regions. Doing that alone would reduce a great deal ofPeople say that you can't review a game if you haven't played it... but being able to play is an absolute criteria to be able to review. Even the tutorial doesn't work. Would I be wrong to give a car a bad review because it doesn't start? You should be allowed to create regions locally and have your own pc keep track of single player regions. Doing that alone would reduce a great deal of load on the servers, not everyone is looking to create a region with 10 other people.… Expand
  23. herpderp316
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA paid "critics" who played the largely empty press beta? Check. EA apologists trolling? Check. Another online only required game falling flat on launch? Check. $60 wasted on a game that I can't play cause I thought EA would get it right after the epic failure the Diablo 3 launch was? Check.
  24. Gotekta
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I have to agree with most of the people here. The game is huge letdown.
    The always-online DRM is horrible, you have to wait in line to play your game, you can't save your cities to try different things, and worst of all, you can't build a big city because the devs decided that a microscopic map was all we needed.
    If this is the future of gaming, the whole industry is going to plunge into    I have to agree with most of the people here. The game is huge letdown.
    The always-online DRM is horrible, you have to wait in line to play your game, you can't save your cities to try different things, and worst of all, you can't build a big city because the devs decided that a microscopic map was all we needed.
    If this is the future of gaming, the whole industry is going to plunge into oblivion.    … Expand
  25. Bigodon
    Mar 5, 2013
    2
    Ea, f*** everything, you know the REAL reason about cities are small? Its simple... They will CHARGE YOU in microtransactions for terrain expand, if you want a bigger terrain, you will have to buy it, per section. Why this game doesn't support mods? Because they will launch a bunch of DLCs for you tune up your experience. Also i cant forget the god damn DMR, and for the fun sake, this is aEa, f*** everything, you know the REAL reason about cities are small? Its simple... They will CHARGE YOU in microtransactions for terrain expand, if you want a bigger terrain, you will have to buy it, per section. Why this game doesn't support mods? Because they will launch a bunch of DLCs for you tune up your experience. Also i cant forget the god damn DMR, and for the fun sake, this is a pain in our asses! And about the stupid queue to connect in server and finally start play the game? I bought this and COULD NOT PLAY due the server difficulties.

    JUST ANOTHER GAME EA SCREWED    … Expand
  26. Raptor007
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Sadly, I actually bought this game. It's unplayable. The servers are too busy, and they make you wait an insulting 30 minutes between retries. If you do make it into a server, you'll have to keep playing on that one or lose all your progress. If you haven't bought it yet, don't.
  27. Bisonman80
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I made the effort to create an account just to express how terrible it is that we actually have to boycott what looks like a fun game developed by Maxis simply because EA is making worse and worse decisions every year when it comes to DRM. This could be a great game but we in the community have been forced by EA to think about the fact that buying this game is supporting a direction inI made the effort to create an account just to express how terrible it is that we actually have to boycott what looks like a fun game developed by Maxis simply because EA is making worse and worse decisions every year when it comes to DRM. This could be a great game but we in the community have been forced by EA to think about the fact that buying this game is supporting a direction in anti-piracy that absolutely harms the paying customer.

    As gamers, we have to put a stop to this Paying customers are getting screwed over by companies like EA in an attempt to curb piracy, but it's not working, and EA executives refuse to accept this reality. Instead, they continue to wrap the games their developers create with terrible, often-times game-breaking DRM (as many owners of this game have already reported), with absolutely no concern for their actual customers and what they want. As of this moment I am so appalled by how far EA is willing to go to fight piracy, that I'm leaning towards never buying another EA game until they show some kind of wisdom and understanding of the reality of gaming as it is today. Piracy exists and it will always exist. The one thing that will never change is that good games that treat it's customers with respect will sell and make the producers a lot of money. This is what EA needs to do, stop fiddling with game-breaking DRM and just produce the games that we want to buy and play. EA, over the last decade or so you've shown us customers decreasing amounts of respect and faith, so you no longer deserve ours.    … Expand
  28. Weiseth
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    Being Simcity the original fan, simcity 2000, simcity 4 fan this game sucks. It takes everything that was good with simcity, makes it smaller, more simple, easier to master and more stupid. The graphics looks horrible and there is no immersion or feel that you are actually controlling a city.

    This is a feebleminded game.
  29. dexter1983
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I may be going out on a limb, but I think most people play Simcity to build a huge, populated city.. Limiting everyone to a 2x2km map has to be the most ass backwards idea ever imagined. Forcing me to go online to play a single player game tops it all off... Can someone else take over the franchise?
  30. Speaker-o-truth
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    To everybody that is criticizing people for giving bad reviews of this game maybe you are the ones way too "understanding" of EA. It is one thing for a game to be required to be online, yes fine. You have to be online at all points. Wonderful. No problem.

    Where the problem comes in? The problem comes in when the fact you can't even PLAY the game because of this online server even if    To everybody that is criticizing people for giving bad reviews of this game maybe you are the ones way too "understanding" of EA. It is one thing for a game to be required to be online, yes fine. You have to be online at all points. Wonderful. No problem.

    Where the problem comes in? The problem comes in when the fact you can't even PLAY the game because of this online server even if you are intending to play SINGLE PLAYER. I understand they are trying to take measures against piracy but seriously, this is the wrong way to do so.

    You should not be charging people full retail price of a game so they can sit there and be told that "oh hey the servers are full, we took your money so it's okay but as soon as some server space frees up you can gladly enjoy the single player experience."

    Absolutely pathetic on EA's behalf and they should be ashamed of this launch. I'm giving this game a 0. Why? Because I was in queue for 4 hours and still have NO IDEA WHAT THE GAMEPLAY IS LIKE. I didn't pay money to be thrown into a queue.    … Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

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