SimCity

 PC
User Score
2.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 4557 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 602 out of 4557
  2. Mixed: 428 out of 4557
  3. Negative: 3,527 out of 4557
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  1. Felice
    Mar 19, 2013
    2
    The gameplay is disappointing, it seems that the residents (sims) populate your city whatever you do correctly or incorrectly. The mayor of the city can put a landfill in the middle of the city but residents continue to arrive in the city! I think it is just simulation and realistic, I am very disappointed.
  2. mjfan97
    Mar 21, 2013
    0
    I'm sure I'd be happy to pay for a good game from a hard-working company, but that's not you, EA. Because of your BS unacceptable business practices I must insist on giving this game a definitive 0 for two reasons:
    1. Always-online DRM
    2. Broken gameplay elements This is complete BS EA! It's alienating gamers and your solution will be to probably buy some more DLC Packs. That's    I'm sure I'd be happy to pay for a good game from a hard-working company, but that's not you, EA. Because of your BS unacceptable business practices I must insist on giving this game a definitive 0 for two reasons:
    1. Always-online DRM
    2. Broken gameplay elements

    This is complete BS EA! It's alienating gamers and your solution will be to probably buy some more DLC Packs. That's alright. I'll just give my money to companies who actually DO deserve it.    … Expand
  3. sanka
    Mar 21, 2013
    3
    In short, better you know about how a real city is developed, higher the chance that you'd be disappointed. From the first SimCity to SimCity 4, each new title give you improved simulation on city development, at the same time embrace you more on creativity and value judgment. However, this SimCity is a much simplified game than the previous: Agriculture is gone, density control is gone,In short, better you know about how a real city is developed, higher the chance that you'd be disappointed. From the first SimCity to SimCity 4, each new title give you improved simulation on city development, at the same time embrace you more on creativity and value judgment. However, this SimCity is a much simplified game than the previous: Agriculture is gone, density control is gone, policy/legislation is gone... While one would expect that the new game gives more options in city building, it just doesn't. For example, you may think of using subway system or even cycle tracks to solve traffic jam, like in many real world cities during the last ten years. None of these are allowed, you can either upgrade your roads or build more roads. The basic system is population oriented, you need to boost the city and regional population to unlock higher tier infrastructure, which is nonsense (Before you have enough population to upgrade your city hall, you are not even allowed to do waste recycling in your city, ridiculous) The "city specialty" feel so mining focused, that you wonder whether it is sponsored by real world mining companies. You can build a oil well in an urban area and it is cleaner than one would imagine. The game may be fun for those who just want to see buildings pop up and vehicles running around the city; but if you are those "thinkers" type that look for a planning challenge and build a dream city your way, I am sure that you will be disappointed. I would give the game a 5 (that some may find it fun), but it have "sim" in the title, which the game does not offer.… Expand
  4. montreal
    Jun 18, 2013
    0
    This game is a train wreck. I desperately wanted to like it but it seems every time I muster the energy to start again, the servers are down for an update or some other kind of silly reason. I'm not against online DRM when it doesn't prevent me from playing the game. Civilization V is a good example. It works every time. Simcity is just disappointing. And having just one road going into aThis game is a train wreck. I desperately wanted to like it but it seems every time I muster the energy to start again, the servers are down for an update or some other kind of silly reason. I'm not against online DRM when it doesn't prevent me from playing the game. Civilization V is a good example. It works every time. Simcity is just disappointing. And having just one road going into a city is unrealistic and dumb.… Expand
  5. Oceanswave
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    It is rare to pay 70 bucks for a game that is unplayable. Simcity has turned out to be one of those games. On launch, it is impossible to create a city in game, since the city creating process is tied to EA's servers and those servers seem to be completely unable to cope with the load. Give that there are only 9 servers worldwide for a game of this alleged magnitude, it just goes to showIt is rare to pay 70 bucks for a game that is unplayable. Simcity has turned out to be one of those games. On launch, it is impossible to create a city in game, since the city creating process is tied to EA's servers and those servers seem to be completely unable to cope with the load. Give that there are only 9 servers worldwide for a game of this alleged magnitude, it just goes to show the ineptitude and level of disconnect that EA has with the gaming community. People decried the always-on as untenable, but EA did it anyway and with unsurprising results. Good show, EA, Simcity is a coaster, a puppet that lies flat on the ground. Behold, it's strings are cut. Move along for there is nothing lo see here but spite and a whisper of a bygone era… Expand
  6. ktamlyn
    Mar 21, 2013
    4
    DRM is a reality of the future of social games. Maxis attempted to make this game social and in the end ruined it because of that. This is not a complaint, its a fact. This is a game that is still in beta as far as I'm concerned, yet it was released, possibly by executive order. Someone near the top needs to be fired.

    To the people complaining about DRM itself, they (you) are ignorant.    DRM is a reality of the future of social games. Maxis attempted to make this game social and in the end ruined it because of that. This is not a complaint, its a fact. This is a game that is still in beta as far as I'm concerned, yet it was released, possibly by executive order. Someone near the top needs to be fired.

    To the people complaining about DRM itself, they (you) are ignorant. For a social game (even if it has single player) DRM promotes the social aspect of the game. That is why it is being required. DRM is not the problem. The problem was that the SimCity's implementation of DRM is horrible.

