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Great game for kids

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 39
Date: November 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game has just the right amount of complexity for kids. My kids are 9 and 12 and they love this game. The graphics are fantastic (and demanding). The game did freeze once but since I've installed the update, I've not had any problems. If you are looking for complex adult entertainment that comes with a steep learning curve, this is not the game for you. The city simulation is pretty basic but this allows you to try different city scenarios without getting wrapped up in the complexity of a myriad of simulation details. You can for example have two areas in your city plot. Have happy sims on one half and make real angry sims on the other. Then, create jails and swat teams on the good side to try to stave off the invading irked sims looking for a better life. I would have like to see some deeper dimension of city life simulation, but the game is fun as it is so I don't mind. If you tend to stop playing games because they get too complicated or hard, you'll like this game.

Great game - Very different from the rest of the series, but still great

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 17 / 26
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you're looking for an overly convoluted, heavy difficulty city-building game, look elsewhere. If you're looking to build a fantastic looking, full-of-life city that you can have a lot of fun playing around in without oppressive micromanagement weighing you down the whole way, this is your game. The game oozes charm and personality, and there are tons of buildings and city archetypes to choose from. Watching the different types of Sims live out their lives in the city you've created is a real treat-- and as per usual for the Sims games, you can make them as happy or miserable as you want.

Most of the negative reviews as of late seem to come from embittered SimCity fans who were expecting a direct sequel to SimCity 4. Were the game not titled SimCity, I guarantee the response would have been a lot more positive. Personally, I think it's a game anyone should be able to get something out of (for the more hardcore gamers, mods have already been released to make the game a more challenging experience). Highly recommended.

Most moddable 3D citybuilder

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 14
Date: December 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Excellent! Every time I start the game I get more involved in it. The game can be played by noobs, but can be played in various modes for in depth play. You can also mod the game to make it more difficult and can access nearly every part of the game.

I find myself looking fwd to the next city. THis is starting to be very addictive.

Decent compared to what I've played!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: January 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is excellent. I was impressed with the graphics and overall it was an enjoyable experience. I would definitely buy this game again. It beats the pants off of free sim games like http://ebwf.myminicity.com/

Easy, fun game to feel omnipotence for a while.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I got this game a few months ago despite the bad reviews and I am glad I did not listen. This is a fun, entertaining, easy game when you just have 15 or 20 minutes to just enjoy a fun activity. All the bugs have been fixed or can be if you go to the simcity societies website and download the latest game update (#4 now). This update even has new add ons, like alien invasion, creature invasion etc.

Very Interesting

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: July 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a really fun game. Even though it's got a lot of bad reviews because of its simplicity and many problems, I think this game is very fun and interesting. It really has changed since SimCity 4, which is also a great game, but they are good changes. The 3D engine is awesome(even though it's a little slow), especially since you can see the sky, and I like the sandbox mode, where you can create the city of your dreams! The updates have added more features to the game, so they are a big part of the game. Very Fun!

Different but still fun

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 33 / 41
Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've been a simcity fan when they first came out. I think that this was their remedy to not being able to produce Simville which was supposed to be a combo for Simcity and The Sims fans. Yes, when I bought it there were bugs, which the patch has since remedied and so far so good. I think being a die hard Simcity fan you are going to be disappointed because it is unlike any SimCity you've ever played. It's not about the infrastructure; it's about the people. The fun is in the details. For example I created a fun/contemplative city. As the society progressed the street lights changed to torches and every house had a chinese lantern to light their porches. Murals changed to reflect your society's interest. Even the sims' names and the music changed to a more Asian influence. Talk about the music!! I love the music. If you create an authoritarian society the music became a more militaristic/industrial/techno march and all the details like banners of a dictator pop-up everywhere in the city's decor. On the downside, you have to give up some of the customizing tools you had on SimCity, like the terrain tool and if you plan to build a subway don't plan on seeing the underground view. You just have to trust that the subway exists and that your sims are going underground and using it. Overall, if you are have an open mind and are more concerned with the socio-dynamics, rather then the zoning, then this is the game for you.

