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City Life 2008 Review for PC

City Life 2008 Review for PC

This Is The Life

For years, SimCity has languished atop its mighty throne as the master of the universe of city creating simulations. Will Wright’s goliath runaway franchise had little competition until Monte Cristo’s City Life gave it a run for its money in 2006. The original City Life brought some interesting concepts and socioeconomic gameplay mechanics to the table and forced players to strategize in new ways while forming their civilizations. Thinking outside of the box makes for some pleasant surprises.

City Life 2008 screenshot

The younger upstart sim is back this year with a meager list of bonus features in City Life 2008 Edition. This standalone expansion includes updates from last year’s World Edition along with a few additional maps, buildings, and other features. A disappointing lack of substantial changes in the content department might give pause to those who’ve already shelled out the cash for an earlier version. Fortunately, anyone who’s purchased the retail boxed version of City Life can download the 2008 Edition upgrade for free, so there’s no reason to forego the upgrade if you picked up the original and enjoyed its offerings. The 2008 Edition is well worth a shot for anyone who’s new to the series. It’s a good choice for SimCity fans seeking a slightly different simulation flavor.

There’s no real story to speak of in City Life. The enjoyment derived from the game comes primarily from planting the seeds of a new population, watching it grow steadily, and carefully managing it along a path of continual improvement. The city sort of develops a story or history of its own as gameplay progresses. Fires will break out; crime will develop; and citizens will clash. There are plenty of interesting events to contend with, even though the game doesn’t explicitly spell out any plot.

City Life 2008 screenshot

The mildly steep learning curve only takes a short time to overcome, and then it’s possible to easily find a steady rhythm between plateaus where income is steady and population booms that grow the city while causing temporary financial strain on its infrastructure. The game is not quite as tough as some of the SimCity titles; it’s relatively easy to keep the budget in the green. The focus is on social growth as much as it is on economic growth. Micromanagement is always a possibility for those who are into that sort of thing. The game features budget sheets, income and expenditure lists, and other important reports on the city’s needs and deficiencies, but players are not forced to utilize all these features and dig through reams of minutia if they don’t choose to.

City Life 2008 screenshot

Building a virtual city from the ground up is no easy task, but that doesn’t mean it has to be all tedium and no fun. Some of the game’s similarities to SimCity are unavoidable, yet City Life is a slightly different animal. Players can choose from different geographic locations and layouts as a foundation for their society. From there, they will throw down a few basic buildings and grow their populations as they see fit. There are tons of options to explore and choose from in creating a thriving metropolis. Many buildings and features will be unlocked as players reach certain population and financial benchmarks. Though construction and management itself is engrossing, the primary gameplay mechanic unique to City Life hinges on six unique subcultures each hailing from different rungs on the socioeconomic ladder.

City Life 2008 screenshot

As the city grows, the population will shift and fluctuate to eventually include a different combination of have-nots, blue-collars, fringe, radical chic, suits, and elites. Blue-collars, fringe, and have-nots serve as the backbone for your city until it becomes large enough to attract and support the more intellectual, rich, and ultimately snootier classes. Each group has its own buildings, levels of need, likes and dislikes, and businesses. There will inevitably be some overlap between groups (in terms of jobs and needs) and this is where the situation tends to become volatile. Certain groups just don’t get along, yet certain structures have to be constructed in close proximity to multiple groups in order to function. Careful attention has to be given to location and makeup of various neighborhoods. If tensions build and issues are left unattended, citizens from opposing classes in abutting neighborhoods will clash and eventually riot – causing havoc and even setting the city ablaze in the process. It’s an interesting mechanic that will have players approaching the construction of their city far differently than they may have in the past with other simulation titles. Things tend to get quite interesting, when you throw the social tensions into the mix on top of the usual chaos that can come from managing a large city.

Visually, the cityscapes are quite impressive and they hold up well at varying levels of scrutiny. The standard, angled, birds-eye perspective gives a good overview of the structures and landscape (including some nice water effects in some maps). From this vantage point, small cars and other excellent little animation touches can be made out clearly. Moving in for a closer look opens up new levels of details with each layer of magnification. An excellent option includes the ability to jump right down to ground-level in a first-person perspective that lets you walk the streets and see the population face-to-face. Roaming around with this view affords players a very cool and completely different way to participate in their city.

In terms of new content, the 2008 Edition is a bit slim. There are 60 new buildings, 10 new maps, some additional scenarios, updated graphics, and an odd feature that allows players to import satellite maps. The 2008 Edition is certainly the version to look for, as it’s the most complete collection. The free download upgrade for players who already own the main game saves this expansion from harsher criticism, because there just isn’t enough new content to justify making people who’ve bought the game shell out more of their hard earned money. Fortunately, they won’t have to. City Life is a quality simulator that can easily absorb hours upon hours of your time if you let it. If you’re a fan of city-building sims, there’s no excuse for letting this one pass you by.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
The game’s cities look great close up and at a distance. The ability to zoom to street level and roam around in first-person perspective is awesome. 3.8 Control
Solid mouse controls. Menus sometimes get in the way, but they can be collapsed. 3.3 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The canned music is not so great. 4.4 Play Value
There’s so much to do. A single game can take many hours to play through, and you’ll find yourself coming back for more to create bigger and better cities. 4.0 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • Play in Scenario or Free mode and explore 37 maps in five different environments.
  • Experience an unprecedented level of detail and animation in the City Builder genre.
  • With 360° camera rotation and zooming, you can dive into the heart of your city to observe its inhabitants.
  • Track income and spending within the city and refine the infrastructure for maximum efficiency.
  • Ensure that the six subcultures share the city in the best way possible to guarantee peace and prosperity.
  • Satisfy the eight basic needs for each inhabitant: Work, Shopping, Health, Safety, Education, Leisure Activities, Quality of Life, and Neighborhood
  • A complete map editor.

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