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
  31. Boombastix
    Mar 19, 2013
    2
    Always on connection and server problems are bad but they'll be fixed. The worst thing about the game, and something that not many people have even acknowledged is the map size: it's stupidly small!! I had pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to within a few hours and filled every square inch of land. And no, it's called 'Simcity', not 'Simcities' so I don't want to have to make aAlways on connection and server problems are bad but they'll be fixed. The worst thing about the game, and something that not many people have even acknowledged is the map size: it's stupidly small!! I had pretty much accomplished everything I wanted to within a few hours and filled every square inch of land. And no, it's called 'Simcity', not 'Simcities' so I don't want to have to make a whole lot of small crappy cities and have them 'interconnected'. They just had to make a slightly updated and better version of Simcity 4 and they would of made millions of people happy, and millions of dollars. Why reboot what's not broken??… Expand
  32. trickstyle11
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    EA spent a great amount of resources to convince a loyal fanbase always online will not be a problem, and then hyped up a release while promising the servers will handle launch load. Then you completely fail to deliver, and have prevented the vast majority of your players who just want a single player experience from even playing. That is false advertising, and you failed to deliver theEA spent a great amount of resources to convince a loyal fanbase always online will not be a problem, and then hyped up a release while promising the servers will handle launch load. Then you completely fail to deliver, and have prevented the vast majority of your players who just want a single player experience from even playing. That is false advertising, and you failed to deliver the product we paid for.… Expand
  33. napalm
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    A huge disappointment. They ripped the heart out of a once beloved game series and created a shallow shell with not substance, simulation, challenge, depth or size. It looks pretty, but outside of that the game is no longer simcity
  34. Agarwel
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    It is sad, but if I would spend my 80eur on empty DVD box from Tesco, I would received more content :-/
    Simcity so far took my money, time (googling for status updates) and provided no content at all.
  35. esocid
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Waited an hour and a half to get into the game. Played for a good 20 minutes until the game crashed. Guess what? I had to wait even longer to get back into the game.

    Pros: My computer didn't come to life and kill me.
    Cons: My computer didn't come to life and put me out of my misery while waiting.
  36. Rnadmo
    Mar 7, 2013
    3
    SimCity is an amazing game. There's hours worth of challenges just getting the game installed and operating at a base level, then then later trying to get it to connect. Once you can actually get a region started, you might be able to actually start a city. Once you do start a city, the ACTUAL amazing game starts. And it is really good. Deserving of the name and the franchise. Until youSimCity is an amazing game. There's hours worth of challenges just getting the game installed and operating at a base level, then then later trying to get it to connect. Once you can actually get a region started, you might be able to actually start a city. Once you do start a city, the ACTUAL amazing game starts. And it is really good. Deserving of the name and the franchise. Until you try and save the game that is, which is when you'll notice that there is no manual save option. You have to trust that the game has managed to save your progress. Which is fine except it usually doesn't save anything. Anyway, this game doesn't work, don't buy it right now. Once it does actually work though, it's a great game.… Expand
  37. peascotch
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Another beloved franchise from my childhood spoiled by corporate greed. Draconian DRM, small city sizes, no ability to create your own terrain or even choose where you build your city. This is not SimCity. I should have listened to the other user reviews but I wanted to believe MAXIS would not defecate all over my heart.
  38. Kaehl0311
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I was excited about this game.... until I bought it and tried to actually play over the last few days. Simply awful. I've been continually booted from the server and I've lost cities because of this stupid DRM crap. "Always Online" is the worst thing that ever happened to SimCity. I want a refund.
  39. Alkanine
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    No mitigation strategies for downloads (Preloading).

    Severe disregard for possible server needs. Horrible customer service. Releasing in Europe when most United States players are using those servers just to play already. If you are going to release a game that is online only, you better damn well be ready to support the thousands or millions of sales that you expect. This    No mitigation strategies for downloads (Preloading).

    Severe disregard for possible server needs.

    Horrible customer service.

    Releasing in Europe when most United States players are using those servers just to play already.

    If you are going to release a game that is online only, you better damn well be ready to support the thousands or millions of sales that you expect. This criticism is only important because there is absolutely no way to play the game without their server infrastructure. Denial of service to their own customers. No excuses.

    As for the game its self.

    Extremely small city size. I managed a fully grown city with great income/traffic/population in just under 5 hours. Almost funding a archology all on my own. This of course, before the servers crashed.

    It's not very challenging, too small, and quite frankly, a step backwards from Sim City4.

    Emergency services are now a part of your traffic, but the AI can't determine their importance. They stop at lights, traffic does not let them by. A criminal can hold up traffic which holds up the police that are trying to catch him. Not very intuitive.

    It has its moments, I'll give it that, but it is truly a disaster. I assume there will be fixes to many of these things in the future, but wouldn't be half surprised if EA mandated them as DLC costs to the consumer.

    Overall, extremely despairing. It deserves nothing more than a 0. Any merits the game had are lost in horrid customer service and flaws that 10 years of development couldn't possibly miss.    … Expand
  40. bukhrin
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Can't even claim a city to play. And I was dumb enough to buy the Collector's Edition version. Why can't they just disable the servers authentication for sandbox games. Oh EA you moron.
  41. LoneDutyer
    Jun 9, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM that can be disabled by deleting one line of code, terrible programming, unplayable at launch, lies and lies and lies, absolutely disgusting example of why EA is the worst thing to ever happen to gaming.
  42. ubermeta
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I think this game is made for the perfect submissive consumer, i.e. a brain in suspended in a vat that receives pleasure only from giving money away for virtual experiences.
  43. Cwilson336
    Mar 7, 2013
    2
    I realize that most negative reviews posted here have been regarding the DRM and always online requirement. While I'll agree that has been a major nuisance and limitation to the game, there's more absent from this game than just the simple inability to play when one chooses (a major flaw in its own right).

    First, the game has a very limiting feel to it. I've played SimCity since version    I realize that most negative reviews posted here have been regarding the DRM and always online requirement. While I'll agree that has been a major nuisance and limitation to the game, there's more absent from this game than just the simple inability to play when one chooses (a major flaw in its own right).

