"The popular city simulation game returns"

Maxis first got in the gaming scene with their one-of-a-kind city simulation game. Now, after countless spin-offs (The Sims being an example), Maxis brings us another SimCity game, appropriately named SimCity 4. This game offers a few new features missing from the previous games, making the game much deeper. On to the review..

GRAPHICS - 10/10

Using a ''on-the-fly'' rendering 3D engine, this whole game is pretty much an eye candy. The buildings and terrain features a rich detail, thanks to little tricks Maxis managed to sneak in. Everything, including the trees, has a pre-rendered look to it, and that is just how beautiful the graphics are. Maxis has worked very hard on their effects system, which simulates smoke, water and fire. The result? An excellent graphics engine for an excellent game.

Night turns into day, and day turns into night. During the night, your city lights up. This is where you notice the wonderful job Maxis has done with the lighting effects. Although the night-day system does not affect the gameplay, it is a nice addition to the game. Take note, though, that this feature can be turned off if you're not in favor of it.

Other little details such as bulldozers appearing when constructing roads just shows how important details are to Maxis.

All these come with a price. The game may experience hiccups and slowdowns for slower computers. Playing with a high-end computer is highly recommended. Fortunately, the game enables you to set the level of detail and such, increasing performance for slower computers, but sometimes, this does not help much.

GAMEPLAY - 9/10

As a mayor, you decide where commercial, industrial or residential zones are placed. The zones now feature an auto-road function, which automatically places roads for you. Some people may find this annoying, but sadly, it cannot be turned off. You also have the power to raise or lower taxes. Every action you take affects your city and its people, so every step you take may result in disaster. Managing a city is difficult when you're dealing with financial problems. Fortunately, there are advisors to help you, and a news ticker to inform you about the latest happenings in your city.

As you progress, you are given rewards which will affect your city in many ways. The ''Mayor Rating'' bar shows you what your people think about you, and how good you have been as a mayor, and the ''RCI Demand'' bars shows you the demand for Residential, Commercial or Industrial zones. Using it, you can zone according to the demands. In this game, Maxis takes it a step further. Clicking on the ''RCI Demand'' section of the interface menu opens up a detailed bar graph, showing demand for different stages of wealth for each RCI zone, so you can zone light, medium or dense zones according to the bar graph.

The tax system has also been expanded this way, with individual tax rates for three stages of wealth for each RCI zone. This addition may come in handy. Lowering the tax for high wealth residential and increasing the tax for low and medium wealth residential may encourage people to move in as high wealth residents, for example.

Maxis tossed in a few new features for this game, such as Regions. As you start SimCity, you are greeted with the Regions menu. Here, you choose which region you want to play. As a result, your neighbours are now playable, either by a friend or by yourself.

The Sims also plays a role in this game. You can import your families, or the families that come with the game, into your city. They will report problems, or the occasional praise, about your city. Utilizing their feedback, you could make your city a better place.

Every public amenity now requires a fund. The more money you spend on them, the more effective they become, and vice versa. However, if your funding for a particular amenity is too low, workers may protest.

With God Mode, you can now modify your landscape like never before in any SimCity game. It is a powerful yet an easy to use tool.

CONTROLS - 8/10

As you play the game for the first time, you may get intimidated by the controls and the interface menu. They are much more complex than, say, SimCity 3000, but, after a while, you will get used to it. The buttons on the interface menu are easy to identify and reach. Maxis has also tossed in a few hotkeys for convenience.

AUDIO - 10/10

Maxis has done it again. SimCity 4 boasts rich ambience audio, making your city as lifelike as possible. High traffic areas are polluted with cars honking. Children screaming and laughing in a playground. Birds chirping in a park. Good atmosphere plays a very big role in a game, and SimCity 4 accomplishes that with its audio. The music is also very catchy yet relaxing. In my opinion, Maxis has done a VERY good job in this area of the game.

LASTING APPEAL - 10/10

The main purpose of this game is simple: Building a city. As a mayor, you are responsible for keeping your people happy, while keeping your budget balanced. You will have to solve traffic problems, keep crime at bay, fight fires, adjust taxes, introduce ordinances, and the list goes on. The game is unsurprisingly deep and it never ends, so expect it to keep you busy for a long time.

Be warned, though. This game, being a SimCity game with new features and twists, is somewhat complex and difficult to master. However, even the non-hardcore simulation fans would be pleased with the game. Maxis has successfully introduced a new level of depth and difficulty in SimCity 4, while enabling the average player to enjoy it. Although some do not agree, I think that Maxis has, again, brought us a great SimCity game, and I hope they continue doing so.

OVERALL - 9/10 (Not an average)

As mentioned above, hardcore SimCity gamers get this now. The average gamer might want to check it out first before buying it. Simulation game haters keep away ;)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/28/03, Updated 01/28/03