SimCity Demo

Sandbox games are the perfect companions when you want a bit of quiet time and a few hours of relaxation. They can also appeal to the creative side of gamers, since you only need to think about the few million Minecraft videos on YouTube to see how much people love to show the world their ingenuity. City management games fall into the same category, although they can be rather stressful sometimes.

SimCity is a new production from Maxis that tries to appeal to the hardcore public of the first few episodes, while also inviting new players to join in on the fun. The two ideologies clash together in a fiery explosion, and the result is something that does not appear to be right for anyone, regardless of past experience with the series. It’s certainly more complicated than SimCity Societies, but compared to what players had to deal with in previous games, this is a walk in the park.

There are many changes when it comes to how the game is played, but the main idea is that some things are simpler when they shouldn’t be. One of the complaints is related to how the water supply system works in this new version, because you can’t toy with pipes anymore. Believe or not, the daunting task of arranging the water pipes was one of the quintessential components of the series.

It’s not all bad, on the other hand. One of the more interesting additions is the fact that your city is now connected to other cities, which means that you can interact with them. It is possible to buy and sell goods, as well as power and water, depending on what you need or have in excess. Individual people have complaints and requests as well, although it becomes rather annoying to listen to them after your city grows past a certain point.

Visually, the game does not look bad at all, although things get rather primitive if you zoom in too much. The graphics are still pretty solid, and the cities actually look like something you might see out in the real world, for a change. There are many different building models for houses, office buildings and factories, not to mention all sorts of terrain.

In the end, it’s up to you whether SimCity has what it takes to keep you entertained. For a newcomer in the genre, the game might even feel complicated and difficulty, but not so much for veterans. As long as you are just looking to have some fun and be in charge of a make-believe city, SimCity is still a pretty good choice.