SimCity (2013): review. SimCity (2013): review Simcity game review

All fans of city-building simulators waited with bated breath for the release of SimCity (2013). The annual Cities XL, the thoughtful Anno, and the occasional Tropico are certainly very respected representatives of the genre, but the SimCity series from Maxis has been the king of city-building simulations for 24 years now.

Throughout the development of SimCity (2013), there were very idle thoughts in the gaming community regarding this game. Everything was quite natural, the game was developed on the modern Glassbox engine, the developers added many different functions to the game, among which I would like to highlight the possibility of building a whole network of their cities and various extensions to the main building and, of course, the multiplayer mode in SimCity (2013), which promised players hundreds of hours of carefree gameplay in the company of friends, but all expectations regarding SimCity (2013) were overshadowed by the fatal mistake of the publisher Electronic Arts, which more and more often reminds of itself not only publishing top-notch games, but also getting involved in various scandals and intrigues . On the first day after the release, many players who bought SimCity (2013) flooded the publisher's servers, after which the said servers went to hell and only 10% of those who purchased SimCity (2013) were able to launch the game on the first day.

The problem is that even when playing in single player mode you need a constant Internet connection, this innovation is due to the fact that the past parts of SimCity suffered greatly due to piracy and in order to prevent visitors from torrent trackers from having a single chance, Maxis and Electronic Arts followed in the footsteps developers of Diablo 3 - Blizzard Entertainment and decided to tie SimCity (2013) online using Electronic Arts servers. This idea failed and publishers, who did not expect such a stir around the game SimCity (2013), miscalculated with the number of servers for the game SimCity (2013).

The logic of the publisher is not entirely clear, since the full protection of the game from piracy does not guarantee developers and publishers additional income from the sale of the game, since gamers who use pirated methods of obtaining content are unlikely to make an exception for SimCity (2013) and buy it, thereby violating the normal life bias. As a result, the following picture turned out - SimCity (2013) was bought by those people who buy games on an ongoing basis, but instead of getting their hands on a quality game, Electronic Arts servers gag honest gamers on their PC desktop. As a business decision, linking the game to the servers is also absolutely mediocre, since the publishers spent much more money on the operation of the servers and the protection of the game than from selling the game to pirates, who, for no reason at all, decided to break the usual life bias and not download, but buy the game, making an exception for SimCity(2013). Nevertheless, after 2 days, the author managed to break into the servers of Electronic Arts and evaluate SimCity (2013), but the first impression of the game turned out to be purely negative.

Beautiful graphics very vividly convey the essence of what is happening, and the intelligent system of behavior of pedestrians and vehicles fully conveys the economic and geopolitical situation in your city. Also a very successful innovation in SimCity (2013) are international projects that can be organized together with neighbors on the map, but in order to start implementing an international project, for example, the construction of a spaceport, your city must meet a whole list of requirements, by completing which you can seriously take on an international project.

SimCity (2013) fully lived up to the title of a cult game by giving players a truly unique and versatile gameplay. Nevertheless, the publishers trampled the game into the dirt. The rating of the game SimCity is 9/10, but initially the site planned to give the game 1 point for the nightmarish implementation of the start of the project, but common sense still prevailed. SimCity (2013) has been released exclusively on PC (Windows and Mac).

Create your own city and become the absolute master in it. It is these opportunities that you will have if you decide to download Simcity with a game in Russian. Here is the newest part in the eponymous game series of city-building simulators. The newest, which means you will have new opportunities. The simulator has become much more colorful and spectacular, and the controls, on the contrary, have become simpler. At your disposal will be a piece of land on which you will lay the first buildings and houses.

Building a city is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. After all, you have to deal with not only the construction of houses. It is also necessary to develop infrastructure: build roads, water pipes and sewerage systems, take care of the life and leisure of the population, and much more. In general, Maxis gives you the opportunity to make sure that the position of mayor of the city is not so simple and easy. Downloading Simcity full Russian version on PC is as easy as shelling pears. Click a couple of times with the mouse button and in a matter of minutes one of the most famous city-building simulators on your computer or laptop.

