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. zontral
    Mar 9, 2013
    8
    I haven't had any of the server problems like others were having so my experience has been awesome with the game so far. I feel like it's easier than Sim City 4 but still a great game and can be very addicting so I'm giving a solid 8/10..
  2. powersackers
    Mar 9, 2013
    9
    Myself and a handful of BF3 clan mates have established our Region and are spending a lot of time working together in SimCity learning the ropes together and cursing the ocassional Godzilla or Zombie attack that tears apart what we worked so hard to build. You will find yourself lost in the city and it's management and next thing you know it'll be 3am in the morning and you have hardlyMyself and a handful of BF3 clan mates have established our Region and are spending a lot of time working together in SimCity learning the ropes together and cursing the ocassional Godzilla or Zombie attack that tears apart what we worked so hard to build. You will find yourself lost in the city and it's management and next thing you know it'll be 3am in the morning and you have hardly got up out of your gaming PC chair all night. Graphics are excellent, sound is perfect and alive. There's no plop it down and forget it. You must plan for adding jail cells and dispatch centers to your police station. You must watch where you plan your water pumping station based on water tables. And dont' get me started on healthcare. My sims are always ill and need more patient wings to my hospitals. I think I have a sewage/trash/nuclear radiation problem I need to go take care of right now. Still after only 2 sessions my city has nearly 200k fairly happy Sims with a 79% approval rating. Get this game, you won't regret it if you are a modern gaming with realistic expectations of what gaming is today. It's not a solo experience, at least not for me. And I woudn't want it to be. I don't care what DRM is or means, doesn't seem to be affecting my enjoyment, whatever it is. And BTW, no technical issues here on my end.… Expand
  3. JayE
    Oct 29, 2014
    8
    Lets try to ignore all the troubles at its release, now that it is patched up and we have offline mode it's quite a good game for what it is with patch 10.1.

    There are still a few bugs present since release, such as Recycle Centers failing to collect garbage for no apparent reason, having to demolish and rebuild them to get them working again. And path finding issues such the 'cant find    Lets try to ignore all the troubles at its release, now that it is patched up and we have offline mode it's quite a good game for what it is with patch 10.1.

    There are still a few bugs present since release, such as Recycle Centers failing to collect garbage for no apparent reason, having to demolish and rebuild them to get them working again. And path finding issues such the 'cant find work' problem despite there being available work in a commercial building with wealth-matching jobs right next door. But these are minor issues. At least traffic now works properly.

    Compared to the previous games this is a breath of fresh air, the new 3D system works well, nice visuals and animations. It can be quite a challenge building a profitable city, balancing out wealth, crime, fire coverage, managing traffic, optimizing trade, futurizing the city, building successful casino's, getting everything balanced up to the point where the city can just run itself for hours with no input. But at this point there is not much else to do, the city is running fine, time to build another city, then another, then another, then it's like - what now? I suppose the other games had the same issue, but with the other games you could bulldoze a quarter of the city and redesign whole areas, relocate industrial etc... In this game you can't really do that due to the limited space, perhaps the game should have been called SimCityCentral or SimCBD because that's pretty much the area size you have to play with.

    If the city size was 200% - 300% larger it would be far far more enjoyable.
    Larger city sizes would allow you to create suburb areas, a city area, farming area, proper highways - this is simply not possible in this game. Bit of a shame. It is the biggest flaw of an otherwise brilliant game.

    I would probably give it 92/100 if the city size was larger. But it gets 82/100 from me.    … Expand
  4. koolkris200
    Jul 9, 2013
    10
    This game is a awesome game but I wish they would of planed to put that dlc content in the game and have all the bugs worked out and bigger map sizes and they sent out a survey in an email about the changes that should come soon the other reason why I don't like this game is the always online thing that's not the best thing to do but Maxis and EA made a good game
  5. TheMaximalist
    Apr 16, 2013
    7
    The launch was rocky but once you start playing the game you realise how much you missed building these metropolises, albeit small metropolises. It does feel limited by the removal of god mode and the map size
  6. Thunderballs
    Oct 26, 2013
    6
    It's a decent game, but it gets old after only a few cities. Origin is a pain in the behind and isn't even close to being on par with Steam. Unless you want to constantly drop $30 for expansion packs (Think Sims 3 style)... than I wouldn't bother getting this game. Sim City 4 will get you immensly more entertainment value for your hard earned
  7. Ericius
    Jun 18, 2013
    10
    Great game! If you liked the old sim city games Sim city 5 will be a great pleasure to play. It is very recognizable to the old games. This time though the game dives much deeper into detail and micromanagement. If you like to play fast without much eye for detail the game will work fine but you can dive as deep as you want. Making my first city is was just the beginning. After that youGreat game! If you liked the old sim city games Sim city 5 will be a great pleasure to play. It is very recognizable to the old games. This time though the game dives much deeper into detail and micromanagement. If you like to play fast without much eye for detail the game will work fine but you can dive as deep as you want. Making my first city is was just the beginning. After that you can start your own territory and claim all city area's and with that start this huge metropolis. If you like to play with other users you play an open area and help each other develop parts of the world. I understood that there were major start up problems so I waited until those were fixed. Since I bought it I experienced no bugs, flaws or crashes.… Expand
  8. Mathew952
    Mar 17, 2013
    5
    I can honestly say I am very disappointed with Sim City (2013) as a lifelong fan of the Sim City Franchise. The game is riddled with bugs; you will watch your city burn as fire trucks drive around the same block over and over, and as cars take the most bizarre routes totally jamming your streets; even with a really thorough mass transit network, the city is impossible to get runningI can honestly say I am very disappointed with Sim City (2013) as a lifelong fan of the Sim City Franchise. The game is riddled with bugs; you will watch your city burn as fire trucks drive around the same block over and over, and as cars take the most bizarre routes totally jamming your streets; even with a really thorough mass transit network, the city is impossible to get running smoothly; perhaps this is to be expected of a very dense city, but building a very dense city is your only choice! The maps are very tiny, especially when the game's balance is totally dependent on specializing on some sort of huge space consuming industry. You have to build mines and oil wells, refineries, trade depots, HQs; There's something absolutely bizarre about having and oilfield in the equivalent of downtown New York!. In addition, everything _must_ connect to a road, which now also provides power, water, and sewage; and it's permanently attached to that road. Want to upgrade a road to an avenue? Say bye bye to EVERYTHING on that road, EVEN IF you _instantly_ replace the road. Not only that, but even parks and ponds need road access, since it would be utterly impossible for people to walk to a park behind their house, and since space is at an ultra premium, you will simply ignore parks. Simply put, Sim City looks nice, sounds nice, and has so much promise, but is crippled by a long series of terrible design choices that ultimately reduce Sim City (2013) to a boring mess. Pass on this, avoid the DRM nightmare, and get either Cities XL or even Sim City 4.… Expand
  9. ChoicestGames
    Sep 9, 2013
    7
    The new SimCity is a casual, online-only, sandbox game involving lots of micromanagement with little useful data to guide your actions. The pretty miniature cities means you can create good looking desktop wallpapers but that's about all it's really good for once you've figured the game out. This is fine if that's what you're looking for in this game but it's about as far from the originalThe new SimCity is a casual, online-only, sandbox game involving lots of micromanagement with little useful data to guide your actions. The pretty miniature cities means you can create good looking desktop wallpapers but that's about all it's really good for once you've figured the game out. This is fine if that's what you're looking for in this game but it's about as far from the original SimCity formula as you can get. While Maxis should be lauded for being bold and trying something new the design and implementation was so poorly done they may have done irreversible damage to their reputation.… Expand
  10. BigTex
    Mar 25, 2013
    9
    I think most of the negative reviews are from: A) people complaining about the DRM because they can't steal the game; B) people who were very disappointed by the initial release server problems; C) people who are disappointed that the game isn't the same as previous releases of the franchise and D) people who hate EA, it's corporate model, and everything else about the big distributors.I think most of the negative reviews are from: A) people complaining about the DRM because they can't steal the game; B) people who were very disappointed by the initial release server problems; C) people who are disappointed that the game isn't the same as previous releases of the franchise and D) people who hate EA, it's corporate model, and everything else about the big distributors. Pirates, too bad it's much harder to get for free. The server problems are being fixed. It's a new game which you should have recognized from all of the pre-release information available. EA is EA, like them or hate them it's your prerogative. The game is beautiful and fun. The multi-player experience adds an entirely new depth of dealing with other people for materials and goods. Being older than the average poster here, I have played the entire franchise since the original Sim City. I think this version, while not perfect, is a worthy successor to the lineage. And that's my two cents.… Expand
  11. Nexus2132
    Mar 27, 2013
    8
    Alright I'm not someone who is going to say "This is the best game ever, and all you people who dislike it are idiots!" However this latest SimCity title is what I would consider to be a fantastic game. Yes it is more of a business game rather than what some would call the "true" SimCity, but there is so much game behind this that its worth every penny. The fact that your Sims actuallyAlright I'm not someone who is going to say "This is the best game ever, and all you people who dislike it are idiots!" However this latest SimCity title is what I would consider to be a fantastic game. Yes it is more of a business game rather than what some would call the "true" SimCity, but there is so much game behind this that its worth every penny. The fact that your Sims actually have their own desires, wants, and needs makes the world live and breathe. This is one of the single best simulation games available to date, regardless of whether or not Hardcore fans agree with that statement. Its defiantly worth buying and with the updates in place its hard to find reasons not to. Don't listen to the hate train, this is a great game. Do yourself a favour and pick this one up.… Expand
  12. XhAPPYSLApX
    Mar 20, 2014
    7
    (After the "Offline Update" was released.) Before I start... I get why everyone hates this game. But dang it I just can't hate it, it looks nice, plays nice, and it just is a good game. The interface is really well made, I like the idea of roads being what controls the density, and I love how the city looks, and it is much faster to create a big city than it is in Simcity 4, and yet it(After the "Offline Update" was released.) Before I start... I get why everyone hates this game. But dang it I just can't hate it, it looks nice, plays nice, and it just is a good game. The interface is really well made, I like the idea of roads being what controls the density, and I love how the city looks, and it is much faster to create a big city than it is in Simcity 4, and yet it made a single mistake, a mistake that ALMOST ruined it for me. The city sizes, or should I say the lack there of. They should not have done this, but the reason why is so that they could force multiplayer on us, but now that the offline update is out, why not make new regions with much bigger cities for singleplayer play only? but even then I still get much enjoyment out of seeing my city grow, only if I could see it grow even more. If I were to compare this to SimCity 4 I would rate it a 6/10, but on its own, it is a pretty good game imo.… Expand
  13. kuehnau
    Apr 1, 2013
    8
    SimCity AKA SimCity 5 is the latest installment of SimCity from EA. It approaches the game in an new, interesting, stream lined manner that any fan of the franchise should appreciate. It adds new content by adding in a "quest" system of sorts, as you try to fulfill Sim's wants, needs and desires while balancing the town.