    First, the game has a very limiting feel to it. I've played SimCity since version 1.0 in the early nineties and not since that version have I felt so boxed in. The city size, the method for which zones are laid down, the size and scale of certain city facilities. There seems to be no organic aspect to this game, and it brings back memories of the Societies debacle from a few years ago. From SC4, I could build a network of major roads and then spray a large residential zone within a major road loop and all of the smaller streets would auto create (sometimes with a bit of frustration, but nonetheless). In the new SC, I spend most of my time redesigning road layouts to maximize the usage of my zones.

    Build your city your way is simply not the case. And while I don't want this to be a rant on the city size, it cannot be ignored. We've gone from small cities in SC1 to medium cities SC2000 to all-out metropolises in SC4. Part of the excitement and what has kept me occasionally going back to a 10 year old game in SC4 is the almost hobby nature associated with building and cultivating a large, mega city with all of the intricacies, challenges, and endless opportunities for uniqueness. The new Simcity completely fails in this regard as the new city size feels almost claustrophobic. It would be one thing if the region seemed more connected, but instead it feels like you're building a vacuum that has some distant connection to a far away land. You have almost zero control on designing the connection between one neighboring city to another, that's already been done for you.

    The online integration of this game has created unending frustration. No ability to locally save is the big negative for me. I recognize the desire for a server connection for DRM or other reasons, but not allowing me to save my game locally just opens up EA to constant complaints about lost game saves, etc. This is extremely frustrating (as I've already lost 3 cities to the apparent server outage of 3/6).

    I've often explained Simcity to non Simcity players as the modern version of collecting model trains. It is not really a computer game, but more of digital hobby machine. A place where creativity and design can be tested in real-world with mathematics and simulation. This new Simcity completely misses that mark. While its pretty, it fails as the open creative world so well mastered in its last true previous iteration. Furthermore, the simulation engine appears to fail at creating an accurate sim environment.    … Expand
  44. Suicidemoon
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Unlocked at an unknown time so i could BUY A NON PREORDER COPY AND PLAY RIGHT AWAY! This game is NOT online DRM for Cloud saving and servers helping your PC run the game! This is ONLINE ONLY for the milking of DLC and a CASHSHOP for drip feeding you buildings that SHOULD BE IN THE GAME. Just like the DAY ONE DLC for 80 dollars. 2 Days after launch and still problems playing a game i PAIDUnlocked at an unknown time so i could BUY A NON PREORDER COPY AND PLAY RIGHT AWAY! This game is NOT online DRM for Cloud saving and servers helping your PC run the game! This is ONLINE ONLY for the milking of DLC and a CASHSHOP for drip feeding you buildings that SHOULD BE IN THE GAME. Just like the DAY ONE DLC for 80 dollars. 2 Days after launch and still problems playing a game i PAID FOR. AMAZON even took it off their site till EA GETS THEIR together. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME UNTIL ORIGIN AND ONLINE ONLY IS REMOVED!!!!… Expand
  45. djvampyre
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    So I can't just build a sprawling metropolis now I have to build in these little white boxes then start over when I run out of room because I need to have my little cities cooperate with one another in order to get by??? What is this are you serious with this!? Is this some lame way to force me to play with other peoples cities online? What if I don't want to? THen you are justSo I can't just build a sprawling metropolis now I have to build in these little white boxes then start over when I run out of room because I need to have my little cities cooperate with one another in order to get by??? What is this are you serious with this!? Is this some lame way to force me to play with other peoples cities online? What if I don't want to? THen you are just artificially limiting me after I have given you my money already. I call BS on this game.

    Sad to see a once noble franchise reduced to smuldering rubble like Diablo. Yet another game ruined by online only DRM. How many more of these do we need? Toss it on the fire with the rest I guess. *sigh*    … Expand
  46. XitArS
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Yesterday I was able to connect to the servers, but I was unable to play a game. Apparently there was some global issues with the tutorial not working (you have to play the tutorial before you can play the actual game). Well, I thought that problems can always happen so let's just wait until tomorrow, read today. And now, ALL servers are FULL so I am unable to even launch the game :D. WhatYesterday I was able to connect to the servers, but I was unable to play a game. Apparently there was some global issues with the tutorial not working (you have to play the tutorial before you can play the actual game). Well, I thought that problems can always happen so let's just wait until tomorrow, read today. And now, ALL servers are FULL so I am unable to even launch the game :D. What a joke, I spent €60 on a game that I can't even play becuse their mandatory online servers (for a single-player game) are full :D. It's hilarious. Never EVER AGAIN will I buy anything from MAXIS!… Expand
  47. xaxxos
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I've had it since midnight launch day (3 days now) and STILL have yet to be able to play multiplayer. No big deal, I'll just play single player. Wait I can't because the servers are down, full or being 'patched'. What a POS. I paid full price for an awesomely-reviewed game and, instead, have to settle for the intro music. I've never been more disappointed in a game.
  48. setco
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    A $60 reminder (the hard way) of why I pledged long ago not to buy games requiring online access. "Time Played 10 Hours" really means "Time Spent TRYING to Play 10 hours and Time Spent Regretting this Purchase and Investigating My Local Store's Return Policy 2 Days."

    What little of the game I have seen (a simplified, watered-down simcity) actually had me longing for the bugfest that    A $60 reminder (the hard way) of why I pledged long ago not to buy games requiring online access. "Time Played 10 Hours" really means "Time Spent TRYING to Play 10 hours and Time Spent Regretting this Purchase and Investigating My Local Store's Return Policy 2 Days."

    What little of the game I have seen (a simplified, watered-down simcity) actually had me longing for the bugfest that was SC4. FAIL    … Expand
  49. Antonius
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I love SimCity. I still have the original box from the first SimCity 24 years ago. Sadly, EA/Origin REALLY screwed the launch of this game up. I was actually looking forward to the online component of the game being able to build cities and share resources with my buddies was actually fun in the Beta. I have managed to log a total of ONE HOUR of game time since the release on Tuesday.I love SimCity. I still have the original box from the first SimCity 24 years ago. Sadly, EA/Origin REALLY screwed the launch of this game up. I was actually looking forward to the online component of the game being able to build cities and share resources with my buddies was actually fun in the Beta. I have managed to log a total of ONE HOUR of game time since the release on Tuesday. This is a SINGLE PLAYER GAME. I am honestly SHOCKED at how things have turned out since the launch date. Luckily, I have Tomb Raider.… Expand
  50. Joel8
    Mar 7, 2013
    4
    I'll start by saying that it is a fun game except for the 20 or so problems that I have PERSONALLY experienced. We'll start with server troubles: My friend and I were trying to play with each other. P1: I couldn't get on any server on my continent so I had to switch, and when she switched she couldn't find me. P2: We went to a different server which forced us to do the tutorial again,I'll start by saying that it is a fun game except for the 20 or so problems that I have PERSONALLY experienced. We'll start with server troubles: My friend and I were trying to play with each other. P1: I couldn't get on any server on my continent so I had to switch, and when she switched she couldn't find me. P2: We went to a different server which forced us to do the tutorial again, but on this server the tutorial was broken and wouldn't progress at all. P3: On this server and on others the 'find friends' UI element was just missing entirely. After about an hour and a half, we finally found eachother on a european server and started playing together. There is more but I want to get to the in game stuff too.