Screenshots of SimCity 2014

A new city-building sim came out, scary to think, ten years after the previous game. Sim City 4! And during this time, of course, much has changed. Despite the fact that the tasks of the player in the new part remain essentially the same as in 2003, SimCity 2013 requires detailed consideration. You will learn all the pros and cons of the new game from this review.

SimCity

Developer: Maxis Genre: life simulation Release date: March 7, 2013 Official website: simcity.com Similar games: SimCity 4, SimCity Societes

So in Sim City 2013 you are the mayor of a big city, in fact a metropolis. And this is a whole system, the development of which the authors of the game spent a lot of time and effort. The game constantly forces you to follow absolutely everything. In one place everything is in order, in another it is already chaos. They just fixed something at one end of the city, something happened at the opposite. And this is not to mention such an important thing as resources. In general, in the new SimCity resources are the source of all problems.

But not only! Of course, in 2013, such a game cannot do without the problems of environmental pollution. What's going on with the lack of water? It seems that the megacities of the near future will experience a shortage of everything that is possible. And it's even funny that in this game it is water that can cause so many inconveniences to players! This, it turns out, is much more dangerous than a sudden invasion of the living dead or a UFO that has appeared!

By the way, such jokes of developers are probably more pleasing than any other events in SimCity. But if we have seen all kinds of buildings, the whims of city residents, natural disasters in other life simulators, then the social component is what primarily distinguishes SimCity from competitors. An interesting feature of the novelty is that the metropolis is divided into districts, and the construction of several cities at once is much more interesting when playing with neighbors with whom resources are exchanged, the choice of the most important buildings for infrastructure, and general decisions that affect the development of the city of dreams.

Of course, this implies communication between the players and indispensable conflicts, there are no identical opinions! Unfortunately, at this stage, this feature is implemented, to put it mildly, not so hot ... Firstly, a new SimCity, surprisingly, not such a large-scale "urban strategy", at least for 2013. The scale of development is somehow even smaller than in the original part. Maybe it just seems so because of the much prettier picture, against which you expect some unimaginable size of the metropolis, beyond the horizon! And it turns out in the end, well, a maximum of a town for a couple of hundred thousand inhabitants. This is not something that would be a minus of the game, but for sure many will experience some disappointment.

But in other way, SimCity has become more difficult and rarely forgives mistakes. The choice of specialization is important here, that is, what you will focus on in your metropolis. Industry, gambling, tourism… A lot of things are expensive, but there won’t be enough resources for everything at once, so you need to decide from the very beginning. You need to keep track of the indigenous people, and tourists, and troublemakers - for a lot! And for those who have never dealt with Sim-like games, it can be very difficult.

This is an interesting simulation that takes many hours to enjoy. It’s not easy to sit down, set something up there, then mess things up, pollute the entire environment, waste resources, leave the uneducated population, and then just suffer and try to enlist the support of neighbors. No, that won't work. It is necessary to study all possible ways of development, choose the most interesting for yourself and continue to track all the nuances. Then the city of dreams will not keep you waiting, and then it will be possible to support it for your own pleasure. But…

Secondly, at the moment with the servers at EA something incomprehensible is going on, and not everyone will be able to play. And all why? Because the gaming industry has now chosen a trend to acquire social opportunities. And it can ruin games that were great ten or twenty years ago in single player modes. Server overloads, but most importantly - a strong dependence of your progress and success in the game on other players (in this case, neighbors), in my opinion, all this is completely unhealthy.

About a full-fledged multiplayer that supports up to 16 people (!), For now, you can forget. Numerous complaints from players come for a reason, which means that the authors again did not master the innovations. And the worst thing is that not everyone can even enter a single player game! So for now, you can forget about leader boards, online competitions on the topic “but my town is better” or “let's strive together for the best metropolis in the world!”.

All in all, Sim City 2013- an excellent city-building simulator, but the online orientation spoils the impression in the same way as it was in 2012 with Diablo 3. Those who adapt to this system are lucky, I recommend everyone else not to waste precious time and try to enjoy what is possible without the help of other players.