    They added in a new online co-op style game play in which you can    SimCity AKA SimCity 5 is the latest installment of SimCity from EA. It approaches the game in an new, interesting, stream lined manner that any fan of the franchise should appreciate. It adds new content by adding in a "quest" system of sorts, as you try to fulfill Sim's wants, needs and desires while balancing the town.

    They added in a new online co-op style game play in which you can trade with other local cities, something that should have been added in ages ago, something that the Sims 3 game should have had from the start.

    The game looks good, plays good and handles well.. When you can play it. When the servers are down, you cannot play the game, much like a standard MMO.

    I have two major complaints, the first being that you must always be online to play SimCity, I feel this is one of the worst possible ways to handle DRM. The second complaint is the fact I cannot access this game on STEAM. While this are kind of annoying, they are by no means deal breakers.

    Unfortunately, due to EA's reputation, the always on DRM and several other aspects, a very polished, fun, worthy titles is getting a massive amount of bad feedback from immature children who cannot understand that things can and will change with time. The same thing happened with Diablo 3. Due to some DRM issues and a bad launch day, a triple A title got horrible ratings. Do yourself a favor and try it out for yourself, don't believe all the negative hype surrounding an otherwise fantastic game.    … Expand
  14. Scottixboy
    Apr 17, 2013
    9
    Once you get past the games tiny gripes, Simcity becomes an addictive game, It was really hard to understand all the negative reviews at first, but it all makes sense now, I purchased the game a week after it had come out and didn't suffer the server issue that plagued the day-one adopters of the game, I understand the anger and the need to go on Metacritic and rage about it being broken.Once you get past the games tiny gripes, Simcity becomes an addictive game, It was really hard to understand all the negative reviews at first, but it all makes sense now, I purchased the game a week after it had come out and didn't suffer the server issue that plagued the day-one adopters of the game, I understand the anger and the need to go on Metacritic and rage about it being broken.
    BUT!
    Take my word for it, THE REVIEWS ON THIS SITE DO THIS GAME 0 JUSTICE!
    To start you gotta think, Compared to Simcity 4, this game has it's limitations(fixed to medium map size, no manual pipes electricity lines etc), but most of the things changed were altered to make the gameplay more streamlined, For example, the world may be smaller, BUT it's not that much smaller, and if you can't fit your city in the confides of the map, then your doing something wrong. They are smaller to streamline the "Region" Idea more and it does work! Exceptionally I may add, sadly there isn't much benefit to playing singleplayer like this, but a game like this is meant to be played online, The automatic Pipe routing and electrical wiring, is automatic to make the map look less clutters and make it easier for beginners( I had tons of issues with this system on S4, I prefer the way it is now)

    Finally, If you were disappointed with this game, You were expecting too much, the Classic simcity gameplay is there, The Graphics are stunning, the tutorials are very well refined for beginners and all round is a better game than SimCity 4.

    I'm aware the always online is a problem, but since they fixed the filter issue and I can play online now, This game just got better with online, This game is meant to be played online, so they Always online isn't a problem especially for me.

    This game deserves a much higher score than it receives, If you loved the simcity franchise, This game is for you.

    I'm disgusted at people for rating this so low.

    This is a game everyone MUST own.

    It would get a 10 If Maxis iron out all the bugs.    … Expand
  15. Loler13gr
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    Althought the first few days were horrible with lots of problems I must say the game is pretty good... I had a lot of fun playing it and I can say that I will play this for a long time to come.. The graphics are great and the fact that you can zoom in and be able to see what your sims do and what they think is amazing.. The only problem is that the maps are a little small which means thatAlthought the first few days were horrible with lots of problems I must say the game is pretty good... I had a lot of fun playing it and I can say that I will play this for a long time to come.. The graphics are great and the fact that you can zoom in and be able to see what your sims do and what they think is amazing.. The only problem is that the maps are a little small which means that in order to do everything you have to expand and build more cities in the region and the always-online DRM... This last one is the biggest mistake of the company and if the company doesn't do something about it then they might have a problem...… Expand
  16. svtraptor
    Jun 9, 2013
    10
    Everyone should ignore the low scores this game has solved its online bugs and is great now! I fell in love with it and played 45 hours in the first month. Great DLC continues to come out. I recommend this to anyone who likes simulator games.
  17. DoctorMedic
    May 3, 2013
    8
    I do not get what's with all the hate over this game. Sure, always-online DRM is a bummer, but it's actually pretty good once you get past that. EA may have bad practices, but they aren't worse than New Jersey. Come on.
  18. Tacobadgers
    Mar 10, 2013
    4
    This game was fun at first but the limited city size and laughable multiplayer take the fun away about two days after you start playing. At first I loved it but then after playing about 12 cities it got old really fast. The multiplayer is stupid sure if you're connected to another city via a highway its fun you can send police, fire, trucks, amberlamps and sell or buy services from anotherThis game was fun at first but the limited city size and laughable multiplayer take the fun away about two days after you start playing. At first I loved it but then after playing about 12 cities it got old really fast. The multiplayer is stupid sure if you're connected to another city via a highway its fun you can send police, fire, trucks, amberlamps and sell or buy services from another city that is connected with a highway. The problem is only about 4 of the 16 cities are connected via highway in a region so whats the point. Sure those cities are connected but what about all the others they don't benefit from anything you do in the other cities. It even says your departments connected to your City hall are supposedly region wide but they aren't so if you start a city that's not connected with a highway you are basically starting from scratch on a tiny patch of land that's often full of hills and valleys and water that you can even build on and there is no terraforming only what your road does to the land when you lay it down except it just terraforms around the road still leaving the land around it completely incapable of supporting structures.Notice how i said nothing of the DRM or Server issues that also plague this game. If you do buy this game make sure you buy it at a place that will take your return cause its not worth staying.… Expand
  19. McFungus
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    After attempting to connect to Simcity for over an hour today I feel I can comfortably say that the server connection screen is not crash hot. I've seen worse, but I've also seen sexier.
    As for the game I am sure it will be a great deal of fun once I am able to play it.
    But as the old proverb goes, "don't steal from your own rice bowl". Some food for thought in these trying times.
  20. Babaganoush
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    The game itself is fun. You have a limited space... really limited space compared to previous SimCities, but it's actually pretty challenging. Besides, what city was ever self sufficient? Multicity play is great even with playing with friends, but joining a public server might get you griefed. Such examples as your neighboring city constantly streaming criminals down your path or cuttingThe game itself is fun. You have a limited space... really limited space compared to previous SimCities, but it's actually pretty challenging. Besides, what city was ever self sufficient? Multicity play is great even with playing with friends, but joining a public server might get you griefed. Such examples as your neighboring city constantly streaming criminals down your path or cutting off your bought power. All in all, Maxis' reboot of SimCity is pretty decent.

