Cities XL reviews

Cities XL revolves around trying to force the player to pay a monthly fee for the online gameplay. Essentially, while offline in single-player mode, cities can only trade resources at a 4:1 ratio with a computer-controlled city. Because each and every map lacks at least one major resource, single-player cities are severely handicapped and cannot grow beyond medium size. The only reason for the ridiculous 4:1 ratio is to convince players to go online and trade with other cities. Even the promises of later gameplay expansion packs are limited to the online mode.
For $60 I expect more than what is essentially a demo of a potential game. The full purchase price also only include 7 days on online play.
This game is not worth purchasing unless you also play to subscribe to the online mode.
Note that the EULA also prohibits reselling the game, and requires account creation tied to the CD-Key. This is a major insult to those who paid money for the game, as not only are they stuck with a crippled single-player mode, they are unable to onsell it to a friend who may actually enjoy the online mode.

Such potential, wasted.

The idea of a city simulation that is primairily online, but also advertised as single player is clearly a conflict of roles in which this game meets neither criteria very well (yet). Beware the single user mode which seems crippled in order to support online play and your conintued monthly subscription. Reminders that you do not yet have an online account when you start the game and at times after an update are an irritation to what is essence a poor man's Simcity 4, just with better graphics. Once you have played through to a large enough city there is just not enough variety to bring you back again in my opinion. As well, the simulation feeback is odd and it is sometimes difficult to determine just where you are failing and how to fix it. You can have a large city with bad pollution, still make a profit and basically ignore the problem without too major or obvious a consequence as far as I can determine.
This game needs some fine tuning and a better sense of simulation accomplishment. Who knows, later udpates may provide some fixes and fine tuning and give the game a more purposeful direction. As it currently stands however, I just cannot be enthused enough to play it anymore, and certainly not to take out a monthly subscribtion

This game is not all its cracked up to be. Totally useless single player, and multiplayer (which was promised) is totally non-existent.

Not alot of depth, useless interface, and horrible music ruins the half of the game which is still existent. But if you like these features go ahead, buy it. But you'll play this once and you'll never play it again. USELESS.

Don't make the mistake I did.

Don't buy this game.

This game is better than I thought, going on some reviews you dont see many people or cars, but the opposite is true (we are running it on high graphics). Similar to the Sim Cities but with heaps of extras and great graphics. Recommend to fans of Sim Cities and Sim Societies.

I was proved very wrong. Yes it is definately not Simcity4, but it still has the economy, people, industry management which is turning out to be challenging and immersive. Mass transport like the trains is not available, but there are airports, ships, buses. One thing I found in this game is that purchases and running utilties like power, hospitals etc can be very expensive so that in itself is a big challenge to maintain.
The current patch for the game is a must have, as this is where you get the bus and fixes for other default game quirks.
Online play is no longer available and the game has been taken over by Focus as Monte Cristo has recently closed up shop.
Animation of the characters is very well done and if you pan in with the very good game camera you get to see need little touches that Monte Cristo have added, example the character acting like a mime as he makes an outline of a box with his hands while he stands on his front porch, a woman chatting on her mobile, if you click on a vehicle closeup you will follow it as it goes along the road like you were a passenger..very cool. It is quite a neat way of seeing what you town looks like from ground level too.
It is a nice game that has a small charm of it's own.