    In game troubles: P4: Crashes, occasional crashes, or cities that load forever until you reset the game. P5: Cities that you claim once, but if you go to region view and try to get back the 'wrong' way tries to make you claim them again. P6: Absolutely terrible concurrency. I gifted 50k simoleons to a neighbor but it didn't show up for 2 hours (but immediately came out of my account). P7: Confusing or broken sharing of power, water, etc. I have a city producing an extra 200MW of power and another starts buying power, but it says it is buying 13MW of available 40MW, and still has a deficit of another 20MW. Why not just get more power??? P8: Firetrucks and buses that are REALLY stupid: If there are multiple fires, all buses go to one fire and let every other place burn. Almost all buses go to one stop, then the next bus stop, etc. I had a line of about 15 buses once. P9: Cities failing to 'process' meaning you can choose to destroy and restart or let the server try to 'process' it to possibly fix it for... at least 12 hours, maybe more, maybe forever? P10: Firetrucks sometimes don't even leave the fire station when there are fires. No explanation... P11: Recyclying centers that just stop recycling. There is recyclable material, storage space to do it, but it just doesn't do any work. P12: I have a surplus of water, but multiple buildings have no water??? P13: Again, concurrency between cities: Some cities that have just appeared don't even show up on the region view, for maybe an hour or more. I want to play with my friends in real time, not waiting for updates like this.

    Anyway, I could go on, but I'm on lunch break so I should wrap this up, but it seems like it COULD be a fun game. I haven't had any trouble with my own network, which I was actually expecting, I only have mild reservations against always-on DRM. But this thing is broken. Avoid it for at least a month I would say.

    The problem is I really want to enjoy it, and I do have fun between the times that I get really frustrated that this thing is released in this terrible state.    … Expand
  51. SuperBeefChief
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Complete trash. I have no idea if the game is any good as I can't access anything. Makes a really pretty screen saver for $70. EA, this is a pathetic and ridiculous situation you've gotten yourself in and there are no excuses. If you guys didn't anticipate high traffic for this game then you're idiots. Anyone making excuses for these morons should not be giving them a pass that easy.Complete trash. I have no idea if the game is any good as I can't access anything. Makes a really pretty screen saver for $70. EA, this is a pathetic and ridiculous situation you've gotten yourself in and there are no excuses. If you guys didn't anticipate high traffic for this game then you're idiots. Anyone making excuses for these morons should not be giving them a pass that easy. Their product is busted and they did it to themselves (and us) for making it on-line only. I didn't pay to be a beta tester, I paid for a working product.… Expand
  52. charmew
    Mar 7, 2013
    4
    I was able to play for a few hours yesterday, and what I can say is that the visual aspect of the game and the interface are very well done. It's simple and efficient, you don't need much explainations to know what's going on thanks to the very well designed UI. As for the graphical design itself, the buildings and vehicles look very toyish, I personnaly didn't mind but that didn't feelI was able to play for a few hours yesterday, and what I can say is that the visual aspect of the game and the interface are very well done. It's simple and efficient, you don't need much explainations to know what's going on thanks to the very well designed UI. As for the graphical design itself, the buildings and vehicles look very toyish, I personnaly didn't mind but that didn't feel real.
    In terms of gameplay, well it's really like the other sim cities. I don't understand the "reboot" of SimCity since not much has changed in terms of gameplay, except it became much, much more simple. Indeed, while you may have some negative cash income for a few minutes when you're building stuff, you'll get back on your feet in no time thanks to loans and no-cost RCI zones. Pop houses, raise taxes, people keep coming anyway. Wonderful. This makes the game very sandbox-style, but not for long. Indeed, cities size are very small and you won't spend more than 5 hours to fill completely a city, and another 5-10 hours to upgrade it to its full extent.