    Except one thing. Electronic Arts. Their publisher dropped the ball on this game. As usual. The Online DRM has led to problems such as cities not saving, THIRTY MINUTE SERVER QUEUES, and even cities being rolled back. That's enough to dock five points off. We can't even play the game in the meantime. Thanks to EA. Again. I think they just took back the most hated gaming publisher award from Activision.    … Expand
  21. Spacerogue
    Mar 17, 2013
    5
    I rather like the game, but after a few hours of working I have not been able to play anymore, it simply will not start up and I'v tried EVERYTHING by now. Sadly enough I live in a place where PC games can't be refunded so I'm screwed once again. I'm guessing its the draconian DRM locking me out for no reason. I'm giving it a 5 because I feel sorry for the artists working on this game. I'mI rather like the game, but after a few hours of working I have not been able to play anymore, it simply will not start up and I'v tried EVERYTHING by now. Sadly enough I live in a place where PC games can't be refunded so I'm screwed once again. I'm guessing its the draconian DRM locking me out for no reason. I'm giving it a 5 because I feel sorry for the artists working on this game. I'm guessing the coders where playing Plants VS Zombies and everyone seemed to be fine with this as the PR made up wonderful stories of a game that people wanted but won't exists.… Expand
  22. Father_death
    Jun 1, 2013
    7
    The score needs to be reset... This is kinda total I don't like EA but still this game is good people judged it by the starter not the actual game! people are idiots... this game should have a 8-10!
  23. Annoymous1
    May 3, 2013
    5
    It is shocking to see such a good series become terrible within 2 hours of playing it. Seriously, EA forces you to use internet in this game, despite great internet, it repeatedly says 'NO INTERNET' and then after at least a few seconds it crashes. The only good things were the graphics and the rioting but it still doesn't develop realistic characteristics
  24. mp3774
    Mar 22, 2013
    10
    BEST GAME EVER MADE!!!
    I not just liked this game
    I LOVED IT
    The Servers work perfect nad the game is the best SimCity ever made since Sim City Societies (The Second best SimCity ever made)
  25. rocketsatdawn
    Mar 23, 2013
    7
    The game was a nightmare to access at launch, but they've since resolved most of the issues by adding more servers and regular updates. There are still some problems that need addressing including contradictory information in game and instances where the server is not syncing with the cities, so you end up having to roll back to a previous state essentially losing all your recent progress.The game was a nightmare to access at launch, but they've since resolved most of the issues by adding more servers and regular updates. There are still some problems that need addressing including contradictory information in game and instances where the server is not syncing with the cities, so you end up having to roll back to a previous state essentially losing all your recent progress. But apart from that its a really good game that is incredibly fun to play. It would be nice to have an offline mode but I have found the multilayer aspect extremely rewarding as I share my region with a couple of my buddies. It's great building different types of cities and either sabotaging your citizens lives or building lots of parks and keeping them happy. Of course its seriously entertaining when you get a zombie outbreak and you can watch them annihilate your population. One real problem with the game play itself is how small the cities are. It's great building multiple cities that work together, but It can be frustrating running out of space especially when nearly all of your buildings are already high density. Its a shame considering how you could make enormous cities in Simcity 4. This is something that should be amended because it really does put a limit on how long you can play the game for. It gets to a point that all you can do is leave your old city and start a new one.… Expand
  26. hellrazr99
    Mar 6, 2013
    5
    This game is simpler than ever! Great UI and much easier to get off the ground running than previous versions. The always online aspect of this game is horrible at this point. For the digital copy I had to download, install which only took around an hour. Then the headache came and the game had to download more; four hours later the game was finally ready to play. When I say ready to playThis game is simpler than ever! Great UI and much easier to get off the ground running than previous versions. The always online aspect of this game is horrible at this point. For the digital copy I had to download, install which only took around an hour. Then the headache came and the game had to download more; four hours later the game was finally ready to play. When I say ready to play I mean ready to open, not actually play. Game has crashed several times on me already, the tutorial doesn't run, and now the servers are down so I can't even play a private game. EA needs a shakeup and maybe we can get one game to have proper server support at launch.… Expand
  27. HolyMackinaw
    Mar 22, 2013
    9
    This game is one that got me excited in the few months leading up to the release. I did not preorder the game because I only had a mac and found out the mac version was to come out later. I then got windows 8 the week the game came out and heard of the terrible launch issues. I still had faith in EA that they would solve the issues and the game would AT LEAST play as planned the day beforeThis game is one that got me excited in the few months leading up to the release. I did not preorder the game because I only had a mac and found out the mac version was to come out later. I then got windows 8 the week the game came out and heard of the terrible launch issues. I still had faith in EA that they would solve the issues and the game would AT LEAST play as planned the day before launch. I bought it the week after and ever since that day, its played just as I had expected it to play in the months leading up to launch. The game is great... period. What I don't like is that the size of the cities at first isn't a big deal but the more you play in your city, the more you wish you could expand it. DRM is something I don't mind AS LONG AS IT WORKS AND RUNS. That being said I give this game a 9...take my word for it, you will enjoy it. Its easy to hate on a game when you haven't tried it on your own.… Expand
  28. Skyrik
    Mar 6, 2013
    5
    The game is great... if you can ever get to play. Mandatory server access is really stupid for those who want to play alone and really just screws this game over.
  29. Rybolt
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    I cannot fathom the reasons for the online-only gameplay forced upon players of this game. After playing for 4 hours; (server issues aside), my city has disappeared. All of it. The server ate it, despite having started a private region in which only I was playing. This is, and should be a single player game; as its predecessors have always been. The game itself is actually very good, onceI cannot fathom the reasons for the online-only gameplay forced upon players of this game. After playing for 4 hours; (server issues aside), my city has disappeared. All of it. The server ate it, despite having started a private region in which only I was playing. This is, and should be a single player game; as its predecessors have always been. The game itself is actually very good, once you are able to log in of course. It's a very enjoyable simulation that could live up to its expectations. The new grid-less approach to organizing your city is simply amazing, as are the new features that the game has to offer. The only significant irk I have despite the ridiculous online connectivity requirement is that they should have named it Simtown, as you cannot actually create a city; the size constraints are simply too strict. Why can't I choose to build cities 4 or even 16 times the size of the football field that is provided?

    In short: It's a very good game; that has been destroyed by online connectivity requirements. Admittedly, the situation regarding the overflowing servers should be rectified, but as it stands it is unplayable. A game costing as much as this shouldn't suffer from these kind of launch issues; not after the debacle that was Diablo 3's launch.    … Expand
  30. Emprah
    Mar 7, 2013
    5
    Well, here it is. Although, I'm not that upset that I cannot play the game at the moment (and likely for a few more days).

    What ticks me off the most is what has ticked me off since I found out about it: the transformation of this http://www.wuphonsreach.org/Games/SimCity4/Negishi/Negishi-East.jpg into this http://i.imgur.com/Q74s5.jpg But I'll get to that. Graphically, the    Well, here it is. Although, I'm not that upset that I cannot play the game at the moment (and likely for a few more days).

    What ticks me off the most is what has ticked me off since I found out about it: the transformation of this http://www.wuphonsreach.org/Games/SimCity4/Negishi/Negishi-East.jpg

    into this
    http://i.imgur.com/Q74s5.jpg

    But I'll get to that.

    Graphically, the game is beautiful. While I prefer a more realistic look, the visuals of this SimCity are definitely a turn to a more simplistic and toy box-like world. The effects and movements of all the tiny pieces on the ground are ultimately satisfying and fun to look at.

    In terms of sound, apart from being a siren simulator, the game is not much of an improvement over SimCity 4, but that is fine.

    Now I hear a lot of people saying that this SimCity is much harder than the older ones. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a false flag. I've been able to make nearly 100k population cities in under an hour while maintaining over a 10k profit (that's including simoleons from specializations) to the point where I have nearly millions...and not really all that much to spend it on. In previous SimCity titles, your job never really felt complete. Now, you eventually build yourself up to the point where continuing is pointless and you are forced to move on to another small square. But this is where my biggest complaint lies.

    Ultimately, this SimCity is a simplified version of previous titles. There are no mass complicated regions and each square is its own independent city, although sims will commute to other cities to shop, work, etc. I also feel like I am having cooperation forced down my throat. I understand that they had a multiplayer vision for this game, but I think that vision is in no way true to that of SimCity. Not that SimCity cannot be multiplayer and even cooperative, but I think it should never have been dumbed down to the point of baby's first sim game while not even focusing on what made SimCity so captivating: that it was hard, expansive, and that it offered you huge options. Did you like thermoforming? Well, too bad, because that's gone...or did you like creating your own mass transit highways? Well...yeah, that's gone.

    Personally, I enjoyed being not a mayor of one square, but being a bunch of mayors and even God of the entire region. I could build entire regions by hand using terraforming tools and then start building small, huge, and everything in between cities.

    In terms of the always online feature, I have no qualms. I lived through the Diablo III launch and have come to expect this I suppose. But it is unfortunate that such a launch was, once again, handled so poorly. Not only that, but while Blizzard has probably the best forum service and PR I have seen, EA and Maxis have next to no PR and a poor forum system. Apart of what kept people on DIII is that Blizzard took a proactive stance in communicating to its buyers and still continues to work with players in order to deliver a better product, even after nearly almost a whole year. Ultimately, I believe SimCity has fallen victim to a type of mixing the complicated structure of SimCity with the simple and easy-to-access world of the Sims; to appearing hostile to long-time fans of SimCity; to over simplification; and to a poor launch, which it seems has solidified the opinions of many.

