Ah summer time, the perfect time to top up the tan and spend endless hours on computer games. So which computer games to play? Well I had been eyeing up City Life for a while but had been too busy to look into it but now with all the time in the world I bought a copy and gave it a try.

Score:
7.8/10

My first concern, as with any simulation game, was how hard would this game be to learn? City Life lacks a tutorial mode, instead, developers have opted for a simple animated explanation of some of the features. After a flick through the manual I quickly dove, head first, into the scenario mode. I have to admit that my head dive was more of a belly flop. I did pretty badly at my first attempts of building a city and restarted levels a couple of times but after a few attempts I began to get the hang of it.

The game interface. Click for larger view

Interface

The game interface is logically designed and buttons tend to be where you would expect them. You have the option to spin the camera round and zoom into street level for a closer look at some of the hot chicks wondering around your city

Zooming is also well designed. You point your mouse at a part of the screen then scroll up and it zooms into that part. As your once village grows into more of a metropolis it is still easy to get to the different parts of the map and it does not get too big to handle.

""Replayability""

Replayability is all about variety. Keeping a gamer coming back for more. City Life fairs well in this area, there are a lot of maps and each new level provides a new challenge. The maps are large in size and can be approached in many ways. The objective of each level tends to be quite similar (e.g. have 10% of people from the Elite social group) but this does not take anything away from the game.

The one critisism I will mention is the lack of rewards. Take for example if you complete all the objectives of a level you don't get the customary pat on the back.. or in game terms unlocking hidden extra levels? Unlocking a new building? I like been rewarded for my tough efforts in building cities, not just anyone can do this you know

The fringe group travel round in cool little hippie cars.

Graphics

Graphically the game is pretty damn stunning. You can view the city at any time of the day and when you zoom in the graphics still remain impressive. I have mine set to full without any slow down.

Conclusion

This game is good at keeping you constantly on your toes. You might persue a certain expansion stategy for your city only to find its completely wrong. You will find that what worked for one area will not work for the next. The only thing I will warn you is that it does take a while to figure this game out but once you do it is the best city building simulation game out there. Sim City step aside we have a newer, better game in our hands now.

Score:
7.8/10

See also: Screenshots | Developer Interview | Official Site