    On to the actual game, the cities are too small, and things like "airports" have become a part of the "region". This alone kills the game for me. Creativity in this game is lower than ever before. Its not fun once you have played it through once to a dense city. I will admit that first run though was really fun, but not deserving of a good score at the cost of $60. This game is worth $10 even if it took 50 million dollars to develop.    … Expand
  7. Orbies
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I have not been able to play. So now I will not play, regardless if they get this working. I am absolutely done with EA forever, and will voice this to as many people as I know.
  8. sumguitardude
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Servers suck, drm bugs, small maps that are more like a town then a "city" They should just call it Sim Town..Its better to wait until they fix this then wait to enter a server to play
  9. chaos_1984
    Mar 9, 2013
    0
    I bought this game with high expectations, I don't have the fastest internet but have never had problems with other single player games i.e. Far Cry 3, Fallout 3. 2 hours into my first map, I lose connection and my progress. Thanks EA for f**king over your customers again.
  10. barashin
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    This game could be great, but I will never know. I have been a Sim City fan since the early 90's, I own all of them (original, 2000, 3000 and 4) and the great thing is as old as they are I can go back and play them whenever I want. Since the new game requires a constant Internet connection to play and therefore will only work for as long as EA keep the servers open you never truly 'own'This game could be great, but I will never know. I have been a Sim City fan since the early 90's, I own all of them (original, 2000, 3000 and 4) and the great thing is as old as they are I can go back and play them whenever I want. Since the new game requires a constant Internet connection to play and therefore will only work for as long as EA keep the servers open you never truly 'own' the game, I will not be buying this game. In 10 years time everyone who bought this game can enjoy their Sim City branded coasters while I go back and play Sim City 4.… Expand
  11. ApoACD
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Game is ok, but not THAT much. Everything else, Adios EA. No more BF3, lets forget about BF4 and the like. I'm done with them. If it's not on Steam, i'm not buying.
  12. dr34dbolt
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    I bought this game yesterday, and I still haven't been able to play it. This is not good EA, not good at all. This will be the last PC game I buy from you.
  13. pseudoname
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. always online drm doesn't let you play game because servers don't let you play the game*UPDATE REVIEW*...ok thats bad enough. but now find out there was NO REAL REASON FOR IT http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=525129 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/03/14/modder-runs-simcity-offline-maxis-remains-silent/ eat a dick ea, can't believe I wasted my time and money on a game I can't play. never again. and maxis should be ashamed. *UPDATE REVIEW* servers mostly work now. but doesn't change that ea lied like a politician skin rug(like a rug but it lies more. think bearskin but slimy). never again ea customer. my review score would have gone up as they start fixing it if it weren't for ea's bull**** *UPDATE REVIEW* and now my key has been disabled by ea under false claims I started a chargeback....i hadn't but guess what I just did 10 seconds ago asshats? damnit metacritic. allow negative points in a review zero isn't low enough. it was so terrible I had to make an account here(no offense but I hate this site for some reason) just to review it.… Expand
  14. Cadi2002
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Biggest piece of junk yet. Played for 5 hours when i got it yesterday today they cant find my saved city and keep trying to get me to play with others. I don't want to I just want to build a city and have fun like in the old Simcity. Don't wast your money.
  15. Jack91
    Mar 13, 2013
    5
    Just got the game after most of the original problems seem to be fixed, a few disconnections from the main servers a few times but eventually restored. The worst thing I found is the big price they are charging yet it didn't take me long to complete most of it. The zone you get is simply too small and you have to cram so much into one square it's ridiculous. Fun to play but does not lastJust got the game after most of the original problems seem to be fixed, a few disconnections from the main servers a few times but eventually restored. The worst thing I found is the big price they are charging yet it didn't take me long to complete most of it. The zone you get is simply too small and you have to cram so much into one square it's ridiculous. Fun to play but does not last long and by far not worth the price tag that comes with it.… Expand
  16. Quinzal
    Mar 20, 2013
    7
    EDIT:
    This game is amazing and is the best thing since sliced bread when it finally gets working. When it isnt working, its the best loading simulator ever.
  17. photographydude
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    This is a really really bad way to do business in the modern video game world. Why in the world would they release another game with online DRM and a require connection just to play the game. There must be some way to go after EA on this. You pay a price for a product and because of pure lies and chaos on the suppliers side you are unable to play. What happens when the servers go down?This is a really really bad way to do business in the modern video game world. Why in the world would they release another game with online DRM and a require connection just to play the game. There must be some way to go after EA on this. You pay a price for a product and because of pure lies and chaos on the suppliers side you are unable to play. What happens when the servers go down? How about when they decide enough Sim City 5 and shut the servers off. ITS BULL CRAP!! If this game was not tied to the internet and DRM it would be amazing. Unfortunately this has crippled it.… Expand
  18. EvilTerrorizer
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Besides having to wait an inordinate amount of time to play, get used to being kicked out once in a while when you lose connection to the server. Who cares what's inside the game if you can't play it whenever you want and for however long you want.
  19. otisbarker
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    This game encouraged me to sign up for metacritic and give it a 0. Could not login to the game last week. This week, I wasn't able to login because I get the message the game hasn't been activated (even though I've done it since Mar. 5th). Wait 90mins to contact Origin customer service, then they tell me the game was in charge back with the Amazon purchase. This online DRM blows big time.
  20. pick999
    Mar 20, 2013
    0
    Seriously this game is a letdown. EA keeps ruining franchises. Simplified game, overpriced game, the infamous DRM, day 0 DLC. Not only ruin the franchise, the gaming industry.
  21. sssfdg
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    I wasn't foolish enough to buy this game, Thankfully. The DRM that EA has instituted is unforgivable. Companies like EA need to learn a lesson to start treating their consumer base with more respect. I have for years not boycotted every game EA makes (beside BF3... which is awesome btw). EA YOU SUCK BALLS. PLEASE LEARN FROM THIS DISASTROUS MISTAKE.
  22. Sal
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Not really worth writing a review for this, the game itself isnt even really worth a negative review, It's worth nothing. Horrible always online DRM is only the start, Releasing with barely any features worthwhile so they can hit your wallet later is obvious in every area. Pretty obvious why they don't want people to be able to mod the game... Gameplay has a few decent points, but the DRMNot really worth writing a review for this, the game itself isnt even really worth a negative review, It's worth nothing. Horrible always online DRM is only the start, Releasing with barely any features worthwhile so they can hit your wallet later is obvious in every area. Pretty obvious why they don't want people to be able to mod the game... Gameplay has a few decent points, but the DRM alone overshadows these without even mentioning the other issues.… Expand
  23. evry1isacritic
    Apr 15, 2014
    1
    Wow. I should have listened to the 3000+ negative comments instead of buying this game. I bought it on sale for $20 thinking "It's not that bad. People are just whining."

    Nope. The internet was right. It is THAT BAD. Not even having an offline mode is going to fix this game. The maps are TREMENDOUSLY SMALL. You'll have a hard time getting your population up to a few million    Wow. I should have listened to the 3000+ negative comments instead of buying this game. I bought it on sale for $20 thinking "It's not that bad. People are just whining."

    Nope. The internet was right. It is THAT BAD. Not even having an offline mode is going to fix this game. The maps are TREMENDOUSLY SMALL. You'll have a hard time getting your population up to a few million UNLESS you have all low wealth residential zones. If you want to maximize your zones, you would have to build a VERY BORING AND VERY BASIC grid system for it to work.

    The designers made a VERY poor choice in forcing you to specialize in only one thing in your city. You'll then have to ABANDON it after you spend hours building it up and start all over again in a different city in the region. There are youtube videos out there that show you how SMALL the maps are. TRUST THOSE VIDEOS. IT'S VERY SMALL.

    The interface and graphics are very well executed but there are just too many flaws in this game as many have mentioned (poor AI, poor traffic routing, etc).

    I've only played this game for 20 hours and am already sick of it. You'll enjoy simcity 2000 more with its outdated graphics than this game.    … Expand
  24. BakaGamer
    Mar 26, 2013
    1
    I for one do not condone pirating or anything but for this game it is a great idea. Why? The hackers have actually made an offline version of it! So after purchasing this game and unable to play it and finding out hackers have made an offline version of it I went and pirated the damn thing. Yeah that's right I bought a game and had to go pirate it... makes ****ing sense! There is nothingI for one do not condone pirating or anything but for this game it is a great idea. Why? The hackers have actually made an offline version of it! So after purchasing this game and unable to play it and finding out hackers have made an offline version of it I went and pirated the damn thing. Yeah that's right I bought a game and had to go pirate it... makes ****ing sense! There is nothing in this game that truly stands out. Honestly it feels like a repolish of the old Sim City games. The cities are smaller, the servers are broken, and the gameplay is unchanged. This game is not worth your time or money. I can't think of one good thing in this game that isn't already in the other Sim City games. This gets a 1 out of 10 because the graphics are improved. Otherwise without that it's a damn 0. Avoid this at all cost. If you must play it pirate it. In fact even if you do want to buy it I'd suggest you pirate it after to get the damn offline version so you can ****ing play it.… Expand
  25. Gnawer
    Jul 19, 2013
    1
    I played both SimCity 4 and The Sims. This game plays more like The Sims. Compared to SimCity 4, it's a game for children about virtual doll houses, not a city planning simulator. I don't get all the critics' reviews about how beautifully planned and well-made it is. It does look good visually, which is no surprise, considering how old previous SimCity is. But it's way too oversimplifiedI played both SimCity 4 and The Sims. This game plays more like The Sims. Compared to SimCity 4, it's a game for children about virtual doll houses, not a city planning simulator. I don't get all the critics' reviews about how beautifully planned and well-made it is. It does look good visually, which is no surprise, considering how old previous SimCity is. But it's way too oversimplified and does not bring anything new for people who want to think a little, not just make ohhs and ahhs at the shiny colors and funny little people walking around. So, it would be a meh game, even if it wasn't for the mega offensive DRM.… Expand
  26. NaFZ
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    All server is down, can't play the game not even single play OMFG.....

    Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta    All server is down, can't play the game not even single play OMFG.....