P.S. I hate Origin, and after such outrages with the new SimCity I would like to send the developers at all, wishing to forever abandon the online tricks in such initially wonderful games.

The most relevant player complaints can be viewed.

SimCity trailer:

Pros Great metropolis simulation Multiple specializations to choose from Cool natural disasters Lots of options when playing with friends Decent graphics and sound Cons Disadvantages Problem with servers Origin system in general Small map scale

Introduced in 1989, the SimCity computer game became not only a hit, but even won the title of one of the greatest games. At the moment, it is impossible to imagine the world history of computer games without SimCity, because it was this project that became the prototype for all subsequent urban building simulators. And this simulator itself became the starting point for a series of games, which in turn included six more games and a large number of different add-ons. Let's follow the evolution of this computer based city building simulator.

So, in the first part of SimCity, its gamers did not have any specific goal, having reached which it could be considered that the game was completed. The gamer planned, built and managed the city, acting as the mayor. In this rank, he had to not only build a variety of buildings and pave roads, but also collect taxes.

Released five years later, SimCity 2000 has undergone significant changes in appearance - because now she taught the isometric projection of the city. Gamers said goodbye to abbreviated inscriptions on the tops of buildings. Moreover, from now on you can consider various details.

So, for example, on the building in which the police station is located, a sign of law enforcement agencies is depicted, and fire trucks are visible next to the fire station. In addition, the developers made sure that buildings such as a zoo, subway or hospital could be used in the game. Moreover, now other cities have appeared around the city under construction, with which, if desired, mutually beneficial trade can be organized.

In early 1999, SimCity 3000 (SC3K) was released, which in turn received many improvements and changes. It was originally planned to release a 3D version of the game, but the viability of SimCity 3000 with such graphics was called into question. As a result, an isometric projection with sprite graphics was approved. Of course, the quality of the graphics has improved - the landscape has become much more colorful and more complex. A large number of services appeared to manage the city, the game received various agricultural structures and farms. SimCity 3000 added historical landmarks: the Statue of Liberty, Notre Dame de Paris, the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, the twin towers of the World Trade Center, etc. A factor such as natural disasters was introduced into the game: tornadoes, fires, earthquakes and, a topic beloved by many Americans, UFO attacks.

It was this version of the game that was marked by many positive reviews at E3-98. Due to its huge popularity, in the year 2000, SimCity 3000 is released in various parts of the world under different names. So, for example, in England and Ireland it is SimCity 3000 UK Edition, in Germany SimCity 3000 Deutschland, in North America SimCity 3000 Unlimited and others. Thanks to these re-releases, SimCity 3000 is enriched with new natural disasters (space debris, locusts), new sights, vegetation types, terrain colors, as well as new capitals of different countries (Moscow, London, Seoul, Madrid and Berlin).

Another distinguishing feature of the third game in the SimCity series was the use of live music. MIDI music was replaced by jazz written by J. Martin. Fifteen compositions have become an integral part of the game, conveying its depth and sensuality.

In 2003, SimCity 4 added to the urban simulation genre. This time, the game was already equipped with a 3D engine and was recognized as the best-selling game in 2003. But there was enough criticism of the game. Especially a lot of comments were to the gameplay. And this despite the fact that the gameplay was now equipped with three modes: mayor mode, god mode and sim mode.

In mayor mode, gamers can build a city (streets, roads, subway lines, railway stations) on lands that are divided into zones (residential, industrial and commercial). Players can build various municipal buildings in SimCity 4, as well as develop agriculture, which is now a separate economic branch of the city.

God Mode provides the gamer with such opportunities as constructing a certain area or its complete terraforming for the further construction of the city. In this mode, the ability to call natural disasters is available. At your request, a volcanic eruption may occur in a certain place, or an earthquake may occur. If you don't like these cataclysms, there are many others at your disposal. This mode allows you to change the day/night settings. You yourself understand that God will please, then he creates.