    Will Maxis and EA work together with fans to deliver the best SimCity they can, or will they fall short due to their poor PR or unwillingness to give fans what they want?    … Expand
  31. hein
    May 7, 2013
    3
    Server problems were fixed and I was able to get on to play finally.......Once in after you've played a bit you notice that game mechanics are not great and they've cut corners. The game in terms of overall gameplay has not been thought out well enough. SimcCity had been a single player game, this time around they made the mistake of putting more emphasis on the Multiplayer aspect. ThisServer problems were fixed and I was able to get on to play finally.......Once in after you've played a bit you notice that game mechanics are not great and they've cut corners. The game in terms of overall gameplay has not been thought out well enough. SimcCity had been a single player game, this time around they made the mistake of putting more emphasis on the Multiplayer aspect. This leads to very small city sizes, you're expected to work with other cities. Of course where you don't want to and want to have the old big city style game play...well you're out of luck. I feel as though because of this always on DRM they've tailored the game around it. Since it has been essentially proven that the servers are not doing any computation...its becoming very clear that the small city sizes and working with others came after it was decided that there was going to be always on drm. This is an epic failure in my opinion and in my opinion just ruins this would be great game.… Expand
  32. Makeelee
    Mar 8, 2013
    5
    I haven't purchased the game (yet), but I've honestly gotten more entertainment from watching EA getting scorched than I have had in a long time. So I give the game a 5.
  33. truckersanon
    Mar 23, 2013
    9
    Simcity is a great game, the city size is okay because you can control 5 or more regions, all linked up.
    The graphics are a bit simple and outdated, but the gameplay is awesome Simcity classicness with a network function for more fun.
    I do not like always online, costly dlc and drm, but hey, the game itself is 9 out of 10. Compared to other recent games in the genre, Simcity is clean    Simcity is a great game, the city size is okay because you can control 5 or more regions, all linked up.
    The graphics are a bit simple and outdated, but the gameplay is awesome Simcity classicness with a network function for more fun.

    I do not like always online, costly dlc and drm, but hey, the game itself is 9 out of 10.
    Compared to other recent games in the genre, Simcity is clean and works well.    … Expand
  34. User_Critic
    Mar 16, 2013
    5
    The GlassBox thing is obviously raw. AI is dumb. Etc, etc. But most of these things can be patched. Yet there is 1 serious issue that cannot be, most likely. It is the plot's size. At present it looks like a small town. And by the sounds of it the GB just cannot handle big and huge maps well. So, if one wants to build a City, Cities XL Platinum is a safer bet. In terms of complexity theyThe GlassBox thing is obviously raw. AI is dumb. Etc, etc. But most of these things can be patched. Yet there is 1 serious issue that cannot be, most likely. It is the plot's size. At present it looks like a small town. And by the sounds of it the GB just cannot handle big and huge maps well. So, if one wants to build a City, Cities XL Platinum is a safer bet. In terms of complexity they are about equally easy (Cities just try to simulate the city in more depth, while SimCity tries to simulate the sims). But Citites looks like a City when you zoom out, while SC looks like a shiny town.… Expand
  35. Deliriouskiller
    Mar 17, 2013
    7
    Although the release of this game has been somewhat of a failure- the in-game aspect of the game is nothing less than superb. The city building game offers thousands of possible scenarios that you could put (or not put) your citizens through. You can use a large region to fashion a sprawling urban empire- or select a somewhat smaller region and create a suburban haven- with one or twoAlthough the release of this game has been somewhat of a failure- the in-game aspect of the game is nothing less than superb. The city building game offers thousands of possible scenarios that you could put (or not put) your citizens through. You can use a large region to fashion a sprawling urban empire- or select a somewhat smaller region and create a suburban haven- with one or two 'city slots'. Crime, fire protection, education, health care, sewage, power, water- are the key aspects that need to be managed when creating a small or large city, and with many types of addons, you can have them function or look exactly how you want them to. Having said all of this, the game is hindered by its omnipresent bugs, errors, crashes and connection issues- leaving it with a positive, yet relatively low score of seven from me.… Expand
  36. Darkcrusader8
    Mar 17, 2013
    6
    I feel that the game has a low survivability, as this is on the cloud and server based. This means that if a hacker decides to screw around with the servers and delete all the datas, you'll possible not get your cities that you painfully made back.

    However the guides stuff and the NPCs are good.

    I won't play this game for a long period of time though, prob once a week or so when I'm bored.
  37. Eruptox
    Mar 18, 2013
    8
    I believe the veterans and players have the right to be mad at this game. However, I found this game very very good. My first ever building game is Anno 2070, so I'm quite a new player to the genre of city building. I know every game has problems, and people are blaming Maxi's and EA for making it always online. Here's the thing, there's no reason why you people should be complaining.I believe the veterans and players have the right to be mad at this game. However, I found this game very very good. My first ever building game is Anno 2070, so I'm quite a new player to the genre of city building. I know every game has problems, and people are blaming Maxi's and EA for making it always online. Here's the thing, there's no reason why you people should be complaining. There's only one reason, the future of gaming. Many games are going to be on the cloud and this is actually a transition where it's showing you a glimpse of the future gaming. (E.g. PS4.) Whether you like it or not, it will be the future of gaming. I completely agree that Maxi's and EA didn't learn from Diablo 3, where their launch was very bad. However, you can't just be angry because of one mistake. I think the haters are a little too overboard, this game worth at least a 6/10. If everyone judges a game by its release, then you really need to realize how pre-mature your comments are coming out. Many problems in SimCity right now are fixable. There's a lot of potential in this game, and I look forward to have more of this game. (I don't work or got paid by EA to say all this) This game is worth to check it out. 59.99 seems a little too much for this game through. If you're new to the city builder genre, or you're hesitant because all this negative comments, get it when it's cheaper.… Expand
  38. MajorProbes
    Mar 20, 2013
    9
    I'm absolutely loving this game. Most of the initial bugs are now solved. I've not had a single connection issue in over a week (EU based). The region play with friends is great and brings a new element to SimCity that i never expected! If your a fan of the series and can deal with the always online, then pick this up you won't regret it.
  39. Brosman
    May 13, 2013
    1
    Just goes to show you, trying to actively prevent piracy over giving someone a good game only encourages piracy. Why pay $60 dollars for a DRM bug ridden mess, when hackers have made it to where you can pirate the game for free and not be locked into the DRM.
  40. scruffycavetrol
    Mar 27, 2013
    7
    Everyone is aware of the disasterous release. The server issues have been corrected and playability is stable now. Online DRM is still a bad idea, and even moreso for a traditionally single player game. Although, I do like the idea of having actual people in a region making cities and trading with other players, it's a very interesting part of it, but playing with friends seems to beEveryone is aware of the disasterous release. The server issues have been corrected and playability is stable now. Online DRM is still a bad idea, and even moreso for a traditionally single player game. Although, I do like the idea of having actual people in a region making cities and trading with other players, it's a very interesting part of it, but playing with friends seems to be troublesome as you all have to be on the same servers, and finding an open game just to join is also a chore....but always online drm isn't needed for that. The game is fun, but it does have its problems. Traffic seems to be a constant problem, how they handle ground water seems to be unrealistic, and some other general oddness. It does seem though they really wanted people to make specialized cities as opposed to the mish-mosh of RCI that we'd normally see. You can still do the traditional cities, but the specializations do make it interesting and are really how to get those high tech buildings people want. Visually the game is nice, and being able to zoom to street level and see sims and thoughts is cool. There are texture problems here and there with building flickering in and out of existance. Play areas are fairly small compared to the old titles, but you will run into the same issues regardless of map size (overcrowding, homeless, etc), and in some ways makes the player focus more on making the areas more desirable. you can however make multiple cities in a region and have them work with each other. So I guess being mayor of 3 or 4 small cities is like being the mayor of a big one. The game is not terrible, although probably had one of the worse releases I have seen in 20+ years of playing video games. It does have its issues, and falling retail prices reflect that. So, if you can get the game on sale at Target, go for it.… Expand
  41. krovosos111
    Mar 27, 2013
    5
    регионе.

    All regions are clogged, filter by region, and there is no possibility of finding an empty area, too, the whole line launched in the toilet if you do not have any friends with this game you'll play alone in the region. Google Translate
  42. Areyon
    Mar 28, 2013
    10
    A great game. I love the graphics and the play style. I don't know why people are saying the servers are always down when I've had no trouble with them. Plus you get a free EA game.
  43. ChinamanUK89
    Apr 2, 2013
    10
    Yes OK, so there was a little bit of teething problem on EA/Masix's end, BUT now they are fixed, and the game is running well! The game its self is absolutely incredible. The detail of the glassbox engine are brilliant, and allow for a much more realistic simulation. The graphics are also truly beautiful!!

    In my opinion though, the game seems a little basic for the amount of work that    Yes OK, so there was a little bit of teething problem on EA/Masix's end, BUT now they are fixed, and the game is running well! The game its self is absolutely incredible. The detail of the glassbox engine are brilliant, and allow for a much more realistic simulation. The graphics are also truly beautiful!!

    In my opinion though, the game seems a little basic for the amount of work that must have gone into it, which can only mean one thing..... In true EA/Maxis style..... Expansion packs!!!
    I can just see it now! SimCity Transport, SimCity University, SimCity Resort :-)
    I am looking forward to the mods and custom content that are inevitability going to be created!