    Server reached maximum capacity and so I was placed in a queue and was not allowed to play a SINGLE PLAYER GAME because it forces me to constantly be online. So despite my flawless internet connection, EA's incompetence has forced me to postpone playing a game I'd like to play on my own anyway. I have played the beta and the city size limits are awful. But it isn't all bad, I do e    … Expand
  27. chmod
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Seems fun, but the server devs aren't quite up to the task of keeping everyone online. I assume people giving good reviews could connect, but I've logged 2 hours over the last 48 just trying to play. If you do get in, you will likely still not be able to claim a region. And if you get a region, you will lose progress when the sync inevitably fails. That's not even the worst part. When youSeems fun, but the server devs aren't quite up to the task of keeping everyone online. I assume people giving good reviews could connect, but I've logged 2 hours over the last 48 just trying to play. If you do get in, you will likely still not be able to claim a region. And if you get a region, you will lose progress when the sync inevitably fails. That's not even the worst part. When you can't get into a server, it puts you in a "queue." However "queue" implies order. And what they're really doing is saying "call back in 20 minutes, maybe we'll have capacity then."… Expand
  28. Sturmlied
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    I am a big fan of the Sims and Sim City and would love to give this game a higher score. But as I am waiting to be able to play it due to no fault of my own I can not do this. The unnecessary always online policy is killing the fun in this game due to massive server issues. Why was this necessary in the first place? I understand that EAs Execs are scared to the bone of piracy but making aI am a big fan of the Sims and Sim City and would love to give this game a higher score. But as I am waiting to be able to play it due to no fault of my own I can not do this. The unnecessary always online policy is killing the fun in this game due to massive server issues. Why was this necessary in the first place? I understand that EAs Execs are scared to the bone of piracy but making a game "no fun" is not the solution.… Expand
  29. spinkick
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    No matter how great the game is, the DRM system such as this has no place in gaming. If this game ended up a true classic to be played 5+ years from now, too bad, because the servers will no longer be online in order to play your SINGLE PLAYER game. It's time for the gaming community to finally say no and not allow EA to shovel even more draconian "anti piracy" techniques down our throats.
  30. Teddyx87
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    EA, Maxis Fail. Don't mind launch week problems. EA has an epic fail here in every category. The game maybe great but the headaches are just not worth it. The worse part there communication is absolutely awful
  31. AndrewCCM
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Honestly... I have nothing to add. It's just a huge money grab for a company that doesn't know how to launch an online-ONLY application. I am done with this stuff. $79 down the drain. My enthusiasm over the past few months is now in the negative digits.
  32. owuaarontsi
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Still haven't been able to play once. Completely unacceptable. The servers show more full than they did on launch day. How could they not be prepared for this?
  33. Menaxene
    Mar 8, 2013
    1
    When I began SimCity, the few first minutes were good, but it's not the sequel what I needed, as a SimCity's fan there are too many server crashes, seize of a map is ridicilous (seriously, it's a bad joke), you can't play without to be connected to Origin (also a bad joke). So if you don't buy the game realy, what does it cost so much? EA and Maxis can to be sure of this I will not buyWhen I began SimCity, the few first minutes were good, but it's not the sequel what I needed, as a SimCity's fan there are too many server crashes, seize of a map is ridicilous (seriously, it's a bad joke), you can't play without to be connected to Origin (also a bad joke). So if you don't buy the game realy, what does it cost so much? EA and Maxis can to be sure of this I will not buy their DLC and others games of them.… Expand
  34. TheHeff
    Mar 20, 2013
    0
    Always on requirement, tiny city sizes and single point of entry into a city. Absolute crap. I am a long time fan of the SimCity franchise but EA/Maxis have done what one comes to expect from EA and EA brands these days... the player base over and screw the game.

    Medal of Honor (dating back to Allied Assault... You never did fix the Liberation mode lag, did you EA?) Battlefield Mass    Always on requirement, tiny city sizes and single point of entry into a city. Absolute crap. I am a long time fan of the SimCity franchise but EA/Maxis have done what one comes to expect from EA and EA brands these days... the player base over and screw the game.

    Medal of Honor (dating back to Allied Assault... You never did fix the Liberation mode lag, did you EA?)
    Battlefield
    Mass Effect
    Dragon Age
    SimCity

    5 examples of EA's cluster****ed approach to gaming. There are loads more examples.    … Expand
  35. marcolevo
    Mar 21, 2013
    0
    I'm very sad... I just want to play this game in single player whenever i want and I don't want to be always online. The size of the cities is very too small, this is frustrating and boring! Nice the simulation but not worth the price of the game. This is not the SimCity i knew...
  36. a9249
    Mar 23, 2013
    3
    -5 points for botching the launch. I couldn't play it for a week. That's just pathetic. It deserves an 8. I would give it a 10 [-5] but it feels like half the game is missing of which im sure will show up in 6 months for another 80 dollars and called an expansion pack.... which no-one will buy. good job EA. Also the clear attempt at micro-transactions is a giant FU to customers who dropped-5 points for botching the launch. I couldn't play it for a week. That's just pathetic. It deserves an 8. I would give it a 10 [-5] but it feels like half the game is missing of which im sure will show up in 6 months for another 80 dollars and called an expansion pack.... which no-one will buy. good job EA. Also the clear attempt at micro-transactions is a giant FU to customers who dropped huge amounts of money on this thing.… Expand
  37. jerrylee22
    Apr 12, 2014
    0
    This game is an absolute failure... It does not even compare to SimCity 4 in its soundtrack, gameplay, or entertainment value. I do not believe that SimCity: 2013 should have been made because it is an absolute abomination to the Sim name -- lacking in all of the good things, and overrun by the bad things. Everything good about SimCity was sucked out in this 'rebirth' and everything badThis game is an absolute failure... It does not even compare to SimCity 4 in its soundtrack, gameplay, or entertainment value. I do not believe that SimCity: 2013 should have been made because it is an absolute abomination to the Sim name -- lacking in all of the good things, and overrun by the bad things. Everything good about SimCity was sucked out in this 'rebirth' and everything bad that you could imagine was added.… Expand
  38. arkhanari
    Mar 14, 2013
    0
    Bought the game. The game requires you to be online to connect to EA servers. Problem is: the servers do not work. Then EA tells us that the servers are doing computations to make the game work which has been found out to be a lie. Then EA tells us the game cannot run offline as well as it being near impossible to make the game work if you build outside the borders which also has beenBought the game. The game requires you to be online to connect to EA servers. Problem is: the servers do not work. Then EA tells us that the servers are doing computations to make the game work which has been found out to be a lie. Then EA tells us the game cannot run offline as well as it being near impossible to make the game work if you build outside the borders which also has been found to be a lie. A guy modded the game in one week to enable highway building and allow you to build outside borders (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmce9oIxJag&feature=player_embedded).

    I will never ever buy another game from EA and neither should you.    … Expand
  39. smk123
    Mar 26, 2013
    6
    I'm not going to bother talking about DRM if you don't like DRM, don't buy it, simple as that. The game is very enjoyable for the first couple of hours, things move at a steady pace, it is challenging finding a perfect balance within all the different functions. Hell I even like the region system, I think necessitating trade between cities within a region is a fantastic idea, I know it'sI'm not going to bother talking about DRM if you don't like DRM, don't buy it, simple as that. The game is very enjoyable for the first couple of hours, things move at a steady pace, it is challenging finding a perfect balance within all the different functions. Hell I even like the region system, I think necessitating trade between cities within a region is a fantastic idea, I know it's not meant to replicate real life but logically one city can't be the jack of all trades, and this reliance on trade adds a layer of realism that I admire. The art style is also very easy on the eyes and I much prefer it to the previous simcity games. However my major gripe; the city size. You max out your city size a LOT quicker than would be expected, and until this issue is addressed I can't give the game more than a 6. If city size was expanded to similar levels from previous entries in the series I could easily give this game an 8, it's a lot of fun, but due to the size limitations you'll find yourself making new city after new city as opposed to nurturing one city you can truly be proud of.… Expand
  40. AFCA_FLORIS
    Mar 22, 2013
    5
    The detail and expandability of buildings are really cool in simcity. But, (in addition to the horrible servers,) I think that in the squares you can build your city in, there's nit enough space to build a big city. For example, in all of the cities i've build so far, there was a point where ididn't have enough space to expand my garbage dump, which results in all the citicens beingThe detail and expandability of buildings are really cool in simcity. But, (in addition to the horrible servers,) I think that in the squares you can build your city in, there's nit enough space to build a big city. For example, in all of the cities i've build so far, there was a point where ididn't have enough space to expand my garbage dump, which results in all the citicens being unhappy and complaining.… Expand
  41. Evangellist
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Just because the game is good, doesn't mean you should be okay with it. yes, Simcity is a good game, unfortunately EA and Maxis won't get it through their thick skulls that they have a terrible business model, and if we ignore it, then this WILL keep on happening. Keep up the bad reviews so maybe this once EA will learn from their DRM-centric mistakes.
  42. setezerocinco
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    Is just not possible to play the game. I did try several times and everything they did is show to me a counter of how many minutes I should wait again. This is a shame.
  43. ssfire
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    DRM fail. It would like to play the game, but I can't because the DRM can't connect to the servers. Apparently, EA is disabling some of the features to get the servers to handle the load. So not only is DRM preventing me from playing the game, it's forcing EA to remove features. Epic fail.
  44. vironsusi
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    My, my... how could a company screw up this badly? The complete and utter catastrophe that is trying to log on to play the game, the horrible DRM. You'd think someone at Maxis would've had the the brains to work around this. How did this happen? How in the world did this happen? All right, I won't waste my with an essay on the horrible practices used by the majority of big developersMy, my... how could a company screw up this badly? The complete and utter catastrophe that is trying to log on to play the game, the horrible DRM. You'd think someone at Maxis would've had the the brains to work around this. How did this happen? How in the world did this happen? All right, I won't waste my with an essay on the horrible practices used by the majority of big developers because who would actually read them? How about I just help the opposition with the zeros and hope in vein that EA learns their lesson. Psh... as if that'll happen.… Expand
  45. MissFelixia
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    havent even bought the game to know how bad it really is. sims 4 is better than this rubbish. those giving it scores above 7 have never played a sim city game before. when a 10 year old game is better than a game just released you know something is wrong. sim city 4 has nice big plots of land to build on and doesnt need connecting to the internet. game can run perfectly fine offline. andhavent even bought the game to know how bad it really is. sims 4 is better than this rubbish. those giving it scores above 7 have never played a sim city game before. when a 10 year old game is better than a game just released you know something is wrong. sim city 4 has nice big plots of land to build on and doesnt need connecting to the internet. game can run perfectly fine offline. and this game isnt worth the price it is. maybe £9.99 like sim city 4 is now. oh did people mention you have to download spyware called origin to play this terrible game? just buy cities xl or anno 2070. they are much better games and only £20… Expand
  46. FreakyLord
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    Childish, low-scaled, online, flawed... City simulation algorithms are meant to entertain and not simulate. It's not simcity 5 it's Sims 4. Another franchise built on past developers' skill just jumped the shark.
  47. azio
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    Bought this game to support MAXIS and the Sim City Franchise.