The third mode is the Sim mode, in which the gamer is allowed to create the Sim that will live in the future city. True, in the future, the gamer is not allowed to control the Sims. They independently settle down, study, work, create families, give birth to children, die. Good or bad for a Sim will depend on the economic development and social condition of the city as a whole. So, the more you pay attention to the development of the city, the more beautiful the Sims live.

The sound design has also received a significant improvement. The game now has over 3 hours of background music, which is divided into music for god mode and music for mayor and sim modes. Moreover, now the gamer can add music to the game to his liking.

A little more than six months have passed since the addition to the fourth game from the SimCity series, subtitled Rush Hour, appeared. At the beginning of the game SimCity 4: Rush Hour, the gamer gets a plot of land allotted for the construction of the city, the evolution of which begins with an ordinary village and ends with a huge metropolis. However, in order to achieve such progress, the gamer will have to take into account a large number of nuances that affect the processes associated with urban development. This implies that the player will take care of public services, healthcare and education, will not forget about the organization of recreation for Sims and monitor the environment in general. In addition, this add-on focuses on the construction and development of roads, an extensive transport system with mandatory control over the latter.

And yet, it should be noted that a very cool mix of the main SimCity 4 game with a transport strategy like TransportTycoon, unfortunately, did not work out.

Four years later, the next sequel appeared - SimCitySocieties. We can say about this add-on that it was equipped with a very good video sequence, and also had quite a few innovations and interesting finds.

And then it took a long nine years for Maxis to create the fifth game of this popular series. This was undoubtedly a very responsible step. Indeed, in the time that has passed since 2003, many similar games have appeared. The most demanded and popular of them was the computer game Cities XL 2012. And at the beginning of 2013, Maxis regained its dominant position in this gaming niche.

The game SimCity of the thirteenth year received major changes and innovations from its creators. The area allocated for construction can accommodate up to sixteen cities. Cities now have the opportunity to specialize: you can develop oil or ore mining, the production of various microelectronics, tourism or trade. Each such specialization has both its positive and negative aspects, without taking into account which it is impossible to achieve the prosperity of your city. The presence of multiplayer, which was already in the fourth part of the SimCity game, allows gamers to perfectly cooperate. Mutually beneficial purchase and sale of various resources, assistance in the provision of various services greatly helps the development of neighboring cities. On the face of the classic scheme of economic development is a fusion of cooperation and specialization.

Another major opportunity that this multiplayer provides is the development of large-scale economic projects outside urban areas. The clearest examples are the development and construction of an international airport or cosmodrome. Impressive, isn't it?

And in all other respects, SimCity 2013 both externally and structurally evoke only positive emotions. Everything in the game is very conveniently and comfortably worked out, starting with dry statistics and ending with excellent visualization of many game moments. The exterior design is very nice and colorful. All of these components are so harmoniously intertwined that SimCity 2013 imperceptibly tightens almost any gamer, after which the feeling of time spent playing this game shrinks, and then simply disappears, turning into an instant.

We hope that everyone will be able to experience such wonderful moments!

I saw the light, scary to imagine, twenty-four years ago, in 1989. The game, released by the young "nerd" Will Wright and the enterprising Jeff Brown, not only won the hearts of millions of "strategists" around the world, but also laid the foundation for the "city-building simulator" genre.

Since then, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, Wright has grown old and experimented a lot with genres, and his brainchild, originally, by the way, conceived as a computer model of a functioning urban community, has changed beyond recognition. And now, after a break of time, before us.

That we should build a house.

The construction of the city looks like in the good old days. We draw future quarters with roads, mark out construction zones - industry, economy, sleeping areas. After that, we provide the city with water and electricity, and watch how the first inhabitants pour into the next Khrenograd. Subsequently, we will have to build police and fire stations, schools and stadiums, decorate the city with sights borrowed from the real world, and establish a stable flow of money into the treasury...

Water, current, and waste "travel" on the roads. For everything about everything, developers do not allocate so much space. Of course, it is possible to build a rather big city on the site given to the administration, but do not expect to build a metropolis like Shanghai. Not too many buildings set up in the same way. However, almost any of the existing ones can be expanded with the help of outbuildings, which helps a lot when you pretty much build up. The old familiar water pipes, which had to be cunningly planted underground, and the power lines necessary for the electrification of any area, have sunk into oblivion. And water, and current, and, sorry, waste products now "travel" on the roads. With this innovation, the developers have done us a disservice. After an hour, you realize that the game practically does not challenge us.