    Personally, I didn't really have too many problems connecting here in the UK, but thank for the free game anyways!    … Expand
  44. lok1999
    Apr 20, 2013
    7
    when I first reviewed this I was disappointed about the fact that I HAD to play online all the time but when I actually started playing this game to give it a proper score I was really surprised about the gameplay it is so good I've never really played SimCity before but have seen other people play it before and they were really good but the fact that u have to play online all the time Iwhen I first reviewed this I was disappointed about the fact that I HAD to play online all the time but when I actually started playing this game to give it a proper score I was really surprised about the gameplay it is so good I've never really played SimCity before but have seen other people play it before and they were really good but the fact that u have to play online all the time I would give it a higher score but I have to stick with a score of 7/10… Expand
  45. m0rphastic
    Apr 6, 2013
    9
    This game doesn't deserve a 0-4 because there is one mistake with online DRM. This game is actually very fun. I played it now 1 hour and didn't got one kick and I enjoyed it very much. There's too much hate around this game what I don't understand.
  46. TheHof125
    Apr 6, 2013
    7
    Despite everything that has been said about SimCity, it is an incredibly addictive game. It may cost a lot more than it's worth and you can be disconnected instantly, but the fact that I've put 25 hours into this game already has to say something. A good buy, that at time's will frustrate you, but still is worth a great time.
  47. Geracritic
    Apr 7, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sim City is a great game where you learn a lot of cities, the acting is good management, but has many problems on maps and graphs that present technical difficulties in large scale.… Expand
  48. thegr8est
    Apr 8, 2013
    9
    I started playing the game a week ago. The servers issues seem to be mostly solved now. I have not been bounced or had any connection problems at all. I, however, would like them to implement some addtional features like You cannot instantly bulldoze something (you have to schedule it for demolition) and to not instantlally build roads. Plus the cities are small. Other than that I love the game.
  49. QuimbyDownUnder
    Apr 10, 2013
    7
    I'm writing this after playing for the past few weeks. I was initially flabbergasted and dismayed by the server issues, but that has "mostly" been resolved. No one likes DRM either, but I doubt we can do anything about it so I'll leave that beast lie. I have played EVERY SimCity since 1994. I consider myself a city-building connoisseur. This new game has many great features that fans likeI'm writing this after playing for the past few weeks. I was initially flabbergasted and dismayed by the server issues, but that has "mostly" been resolved. No one likes DRM either, but I doubt we can do anything about it so I'll leave that beast lie. I have played EVERY SimCity since 1994. I consider myself a city-building connoisseur. This new game has many great features that fans like me have been waiting decades for. Curved roads, upgrade-able buildings, specialized industry, actual tourism. Under-road utilities removes the headache of power-lines and pipes. I have had an enjoyable time learning the system and playing. If you are a true SimCity fan you'll find plenty to enjoy here. That being said.... you will also be frustrated by some of the limitations. City size is a major draw back for me. I always feel boxed in and forced to "go big or go home" so to speak. No room for low density neighborhoods in advanced towns. The size also makes large scale mass-transit impossible, so no highways or subways, which I loved in SC4. Traffic bugs and simulation quirks are also present some areas of improvement but it looks like Maxis is working on updates. This is not a perfect game by any means. It is better in mechanics than anything since SC4. If you like city builders you should try it... maybe once the price comes down...… Expand
  50. CobraCarl
    Apr 28, 2013
    6
    First of all, i have to say that the games is very fun to play.

    BUT i has some problems:
    -Streets are always clogged up, because Sims don't drive around traffic jams.
    -Some of my cities cant be loaded anymore since the last patch.
    -Cities are way to small.

    When maxis is improving on some of the games problems it could be an awesome game.
  51. krikaoli
    Apr 29, 2013
    4
    I play Simcity since the first one. I can say: EA destroyed the series. The map is too little and you have very limited options to build a nice city, among many other problems.
  52. BrazilianJoe
    May 6, 2013
    2
    SimCity is supposed to be THE city simulation game. Unfortunately, it has been corrupted by the scourge of EA.

    The only redeeming features are a beautiful environment created by the GlassBox engine and breaking the grid, and for those I give 2 points above 0. This is after the most grievous bugs of the tacked-on 'MMO features' which were preventing the game from actually running have    SimCity is supposed to be THE city simulation game. Unfortunately, it has been corrupted by the scourge of EA.

    The only redeeming features are a beautiful environment created by the GlassBox engine and breaking the grid, and for those I give 2 points above 0. This is after the most grievous bugs of the tacked-on 'MMO features' which were preventing the game from actually running have been resolved.

    It is a huge step back from the features and gameplay of SimCity 4. The simulation is super-shallow and there is zero challenge and the game becomes boring pretty fast, and largely forgettable.

    Stuff which should have been there from day 1 is missing, and we can see already the DLC on the pipeline just to give us what should be there in the first place. The number one on this list are BIGGER CITIES; seriously, each land patch is the size of a neighbourhood.

    The writing is on the wall, it is just a matter of time until it becomes a The Sims-like monstrosity with 10+ DLC that would cost upwards of $500 to have the complete game, plus optionally buying in-game currency.    … Expand
  53. HaloFreak78
    May 8, 2013
    7
    Now, while the game-breaking bugs and server crashes are fairly annoying, the gameplay itself is fun and nicely balanced. The data maps are cool, the simulation flows nicely, and the graphics have the whole model train set feel which I find charming. The bugs are the real let-down though. I feel as though if EA and Maxis took more time to fix out the kinks, this would be the best strategyNow, while the game-breaking bugs and server crashes are fairly annoying, the gameplay itself is fun and nicely balanced. The data maps are cool, the simulation flows nicely, and the graphics have the whole model train set feel which I find charming. The bugs are the real let-down though. I feel as though if EA and Maxis took more time to fix out the kinks, this would be the best strategy game on PC now. The multiplayer is also a huge letdown and a waste of time. If you can handle the bugs and crashes, you will find a gameplay experience both challenging and fun.… Expand
  54. madattak9
    May 10, 2013
    10
    IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO IGNORE THE RED REVIEWS! There are some very valid reasons why:
    1)Alot of the are old from when there were server issues. I have played for 30+ hours and had NO server issues. It work beautifully, and takes some of the calculation load off your machine.
    2)'This version has less X!' The only items this version is lacking are subways, every other building and system    IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO IGNORE THE RED REVIEWS! There are some very valid reasons why:
    1)Alot of the are old from when there were server issues. I have played for 30+ hours and had NO server issues. It work beautifully, and takes some of the calculation load off your machine.
    2)'This version has less X!' The only items this version is lacking are subways, every other building and system has been immensely improved. Alot of the complaints here come from the Nostalgia effect where old things seem better, and simple hatred of EA: People WANT it to be bad so they can hate.
    3)'Omg 0nl1ne mult1player suxs!' No it doesn't. Its nice to have some friends to work with for once, and you all have internet connections. Its not a problem. Really.
    4)This game is brilliant. Its easy to pick up and play. Its easier to get information about your city. It has the most advanced simulation of any city sim game ever made. And the ability to use micromanagement thanks to the new 'ploppable' item system really adds to the game.