    In truth this game is almost as awful as simcity societies. I asked for a refund within 7 days of paying expecting legal protection by the strict UK Statutory rights here but apparently it isn't origins "policy". So they can sell badly written games which are not functional and get away with it, essentially stealing your    Bought this game to support MAXIS and the Sim City Franchise.

    In truth this game is almost as awful as simcity societies. I asked for a refund within 7 days of paying expecting legal protection by the strict UK Statutory rights here but apparently it isn't origins "policy". So they can sell badly written games which are not functional and get away with it, essentially stealing your money for a fraudulent claim of the product being complete.

    I've been trying to play the game online in multiplayer mode, that is not on my own singleplayer, and can never get it to work.

    The reason? Apparently the sim city limited edition does not filter out the servers or cities used by players who have different buildings and a different copy of the game. So this annoying message will come up very often when trying to reclaim an abandoned city.

    The only way is to make a game yourself or find an empty slot, but that has been in fact very hard and almost impossible. The "Load more" button for the available games is badly thought out, and being thrown off 30 or so times is extremely annoying. There is no way to tell if the city is abandoned or not until you click on it. What is this madness?

    Many claims and updates from Maxis, but I esssentially feel robbed. Added to this I have been told that I have no statutory rights, which is as usual the general illegal EA way. I think they should not get away with it this time so am giving an extremely negative review to boycott this game. Since my right to a refund was apparently waived when I signed the origin agreement., This is criminal and at best fraudulently nefarious activity by a software developer and publisher that should know better.

    Stay AWAY.

    Best Wishes,
    Adam

    Best,
    A    … Expand
  48. Mistafreeze2009
    Mar 15, 2013
    0
    This is SimTown, not SimCity.

    After a week of not being able to play, the excitement of finally getting in was quickly overcome by the crap-tastic way this game is put together. If you can get past the server issues, underlying problems with the game mechanics themselves quickly become apparent. Cars drive in circles, Sims don't actually have designated homes...or jobs for that matter.    This is SimTown, not SimCity.

    After a week of not being able to play, the excitement of finally getting in was quickly overcome by the crap-tastic way this game is put together. If you can get past the server issues, underlying problems with the game mechanics themselves quickly become apparent. Cars drive in circles, Sims don't actually have designated homes...or jobs for that matter. At times I've actually been confused if I was playing a horrible fire fighting simulation, as there are always multiple buildings burning. The icing on the cake: constant disconnects. Login queues. I could forgive the issues with the GlassBox engine for now, it's new. But the always on DRM and constant server issues make this game unplayable. This game could've had endless potential, if it wasn't an EA game.    … Expand
  49. Pixelmelon
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    We all know how companies fail. When you decided you're smarter than your customers. Online game-play should have been an option, not forced upon users. I want to play even when i'm on holiday. My villa in Bali does not have an internet connection since its my holiday home, there's no point in me getting a connection when i'm there 3 times a year. I'm a business owner myself, and know aWe all know how companies fail. When you decided you're smarter than your customers. Online game-play should have been an option, not forced upon users. I want to play even when i'm on holiday. My villa in Bali does not have an internet connection since its my holiday home, there's no point in me getting a connection when i'm there 3 times a year. I'm a business owner myself, and know a thing or two about product life cycles. This is a surefire way to kill off a fantastic franchise with a loyal fan base, do something about it while you still can, patience is wearing thin. Mark my words. Cities XL wouldn't wait too long to jump on this.… Expand
  50. NO_FEAR
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM will always keep this game broken as long as it exists, IMO this is a poor investment, the game will only run as long as EA makes money, the day that stops the servers will close and the game will end. It's going to be a short term rental rather than a long term game purchase.
  51. ptiemens
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    Even if you get past the horrible drm problems, This game is still really bad.
    Its basicly a dummed down version of simcity 4
    No terraforming, No underground work, Very limited city size The only thing you get back from other players is crime and pollution The engine is extremely flawed, with these so called agents just looking for the most nearby spot, haveing sims take different    Even if you get past the horrible drm problems, This game is still really bad.
    Its basicly a dummed down version of simcity 4
    No terraforming, No underground work, Very limited city size
    The only thing you get back from other players is crime and pollution
    The engine is extremely flawed, with these so called agents just looking for the most nearby spot, haveing sims take different jobs.houses everyday
    The traffic AI is extrmeley buggged

    Save youreself the money and dont buy this trash
    Go for tropico or Anno series if you want a good city building game    … Expand
  52. JusA
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    This game is basically a not even playable painting. The simulations are totally messed up. The city size is a joke. The worst part for me is not the online DRM, but the fact, that you can lose your city any time due to flawed cloud saving. Save your money.
  53. eleus
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    There's so much completely broken in this game beyond the online-only (DRM) aspect and server woes. Purchasing this game is really the purchase of a massive, and massively expensive, beta, which shows the contempt EA and Maxis have on fans of the franchise. The AI is so unbelievably stupid even with the incredibly small size of city areas.

    There's a reason EA won't refund most requests    There's so much completely broken in this game beyond the online-only (DRM) aspect and server woes. Purchasing this game is really the purchase of a massive, and massively expensive, beta, which shows the contempt EA and Maxis have on fans of the franchise. The AI is so unbelievably stupid even with the incredibly small size of city areas.

    There's a reason EA won't refund most requests through Origin. They know you're unlikely to buy it later when it's "fixed." They know that will take a while, if at all, and those quarterly profits are important.

    Purchasing this at this point tells EA and Maxis to continue treating games and gamers the way they have for such a long time. It's accepting the utter crap that comes out of their mouths. The latest blog post with "straight answers" is such a vile piece of trash that I cannot believe that anyone is buying the game and/or defending anyone at EA/Maxis. It's atrocious. It is a fact that EA confirmed there'd be an offline mode and that multiplayer was simply optional for those who wanted that experience; multiplayer was not off the table. It was not a "from the ground up" quasi-MMO. That is an excuse made after it was so obvious that offline was easy to achieve and totally possible and even more fun. It's an excuse after realizing that the servers don't do much, and what they do is done so poorly that you're wasting your time. Nothing is in real-time. Nothing that couldn't be achieved faster from PC to PC. It's just such a crock.

    Seriously, nobody can blame EA and other publishers if they continue to buy games and tacitly approve of their "design" (DRM) or doublespeak. Rubbish.    … Expand
  54. souldream
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Game box sold in Europe poland Disk space used 1.8 GB and only 3 langages available, not only they are greedy to put all langages but they have not put English on DVD. Polish hungary russian ).