    The worst part, though, is how the game is designed to be played: you'll need a permanent connection to internet if you want to play. Yes, SimCity intends to behave like a MMO... for a solo experience (well, you can play with other people too, but you'll still build your own city in the end regardless of what's being built in your neighboors cities). And what a shame this is. As of today, the game is not playable because of servers issues since several hours.
    This raises the question of what will happen, in five years (or less), when EA decides to close the servers. After 10 years of sc4, I sometimes find myself reinstalling the game and play it a little. Obviously this won't be doable with SimCity if the servers are shut down, the game just won't be accessible.
    Add all of those troubles to the fact that you could already buy DLC before the game was launched, and you got the gist of it.    … Expand
  53. trimitri
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    Map is wayyy too small. This game is only game's marketing that's all Price, dlc joke from EA and FORCED ONLINE DRM. What a waste for the franchise....
  54. ReparmanJacked
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I went through the process of registering an account here simply so I could give this game a 0. This game has been out since Tuesday morning. It's now noon Thursday, and I'm still unable to play it. After watching the Diablo III debacle almost a year ago, Maxis and EA had plenty of time to come up with a way for this not to happen. I have 0 issues with always on DRM if they areI went through the process of registering an account here simply so I could give this game a 0. This game has been out since Tuesday morning. It's now noon Thursday, and I'm still unable to play it. After watching the Diablo III debacle almost a year ago, Maxis and EA had plenty of time to come up with a way for this not to happen. I have 0 issues with always on DRM if they are thoughtfully implemented. Forcing me to be always online isn't a big deal, since I'm always online. The problem is that the company, and its servers aren't. This makes it so I can't play a single player game that I wanted to play. For this, they get a zero in my review, and zero dollars coming towards them in the future until they prove to me they as a company have a combined IQ above zero.… Expand
  55. rockmegax
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    What were they thinking?
    We tried to warn them to not do this "on-line only" but they refused to listen! Now they have a bunch of players who can't play the game because of connection issues. Never support this kind of DRM! It will just harm the consumer! They will shut down the servers in a few years and the players will be locked out.
    They should have made Sim City just like a normal    What were they thinking?
    We tried to warn them to not do this "on-line only" but they refused to listen! Now they have a bunch of players who can't play the game because of connection issues. Never support this kind of DRM! It will just harm the consumer! They will shut down the servers in a few years and the players will be locked out.
    They should have made Sim City just like a normal game, but with multiplayer capabilities. Remember Sim City 2000 Network Edition? I don't know if it had a good multiplayer (I played the normal 2000), but it's close to what I am trying to describe.
    Come on! What's up with the city size? Why is it so small? Where are the huge cities from SC4? I was playing another city simulator game today and realized that the city I spent 30 minutes building already reached the same size as Sim City's.
    Good work EA! You guys destroyed many franchises I loved (C&C, Sim City, SWTOR, DA).
    I am giving this game a 1 because the "Sim Villages" looks cute from very far away.    … Expand
  56. vapiarius
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This game just not work.
    I have pay money to EA, and can't play because ALL servers are ALREDY busy.
    I want play solo, but this impossible.
    Tutorial not working to.
  57. cbam101
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    This is a good Game, IF you can play it. EVERY server is either down or dose not work. Maxis says that they are currently working on the problem and they said that is will be resolved by today but it isn't, Until they fix it don't waste your money.
  58. NilartPax
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I go and buy SimCity in a retail store... only to find out the only thing on the disk is actually something called "Origins", which apparently some kind of crappy steam wannabe. THE GAME IS NOT ON THE DISK! I have to download something like 13-14 GB of data, which is the actual game! YOU THINK THIS IS OKAY! DO YOU REALLY! NO WHERE ON THE BOX DOES IT SAY "GAME NOT INCLUDED: MUST BEI go and buy SimCity in a retail store... only to find out the only thing on the disk is actually something called "Origins", which apparently some kind of crappy steam wannabe. THE GAME IS NOT ON THE DISK! I have to download something like 13-14 GB of data, which is the actual game! YOU THINK THIS IS OKAY! DO YOU REALLY! NO WHERE ON THE BOX DOES IT SAY "GAME NOT INCLUDED: MUST BE DOWNLOADED. THIS IS JUST A GAME CLIENT HIDDEN IN THIS BOX."

    After I wait the 4-ish hours it takes to download (clearly not using torrent-type installer... download way lower than max speeds for my connection). the game servers are full... unable to play.

    last night at about midnight MST I was able to play... for about an hour. The game itself was... okay. Cities are smaller than even the original simcity. the game is fun... but not the "deepest simcity" it was touted as.

    Then "Unable to sync with server". I have a feeling that my city didn't get saved on the so-called cloud servers though this morning I was unable to log in to check.

    I filed a complaint with the BBB during lunch after again trying to log in and being unable to.    … Expand
  59. Neves_Meid
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought this game against my better judgment, and my better judgment proved right. DRM is very, very bad unless it's done right and stable, like good MMOs do, but EA is not up to the task of maintaining a cloud-based game, apparently. I can put up with DRM, but not broken DRM. Anyway, after getting about 10 hours of gameplay about 80% of which was lost to rollbacks, crashes, andBought this game against my better judgment, and my better judgment proved right. DRM is very, very bad unless it's done right and stable, like good MMOs do, but EA is not up to the task of maintaining a cloud-based game, apparently. I can put up with DRM, but not broken DRM. Anyway, after getting about 10 hours of gameplay about 80% of which was lost to rollbacks, crashes, and disconnects, I decided I no longer wanted to play SimCity, that it was not worth the 60 bucks. I called GameStop customer support to check the return policy and the customer support person basically said I was SOL, and that they'd told me that the last time I called... I only called once, and hearing this messed-up Jedi-mind-trick tactic from GameStop Support, to try and insinuate that I was some kind of repeat caller who couldn't take no for an answer...WTF? Was this a $60 ticket to The Twilight Zone? Anyway, I told the fail Jedi customer service rep that I was okay with keeping the useless game disk, they could keep my $60, and I would keep the rest of my money because I would never shop at GameStop or buy another EA product again! On a side note, I thought people giving low reviews to this release were being heavy-handed, but NOW I KNOW WHY! CAVEAT EMPTOR!… Expand
  60. freezer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Game is unplayable. Paid 80 Euro for this crap titlecannot play at all.

    Server Busy.
    Server Disconnect
    Could not log in to SimCity due to a network error.
    Unable to connect to the SimCity servers. Please try again,
    When u do login cannot create game.
    Authenticating with servers and play button greyed out.

    It is Error 37 but then even worse
  61. glinkot
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I've managed to get into a proper freeform city I could interact with once so far, aside from the tute and 'time played' is reported as four hours. Four hours wasted, enduring 'updates', 'authentication attempts' and looking at a blank tutorial map where you can't click on anything. Making the servers so integral to a single player experience is clearly a move to benefit publishers byI've managed to get into a proper freeform city I could interact with once so far, aside from the tute and 'time played' is reported as four hours. Four hours wasted, enduring 'updates', 'authentication attempts' and looking at a blank tutorial map where you can't click on anything. Making the servers so integral to a single player experience is clearly a move to benefit publishers by reducing theft I get it. But that brings with it a trust element that sufficient infrastructure will be bought to support it. I paid $100 Aust for this, that's US$103. I'd think that would give them enough revenue to allocate server time for it to accept my connection

    The game itself looks ok, graphics are quite nice but textures become very fuzzy on zoom. I was told you could zoom to any sim and see what they are up to KIND OF, but of course normally they are in their houses and there seems to be no way to see what they are doing (or how many are inside) there. The severely restricted city size is worse than I'd thought. I think the specialisation idea has some merit, but if you want to specialise in oil for example, you must set your whole map up to maximise that benefit which leaves your overall layout suboptimal. Not ideal. I and others relished the 'constant expansion' you could achieve with the old simcity games, and that's gone now. It's zoomed in a level toward the 'sims' concept, which is one I never embraced. Things like openttd (the free transport tycoon project) are much more loved and have much more depth despite their lesser appearance.