    TL;DR: This games problems are GREATLY exaggerated. After playing I can only conclude that people either reviewed before the servers were fixed, are too deep into nostalgia to like anything knew, or hate EA so much they would dislike this game no matter what.    … Expand
  55. Azorax
    Jun 27, 2013
    7
    To really review this game as it is now, you might think that most of the bad reviews are just because people are biased because of server problems. However I am going to compare this game to its predecessors with reference to its supposed 'cloud processing'.
    - It was fun playing with a friend, this was not due to the supposed multiplayer, but it was fun because we could see each other's    To really review this game as it is now, you might think that most of the bad reviews are just because people are biased because of server problems. However I am going to compare this game to its predecessors with reference to its supposed 'cloud processing'.
    - It was fun playing with a friend, this was not due to the supposed multiplayer, but it was fun because we could see each other's development and we strived to make a sustainable and still a good looking city.
    - Cities feel so so very small when we think about what the older simcities were like. My friend and I both agreed that cities should be bigger as it felt very crowded when we made high rises and large buildings and landmarks.
    - More maps and links. We see these maps are even more of an unnecessary restriction, why are we unable to connect every city and great work via road/railways, this would encourage us to play more in order to get every great work and create more cities since they are connected.
    - Ferries are so useless (imo)
    - I believe that they have attempted to (i forgot the word for it) re-make/re-publish this franchise a bit, however they should definitely remove the oh-so many restrictions this game has. Whether it be offline play, or large cities, or amount of cities on one map. I see simcity as a sandbox where I can create whatever I like and how many I want to make, and if you restrict me in this way, I really can't enjoy it to the fullest. While I do take into account that they may or may not be telling the truth that they require cloud processing and if restrictions were not placed then it might be too much, then they could spend more time seeing if they can utilise multi-core properly.
    - I feel that it was rushed and ruined by EA being their publisher. I feel for maxim.
    - Saying that, I have enjoyed the game for most of the 77+ hours (the is because origin booted me out and didn't save more of my hours) that I've played
    - 7/10 for me. I still put more hours into this game than most, though I don't know if the enjoyment factor was as much. I recommend picking this up if you are/were into simcity when it gets discounted/down to a low price    … Expand
  56. petden
    Apr 15, 2014
    10
    Great game, I enjoyed it a lot. It's really underrated. They fixed a lot of things. It has an offline mode now. The servers work great (it's not just a single player game, it has a lot of multiplayer aspects, it's an MMO, stop **** about it), lot of the reviews were written on the first few days/weeks, when there were some issues (of course there will be server issues with a popular MMO onGreat game, I enjoyed it a lot. It's really underrated. They fixed a lot of things. It has an offline mode now. The servers work great (it's not just a single player game, it has a lot of multiplayer aspects, it's an MMO, stop **** about it), lot of the reviews were written on the first few days/weeks, when there were some issues (of course there will be server issues with a popular MMO on the first day), and they haven't updated their reviews/scores, it's fixed now. It's stupid that people rate this so low because of issues already fixed and the DRM (always online DRM works really well, really few people pirated it before the offline mode came out). People are idiots. It works well on old PCs, it looks good, it's a lot of fun. The cities are big enough.… Expand
  57. DrPepperPhD
    Jun 30, 2013
    7
    Most of the server issues have been resolved, and it seems the devs still haven't abandoned ship (yet), updates are slowly being released, mostly focused on fixing the incompetent agents and traffic AI. While not the best game in the world right now, it defiantly shows potential to becoming the game it should have been at release.
  58. SXBRussia
    Jul 10, 2013
    9
    My score is 9/10. The launch of the game was failed. Game Engine GlassBox destroyed terraforming. But full 3D, fun with my other Russian friends, easy and other good things... DRM is bad, 1199 RUB very high price for Russia, EA
  59. Uncivil_Servant
    Jul 30, 2013
    7
    It seems like most of the technical serer problems have been resolved at this point in time. I have been playing the game for several months without problems. It is a fun game but considerably than earlier incarnations. being able to play and interact with others is interesting. I miss the terra-form and don't like the way cities are limited. Still addicting and worth having.
  60. Frast2013X
    Aug 2, 2013
    8
    Dawno nie widzieliÅ›my naprawdÄ™ dobrej strategii o zarzÄ…dzaniu miastem. Maxis daÅ‚ nam szansÄ™ zagrać w to, co tak dÅ‚ugo oczekiwaliÅ›my. Nowe Sim City posiada bardzo Å‚adnÄ… grafikÄ™, ogrom ciekawych elementów. Do tego jest zrobiony tak, że każdy może sobie z tÄ… grÄ… poradzić. WciÄ…ga na dÅ‚ugie godziny, po prostu zapomina siÄ™ o realnym czasie. Twórcy odwalili kawaÅ‚ Å›wietnej roboty, robiÄ…c ogromDawno nie widzieliÅ›my naprawdÄ™ dobrej strategii o zarzÄ…dzaniu miastem. Maxis daÅ‚ nam szansÄ™ zagrać w to, co tak dÅ‚ugo oczekiwaliÅ›my. Nowe Sim City posiada bardzo Å‚adnÄ… grafikÄ™, ogrom ciekawych elementów. Do tego jest zrobiony tak, że każdy może sobie z tÄ… grÄ… poradzić. WciÄ…ga na dÅ‚ugie godziny, po prostu zapomina siÄ™ o realnym czasie. Twórcy odwalili kawaÅ‚ Å›wietnej roboty, robiÄ…c ogrom rzeczy których nie miaÅ‚em szansy zobaczyć w innych strategiach. Maxis I EA musieli jednak jakoÅ› zepsuć sobie moje zdanie. StaÅ‚e poÅ‚Ä…czenie z internetem, dlaczego? Ja siÄ™ pytam dlaczego? NajwiÄ™kszy bÅ‚Ä…d jaki może popeÅ‚nić firma robiÄ…c gre. Do tego dochodzi maÅ‚y teren na którym możemy budować. Boli mnie też brak kampani, jak i mniejsze niedopracowania. Moja ocena 8/10… Expand
  61. CriticalThink
    Oct 1, 2013
    10
    SimCity is one of the best simulation games around. The simulations are so incredibly deep it just took my breath away. Depending on if you city has 1 million sims or just one, each sim has there own name and background. The graphics and game play are also some of the best around. After playing this game for 50 hours over a one week period, I new this was one of the best games I've ever played.
  62. contract
    Nov 6, 2013
    1
    One of the worst game launches ever to happen in history.

    The game-play itself was alright, but capped out at about 10 hours. I spent about another 90 hours trying to figure out of I actually enjoyed the game at all, but it became clear that the game had no real point or optimization to make it worth the effort. I paid for a city simulator and got nothing but bugs, corrupted data, and    One of the worst game launches ever to happen in history.

    The game-play itself was alright, but capped out at about 10 hours. I spent about another 90 hours trying to figure out of I actually enjoyed the game at all, but it became clear that the game had no real point or optimization to make it worth the effort. I paid for a city simulator and got nothing but bugs, corrupted data, and terrible drm.

    The graphics were stunning, but after a while it clearly all looks the same and it becomes apparent that you can't actually make the city how you want, all you get to do is build your city how they want.

    Playing with others was impossible, and it seemed like that was the whole point to the built in drm. It simply didn't work people would abandon their plots after a few hours leaving you all alone, which wouldn't be terrible on its own, but the way they built the game made it seem like team play was the point, yet there really wasn't any way to actually play with others.

    Overall this was a promising game that became a huge let down.    … Expand
  63. 68Camaro
    Dec 18, 2013
    8
    I like this game. I waited until October 2013 to buy it. The server issues have been fixed. Sometimes during peak times you do find you get bumped or can't log on, and not being able to play offline is a real issue for many. Me included. But most the time now, you can get on. Once your on, the game is very fun and very addictive....if you "get it". I almost wish there was moreI like this game. I waited until October 2013 to buy it. The server issues have been fixed. Sometimes during peak times you do find you get bumped or can't log on, and not being able to play offline is a real issue for many. Me included. But most the time now, you can get on. Once your on, the game is very fun and very addictive....if you "get it". I almost wish there was more "business" in it, but for "the masses" it's a great game now. The only thing that I think of is...what happens when Orgin drops the game or goes bankrupt? I can't play my game. So.... Online only game I'm actually renting the game.… Expand
  64. gsaint213
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    Although it was a logistical nightmare when released, now that EA has mostly fixed the server bugs this has turned out to be one of the most fun SimCity games to date. I admit it is frustrating that the areas are tiny in which to build, but I think that in the long run it gives the game better replay value... In the old titles, you spent countless hours on one city, and from then on thereAlthough it was a logistical nightmare when released, now that EA has mostly fixed the server bugs this has turned out to be one of the most fun SimCity games to date. I admit it is frustrating that the areas are tiny in which to build, but I think that in the long run it gives the game better replay value... In the old titles, you spent countless hours on one city, and from then on there was no comparing. However, in SC5 you build many small cities in a region, each with different specialties. Some work, some don't. But they can help each other, (making it nice not to have to start from square one each time), and you can work alone or with friends toward greater projects ("great works"). All said, if you were initially frustrated like I was with the game, give it another go. There are so many angles to take, so many new things to learn, that you may just get hooked the second time around.… Expand
  65. Nosepicker9000
    Jun 23, 2014
    8
    Simcity (2013)
    Pros:
    +Fun
    +Looks nice
    Cons:
    -Online DRM (but that is fixed because singleplayer has arrived)
    -Not much space
    -No terraforming
    Yes it has it's flaws.
    But cmon! Its fun!
    You can get amazing mods, And build nice cites. The only thing i dont like is no space for cities.

    If you hate i dont give a poopoo.
  66. Wolfie1987
    Mar 24, 2014
    4
    I love SimCity 2000, SimCity 3000, SimCity 4, The Sims, SimCopter, et cetera. EA Ruined Maxis, this game stinks. SimCity 2013 is a scam and EA is the snake oil selling con artist. Disgusting.
  67. DanteV
    May 23, 2014
    6
    Not the worst but its not the best SimCity neither. The game contains too many bugs and glitches like Maxis trying to launch this game on deadline. I would say the new expansions like Cities of Tomorrow and other more did made the game a little more interesting, but bugs and glitches ruined it. Also the city size is a little dumb-down, limiting the player's creativity.
  68. MJKProductions
    May 26, 2014
    9
    SimCity has become a great game. I have owned it since the release, but I wanted to wait until it had been updated to review it. EA has outdone themselves. First of all, the graphics are great. The UI is the best I've ever seen in a game, very sleek and simple. I love the tilt-shift graphics, I often find myself just watching the city. The soundtrack is where this game really shines. ISimCity has become a great game. I have owned it since the release, but I wanted to wait until it had been updated to review it. EA has outdone themselves. First of all, the graphics are great. The UI is the best I've ever seen in a game, very sleek and simple. I love the tilt-shift graphics, I often find myself just watching the city. The soundtrack is where this game really shines. I could listen to the soundtrack all day. Fun and upbeat, but it will change by itself depending on how your city is doing.

    I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of this game, and I don't regret it. I've been having fun messing around in single-player recently. I gave it a 9/10 only because the city sizes are a little small.    … Expand
  69. Laice31
    Jun 26, 2014
    9
    It's a shame that SimCity took so long to fix their many issues. All I can say is people who played it early should give it another shot now.