    The game is fully loaded with bug. Server are overloaded savegame lost in space ... The game is sold as Alpha stage!!!!!!! Would not recommand this game to anyone until a new review    Game box sold in Europe poland Disk space used 1.8 GB and only 3 langages available, not only they are greedy to put all langages but they have not put English on DVD. Polish hungary russian ).

    The game is fully loaded with bug.
    Server are overloaded savegame lost in space ...
    The game is sold as Alpha stage!!!!!!!
    Would not recommand this game to anyone until a new review of fixed server DRM.

    Sim DRM is a no go do not buy it or you will not have any pleasure !
    An old Amiga gamer sad to see that EA/ Maxis do not care about games     … Expand
  55. daeveman
    Mar 16, 2013
    0
    Forget about all the other Simcity games you played in the past. This should be renamed Scamcity. According to official statement from Lucy Bradshaw, Maxis General Manager, this is a MMO. All sims are agents, when they go to work they just enter the first building with an open job, when they go home enter the first home with open slot, if its full they move to the next one, just likeForget about all the other Simcity games you played in the past. This should be renamed Scamcity. According to official statement from Lucy Bradshaw, Maxis General Manager, this is a MMO. All sims are agents, when they go to work they just enter the first building with an open job, when they go home enter the first home with open slot, if its full they move to the next one, just like mindless lemmings. Firetrucks and Police can only attend one event at the same time, meaning if you have 20 firetrucks, they all go to the same fire even if the other side of the town is burning down. You can have one city with only residential lots as long as you keep yous sims happy with parks. You don´t need commercial or industrial lots, as ridiculous as this sounds. And to the top of this, the ridiculous DRM which demands you to be always online while playing this "game". RIP Simcity, hello Simville CEO.… Expand
  56. Chaka
    Mar 17, 2013
    0
    Cities collapse at 150k. Pathfinding is a joke (cars always try too reach nearest Position). Fire cars are a joke (all try too reach the same fire). Space for building cities is a joke too...
    Ist not possible to trade oil or coal, you can only make presents ...
    and so on
  57. idogaydrugs
    Mar 20, 2013
    1
    Let me first note the positive: this is a scarily addictive, fun, radical, awesome, and epic game. I have played SimCity games in the past and they didn't hold my interest nearly as well SimCity 2000 was great, but SimCity is greater! ...except for this one little problem I've been having. You see, one of my first cities reached 190,000 populace and then I was booted from it and asked toLet me first note the positive: this is a scarily addictive, fun, radical, awesome, and epic game. I have played SimCity games in the past and they didn't hold my interest nearly as well SimCity 2000 was great, but SimCity is greater! ...except for this one little problem I've been having. You see, one of my first cities reached 190,000 populace and then I was booted from it and asked to roll it back or abandon it. I chose to roll it back. Instead, I ended up with 0 populace, 0 money. It was a painful loss but it happens, so I charged on! Another 190,000 city came and then thanks to some bad austerity-related decisions made by my co-Mayor, we ended up losing 80,000 populace and $1 million (thanks bonds and windfarm!), but we dredged our way back up to 200,000 and then... roll back or abandon.

    Now, two weeks later, countless cities have had this problem. You know, I'm fairly easy to please with games, if they're fun and addictive, cool, cool. A few bugs? I'll stick it out. But you know, I at least expect a gaming company to have the common courtesy to release a game that is playable. SimCity almost made it. Almost. I never had the server issues common to others, everything ran absurdly smoothly from day one... except this. And it's not just 190,000 populace cities, my most recent loss was yesterday and it was a city of 50,000 that was doing way better monetarily and had way better social services than the prior ones, with delicate tax control that encouraged rapid population growth. With the population booming from 30,000 to over 50,000 in a matter of minutes, the error occurred. It's not just me, either. On the official EA forum, there is a 9-page thread on unlucky people like me who have experienced this repeatedly from day one. EA needs to get their act together and fix this mess. If they had put a little bit more quality control into this game, it could have been easily in 2013's top 5. Instead, it remains thus far at the bottom. For shame, EA, for shame.    … Expand
  58. Violett
    Apr 2, 2013
    0
    Ok now I've changed my mind. I voted 5 of 10 for this game. Yes, I know launch was awful, but the game itself isnt so bad. That was until I built one big city. The bugwave overwhelmed me. So many bugs and not a single solution, not a single patch, now I cant play my city due to bugs. What I payed money for Its 0 of 10, complete fail. Thank you EA, thank you Maxis, this was the lastOk now I've changed my mind. I voted 5 of 10 for this game. Yes, I know launch was awful, but the game itself isnt so bad. That was until I built one big city. The bugwave overwhelmed me. So many bugs and not a single solution, not a single patch, now I cant play my city due to bugs. What I payed money for Its 0 of 10, complete fail. Thank you EA, thank you Maxis, this was the last product I bought from you.… Expand
  59. thanaton
    May 15, 2014
    0
    I just can't get past the small maps even if they try to spruce it up with great graphics and music Simcity simply doesn't feel fun to play with how small the maps are.

    BIGGER MAPS!
  60. hodgeshennessey
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    this is the first game i have paid for instead of pirating for years. i was already nervous after reading about the small city sizes but critic and friend reviews said it was still fun so i decided to buy it.

    it has currently been downloading for over 7 hours and is on track to take over 27 total hours to finish. i have a 50mbps connection and it is going slower than my old 56k modem.    this is the first game i have paid for instead of pirating for years. i was already nervous after reading about the small city sizes but critic and friend reviews said it was still fun so i decided to buy it.

    it has currently been downloading for over 7 hours and is on track to take over 27 total hours to finish. i have a 50mbps connection and it is going slower than my old 56k modem. absolutely ridiculous. i would love to rate it, but it has been over 7 hours since i have paid for it and i still haven't even been able to TRY to play.    … Expand
  61. damionp
    Mar 6, 2013
    5
    Overall, its not that great. Main points: The bad:
    - The DRM is lame, yes. Its not a deal breaker. After server availability issues a couple hours after launch, I haven't had any problems connecting and playing.
    - The city size is laughable. 2 square kilometers per "city", with the number of "cities" determined by the region you pick to play in. Basically, they designed the game to    Overall, its not that great. Main points: The bad:
    - The DRM is lame, yes. Its not a deal breaker. After server availability issues a couple hours after launch, I haven't had any problems connecting and playing.
    - The city size is laughable. 2 square kilometers per "city", with the number of "cities" determined by the region you pick to play in. Basically, they designed the game to force you to specialize each "city" for a role to support another "city" in your region. No option to just make/play in one large area anymore. Oh, and you may as well section off a huge portion of your already tiny play area to expand your town hall...
    - Loading/switching between the tiny cities on the region view seems to take forever. If you're going to force me to micro-manage resource/utility sharing between "cities", you could at least make it run smoothly. The good:
    - Nice graphics.
    - The changes made to streamline building are nice. I realize there are people out there that like to build every last water pipe and power line, but I thought including all of that built-in to the roads was a good idea. The city specializations are interesting and fun to tinker with.
    - Allowing friends and/or other random people build in your region has potential.

    Overall its pretty "meh". Its more "SimTown" inside of a "SimRegion" than it is "SimCity".    … Expand
  62. d4haxor
    Mar 8, 2013
    0
    This game is unplayable. You are placed in a queue for an unspecified wait (mine was almost an HOUR), only to start building and get disconnected due to the unstable servers. This is unacceptable. Paying good money for a game to go through this many hoops, and EA wonders why Spore was so widely pirated. STAY FAR AWAY.
  63. Qgal5kap
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Despite the poor reviews, I bought the game. At least i found the cheapest possible copy I could,
    which was 100,- Norwegian Kroner cheaper than on the Norwegian EA site.
    Why did I buy it you ask? Simply because I was curious as to how bad it could actually be. I'm two hours into trying to play it. So far all servers are full, and even though I occasionally manage to log on an    Despite the poor reviews, I bought the game. At least i found the cheapest possible copy I could,
    which was 100,- Norwegian Kroner cheaper than on the Norwegian EA site.

    Why did I buy it you ask? Simply because I was curious as to how bad it could actually be.

