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- Focus Home Interactive
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- Focus Home Interactive
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- Focus Home Interactive
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- Focus Home Interactive
Cities XL 2011
Released On: Oct 14, 2010
70
5.7
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
70
35% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
65% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
70
35% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
65% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Considering many of the missteps that the newer SimCity games have taken I am more than happy to say that Cities XL is more than able to contain the mantle of spiritual successor.
It's good that Focus offered a significant discount to anyone who had already bought Cities XL, as otherwise there would be little here to entice old players. New people to the franchise who've longed for a decent city-builder should definitely try this out though.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 40 User Ratings
5.7
23% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
48% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
30% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 40 User Ratings
5.7
23% Positive
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
48% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
30% Negative
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
When I first played the game I already had then the feeling the game still has a long road to make to reach the greatness of the Simcity games. The game just didn't felt finished more like a beta game.
But I believe that if this project continues to improve it does reach the greatness of the Simcity games.
What it already has is:
- Stunning graphics
- Looking in your city and walking in a horizontal angle (something Simcity never had and is so important in the next-gen city game because the city feels much more different in that angle)
- Enormous maps enough space to build
- The strategy in the game is already pretty good but some changes still wouldn't hurt
What the game still needs:
- A big modding community because the developer of the game just can't put al the wishes of the player in de game a modding community can. (example: Simcity 4 had a great modding community because Maxis promoted the to be the architect himself of a building by giving the gamers BAT which worked out pretty well many mods were looking professional and helped making the game even greater en greatly extended the fun in the game)
- Building a city is sometimes annoying because the road snaps to fast on another road or if you place a building it deletes an other building while you don't want it to be deleted. So that can be improved
- You can't make your own map you have to choose between already designed maps and the tools you get to modify the map are bad and you have only 3 landtools.
- Ow and please those technical issues are a pain in the ass. Even the best computers struggle if you have a normal sized city. And the game crashes fast which is annoying if you didn't saved the game
There sure are more things to say about what's great and not great about the game but even when it still isn't the next-gen city game it definitely has the potential to become it and in my opinion it is the greatest try so far since Simcity.
7/10
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PC
This is a simulation game in which you are going to create and develop a city . Is very similar to the Sim City franchise. You will build roads, house's complexes, commerce locals, industries, police stations, hospitals, airports,etc. As you keep progressing you will unlock new buildings and other things The game has a lot of complexity (like trading with other cities), which is good for fans of this type of games. Graphics are nice. If you like Steam achievements i have bad news, this game does not have them. It is a nice game, although it gets a little bit boring and is not as good as Sim City.
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PC
Cities XL 2011 is a good and realistic city-building simulator, but a bit conventional.
In many ways, Cities XL 2011 is similar to Civilization V. Although not nearly as grand in scope, there's a sense of pride after taking a squalid ghetto and nurturing it into a pristine metropolis.
If you like the management games genre, keep in mind that CITIES XL tries to simplify every aspect of the gameplay you are accustomed to, but you still might like it.
Great visuals cannot hide the fact Cities XL 2011 game works only on well-established principles and brings no revolution to this genre. Everything works well but there is no space for surprise for anyone. [Issue#199]
This new iteration of Cities XL just lacks a little depth. But the solo gameplay is now more comprehensive (thanks to the inclusion of public transport, for example) even though there are still some issues like the freight. Unfortunately, the multiplayer disappeared in this refinement process of the previous iteration, without much to make up for the loss in challenge. Indeed, you'll have to do with the joys of management alone, or, of course, the simple pleasures of building lovely cities.
An ambitious city simulator that is one of the closest attempts in recent times to equal Maxis' legends. It has very impressive graphics and deeper gameplay than many other recent shallow offerings of this genre, but is let down by a lack of polish in some areas. The road system is fiddly to upgrade (requiring demolition and starting again) and despite finally having the ability to curve roads, this system leaves much to be desired (roundabouts 'absorb' cars like a building; there's no animation of traffic on them). Despite being a little longwinded and inelegant at times, Cities XL 2011 can engross any keen city-builder and is worth a look on the long wait for Sim City 5.