    Offline single-player and the many traffic fixes make it a very different experience from the early launch days!
  70. knightguard
    Jul 3, 2014
    9
    This game was so broken it was unbearable now its working to proper extent and singleplaer only mode has been introduced so YEAH BOY the only down side is that the map is too small but you can create different kind of cities
  71. ulric
    Aug 8, 2014
    10
    are you guys stupid this game is the best simcity game
    why 3s why 0s they add offline mode you guys stupid do u need anything else sure the graphics are kinda werid but hey is any simcity game have good gra[hics
  72. Zipprian
    Sep 9, 2014
    2
    I am sure it has been said a million times, but any fun this game provides is killed by the small map size. Your map fills up extremely fast and then you really can't do anything else.
  73. Qutory
    Sep 23, 2014
    5
    Fun game overall. However i found it having a lot of bugs or dead end situations. A tunnel blocked in a mountain without being able to remove it, exit to main menu without reason, stuck in a mini tutorial because lacking some prerequisite or the fact that i am unable to reset a city are just a few things that ruin the overall experience.
  74. jelikey
    Sep 10, 2015
    9
    A good SimCity that is different than it's predecessors, but still captures that typical SimCity feeling. It takes some time to get used to a few new approaches like the city size and the connected cities, but can get you hooked up in no time, leaving lots of options to optimize in later gameplay stages.I'd buy it again, no server problems as welI.
  75. 99thRangernick
    Oct 3, 2014
    8
    After about a year and a half after release, SimCity has definitely redeemed itself for its always-on DRM release. The game plays as smooth as the past SimCity games, possibly even more so. The graphics only add on to the game's greatness, especially once your city becomes larger. Space limitation is the biggest issue with the game, however, but it still doesn't affect the game enough toAfter about a year and a half after release, SimCity has definitely redeemed itself for its always-on DRM release. The game plays as smooth as the past SimCity games, possibly even more so. The graphics only add on to the game's greatness, especially once your city becomes larger. Space limitation is the biggest issue with the game, however, but it still doesn't affect the game enough to say it makes it awful; just a minor inconvenience. Helps if you get a few friends to play with, as this still does have the multiplayer aspect to it, but singleplayer is still fun. I recommend to catch this game on sale, and also to check out the expansion pack if it is on sale as well.… Expand
  76. Supat97
    Nov 20, 2014
    7
    Did You Guy Remember The Sim City DRM Disasters In Last Year In This Year They Have Patch That You Can Play Offline But The Maps Is So Small and Few Bugs However This Is Good Way To Go Check It Out
  77. TheJari
    Oct 19, 2015
    8
    Most of the negative reviews for this game are a bit outdated, since they have added offline, and that seems like the only real problem everyone has with this game and the rest of the games EA published. I don't mind DRM too much because I always am connected to the internet when I play games, and a few hiccups in servers aren't enough to destroy my opinion of a game. Sure the cities areMost of the negative reviews for this game are a bit outdated, since they have added offline, and that seems like the only real problem everyone has with this game and the rest of the games EA published. I don't mind DRM too much because I always am connected to the internet when I play games, and a few hiccups in servers aren't enough to destroy my opinion of a game. Sure the cities are very small, but in my opinion it made SimCity better. I thought it made the connection of many specialized cities more necessary, which I for one liked, and forced cities to build up, and not sideways. I believe that the game was built fairly well for the smaller cites. Even though there were a few other shortcomings in some features, they are fairly small, and I think that if the publisher was not EA, nobody would care nearly so much. I play other modern city builders such as Cities: Skylines, and I actually believe that this game has features and ideas that they should learn from. It was made from the master of city builders after all.… Expand
  78. Howard3
    Jan 2, 2015
    10
    I didn't expect to like SimCity just as much as SimCity 4, but I must admit I was wrong.
    The User Score is low, because of issues with multiplayer. However, since its release, Single Player mode was added to the game, so feel free to disregard all the previous complaints.
    I feel sorry for the game, since it's a just as entertaining and engaging as its predecessors, but still it recieved    I didn't expect to like SimCity just as much as SimCity 4, but I must admit I was wrong.
    The User Score is low, because of issues with multiplayer. However, since its release, Single Player mode was added to the game, so feel free to disregard all the previous complaints.
    I feel sorry for the game, since it's a just as entertaining and engaging as its predecessors, but still it recieved poor reviews, because its unfortunate "only multiplayer" launch.    … Expand
  79. DJBoCy
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    Hey guys! They writed this game sucks. But its not! My Pc is **** but its running. Online is not, beeacuse i'm not buyed it. Now see, its working to they. Beacuse they writed this preview at 2013, but now it's 2015!
  80. EpicSurvivor
    May 13, 2018
    8
    I am rating an 8 instead of a 7 just because how the game sucks you in if you are new to the series or haven't played Simcity since 4 and get sucked into it like I did. Having spent $5 on Origin Access I acquired access to this game. It was something that caught my attention and was willing to try. Its been 5 days counting the day of this review and I have played well over 10 hoursI am rating an 8 instead of a 7 just because how the game sucks you in if you are new to the series or haven't played Simcity since 4 and get sucked into it like I did. Having spent $5 on Origin Access I acquired access to this game. It was something that caught my attention and was willing to try. Its been 5 days counting the day of this review and I have played well over 10 hours straight every day. I couldn't put it down. I was addicted to it. Unlocking new tech, and trying to master the game and unlock everything was a fun and very rewarding challenge. 54 hours later and I can say I finally feel satisfied that I have accomplished everything available in the game. That being said the game is a solid 7 no less. Its not innovative but it has something about it that just hooks you and makes you want to keep trying and learning until you finally master it. Absolutely worth $5 through Origin access. Hell this game is worth $5 by it self. Really recommend it. Its a good break from R6 Siege (800 hours), COD (BO2 1000 hours) Battlefield 3-4-1, Killing Floor, GTA 5. Totally worth it on sale. Check it out!… Expand
  81. Misterdiony
    May 18, 2021
    4
    SimCity was one of my hype games and I bought it on release day years ago. They managed to not let people play the game ON RELEASE DAY. Well, after some time a lot was fixed but the game remained underwhelming. Good for all city building enthusiast, 2 years later another company took the chance to create a city builder that the community wants - and is to this day successful with it. MoneySimCity was one of my hype games and I bought it on release day years ago. They managed to not let people play the game ON RELEASE DAY. Well, after some time a lot was fixed but the game remained underwhelming. Good for all city building enthusiast, 2 years later another company took the chance to create a city builder that the community wants - and is to this day successful with it. Money is not everything, but for EA it is.… Expand
  82. Izoeros
    May 10, 2022
    5
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  83. vXxo0oxXv
    Jun 16, 2014
    7
    I think this game is great. I've owned it for a few days now, and for those few days I have not stopped playing. I haven't had this much fun with a city builder in a long time.

    I understand some of the hatred here. Firstly, the maps are pretty small. This can seem like an annoyance at first, but it really makes you think a lot more about how you layout everything. Megatowers also let    I think this game is great. I've owned it for a few days now, and for those few days I have not stopped playing. I haven't had this much fun with a city builder in a long time.

    I understand some of the hatred here. Firstly, the maps are pretty small. This can seem like an annoyance at first, but it really makes you think a lot more about how you layout everything. Megatowers also let you build your city up, instead of out, so you can still have high populations, without taking up so much surface area.

    It it's current state, the game has no bugs, no server problems, and the option of offline play. So you can flush 99% of the complaints here down the drain.

    EA/Maxis took a pretty big risk changing the game as much as they did, but I appreicate that. Most sequels these days just regurgitate the same game and put a 60$ tag on it. The new presentation and UI is very nice, and I think it's awesome they added trading, and commodity resources. It really adds a new appeal to the classic SimCity theme.

    Not to mention multiplayer! Playing with friends is a lot of fun, and it's cool coordinating city roles with your buddies online, and filling in for each other's gaps.

    Picked it up with the expansion on sale. Great buy.    … Expand
  84. Kehdar
    Apr 18, 2013
    2
    This game is garbage. I don't even want to talk about how the game requires an internet connection to start. Today it's the third time i start a city just to see it disappear after some errors" or disconnections.
    Waste of money and time.
  85. Angeredsoul
    Apr 19, 2013
    2
    I'm going to keep this short and simple. This game fails to work properly, if my city isn't being rolled back for the hundredth time then my highways either stop working or work contrary to how you would expect them to. Also add to the fact that the always online DRM, eventually the servers will be shutdown and this game will never be able to played again. Only benefit was I scored DeadI'm going to keep this short and simple. This game fails to work properly, if my city isn't being rolled back for the hundredth time then my highways either stop working or work contrary to how you would expect them to. Also add to the fact that the always online DRM, eventually the servers will be shutdown and this game will never be able to played again. Only benefit was I scored Dead Space 3 as a consolation prize.… Expand
  86. ORIOLE
    Jan 30, 2021
    2
    It's bad as they said in 2013, developers never played older Sim CIty.
    Finite and scarce resource, you are obliged to follow the steps the developers planned for your gameplay, it starts with coal in early game and obligatorily change to clean energy in late game, there's no choice.
    Small minigame maps that compels you to construct Mega Towers to compensate the small space, no farms, no suburb.
  87. Diosys
    Apr 14, 2013
    5
    This was by far the worst thing EA and Maxis could have ever done to the Legendary city simulator. The small, focused cities allow no freedom to build the cities the player wants and instead determines that players need to work hard to maximize their populations. Their achievement system even reinforces this. Their non-working game mechanics allow rather dumb strategies to work in a city,This was by far the worst thing EA and Maxis could have ever done to the Legendary city simulator. The small, focused cities allow no freedom to build the cities the player wants and instead determines that players need to work hard to maximize their populations. Their achievement system even reinforces this. Their non-working game mechanics allow rather dumb strategies to work in a city, where a real city could never function.