    I'm two hours into trying to play it. So far all servers are full, and even though I occasionally manage to log on an american server, I am rewarded with a different bug. Bottom line. I can't play the game, yet!    … Expand
  64. Vihazur
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    I think a huge part of the problem with making it multiplayer is that they didn't make it multiplayer enough, to be worth all the crap players have to put up with, for it. I mean, they could have made a really unique game, where players have all sorts of tools to customize their cities, earn revenue from other players visiting their cities, all sorts of stuff.. but just some resourceI think a huge part of the problem with making it multiplayer is that they didn't make it multiplayer enough, to be worth all the crap players have to put up with, for it. I mean, they could have made a really unique game, where players have all sorts of tools to customize their cities, earn revenue from other players visiting their cities, all sorts of stuff.. but just some resource trading? That alone is supposed to justify the online requirement? (LINE-BREAK) It still feels like a largely single-player experience, so all these issues its having, including the design sacrifices they had to make, like small city sizes, just feel like a needless crippling of what could have been a decent, modernized, but rather stock formula city builder. (LINE-BREAK) They could have done something uniquely ambitious with the multiplayer, they could have made it optional, or they could have just stuck with the tried and true single-player experience but instead, they didn't do either. It's just another city builder, unique for how they've had to gut it, rather than for anything new they've brought to the genre.… Expand
  65. luck
    Mar 12, 2013
    5
    I preordered this game when it was announced last year. I am very disappointed. All they need to do was update and add features to Simcity 4. I will say the somethings. I hate you have to be online to play. This is the type of game i would just open to kill time, because you can quit anytime. The cities are small and limited. I have no interest in multiplayer. So the small citiesI preordered this game when it was announced last year. I am very disappointed. All they need to do was update and add features to Simcity 4. I will say the somethings. I hate you have to be online to play. This is the type of game i would just open to kill time, because you can quit anytime. The cities are small and limited. I have no interest in multiplayer. So the small cities are limited. The concept could work, but let us decide how they are connected and merge into each other.

    I miss terrain editor. I will still get enjoyment out of playing this game, but it makes me want to just turn on Simcity 4.    … Expand
  66. Greatrock
    Mar 9, 2013
    6
    I'm updating my review to reflect some of the patches that Maxis has put into place. The game is really good, but still has some annoying features:
    1. When you lose connectivity with the servers, the game still allows you to play, but timers and quest objectives break.
    2. I had a server crash, and when it came back, all of the gameplay for the day was missing (about 3 hours worth) 3.    I'm updating my review to reflect some of the patches that Maxis has put into place. The game is really good, but still has some annoying features:
    1. When you lose connectivity with the servers, the game still allows you to play, but timers and quest objectives break.
    2. I had a server crash, and when it came back, all of the gameplay for the day was missing (about 3 hours worth)
    3. Filters are still turned off, which means its really hard to find an existing game with an unclaimed city.    … Expand
  67. Subwalrus
    Mar 9, 2013
    5
    The Good: A lot of fun. Great strategy playability amongst the regions.
    The Bad: Small city sizes all gameplay online with your game(s) saved in the cloud...
  68. sambo7
    Mar 7, 2013
    3
    Ignoring the whole server issues and always online DRM (which I don't mind that much if it wasn't for this terrible launch) the game still completely falls flat for me.
    Apart from the traffic and population simulators it's a complete downgrade from simcity 4 in almost every way. tiny as cities
    -no farms -no terraforming -barely no public transport -Day 1 DLC -always online DRM    Ignoring the whole server issues and always online DRM (which I don't mind that much if it wasn't for this terrible launch) the game still completely falls flat for me.
    Apart from the traffic and population simulators it's a complete downgrade from simcity 4 in almost every way. tiny as cities
    -no farms
    -no terraforming
    -barely no public transport
    -Day 1 DLC
    -always online DRM -bugs, bad graphics errywhere

    I don't play simcity to muck around with a tiny village, I play it to create a huge, thriving megalopolis. What a disappointment... I may return to the game once they add all the features sim city 4 had (and more) but no doubt this will be payed DLC.    … Expand
  69. Toosman
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I cannot set any score but 0. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time and when it comes, i cant play the game!

    I don't care if this is something that will pass, i don't think it's ok that a HUGE company as EA can't anticipate the load the servers will have to manage during release. The year is 2013 and it's not hard to have some overcapacity the first week of the    I cannot set any score but 0. I have been looking forward to this day for a very long time and when it comes, i cant play the game!

    I don't care if this is something that will pass, i don't think it's ok that a HUGE company as EA can't anticipate the load the servers will have to manage during release. The year is 2013 and it's not hard to have some overcapacity the first week of the game to ensure that their customers get what they pay for. And also, it's a shame that you have to be online all the time, this game should have a game mode for offline gaming. EA deserves the worst for it this much and ruining my free time...    … Expand
  70. CDWarden
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    An unmitigated disaster. Server problems are the crux of the issue. Even when you can log into the game, it is plagued by issues including (but not limited to) inability to work correctly with friends lists, inability to create or delete zones or cities, endless tutorial loops, and so much more. The worst part is that this game looks like it would be excellent if not for the server issuesAn unmitigated disaster. Server problems are the crux of the issue. Even when you can log into the game, it is plagued by issues including (but not limited to) inability to work correctly with friends lists, inability to create or delete zones or cities, endless tutorial loops, and so much more. The worst part is that this game looks like it would be excellent if not for the server issues causing all of this. In a month, this may be an 8 or 9. For now it's an "avoid at all costs".… Expand
  71. Jander3456
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    Spent $60 to wait in line to play a single player game- Not cool. Here's my message to EA always on DRM= score of Zero no exceptions. I would comment on other areas of the game if I was able to, but as of now it's like asking me to write a review of a steak at a restaurant that lost my reservation.
  72. AstroFM
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    It's probably a great game, but for me it's ruined by the inability to actually play the game. Since the release in Europe i have only been able to play on the same city twice. The other times i have tried to log on there's been problems with the servers.
  73. FudgeSociety
    Sep 1, 2014
    0
    Bad EA, I was part of the beta. I was going to buy this game. I specifically came here to be a statistic for a negative review. Could not connect. Sims were a mess. Traffic was broken. The list goes on and on. And even though for the most part they fixed it now, that does not justify releasing a game like that. Good luck selling games with a business method like that, last game I purchasedBad EA, I was part of the beta. I was going to buy this game. I specifically came here to be a statistic for a negative review. Could not connect. Sims were a mess. Traffic was broken. The list goes on and on. And even though for the most part they fixed it now, that does not justify releasing a game like that. Good luck selling games with a business method like that, last game I purchased from you was Battlefield 3, and probably will be my last EA game ever.… Expand
  74. okamimiyazaki
    Sep 3, 2014
    0
    A bad game made even worse by DRM and forced online play. What a way to ruin a perfectly good series that will probably never be the same. Thanks EA, you did it again.
  75. hewlett
    May 13, 2013
    0
    I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers. I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers. I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA andI can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers. I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers. I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers. I can't play any of my cities. I'm sick of starting of scratch every time I want to play. Screw you EA and screw your stupid goddamn servers.… Expand
  76. starwalker
    Apr 7, 2014
    1
    EA should effectively FIRE the whole Game Design team for ruining a franchise and the trust of it from what Maxis had. Period.

    EA is doing a great job of killing well known Franchises down to nothing. Good Job EA. Good Job.

    And I'm talking about the offline experience, not even online.
  77. ElementalChaos
    May 4, 2013
    0
    Rushed, unplayable, buggy garbage topped off with EA's infamous always-online DRM. Please, don't waste your time on this s**t fest and play SimCity 4 instead.
  78. Andreakossa
    May 13, 2013
    0
    Always online DRM for a single player game, when servers will be down then you'll be locked out of your single player game, save states being tied to client-side servers, Origin only game, day 0 downloadable content and many DLC's will be released in future at high prices for low gain on your end, with poor customer service, basicly this is a facebook game, being sold as a PC game, avoidAlways online DRM for a single player game, when servers will be down then you'll be locked out of your single player game, save states being tied to client-side servers, Origin only game, day 0 downloadable content and many DLC's will be released in future at high prices for low gain on your end, with poor customer service, basicly this is a facebook game, being sold as a PC game, avoid this game at all cost.… Expand
  79. Ageoffan
    Apr 20, 2013
    0
    EA wrecking another title, as always. Drm is beyond retarded and I have no idea why anyone would ever even put something like that into a game that was historically single player. But, EA being EA, expect stupidity from them at EVERY turn.
  80. Gandal13579
    Mar 24, 2013
    6
    I have a big problem with this EA Server for 2 weeks but now I downloaded free crack for Offline Mode so it's working great but other negative item is a small map of the city. If you want crack here it is http://penguinhackz.blogspot.com
  81. beeper917
    Mar 25, 2013
    0
    I preordered the game direct from Origin. What a mistake! Never preordering again.

