Reviews / previews
Paid for by the Friends of Maxis Fund
Hello, PC gaming communityIm Sim City 4, the latest sequel in one of the longest running urban planning simulation series of all time. Now, you may have noticed a whole lot of other urban planning simulation series popping up on the store shelves but when it comes time to put your hard-earned money on the line, I think my track record will speak for itself.
This year, Im planning more than just a mere graphical upgrade disguised as a sequel, unlike some other civilization-style simulatorsIm planning an entire overhaul, starting with a brand-new Region system that enables you to create entire areas with more than one citydozens, evenat a time, complete with commercial interaction. Im also offering simplified drag-and-size residential, commercial, and industrial zoning and road management, so micro-managing every inch of every city block will be a thing of the past; less frustrating (and more fun) water and resource management; and a wonderfully detailed five-level zoom system that lets you view things from the perspective of a god or the perspective of one of his many dogs.
Municipality Magnate 2: Bad for Your Kids, Bad for Your Future
Now, you may have heard some of those other civilization, park, and mall management games make claims that theyve got more efficient trade routes or more types of petting zoos than ever beforebut will they have a god mode with a great 3D landscape-modeling tool that lets you create plateaus, valleys, lakes, and mountainseven flocks of wild giraffe?
Ill also work with The Simsone of the single most popular games ever made. Purchase me, and youll be able to import your Sims and then watch them live out their lives in and around your town, and listen as they dispense anecdotes and personal advice about how to improve their schools, their community, and reduce crime. Now, when it comes time to buy your next city simulation game, I think the choice will be clear. Im Sim City 4.-- 0 / GamePro
Once upon a time, if you wanted to simulate the human managerial experience on your PC, there stood but one single, solitary City to suit your needs, but three generations of sequels and countless expansion packs dulled the Citys edge, leaving room for zoos, malls, theme parks, trailer hitch factories, arboretums, and newt farms to stake their claim in the virtual administrator marketplace. Now, grandpappys backand ready to show all those upstarts how things are supposed to be done.
The Fall and Rise of the Maxis Empire
SimCity 4 is a significant evolution of a classic series, displaying a refinement and balance that borders on revolution. All of the old SimCity substance is here in very recognizable formsResidential, Commercial, and Industrial zoning; pollution overlays and crime maps; natural disasters; police support ranges; taxes and maintenance sliders, and budget-balancing tricksbut all handled much more wisely with no annoying micromanagement issues and a far greater attunement with the world at large. Those who reveled in the details can still do so, but the game doesnt require them so much anymore. Gone is the sense that a single misplaced water pipe or downed power line could drag down your entire civilization. Cool new business deals (move a toxic dump into town for a nice lump of monthly cash, etc.) help save what would have been a hopelessly doomed, headed-for-the-scrapheap town in previous SimCity games.
Neo-Machiavellian Mechanics
SimCity 4s completely restructured interface is simple and efficient, divided into God, Mayor, and Sim modes. Mayor mode is the traditional SimCity interface where youll spend most of your time designing city blocks and highways, while the robust new God Mode lets you level land, forge mountains, and create herds of wild animals at will throughout your enormous region. The terrain design options are extraordinary this time around, and the fact that you can create dozens of interconnected cities within the landscape adds mountains to the replayability and sense of ownership.
Sim modea sounds-like-a-gimmick move your characters from The Sims into town featureis equally welcome. Its a crafty, fun little tool for getting to the root of problems in individual neighborhoods, and it helps add personality to the mayoral process.
The game looks great, both from afar as you craft your landscapes and up close when you see the extraordinary detail in the buildings and bustling activities of inhabitants; and easy-to-understand maps, graphs, and overlays are wonderful interface friends. Despite the apparent 2D look (its actually a 3D game locked in perspective), the game requires a powerful system to run smoothly, seeing as the computer is doing a hell of a lot of math; and those with a GeForce 3 and 800 MHz Pentium III will likely still have some clunkiness issues.
Fauxcropolis
If youve dropped out of touch with the City that is Sim, nows a great time to get back into the mayoral racethe new features, refined interface, and (above all) near-perfect sense of balance make this old dog feel vital and new. So roll over, all you Roller Coaster Emu Aquarium Administrators. Daddys back in town.-- 0 / GamePro
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