    City Simulation should not be based around a social experience. I liked the idea of a neighbouring city being built by another player, but they should have adopted a similar region concept to their previous titles, the fact that they used this is asinine. EA games needs to pull their heads out of the ground and start listening to gamers about always online DRM. Plenty of other companies show healthy profits. Maximizing profits does not earn you my dollar, respect does. It sucks that this company has ruined so many great and legendary gaming franchises. Hopefully Cities XL will pick up on all the problems of SimCity and never repeat them.    … Expand
  88. Mascalzone
    Jul 8, 2017
    2
    I agree with the mean of the user score, even if I'm a professional reviewer and I've to give it a vote near 6 (55). I TRIED to play it at day one with the problems you witnessed. Then tried to play it after update 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0. No way, SimCity is fundamentally broken. A piece of s**t, in other words. Will Wright, please make it properly (better than SC4!) via Kickstarter, we'll finance it.
  89. Jessrond
    Jun 19, 2013
    5
    Before SimCity came out, I was hyped for it. The idea of working with friends (and even strangers) to build a region was something I've wanted to do for a long time. I knew going in that the game would not be quite as detailed as SimCity 4. But at launch, and even a few months later, hardly any of the "online play" features have come to pass.

    You have to sign in to Origin to play, yet    Before SimCity came out, I was hyped for it. The idea of working with friends (and even strangers) to build a region was something I've wanted to do for a long time. I knew going in that the game would not be quite as detailed as SimCity 4. But at launch, and even a few months later, hardly any of the "online play" features have come to pass.

    You have to sign in to Origin to play, yet the region rankings and other leaderboards hardly seem to work at all. Disappointing. The game itself isn't terrible. The missions are enjoyable and the game maintains its sense of humor and excellent music that have been with the series for its entirety.

    But overall, it's just not what I was hoping for, and I still play SimCity 4 more than I play this.    … Expand
  90. Terminal-Rex
    Mar 24, 2015
    2
    Looking for a decent modern city building game??

    Buy Cities: Skylines. It is everything that EA failed to deliver with Sim City, basically after playing Skylines the flaws in this game are amplified for all to see. This was not the game everyone wanted and expected, sorry EA but I won't be looking back.
  91. Samhandwich84
    Apr 9, 2013
    3
    Game has been released for over 1 month. STILL unable to maintain a stable connection to the low pop servers. STILL full of bugs, basic things like garbage dumps never producing trucks etc. Would probably rate as 7+ if the game was finished and could be played offline.
  92. nebz
    Apr 9, 2013
    2
    I unfortunately got suckered in and bought this game, the community is as good as dead. Still no leader boards or stats, a lot of promised game features still haven't been properly implemented, and server stability is a joke. I have had 3 cities i spent hours on just disappear for no reason. The 3 regions i play in, all my neighbors show ''Last online 3+ weeks ago'' Yeah.... That kind ofI unfortunately got suckered in and bought this game, the community is as good as dead. Still no leader boards or stats, a lot of promised game features still haven't been properly implemented, and server stability is a joke. I have had 3 cities i spent hours on just disappear for no reason. The 3 regions i play in, all my neighbors show ''Last online 3+ weeks ago'' Yeah.... That kind of speaks for itself.. THE GAME IS DEAD I tried to get a refund from Origin support with no luck. Buyer beware... You will punch yourself in the head repeatedly if you buy this… Expand
  93. zGeneral
    Jun 16, 2013
    5
    This is not Simcity
    The maps are tooooo small
    very limited road options.

    I am not playing the game until they make larger maps and fix the roads it is a joke.
  94. captainthrall
    Apr 5, 2014
    3
    This game was, is, and always will be fundamentally broken. The city sizes are WAY WAY WAY too small. You fill the map in literally one hour of playing. It's a single-player game that requires you to play online on some horribly buggy and slow servers.
  95. CoSm1c_gAm3r
    Apr 6, 2015
    1
    DRM forcing me to have not only internet connection but would not allow me to play if I have no internet connection. This is sick. Imagine that company bankrupts then what?! I can throw away game?! Or they will be so good chaps and will remove DRM before full bankrupt?! I dont want to find out. DRM forcing on me all the time connection to internet while I play is absolutely no go for me. IDRM forcing me to have not only internet connection but would not allow me to play if I have no internet connection. This is sick. Imagine that company bankrupts then what?! I can throw away game?! Or they will be so good chaps and will remove DRM before full bankrupt?! I dont want to find out. DRM forcing on me all the time connection to internet while I play is absolutely no go for me. I would not spend even 0,5 euro on that kind of hidden THIEVERY. I bought sim city 4 deluxe on steam because I like sim games but this time I am forgetting that simcity genre still exist. GOODBYE maxis.… Expand
  96. djferris
    Nov 19, 2013
    5
    Simcity is the best bad game ever. When you first get into it, the happy go lucky nature of it coupled with its bubbly and user friendly UI and graphics will have you smiling ear to ear. As you start to "complete" your first city or two the flaws really come to surface and they really take away a lot of the fun.

    It's lost the charm of the Simcity series but you can still find a good few    Simcity is the best bad game ever. When you first get into it, the happy go lucky nature of it coupled with its bubbly and user friendly UI and graphics will have you smiling ear to ear. As you start to "complete" your first city or two the flaws really come to surface and they really take away a lot of the fun.

    It's lost the charm of the Simcity series but you can still find a good few hours of entertainment here. Hopefully the next installation will get rid of the "dumbing down" and back into actual city building like Simcity 4.    … Expand
  97. Waclaw
    Aug 1, 2013
    5
    After a while since the official game launch, I thought to review the game and I don't really know where to start...

    The game has some design flaws that make it really hard to enjoy once you finally accept the fact that you no longer control a city but need to take care of a bunch of them in order to reach the upper levels of development or cooperate with friends or random people.    After a while since the official game launch, I thought to review the game and I don't really know where to start...

    The game has some design flaws that make it really hard to enjoy once you finally accept the fact that you no longer control a city but need to take care of a bunch of them in order to reach the upper levels of development or cooperate with friends or random people. Still, the difficulty level is so low (with limited options in terms of finance or policies that were present in past SImCity games), that people looking for a challenge should steer away from this product as the problems you may get come from faulty game mechanics, not the level of proficiency needed to design and maintain a city. There are still major problems with connectivity after so many months and it's more than just a nuisance when you can't even play singleplayer because servers are full... Plus, you can loose a city you built! Regions just disappear from the servers or they are there but you won't be able to access them getting an error message frustrating at best.

    Given the franchise history, the developer of the game and the publisher, this should have been at least a 8/10 game. At the moment, after a countless number of patches focused on resolving issues with people being able to play at all, not addressing real issues like malfunctioning game design (horrible transportation aspect for instance and constant problems with that no matter what you try to do with it), this game is a 5/10 for me and that's only because I still hope that major problems will be resolved and that this game will be playable.

    If you're new to the genre, go play something else. Veterans you have been warned.    … Expand
  98. Gageracer
    Apr 17, 2013
    5
    I loved Simcity 4 and i was expecting all in 4 more with better graphics in new SC.That's not what i get at all.First of all forget getting the huge sizes in 4, and forget that you are actually building a city.This is Sim Town but i can live with this for now.All those patches server issues, wtf? Is this an MMO or a Simulation game?Ok i get it you want to make sure nobody plays it as aI loved Simcity 4 and i was expecting all in 4 more with better graphics in new SC.That's not what i get at all.First of all forget getting the huge sizes in 4, and forget that you are actually building a city.This is Sim Town but i can live with this for now.All those patches server issues, wtf? Is this an MMO or a Simulation game?Ok i get it you want to make sure nobody plays it as a non-original copy.You want your money.But why in the hell i cannot select whatever server i want and continue my fckn game?I open a space with my friends than that server becomes non-playable.Great lets start again...Secondly, game is clearly not finished at all.It is still a beta game.I don't know how cities this game "forced" me to destroy just because it cannot merge my actions to servers.When that happens game just tells you to remove the city or go back and when you say go back it goes too back.The server is pointless cause it cannot save your game, it is just a DRM! I've stopped playing SC cause i am sick of loosing all my data and this game completely destroyed my ambition for a Simcity game.Yes it has graphs and music etc. but it is not finished, still a beta game.Finally i don't know why you can't get an item when your friends send you at the same time.It tooks for ages and you forgot that you send/get anything.… Expand
  99. guitarmaniac004
    Feb 1, 2021
    4
    March 5th 2015, the day EA **** up one of the best city building game series of all time. What the hell were they thinking?
  100. PaulJazz24
    Feb 8, 2019
    5
    Graphics are wonderful with those pastel colors: everything seems a plastic model seen through camera lens: Stunning.
    The gameplay is completely different from SimCity 4, but very fun and addictive.
    It has many big bugs, never fixed, the game was abandoned 1 year after the release. What a pity! Otherwise it deserves 10.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
64

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

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