    The always online and server issues have been harped on to death. That aside: This game is ridiculously bad!!! To call it a game is being generous. The core of a SimCity game isn't even here. RCI doesn't function at all. You can build a city with no water, power, police, etc., zone ONLY RESIDENTIAL and    I preordered the game direct from Origin. What a mistake! Never preordering again.

    The always online and server issues have been harped on to death. That aside:

    This game is ridiculously bad!!! To call it a game is being generous. The core of a SimCity game isn't even here. RCI doesn't function at all. You can build a city with no water, power, police, etc., zone ONLY RESIDENTIAL and as long as taxes are low you'll have a 500k city with top approval ratings. This isn't the only issue the game has. There's a metric ton of bugs, but I thought this was most relevant as the bugs may get fixed but this seems to be a bad design decision.

    This isn't a game, it's a screensaver. Don't waste your money. Biggest gaming flop since E.T.    … Expand
  82. sturmtiger
    Mar 25, 2013
    0
    I was very excited when I saw that SimCity was going to be made. After my purchase I am yet another that will not spend another dollar for E.A. games. This game is little more than a screensaver. There are so many bugs I couldn't begin to list them all here. This is the only game I have ever felt warranted warning others NOT to spend money on. It is simply the worst game I have everI was very excited when I saw that SimCity was going to be made. After my purchase I am yet another that will not spend another dollar for E.A. games. This game is little more than a screensaver. There are so many bugs I couldn't begin to list them all here. This is the only game I have ever felt warranted warning others NOT to spend money on. It is simply the worst game I have ever purchased. Save your money this thing is a real turd.… Expand
  83. SniperX22
    Apr 9, 2013
    0
    Wish I could get my money, back. Broken Gameplay, Broken Servers, and Broken Game. I really enjoyed the previous Sim Cities, to bad cities XL doesn't have the funding this game did. If it did it would blow this game out out of the water even more.
  84. LHR_Redemption
    May 2, 2013
    6
    Well without going into the launch woes which were so bad that you could not even play the game lets delve into what is on offer with this Sim City.

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

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

    Now granted this is not the Sim City of past but it is still an enjoyable experience when everything is working. If you have friends that have picked it up then i would do it as well if you have loved past Sims games because it is definitely more fun with friends.    … Expand
  85. krunkert
    Apr 29, 2013
    1
    The internet issues required by this single player game make it unplayable. The fact that this game is dependent on EA's servers (which has a fantastically awful track record) means you can play this game only when EA is up and running. On top of that the city size is crazy small and the sims themselves have the IQ of a fairly large bag of hair. The amount of frustrations this gameThe internet issues required by this single player game make it unplayable. The fact that this game is dependent on EA's servers (which has a fantastically awful track record) means you can play this game only when EA is up and running. On top of that the city size is crazy small and the sims themselves have the IQ of a fairly large bag of hair. The amount of frustrations this game generates is only doubled by the fact that I really loved the last SimCity and was looking forward to this one for months.… Expand
  86. jinx748
    Apr 29, 2013
    3
    I love SimCity but I am less than pleased with this game. I bought this game the day it came out and I was immediately confronted with piles of problems getting the game to work. They gave me a free game to make up for their incompetence but that doesn't make me stop wishing they hadn't dropped the ball. The graphics are polished and they look great! The sims are very unintelligent andI love SimCity but I am less than pleased with this game. I bought this game the day it came out and I was immediately confronted with piles of problems getting the game to work. They gave me a free game to make up for their incompetence but that doesn't make me stop wishing they hadn't dropped the ball. The graphics are polished and they look great! The sims are very unintelligent and there are mountains of bugs. They have been working hard to fix the bugs so I have to give them a little credit there. This game could have been so fantastic but someone got greedy and released it waaaaaay too soon. IMO this game should not have been released for another year to two years. There could be much more content and interaction between players is limited. The intelligence of the sims could be brought to at least a kindergarten level and the playable area for a city could stand to be a little bigger.

    I hope Maxis can pull it out of the hat with an expansion but they are really slow on fixes and updates so I can't see it happening.    … Expand
  87. BuldozerX
    Apr 30, 2013
    0
    Horrible game that is completely ruined by always online DRM. EA is treating every honest gamer like a true pirate. Don`t support EA, and don`t buy games like these.
  88. MoltenReviewer
    May 5, 2013
    0
    This game is the definition of selling out. Buying it only supports bad game development. Destroying a game by forcing DRM is something that needs to end.
  89. Addergebroed
    May 12, 2013
    4
    According to origin I have now logged 100 hours of sim city gameplay time. My guess is about 75 hours of these are real gameplay times, due to the server issues upon launch. These have been fixed and I am not taking these into account scoring the game.

    Even though I consider building the city to be solid fun, there are too many bugs and design problems in this game for it to deserve a    According to origin I have now logged 100 hours of sim city gameplay time. My guess is about 75 hours of these are real gameplay times, due to the server issues upon launch. These have been fixed and I am not taking these into account scoring the game.

    Even though I consider building the city to be solid fun, there are too many bugs and design problems in this game for it to deserve a sufficient grade.

    An example; and keep in mind we are now at patch "3.0" and yet I still keep running into game-breaking bugs. After spending 5 hours designing your town to the best of your abilities and judging it is the appropriate time to educate your sims it is extremely frustrating to see your students being picked up by schoolbuses from neighbouring towns, never to be returned again.

    Another example; after giving up on educating your town and switching to tourism industry it is extremely frustrating to have 10.000 tourists enter your town by train, only to have them all leaving by taxi. Even though sim cities traffic issues have been mitigated somewhat, this still leads to a city breaking traffic jam.

    I could name several more examples I have personally encountered, but instead I would like to refer any interested buyers to the official simcity forums and its bug list; http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9469448.page Notice that the ratio of game breaking bugs to merely inconvenient bugs is about 1/3.

    My judgment could be summarized as;
    The gameplay has a lot of potential. However the amount of bugs and several suboptimal design choices have culminated in a product unworthy of anyones investment at this time. The game feels somewhat "unfinished" to me. A feeling backed by the amount of patches issued in the past two month.    … Expand
  90. Discofix
    Sep 27, 2013
    0
    SimCity simulates itself. The AI programming just needs a better coder.
    E.g. Citizens walk around and around Buildings non-stop; Police cars are usually there, where there is no crime; Citizens complain about trash problems even if there are non; And the biggest Problem: There is too much traffic. New York has 1000% less.
  91. Naketam
    Dec 6, 2013
    9
    Even though Sim city has some problems and these problems are mostly solved I give 9 points from ten because I've never played better city building strategy. For me the reason why i am not giving ten points is that the places for building are so small.
  92. notapaidcritic
    Jan 9, 2014
    3
    This game really is a turd. I bought it a week after release. Stopped after realizing the simulation was broken. Waited for 10+ patches. Updated around Xmas. Played enough to get 4 cities in a region and start building the Solar Farm. Freight, trade, resources going to storage lots (trade depot) , storage lots (ports), shared resources from neighbors; FLAT OUT BROKEN. I have twoThis game really is a turd. I bought it a week after release. Stopped after realizing the simulation was broken. Waited for 10+ patches. Updated around Xmas. Played enough to get 4 cities in a region and start building the Solar Farm. Freight, trade, resources going to storage lots (trade depot) , storage lots (ports), shared resources from neighbors; FLAT OUT BROKEN. I have two coal mines, coal in lots, yet somehow my smelters and coal power plants never have coal. Same instance with every resource going to any destination. Alloy to Great work, ore to smelter, plastic to processor factory...