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PC
Cities XL 2011 on initial impressions looks great. The graphical style is really nice, there are lots of different maps to chose from and there are many different types of structures and services at your disposal in building the city of your dreams. There are some other nice features such as being able to trade resources between cities and you can also zoom right in to see cars and people at close-ups. It is also quite convenient that you can zone properties very quickly rather than having to click for each new house you would like to build.
Unfortunately, the initial great impression is only skin deep and the game is at its core, quite lifeless. There is very little feedback given to you as the player, forcing you to rely merely on the text presented to you. Despite the fact you see cars and people around the city, it just feels really empty. The music while decent, has the potential to make you fall asleep, and the interface is quite clunky with many different tabs which I constantly get lost in. The game's optimisation is also not great, with even my new computer struggling once cities reach a certain size. At the end of the day, Cities XL 2011 succeeds in presentation, but lets itself down in its implementation. If you want a great city builder I would suggest you pick up Simcity 4 instead. Tropico 4 is also a good city builder option as well.
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PC
The first time I played this game, I really felt empty. It is just plain dead. Buildings just pop out and do not undergo a construction phase. It doesn't feel like a city at all. It feels more like a ghost town. Add the kiddie cartoon styled citizens and you'll immediately know that something is really wrong in this city building sim. I just don't understand why a city sim must have the kiddie cartoon style characters there. Not to mention the stationary ship on the harbour. Maybe the game developers target 6-7 year old gamers??? The only thing that is right here is the graphics engine, all others are epic fail...
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PC
I have a number of deal-breaker problems with this game and the company that made it. Overall, the game is bordering on fun, but the problems that I have run into have made it unbearable to play.
First, the graphics system implementation seems to have missed a few steps in the testing process. I have a Radeon HD 5800 series video card in my laptop which is a fairly common series. Add into this the fact that I keep the drivers up-to-date and don't make drastic customizations to the display/card settings and I feel confident in saying that I shouldn't run into many out-of-the-box problems. However, I have yet to get the game to successfully change resolution. I've tried all the resolutions that my monitor and card combination will support (including an external monitor), but it all ends with a stuck on top white box and an not responding game. Since I run the game through Steam, where I purchased it, I automatically have the latest version of the game and still no change.
Second, related to the first problem, is the absolute lack of support from the publisher. I've e-mailed them, checked their website, and even tried to get into their non-existent forums and the result has been total silence. No, auto-response email telling me that the e-mail I sent arrived and they will get to it when they are good and ready (not even one telling me to "check my drivers"). As with other companies I have dealt with in the past where the only reliable response was no response, I have to assume that they aren't listening and will probably appear in a short news story about another developer bankruptcy. I think that I have a pretty reasonable expectation in terms of support from most developers when I ask that they post a few FAQs and maybe a functional forum with posts about known problems.
Finally, is the mixed bag that is the game play itself. I like the models and rendering that is used in the game, and I think the interface is functional if a bit simplistic. The removal of a lot of the normal city simulation micromanagement is tolerable since it has struck an acceptable balance between detailed control and needless effort. I really enjoy the supply and demand implementation that gives very quick, visual feedback concerning your addition of new services and zones. Unfortunately, the road system is very difficult manage and makes it very difficult to set up a grid system city. In addition to the overly, snap oriented road system is a camera control system that makes it extraordinarily difficult to get a useful perspective on what you are trying to do with your city.
In summary, the game has great potential with poor implementation and absolutely awful technical support. I'd recommend not buying it and using the money to convince someone to make a real sequel to the Maxis SimCity games.
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PC
Summary With Cities XL 2011, build and develop gigantic cities on realistic 3D maps, thanks to an incredible collection counting more than 700 buildings and unique structures. You are the virtual mayor and as such, you will need to find the right balance between economic development for your city, public transportation, housing, social services,...
Rated E
for Everyone
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Oct 14, 2010
Developer:
- Monte Cristo
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Genres:
