Life in Sim City 4 - Part I

remember the first PC game I played; it was Doom. A wonderful FPS I'm sure you've all heard of. I also remember the second PC game I played; it was Sim City 2000. I didn't have a PC at that time but my nextdoor neighbour, Duncan, did.

I remember going round to his house every night for three weeks to expand my empire. Unfortunately, Duncans parents weren't best pleased with me wallowing till the early hours in Duncs room, so they gave me his Hero Quest bored (sorry, board) game. That kept me busy for a few days but I yearned to take back control of my city, even for just one day (a final farewell, if you will). That didn't happen

. When I went round the next time, I was informed my save game file had been deleted. I cried inside. And it's because of that traumatic incident, in which my Presidency was snatched away from me by other powers (George W. Bush, maybe?) that I've never gone back to the Sim City series... until now. Yes, a few weeks ago I felt the urge to relieve those lazy days of mega-lo-mania and bought a copy of Sim City 4.

I wanted to re-create the Utopia I crafted all those years ago, but I never remembered the game to be quite so demanding. Upon starting the game I was faced with an unprecidented amount of options. Though I wouldn't say tedious, it was certainly very time-consuming, slogging through the on-going list of micro-management choices.

A cup of coffee is not suggested, more required here. It was clear to me from the out-set that the series had evolved; that it had been made more 'specialist' and that those who percivered would get farthest. But then, perseveirance has always been the key in this series.

Sim City 4 Intro.

Maxis, who infamously made The Sims (and the antagonisingly long list of add-on packs) are returning with yet another seductive and tempting game that is sure to lure fans of simulation games back to the tried and tested forumula that is the Sim City series. Since the days of the original counterpart, times have-a-changed - machines are now the size of small houses and crime is simply a memory that elders tell their grandchildren about. Note: perhaps I exaggerated a few things here, but this is the kind of feeling that Sim City 4 gives you.

We are now introduced to the fourth incarnation of Sim City (hence the title) and after being sceptical about this title after some of the poorer games in the series and Sim City 4, while looking good on paper (and more namely, on the back of the box), it appears that EA have made a fantastic attempt at marketing this game, as the box really made me want to buy this game pretty much as soon as I laid eyes on it. It's pretty much impossible to let this game slip past you. So Kudos to EA for that one.

The premise is the same as the previous three installments - you lay down the blue prints for a city (with fully customisable options) and little-by-little, you can eventually mould how the Sims' routines will work and watch how they adjust to the surroundings and react to it. Also, there is a very cleverly-marketed level editor, where you can "sculpt mountains and gouge valleys", as they put it, which quite simply means to be the hand of God (or as the Mayor, as they say) and alter the surroundings as you see fit.

Maxis certainly have cleaned up their act in terms of the graphics, namely the graphical interface. We now have level creation made easier, with an easy-to-use interface and bar that really sets this apart from the contenders. Also, the zoom is a nice feature in the game, allowing you to get down to the nitty gritty. The sound is nice, but nothing special, in that it's nothing that we haven't seen before and certainly nothing to shout home about. Consequently, if you enjoy these simulation games, then you should enjoy this game. Just be sure that before purchasing, your PC can handle this game, as the spec is pretty high. A great game overall though.