Last weekend, Maxis allowed thousands of players to test out its reboot of its classic simulation series, SimCity. Like many fans of the series, this was the first time we got our hands on the new SimCity – but what did we make of it?
This version of the beta test only allowed players to play through the first hour of a city, but that didn’t stop us playing that first hour over and over again. Yep, SimCity remains as addictive as ever. Planning cities is as fun as it was in SimCity 3000 and SimCity 4, but this time around it’s much easier because water and electricity travel underneath all roads that you place, meaning that you don’t have to worry about leaving space for power lines everywhere.
Roads have become more important than ever. As well as serving as the routes for power, water, and the majority of transport, in the reboot of SimCity zoning can only take place along roads. All residential, commercial and industrial buildings, plus any other parks, services and buildings must be placed next to roads. It did take some adjusting to, particularly with parks. It is possible, however, to plant trees anywhere on the map, so I went ahead and filled in all the useless green space was some lush deciduous woodland, grinning manically as my Sims happiness rocketed.
Sims in the 2013 of SimCity seem to be much more tolerant than the last generation of Sims. First they demanded power and water, then a sewage system, then waste disposal, then healthcare, then a fire service. The services they demanded are directly related to population size, making the first few hundred citizens a fairly orderly, quiet bunch – but when the hordes arrived, things got rowdier.
Here’s my first (and probably only) problem with SimCity’s gameplay: it’s too easy. Not once did I run out of money, not once did I feel any pressure when dealing with my Sims’ needs. With each city I made, after five minutes I was already making 500 Simoleans of profit every Sim-hour. In previous SimCity games, it was always a struggle to stay out of the red – you had to seriously think about what you spent your money on, but that certainly isn’t the case in the new version, not unless you’re really trying.
I really hope the mid-to-endgame is more challenging, or that Maxis tweak some of the costs of early-game buildings, otherwise SimCity’s longevity will be limited. Players need challenge, particularly in a simulation environment where the real world is being reproduced. Having near unlimited funds to play with made the whole experience seem rather pointless. I don’t have to choose between expanding my hospital or adding a fire station – I can do both.
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