What would you name the city...

The next minus grows from the previous one. The formula of an ideal city is calculated very quickly, it is being built in a couple of hours of real time, after which it remains only to sit and admire its large village, sometimes being distracted by mini-quests. After playing with natural disasters, you realize that there is nothing else in this game. Everything works like a Swiss watch and does not require our presence. Then - either the creation of a new city, or ... game over.

In addition, due to the cramped building site, there is very little room for imagination. Either just draw circles with the roads, or build another clockwork, and indulge in melancholy, admiring traffic or fires.

But, in the end, any city is its inhabitants. It's all right here. Each citizen of your Kosyakovka has his own needs, the failure to fulfill which is fraught with a bad mood, and, ultimately, emigration. The problem is that even if your city has nuclear waste dumps surrounded by exploding nuclear power plants, and smog hanging in the air can be cut with a knife, you will not lose all the inhabitants. The number of people leaving and coming, of course, will vary, but it is impossible to remain without a population.

In addition, our Muhosransk can be re-profiled for a certain specialization. Over time, powerful factories and mines will appear in the industrial capital, all kinds of entertainment establishments will grow in the casino city, and banks and exchanges will be erected in the economic metropolis. All this, frankly, is more of a decorative function. The city can be built without profiling, although the new buildings that have opened will add a few pleasant minutes.

The player's task is to build at least something, and then SimCity plays itself. There are also random events in the game, implying that something is changing in the city. Unfortunately, having adjusted life, you simply ignore them. A supervillain has wound up and there is an outbreak of crime in the city? Bah, our policemen are bent into the ram's horn of anyone you want. Several buildings caught fire from the heat? Nonsense - the firemen are already on the spot. Reactor overload at nuclear power plant? Don't care, let it explode, the damage is easy to repair. The game creates "plush" problems for itself, and solves them on its own. In fact, the player's task is to create almost any city. Don't worry, whatever you build will still be viable. And then it starts to play itself. And here the hand of marketers who controlled the development process is very strongly felt - people who paid for the game should in no case be upset.

One head is good...

One of the most important components is its social orientation. The game requires you to be constantly connected to the Internet and stores all data on its servers. The network mode supports a lot of various features that make players interact on the same map. For example, the joint construction of an airfield is much cheaper, and all the cities participating in the concession can use its bonuses at once. Excess water can be sold to a neighbor, receiving a regular increase in the budget, and the lack of electricity can be compensated for by an agreement with a friend from a third city. Finally, you can build your own landfills and sewage treatment plants, and make a fortune on someone else's garbage. However, frankly speaking, it is more interesting to build your city alone. Even if you're playing with a friend, sometimes the constant interaction is annoying. What can we say about strangers who can join your game.

In addition, the implementation of "joint projects" is very strange. By joining one of them, you must accumulate funds for construction. Do you think that at this stage it will be necessary to build factories, procure materials, or redesign the whole city? No, you just need to click the "accumulate funds" button, and then wait patiently.

The resemblance to Farmville is striking - we build a town and go to visit friends. So, when the euphoria from a really wonderful picture and an incredibly convenient interface passes, you understand that the new one is more like a tricked-out game-application for the same Facebook. By the way, similarity with farmville just amazing - we are building a small farm for ourselves, which works tolerably even without us, periodically we make some minor changes and go to visit friends.

Sim City 2013 is a game that evokes extremely positive emotions, captivates you, and at the same time gets bored in a couple of days. In pursuit of an audience, the developers have created a simple and beautiful city-building simulator that even your ninety-five-year-old grandfather can figure out, provided that you manage to explain to him what a “mouse” is. The only problem with SimCity is its simplicity. This is a virtual constructor, a set of ready-made blocks that can be twisted in any way, at least that way, and still nothing will change. Although, if you are looking for simplicity - do not pass by.