In the Wake of SimCity Fiasco Another Look at CitiesXL

[caption id=“attachment_5961” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] My Cities XL Region - 1 city with 75 thousand residents[/caption]

I first played Cities XL in May of 2011.  I last played a year ago in April 2012.  At the time I said I couldn’t wait until Sim City came out.  However, we know what a fiasco that has become.  So, discouraged about playing Sim City I decided to load up Cities XL.  This is the first one - not 2011, 2012, or Deluxe.  The graphics are pretty amazing and rival anything in the current Sim City.

[caption id=“attachment_5962” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - maximum zoom[/caption]

I don’t know how I never zoomed in this far before, but it’s pretty great.  I really have the feeling of having built a real city in a way that I never have before.  It’s so fun to zoom in all the way and then move around the city.  Check out how neat it looks at night.

[caption id=“attachment_5967” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - max zoom at night[/caption]

Oh, and not to be a jerk, but it can actually be a big city:

[caption id=“attachment_5964” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - PLENTY of room to build[/caption]

Yeah, I think it’s going to be pretty hard to convince me to spend $60 on a broken Sim City with this great game when the latest version is about $30.  Perhaps part of the reason is that they have in-game ads.  But at least the ads look realistic.

[caption id=“attachment_5966” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - ads[/caption]

It was hard to get back into after a year - with all the mechanics involved so I  started a new city.

[caption id=“attachment_5968” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - my second city in the volcano map[/caption]

The volcano map:

[caption id=“attachment_5970” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - Deux - volcano map[/caption]

After a while a restaurant opens up in my city:

[caption id=“attachment_5971” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - a restaurant in my city[/caption]

Later, around 10,000 citizens, I think, I gain medium density skilled worker plots:

[caption id=“attachment_5972” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - medium density skilled worker housing[/caption]

It’s neat that you can see road usage end while zoomed all the way in.

[caption id=“attachment_5973” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - zoomed in, but still seeing road usage[/caption]

The moon was a nice touch:

[caption id=“attachment_5974” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - the moon![/caption]

This is an executive level low density house:

[caption id=“attachment_5975” align=“aligncenter” width=“480”] Cities XL - executive house[/caption]

And a bridge I constructed:

Anyway, the point of this post isn’t really to poop on Sim City. It’s more to point out that there’s a great alternative out there that doesn’t force you to play with others and I’m actually having a blast playing it.  And, unlike with Sim City - Sim City 4, I actually am doing really well and making money without having to play the game at a really slow pace.

• Cities-Xl