    Wish I'd saved my $100. This stuff isn't hard if demand was an issue, they could have progressively allowed people onto the servers, or staggered each country's release date. They didn't do that and must accept these reviews which reflect peoples experience of what they've created.    … Expand
  62. groonis
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    BOUGHT GAME FOR 699 SWEDISH KRONA APROX $110) 24h ago.

    Havent been able to log in.
    Want my money back because: EA/MAXXIS dont give me any information or ETA when it should be fixxed.
  63. DrSheepbringer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Bought it. Haven't played a single second, but not from lack of trying. Seems like gaming world works on different laws. In any other world the sellers would have been arrested for scamming, but in gaming it seems to be we couldn't anticipate" is the free from jail card. Think what I say is a lie or to steep? Well think of this... EA isn't that small nor a newbie. They do know theirBought it. Haven't played a single second, but not from lack of trying. Seems like gaming world works on different laws. In any other world the sellers would have been arrested for scamming, but in gaming it seems to be we couldn't anticipate" is the free from jail card. Think what I say is a lie or to steep? Well think of this... EA isn't that small nor a newbie. They do know their stuff. Also...is this the FIRST simcity? No...is this the second one....no...third...no...you can see where this is going? There IS knowledge behind this so...has to be a scam.… Expand
  64. TheMadHatter
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Well.. We are now on Day 2 since the game came out and I've still not been able to play it. Today, finally I got a server busy message with a 20 minute wait time, after 20 minutes the game crashed and I was met with another 20 minute wait time. This is not the first EA online title to have trouble with their bs DRM system and it won't be the last. Stay away from this game and any otherWell.. We are now on Day 2 since the game came out and I've still not been able to play it. Today, finally I got a server busy message with a 20 minute wait time, after 20 minutes the game crashed and I was met with another 20 minute wait time. This is not the first EA online title to have trouble with their bs DRM system and it won't be the last. Stay away from this game and any other EA puts out until the stop jerking their players around.… Expand
  65. kbar33w
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    This is a revisal of my last review. I can now log into the servers but when I am playing the servers will have issues with my city and force me to roll back and undo an hours of work. Essentially I play for 3 hours then get sent back one. This is a highly annoying and glitchy problem. If I could just play this game on my computer alone and not use EA's servers almost all of the issues IThis is a revisal of my last review. I can now log into the servers but when I am playing the servers will have issues with my city and force me to roll back and undo an hours of work. Essentially I play for 3 hours then get sent back one. This is a highly annoying and glitchy problem. If I could just play this game on my computer alone and not use EA's servers almost all of the issues I have had and continue to have would not happen. TL;DR Maxis/EA needs to stop feeding out lines of PR BS and listen to their customers, this game is broken.… Expand
  66. Marvis
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    Still problems with having my cities lost... I can't believe that this long after the game has been released I am having issues just saving the damn game....
  67. Aethande
    Mar 8, 2013
    1
    The game is impossible to score without taking into account the miserable DRM (always connected to EA-servers, in so many words). Since the servers are totally overloaded, information about your single-player cities is lost and the game is barely even playable due to connection issues, server hiccups etc. There is no reason what so ever to buy this game at this time and I stronglyThe game is impossible to score without taking into account the miserable DRM (always connected to EA-servers, in so many words). Since the servers are totally overloaded, information about your single-player cities is lost and the game is barely even playable due to connection issues, server hiccups etc. There is no reason what so ever to buy this game at this time and I strongly recommend reading IGN:s continuing reporting on these and other Sim City related issues. Also I recommend buying the game physically rather than over Origin, due to EA:s EUA. Sim City (5) may well become a great game once all the server-issues are solved but until then it is not worth buying and I only wish I had more patience but here I am a few shorter with a non-functioning product.… Expand
  68. larzle
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I could look past the DRM and pointless online garbage if the basic game was intact. But this is beyond broken. Simcity as we know it has been raped.
  69. 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.
  70. 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
  71. gmorales
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    It's a good game, but EA deserves nothing. You know, it's just EA, and its always online connection DRM must NOT be tolerated in a single player experience. Never. Even if now they say that "it was thought as a multiplayer experience". Well NO. I want to play alone, I paid a lot for the game and I had a painful experience even when trying to finish the tutorial. May this serve as anIt's a good game, but EA deserves nothing. You know, it's just EA, and its always online connection DRM must NOT be tolerated in a single player experience. Never. Even if now they say that "it was thought as a multiplayer experience". Well NO. I want to play alone, I paid a lot for the game and I had a painful experience even when trying to finish the tutorial. May this serve as an example for other publishers and devs thinking in doing the same. Among others, Blizzard failed, Activision Failed, an now EA failed. Game is good, but publisher is not. Sorry Maxis, nothing personal.… Expand
  72. Briii
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    I preordered this game and was able to log in the day of its release with no server issues whatsoever. So I was actually able to play the game and discover: IT SUCKS. The issues in this game are so fundamental, ridiculous and crippling there is no excuse as to why it was released in this state. I was addicted to it at first, LOVED IT, played it for hours on end. I built a crappy city,I preordered this game and was able to log in the day of its release with no server issues whatsoever. So I was actually able to play the game and discover: IT SUCKS. The issues in this game are so fundamental, ridiculous and crippling there is no excuse as to why it was released in this state. I was addicted to it at first, LOVED IT, played it for hours on end. I built a crappy city, figured out the game, and started a new city. It flourished. Then it fell apart. I didn’t understand, at first…
    Nothing works. Here is how every aspect of the game does not work:
    City Service:
    I have three garbage dumps and maxed out garbage trucks in each one. And yet only 2/3rds of the trash in my city was being picked up. I followed a random truck to discover it only carried 0.1/5 tons back to the dump after driving past tons of buildings filled with trash, for no apparent reason. Several other trucks did the same thing.
    Crime was high in my city; to the point buildings were being abandoned. I built a police precinct and plopped ten patrol police cars. Only two go out on patrol every day. Though it still costs me over a thousand dollars an hour to pay for then ten cars, when only two are used. Never seen them use the helicopter either.
    As everyone else has said, fire trucks only respond to one fire at a time. Ten fire trucks at one fire, while the rest of your city burns down and a huge traffic jam is caused by those fire trucks.
    Resources:
    Then there was water. The water table does not replenish in this game. Simulation? In real life it rains. Fail. You have to make a sewage pipe and then a water treatment center next to it, to filter the dirty sewage water and reuse it in your city. However, the sewage pisses off everyone in your town, because you can no longer treat it and it smells. It doesn’t matter if the wind is blowing the opposite direction and your neighborhoods are on the other corner of the town, it still pisses them off. At least 5 buildings are abandoned EVERY SINGLE HOUR (one minute on fast speed) in my game, DUE TO SEWAGE!
    Trading doesn’t work with other regions.
    Civil Service:
    My town has every type of school there is. It has almost every department in the government. It has a hospital, an amazing public transportation system, a police precinct and the big fire station; as well as little ones to help cover the areas. When my city was doing well, I still made 5-6k an hour. When everyone abandoned it because of sewage and garbage not being picked up (thanks to the game’s issues, not me)I went into the red quick. I saw raising my taxes a couple percentages got me back in the green. I mean, my Sim’s are given ALL of the above FREE OF CHARGE, in return for only 9%? I think they could handle 12%. I mean I pay at least 30% in taxes, on top of paying for my own health care, public transport, college etc. Nope. Even more people abandoned due to “high taxes”. What a joke. If sims are so intolerant to taxes: Why even put that option in the game??
    End story:
    This game is a nightmare. It’s depressing to play. It goes well and you have fun; only to watch your city self-destruct to crippling bugs. If they tested this game for more than an hour, they never should have released it with these issues. I don't care if they "patch it" that could take months and I just doubt it could fix problems that are so fundamental and extreme. The area you build in is tiny and the game has been simplified to be LESS than the one they made ten years ago. All to make EA money (smaller amounts of data for their servers and people with crap computers can buy the game). Please don’t buy this game. As a wake up to the developers that they CAN NOT get away with this crap anymore.    … Expand
  73. Giuseppe
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    Get your money back, if local laws allow it. That is all I can recommend about this game. This game has been crippled by a bunch of corporate suits that couldn't care less about their customers.
  74. Gaumblet
    Mar 16, 2013
    4
    Against my better judgement, I finally caved in and purchased SimCity. I was quickly faced with server limitations, and had to settle for a server outside of my continent. After many hours of game play, I can clearly see a true gem in this SimCity entry, but it is very difficult to get past all of the bugs, lag and progress loss that commonly occurs do to this ludicrous always online DRMAgainst my better judgement, I finally caved in and purchased SimCity. I was quickly faced with server limitations, and had to settle for a server outside of my continent. After many hours of game play, I can clearly see a true gem in this SimCity entry, but it is very difficult to get past all of the bugs, lag and progress loss that commonly occurs do to this ludicrous always online DRM forced on paying customers.

    The City sizes are also disappointing, but the sheer depth of the simulation nearly makes up for it. It would be very much appreciated if larger lots were added to the game's regions, even if they were to come with a higher system requirements warning.

    I have had plenty of fun with the game so far, and I have to say the multiplayer feature can be very entertaining, but it should by no means be forced on us. SimCity was always a very single player centric game, and I think that still holds true for the vast majority of fans. If EA/Maxis patches the game to include a TRULY single player mode for those who don't wish to be bothered by the always online requirement, and all the annoyance it can bring, I would gladly give this game a much higher rating and recommend it to friends. Until then, I simply cannot...    … Expand
  75. DaveWave
    Mar 18, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I tried playing this for 40 hours but have given up. To enjoy the game you need to control more than one city. Switching between them takes ages and not possible if the servers are down. This problem will never be fixed.
    On top of all the bugs I've been promised a refund by an EA director.
    Use Google/facebook to find EA employee names then send emails like this for John Doe.
    johndoe@ea.com
    john.doe@ea.com
    jdoe@ea.com

    Good luck    … Expand
  76. RANDUMB
    Mar 20, 2013
    0
    If you create anything more dense than a small city suburb 3 things will happen. 1) Your streets will become completely congested with traffic. 2) You will use up about one half of the playable space of your city to provide water, sewage treatment and garbage disposal. 3) Once you have enough enough civil services (ie. police fire coverage) you will go bankrupt because you are using upIf you create anything more dense than a small city suburb 3 things will happen. 1) Your streets will become completely congested with traffic. 2) You will use up about one half of the playable space of your city to provide water, sewage treatment and garbage disposal. 3) Once you have enough enough civil services (ie. police fire coverage) you will go bankrupt because you are using up so much of the usable space for your city. This game should have been called 'SimSuburb' not 'SimCity'.… Expand
  77. Facet
    Mar 21, 2013
    2
    EA have done it again.. made a great promotion of the new simcity. make it all fine and shiny.. But what the hell is wrong with these people! This game is not anything near done. The game is pretty much broken. It have so huge great potential. but the the greed from EA just goes to new levels once again. They don't even understand the backfire they make on them self.
    For many years i    EA have done it again.. made a great promotion of the new simcity. make it all fine and shiny.. But what the hell is wrong with these people! This game is not anything near done. The game is pretty much broken. It have so huge great potential. but the the greed from EA just goes to new levels once again. They don't even understand the backfire they make on them self.
    For many years i haven't bought anything that have EA on the cover. i know how much crappy beta games they pop out. Just can't support it.. But i ended up falling for this simcity trap. Its so sad how great the fundamental of this game is. But just get completely broken by EA profit run..
    TO ALL... DON'T SUPPORT EA GAMES     … Expand
  78. Sphirex
    Mar 21, 2013
    1
    Let's put aside all those server issues and the personal opinions on online DRM, other critics and reviews already said enough about them. Nevertheless I still have to say this game is not worth buying yet. You can compare SimCity with any MMO(RPG)'s of your choice, the game starts awful in every aspect, a heap of major game bugs, graphical issues and lack of content. As matters now standLet's put aside all those server issues and the personal opinions on online DRM, other critics and reviews already said enough about them. Nevertheless I still have to say this game is not worth buying yet. You can compare SimCity with any MMO(RPG)'s of your choice, the game starts awful in every aspect, a heap of major game bugs, graphical issues and lack of content. As matters now stand SimCity (or rather Maxis) needs time to fix this game to make it somewhat enjoyable. The first hour(s) of this new SimCity is actually awesome as you can see your city growing in full animation, however the following hour(s) are just a pain! Sooner or later you will encounter major game bugs killing all that fun you had the hour(s) before, for example a Giant Lizard, followed by a meteorite impact, tornado and an earthquake in just one hour game session destroying and contaminating a big part of your city. The contamination stays quite a while and the chance of another meteorite impact is higher than having your city cured. As a closing remark a list of major game bugs and graphical issues I found on the web:

    Major game bugs: Not enough rain to refill water supply.
    - AI always takes the shortest route, never the fastest or best.
    - Recycling Centers can stop working, and once they do, they never start processing incoming materials again, and the collection trucks stop running.
    - Power/waste/water does not trade properly with region neighbors. City A can have huge excess for sale but city B may only be buying 10% of the excess and be short on power/waste/water. Ambulances are not being dispatched. You can look at the Health data map and don't see any ambulances.
    - No Railroad Discovery Delta has a city with no railroad connection but a railroad that stops at a bridge (the Island City) City to city trades (gift) are late, slow or not occurring at all. Frieght not being bought properly by region neighbors. Excess can be in city A and city B is not accepting it.
    - Excess workers not being employed properly by region neighbors. Excess workers can be in city A and city B is not employing them. AI services (fire, ambulances, recycle, garbo, police) don't get to region neighbors properly. Excess sik can be in city A and city B has ambo's doing nothing yet not getting them to hospital. May be related to traffic issues.
    - Regional roads causing MASSIVE congestion. Need ability to add regional roads. AI services (fire, ambulances, recycle, garbage, police) don't "cheat" around traffic and get around them.
    - Cars driving in circles with no reason.
    - Service cars (police, fire, dump, etc.) distribution seems off, they often drive in a pack which decreases the overall range.
    - Accidents aren't handled properly by emergency services. Great works do not update resource count until all players in the region exit. Additions to Great Hall do not translate over to the entire region. Build a department of transportation, but neighbors couldn't build train stations. Same with dept. of education as well. Sims not using mass transit well, filling streets, adding to traffic AI problems. Tourism fluctuation from 30,000 to 1000 for seemingly no reason. Some buildings not affecting entire region. Trade/Metals/Petroleum HQ upgrades don't all work. Sometimes roads can become completely broken and traffic gets indefinitely stuck on them. You need to delete the road to get the flow moving again. Agents get stuck when deleting or downgrading road. Also when deleting building where agents are out in the region.
    - Despite having multiple schools/colleges/universities, your people will become uneducated for no reason.
    - Water and power will sometimes break down and stop delivering correctly to all buildings. You need to remove roads and/or close buildings to fix the flow.
    - You can't buy 100% of water ajouter city CAN sell to you (if you need 110L and a city can sell you 150L, you'll only buy 100L) Educated sims won't commute and create medium/high tech industries in other cities. Amount of free classroom spaces in region view is sometimes not calculated. In some case, the amount of non unrolled students is not updated and is equal to total of students in the city which makes the number of school place not good. Cars can get stuck at the exit of a building a lock the street until you leave the city and reload it When a delivery truck cannot unload its delivery to a factory (i.e. multiple trucks were dispatched but the factory only needed one truckload), the trucks return to their home depots/ports and any undeliverable resources disappear instead of being transferred back into the depot/port. Graphical Issues:
    - The roads disappear at certain zoom levels.
    - Roads underwater.
    - Buildings on avenues.
    - Ploppables not graphically connecting to roads properly (e.g.: Tram depot).
    - Buildings on top of other buildings.    … Expand
  79. SX_Predator
    Jun 29, 2013
    0
    A HUGE step down from SimCity 4. DRM. Saves getting corrupted every couple of days on EA servers. Crashes. Alot of features taken away from SimCity 4. Music not as good as SimCity 4. Cities are tiny.
  80. Koreenium
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    I understand that EA wants to earn money but why add DRM for single player??? WHY??? There are just way too many problems with this BS. I go to my summer home and can't play this because I DON'T HAVE INTERNET IN MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!! Can't you just come up with some anti pirating system that does not need internet connection?
  81. toocheap
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Have been a fan ever since the first SimCity. I can't believe EA and their anti-consumer policies. I'll be getting a refund and will never by another EA game. Terrible, just terrible experience.
  82. neisep
    Mar 10, 2013
    0
    There is just way to much server issues to even ENJOY this game, and Electronic Arts takes this as a joke, to make a pirated protection that is so strong that normal buying customers can't EVEN play the game makes me think i do not wanna buy a game from Electronic Arts or Maxis ever again,
    Frustration when contacting EA support they do not even listen at all, you get threated by EA    There is just way to much server issues to even ENJOY this game, and Electronic Arts takes this as a joke, to make a pirated protection that is so strong that normal buying customers can't EVEN play the game makes me think i do not wanna buy a game from Electronic Arts or Maxis ever again,
    Frustration when contacting EA support they do not even listen at all, you get threated by EA support instead not funny.
    Overall i don't know since i can't even start the game so my enjoyment is stucked with the protection so i would like too give a big thanks to Maxis and Electronic Arts for making a great game suck THANK YOU    … Expand
  83. Mog1
    Mar 21, 2013
    0
    Absolutely, appalling forgetting for a second that we've been completely mislead about the always online features which are a complete joke and just an excuse for the always on DRM the game is buggy, unfinished and completely flawed. This is not the game marketing has described, the gloss of enjoyment will fade after a couple of hours after you realize nothing works the pathing, theAbsolutely, appalling forgetting for a second that we've been completely mislead about the always online features which are a complete joke and just an excuse for the always on DRM the game is buggy, unfinished and completely flawed. This is not the game marketing has described, the gloss of enjoyment will fade after a couple of hours after you realize nothing works the pathing, the sims, the economy. It's a joke avoid at all costs. Of course, that's when it works at all the always on DRM means you can't even play it most of the time. People who buy this, be warned, when EA pull the plug on the servers, which they do routinely for games that are no longer new and profitable, you'll be left with nothing. You don't own this game, you're just playing until EA tires of running the server then it's game over. This would all be fine if there was any point to it, but the online play is pointless. AVOID AVOID AVOID.… Expand
  84. Tamer
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I think there might be a good game behind the servers frequently crashing and completely losing my city, the 30 minute queues to play a single-player game, the inability to actually save so that a crash doesn't erase your city, having to install Origin on your computer, and having to always be online to play a single-player game. Too bad I can't see the game behind all of this filth.
  85. Sanj
    Mar 5, 2013
    3
    The game is good but it's not working. All those magazine/review you see didn't take into account the fact that the servers are not able to cope with the current load. Which means you get disconnected or, worst, your cities get corrupted and are unplayable.
  86. Xalon
    Mar 8, 2013
    1
    Yet another epic game series completely ruined by EA. So broken, it's totally unplayable. How many hundreds of times have we allowed EA to pull the wool over our eyes now? I'm looking forward to the next command and conquer being a piece of garbage also.
  87. Fonjask
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    Was looking forward to this game. Haven't been able to play for more than 30 minutes yet because of failing servers. Not being able to play 0/10....
  88. Phokus
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    If a tree falls in the forest but nobody's there to hear it, does it make a sound? Same thing with Sim City. Sim City could be the greatest game ever made, but if you can't even play it, why bother?
  89. Jopoo
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    Always-on DRM is pushing many of us PC gamers to crack/pirate sites to get around it and I've personally stopped giving money to offending companies as punishment.
  90. icarus1080
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    In the beginning, games were simple. Complete. A unit that you could purchase, and actually own. But then game companies got bigger and bigger, and those companies decided that their consumers were getting dumber and dumber. So, they decided to start screwing them out of their ownership, which serves two purposes: first, to protect the massive game company's bottom line, which isIn the beginning, games were simple. Complete. A unit that you could purchase, and actually own. But then game companies got bigger and bigger, and those companies decided that their consumers were getting dumber and dumber. So, they decided to start screwing them out of their ownership, which serves two purposes: first, to protect the massive game company's bottom line, which is REALLY the most important thing. Second, to make sure that we get burned out over the hurdles and blockades set before us when we realize our game isn't complete until we perform microtransactions, or we cant even play it until we can get online. Yes I could have described SimCity's specific issues here, but at this point it's the icing on a much bigger cake that the gaming industry has baked. And I'm not taking it anymore. Thank you, SimCity, for being such a glaring example of the poor direction that the gaming industry is headed. Hopefully the rest of the consumers who've made you rich will realize you don't care about them, too. The game was good, but unfortunately, I can't play it. ZERO.… Expand
  91. GregoryGoblin
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GAME AND THE IMPLEMENTATION IS FLAWED, COMPLETELY F***ED!Very dissapointing, seeing we've waited years for this release and it's been ruined by pure greed! I want to play this game alone, chilled out and relaxed. I don't want to be connected and online all the time, nor do I want to wait 6 hours to play, then only to find after 4 hours my entire game vanished. What aEVERYTHING ABOUT THIS GAME AND THE IMPLEMENTATION IS FLAWED, COMPLETELY F***ED!Very dissapointing, seeing we've waited years for this release and it's been ruined by pure greed! I want to play this game alone, chilled out and relaxed. I don't want to be connected and online all the time, nor do I want to wait 6 hours to play, then only to find after 4 hours my entire game vanished. What a total drag, I'll be reversing my payment for this turd of a title!… Expand
  92. jaredmergel
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Always Online DRM is the worst thing that has happened to games. Thought other companies would of learned after Diablo 3. But no......And with EAs latest stance on micro transactions you can bet you will be shelling out more cash on top of the price of the game to get everything that the game already came with. Biggest let down for me in a long time.
  93. viisual
    Mar 7, 2013
    2
    I really do feel slighted having purchased this game.