    Thought the issue may lie with transit. However.... Traffic is not causing this issue. Sold all resources, closed depots/lots/ports re-opened, re-worked all streets and transit to eliminate all red/yellow areas on streets and somehow the resources/freight take 3 three days to move. REALLY? Ok, I'm laughing now because it's absurd.

    My first PC game was SimCity 2000. I was in 5th grade or something. I'm 28 now and have loved each installment since. What used to be a wonderful city simulation has gone very wrong. (Insert EA blame here).

    No, but really....EA..... Maxis and Dice were phenomenal before you became their publisher... I wish they hadn't sold out. Gaming companies that are successful today, listen to their community. EA has not been doing that. For anyone thinking about buying Simcity 2013. Please do not, until you read a review in 5 years that says that came is actually functioning correctly. If that ever happens.

    3 for graphics, sound, and the developers effort. - 7 for gameplay, DRM, lies, ruining franchises, inflated prices, bad patching, DLC, and BF4 bugs.    … Expand
  93. JEMaster102
    Dec 29, 2014
    0
    I feel as if the SimCity game is not worthy of buying. Receiving annoying errors stop me from continuing my game. In fact, I couldn't start a game because of update errors when I go to the start up menu. It's INSANE! I first bought SimCity through Origin and tried to play it. IT NEVER WENT PASS THE TITLE SCREEN. So, I decided to refund the game so I can get my money back. Receiving myI feel as if the SimCity game is not worthy of buying. Receiving annoying errors stop me from continuing my game. In fact, I couldn't start a game because of update errors when I go to the start up menu. It's INSANE! I first bought SimCity through Origin and tried to play it. IT NEVER WENT PASS THE TITLE SCREEN. So, I decided to refund the game so I can get my money back. Receiving my money, I went to a store to buy another copy (hoping the first copy was a bust). I install it on my computer, and the same thing happens. It comes up with errors complaining about slow internet connection and that it's keeping the game from updating. My internet connection is full bars, so that wasn't the problem. I began to search the internet to see if people have solutions to this problem. I have tried everything, and still, the game won't load. Many people are having the same problem as me and the fact that EA is not trying to fix it makes me doubt the entire game. I recommend that if you want to blow your money on something that won't work, you can to the right place, because SimCity deserves a 0.… Expand
  94. Lore91
    Apr 3, 2016
    0
    the most ugly game ever played in my entire life!
    Most defective of all humanity
    most fail every existing thing
    Do not buy it, if you've already bought yourself a refund!
  95. gordonbays
    Jan 19, 2016
    0
    I play this game since psone and i can guaratee that Sim City 5 is the worst game of the serie. I mean, it doesn't even have a name! Some people call SimCity 5, other Sim City 2013.
    This game sucks, the map is very, very small. The water is limited. New resources wont last few hours!

    Pros: polished graphics, thats all!
  96. razster
    Mar 5, 2013
    5
    Though I did play the BETA for 1hr, I liked what I was able to create, the game itself was very pleasing to the eyes and the features/functions were nice... BUT the reason I gave it a lower score of 5 is because I cannot play the game I bought. This is like D3 all over again and I was hoping that a large company like EA would see the folly that Blizzard had, I was wrong.

    So I will only    Though I did play the BETA for 1hr, I liked what I was able to create, the game itself was very pleasing to the eyes and the features/functions were nice... BUT the reason I gave it a lower score of 5 is because I cannot play the game I bought. This is like D3 all over again and I was hoping that a large company like EA would see the folly that Blizzard had, I was wrong.

    So I will only five this a 5 review and nothing more. I think I may have regrets.    … Expand
  97. scradam
    Mar 24, 2013
    5
    At first, I gave it a 1 because it was unplayable. Then, I gave it an 8 once they gave me an extra free game and I was able to play for a day. Now, i can't play a single city for more than a day or two because of the recycling bug. This game is basically in the alpha or early beta stage of development. I doubt they will ever actually improve it enough to be an actual release worthyAt first, I gave it a 1 because it was unplayable. Then, I gave it an 8 once they gave me an extra free game and I was able to play for a day. Now, i can't play a single city for more than a day or two because of the recycling bug. This game is basically in the alpha or early beta stage of development. I doubt they will ever actually improve it enough to be an actual release worthy game. EA really really botched this game. It's botched so badly, it's impressive. … Expand
  98. Zirrkis
    Mar 7, 2013
    6
    I found that Simcity is a good game that was held back by a poor business model and its online features. It feels as if there is a physical wall blocking the game from the customer, which many people are complaining about. There is a severe problem with the DRM, its very restrictive. Personally, I have never had a problem with Always online drm, but one that keeps the player from playingI found that Simcity is a good game that was held back by a poor business model and its online features. It feels as if there is a physical wall blocking the game from the customer, which many people are complaining about. There is a severe problem with the DRM, its very restrictive. Personally, I have never had a problem with Always online drm, but one that keeps the player from playing what they payed for is very much a problem. Its like paying 20$ for a movie and food and not being able to eat your food or watch the movie. What people need to know is that its not a bad game at all. The developer has nothing to do with the main problems. Its EA's poorly layed out buisiness model that is the problem, and thats why I give this game a 6.5, its game mechanics are fine besides some bugs here and there. the real problem is the restrictive and near completely broken servers/DRM.… Expand
  99. milesa360
    Mar 12, 2013
    2
    I originally reviewed this game on day two after the North American release. I rated it 7 out of 10. I am changing my review to a 2 out of 10.

    When I first reviewed the game, there were serious server issues. While they are still lingering, and servers are constantly coming down and back up daily, the game is now at least playable for an extended amount of time. In my original    I originally reviewed this game on day two after the North American release. I rated it 7 out of 10. I am changing my review to a 2 out of 10.

    When I first reviewed the game, there were serious server issues. While they are still lingering, and servers are constantly coming down and back up daily, the game is now at least playable for an extended amount of time. In my original review, I praised the graphics, interface, deep simulation, and the way they mesh together. I stand by my assessment of the graphics and interface. However, upon playing the game uninterrupted for several hours, as well as doing number crunching, and reading other accounts of people doing the same kinds of observations I have been, I've come to the conclusion that the simulation is not nearly as deep as it appears. One of the great features touted by the developers in this game was the 'GlassBox' engine, which supposedly has literally thousands of 'sims' (citizens of your city) being simulated on the EA servers, which allows a realistic and complex city to emerge on your screen without users needing to own a supercomputer. This conveniently provided their rationale for requiring a constant connection to their servers at all times even while playing single player. This is manifestly false. You can physically disconnect your internet from your computer while playing and the supposedly server-side simulation continues to hum along without a hitch. My complaint here is not about the requirement of the internet connection (though there are many reasons to dislike it), but by the completely invented reasoning behind its inclusion.

    In addition to this complaint, there are an entire host of client-side issues which are either bugs, or simply non-features to begin with. The supposedly intelligent traffic system in which "everyone has a home and a workplace unless unemployed", is also false. The "simulation" does not simulate actions of the sims, it simply spawns cars and moves them around in a fashion which would *appear* to show a collection of individual behaviors. Essentially, it "simulates" the simulation. The same can be said for the industrial system, in which supposedly residents work and produce goods, which are then shipped off to businesses to be sold to citizens that made money working & producing other goods. This is also false. Despite showing lots of big numbers when you look at your population statistics regarding "shipped freight", "goods sold" etc, these are essentially arbitrary numbers based on the population of your city (which also over time becomes greatly inflated compared to the number of actual "sims" visible moving about your city) and the makeup of your zones which you have placed. The businesses do not recieve shipments from industry, they restock automatically at the beginning of each game day, regardless of the availability of goods either in your city or your region. It is entirely possible and workable to have a city with zero industry and only residents and shops, with no imports, exports, or production, but the city will "thrive" on. In short, the much touted "depth" of simulation is a complete sham. The real achievement by Maxis is the ability of the game to pull the wool over your eyes and show you what purports to be a much more realistic and complex simulation than previous SimCity titles when in fact, the game is far simpler, less realistic, more limited, and worst of all, dysfunctional to the core.    … Expand
  100. TGMode
    Mar 9, 2013
    5
    When I eventually did get to play in single player mode after 2 days it looks great and has some interesting stuff but within 2 hours I had run out of space. I paid £60+ for this and when I've finished this review I'm going to boot up Cities XL
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

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