"Best SimCity Ever"

Introduction:
SimCity started out being a fun two dimensional game. It has evolved so much since then and it makes me wonder what it will be like next time around. Maxis has done it again. They produced another SimCity hit that not only matches the rest, but surpasses it. This time around, there is a large region overview and you go into smaller squares where you can create your city. Connect your cities together and grow them together. Farms, dense industry, tall skyscrapers, mansions, small houses, drive in movie theatres, basketball courts, soccer fields, schools, army bases and more. Maxis dominates the city builder games and this one proves it.

Gameplay:
This time around, there is a large region overview and then you go into its smaller square divisions. This is where you build your city. The region has different types of terrain, location, and some are different sizes. From here you play god and form the land to your liking. Then you begin the creation of your city. Build industry, residential, and commercial zoning. Supply them with electricity and water and give them access to roads. Expand, bring in a decent amount of money, and give the people more government funded things such as police station, hospitals, fire stations, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, libraries, baseball fields, tennis courts, beaches, and much more. Make sure your people are happy, safe, healthy, and educated. Tax, pass ordinances, make deals, fix problems, stop disasters, and more. This game has a lot to do and with this large region to play with, you'll be busy for a long time.

Story:
The story depends on you really. You are the mayor the newly born city. Grow it from its infancy, and deal with its problems. Strange things can happen and see if you can handle it.

Sound:
The music to this game is good. It really sets the city building mode. Fresh sounds and fresh music makes this game's audio not only good, but very tolerable. The sound are crisp and really fit the game well.

Graphics:
The graphics have been a big improvement. Everything is just better looking plus a lot of added stuff such as people causing chaos in run down areas of the city. Cops actually patrol the streets and prevent crime. Firetrucks actually show up to the site of a fire and battle the blazes. The soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, and baseball field fields actually have people playing on them. The graphics aren't the greatest, but definitely impressive.

Flaws:
I haven't noticed any. This game is close to perfection.

Replayability:
You can play this game a long time. The region is very large and allows you to build and connect many cities. This will guarantee you to play this game a long time until you get bored. Building cities take a long time and I can imagine expanding to every square in the region will take a really long time.

Conclusion:
This is the best SimCity so far. I recommend it highly! Just go buy it now!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/03, Updated 01/16/03