Video Game Reviews
Title: Sim City 4
Review rating: ***1/2
Platform/console: PC
Release date: January 2003
Genre: Simulation
Players allowed: 1
ESRB rating: E
Production company: Electronic Arts
Yes, EA took advantage of their immensely popular Sims PC
game series and put it into Sim City 4. You can put Sims into
houses and check on their status from time to time, but, your
main focus is running an efficient and attractive area where
people will want to live. All the basic elements from the
Sim City game series remain, so it shouldn’t take you
too much time to figure the new enhancements (some lifted
right from the Sims game series). There’s some great
jazzy music to get those creative juices flowing.
The strong graphics show several construction details as you’re
properties are being built and add a lot to the entertainment
value of the game (watch the dust settle when you first start
making new buildings). Subways, airports, seaports and sanitation
systems represent some of the more challenging aspects of
creating a functional city. If you spend enough time to fill
the entire regional area on the main map, then you might want
to explore some of the Internet options.
This highly recommended game has a huge replay value and should
keep most players happy for a very long time. There’s
a lot of pleasure in the details so make sure you explore
them all including use the photo album option to immortalize
your creations and share them with others.
Review by Michael Siebenaler
© Electronic Arts