A highly innovative title that merits a look

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 16 / 21
Date: January 07, 2008
Author: Amazon User

It is unfortunate to see that this page of reviews is plagued with people merely complaining, "OMG, this isn't SimCity... I've been a fan for years and I am SOOOO disappointed." What these overly critical reviewers do not realize is that this is not supposed to be the next big SimCity game (as they say, SimCity 5). This SimCity game is made for those of us that don't enjoy lying down overly tedious power lines and sewer systems, but to focus on creating a beautiful and unique society that appeals to our interests and tastes. This was the intent of Tilted Mill and EA.

The focus of the game relies heavily on what the box states (and a lot of people seem to overlook the "Societies" part of the title): Your city affects every individual life in your city. You can actually see all your workers moving about the city when zooming in close. You can check their status and their inventory, their problems and their job, etc. Every building you place in your city has a major effect on the lives of your citizens. The more of one type of building you place (from the range of six cultural values that the game capitalizes on), the more your society changes. Eventually, the entire city will change to reflect the major decisions that you made. I, for example, created an authoritarian city, in which my city was plagued with secret police, security cameras lining the streets, mind controlling facilities, etc. The music, streets, and atmosphere change with your decisions.

When original SimCity fans look for the same features of the previous titles, they are instantly confused and frustrated, and simply look over the complex system that Tilted Mill developed: Every building interacts with each other, and how they interact, reflects in the Sims that live in your society. If you play the game all the way zoomed out, you will not notice anything spectacular. However, if you zoom in close and watch the interactions on the streets and around your buildings, the complexity of the game is apparent.

This game is for people who'd rather be creative and focus on creating a beautiful city of their dreams. They have the ability to decorate, and build their city in any manner that they desire. That was the objective of the game designers. It is for those people who always couldn't stand SimCity because of all the tedious micromanagement and always thought when placing city-zoning that "I'd rather be placing the buildings themselves." It is meant to be a creative experience.

In this case, it is true that the player has to remain motivated himself/herself to continue building his/her city. The game is purely open-ended, and while you do receive rewards, they are rather easy to get. The "full-strategy" mode that is included in-box is actually relatively easy and the rewards come fast (but, let's keep in mind that this was not the original game designer's intent). To our benefit, the developers have released a patch that includes a new gaming mode (they are obviously listening to the complaints of consumers about the lack of strategy) that is labeled as "Strategy mode." This mode makes the game a bit more of a challenge to handle: building maintenance costs are introduced, citizens work more play less (making them harder to please), and other more "micro-management" aspects. This mode gives that extra edge for those of us that need the "extra-motivation" to keep building. It's a nice addition, and will simmer some of the overly critical complaints of the game.

Overall, this game is fantastic. I have yet to experience any crashes or bugs. The game does begin to lag when cities become massive (which is, no doubt, from the complex interaction of all citizens and buildings). I say that if you are not a fan of the regular SimCity, then you'll enjoy this game. If you are looking for SimCity 5, then realize that this is NOT what this game is supposed to be, and move on. This game deserves MUCH MORE credit than what it has been given.

Not bad...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 12
Date: January 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I enjoyed playing SC Societies much more than SC 4. I found dealing with zoning and budgets to be tedious and boring. I disliked the fact that I had no real say regarding the demographics of my cities. Societies is for players, like myself, who are more interested in the sociopolitical dynamics and personality of the city rather than the economics. I don't think one game is better than the other...I am just glad that there was a version created for those of us who were looking for something else in the game. The only real negative is that there are no real goals other than gaining trophies, but other than that my playing experience has been very pleasant.

Totally Fun!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 11
Date: January 18, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game is great. My 9 year old loved Sim City. This is more realistic.
The images are cooler, but some of the controls are a little more difficult. There are so many levels to plauing this game. Definitely one he can grow with.

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