    I have now spent more time attempting to play this game than actually playing it. When I can play it, I'm unsure of the status of my game, will it be saved and playable later? The answer is that I don't know because I've lost more cities than I've kept and there's no feedback to the player. I also fear for the long term future    I really do feel slighted having purchased this game.

    I have now spent more time attempting to play this game than actually playing it. When I can play it, I'm unsure of the status of my game, will it be saved and playable later? The answer is that I don't know because I've lost more cities than I've kept and there's no feedback to the player.

    I also fear for the long term future of this game, not replay-ability mind you... but playability. EA is renowned for closing down online features of games after their popularity dwindles, will this happen to my beloved SimCity as well in 5 years... 10 years?

    If I could go back I would, and because I can't I will change my habits: No longer will I support any media that uses online only DRM.    … Expand
  94. Shatosen
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    On top of the significant hardware issues that this game has had, there are a multitude of design flaws. Cars not intelligently utilizing roads, clunky plopping of railways, forced city specialization, and most importantly, the limited city size make this game a complete failure.
  95. Skitterin
    Mar 7, 2013
    2
    Always on, internet connection required SINGLE PLAYER GAME! Pass on this one guys, You'll get maybe 10 hours of gameplay out of it before you're bored. It's still SimCity, but not the way you want to remember it.
  96. ERRORandBSOD
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Again we have been tricked by Electronic Arts. Always-ON internet connection and unavailability to play even single player game. And of course "first day dlc`s" like it was in dead space 3. So my experience with ea games ends here. The policy of "money-it`s in a a game" should die with the EA. See you in hell EA.
  97. Huckleberry
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    this is one of the worst things I've ever spent $60 on, it's not like i just lost $60, it makes me sad that i can't play. it's not even worth saying more.
  98. UnbiasedAndFair
    Mar 8, 2013
    2
    We should open class action lawsuits against those companies. I few like asking for refund is not enough. I bought a product that didn't work and the manual nor the manufacturer can solve. It´s like buying a ticket for a show and the band didn't show off, so they send some lame local cover band. Maybe is time to gamers start to demand quality over achievements.
  99. Redstripe420
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Forced to be connected to the internet for piracy is fail, there servers are doing the same thing that blizzards did with diablo 3.

    EA should have known better, knowing they are allready not liked much in the gaming industry but i guess they failed to realise what a impact this was going to have on them.

    well we games live and learn, and trust me we have learned.
  100. Matthewlh
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    I wanted Sim City, not Sim City Online
    If I wanted to play with other towns it should be my choice
    I should not be forced to play with others
    did I mention that you always have to be online?
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 »