author: Retromaniak
SimCity 4. 32 best tycoon and economic video games in 2023
Table of Contents
SIMCITY 4 IN A NUTSHELL
- Year of release: 2003
- Platforms: PC, Mac
- Theme and type: economic city builder set in modern reality
Created in 1989 by Maxis Software, the first installment of the SimCity series can be considered a precursor of all city builders, i.e. a subgenre of economic simulations focused on city development.
In over thirty years of history of the series, almost every major part deserves a distinction: from the groundbreaking "one", through the equally cult SimCity 2000 (1993) and its natural evolution, SimCity 3000 (1999), to the " four " (our choice) (2003) which is the last of the classic installments of the series based on its characteristic "zone mechanics" .
As a typical city builder, in SimCity 4 we have to create a well-functioning city from a scratch and transform it into a vibrant metropolis. All the fun consists in balancing the three building zones: residential, commercial and industrial, which are gradually filled with buildings as the game progresses, depending on current needs.
As a mayor of the city, we must also take care of the road network, electricity and water supply, a whole range of public buildings (such as parks, hospitals, schools, police and fire stations), as well as the appropriate decoration of the metropolis. Achievement of further objectives is effectively hampered by tight budgets and natural disasters that haunt the city from time to time.
Unlike the previous editions of the series, our metropolis is no longer an enclave cut off from the world, but a part of a larger agglomeration of cities, connected by transport, economy and industry. A significant novelty is the life personalisation of individual citizens, each of whom has their own personalities and, as a result, slightly different preferences and expectations.
SimCity 4 Deluxe edition that contains the Rush Hour expansion set can be found in the offer of most digital platforms and on Internet auction portals. The most important is the fact that this video game still seems to provide lots of fun despite the old visual design.
The history of the series is complemented by Simtropolis Community and add-ons created in 2007 by a a completely different development studio called Tilted Mill Entertainment. However, neither players nor reviewers liked the completely revised mechanics of the game. The scores were low and EA decided to halt the experiment. A number of side productions for mobile platforms, web browsers and mobile devices have also appeared on the market.
In 2013, a contemporary reboot of the series, simply titled SimCity, was released by Maxis Software studio (developers of the original). Although today we can probably recommend this game to the fans of the genre, numerous initial technical problems and overall disappointment have turned the premiere into a failure. It is enough to say that SimCity from 2013 turned out to be the last game in the history of Maxis Emeryville.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic
WORKERS & RESOURCES: SOVIET REPUBLIC IN A NUTSHELL
- Year of release: 2019 (early access)
- Platform: PC
- Theme and type: it's a city builder, comrade
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is set in a communist reality. Surprisingly, for some, the atmosphere in this city builder may be an advantage.
If we abandon the spirit of times long gone for a moment, it turns out that this production is a fairly standard city builder. Sometimes it's not worth reinventing the wheel, just polish it appropriately. In the case of the presented title, this process isn't over yet, as the game is available in Early Access as of 2019. This is expected to change at the end of 2023, when the full version will be released.
The player has a lot of freedom here. What the fictional state will look like depends only on our whim, although this is limited by, for example, what can be built. Regardless of the layout, you need to make sure that everything works like a well-oiled machine, i.e. the industry is functioning efficiently, the budget is tightening, and the residents are happy because their needs are met. Unfortunately, if they are going to eat grass, even the very fact that they live in the "wonderful" Soviet republic (fictional) won't be enough for them to be well.
People are important because they serve as a workforce. And it's not always the cheap one. Personnel in work sites and factories must have the right skills, which they acquire through education. So we do need education. And without alcohol, but only outside of work (yeah... sure). The fact that people are demanding food and vodka is still understandable, but dreams of electronic equipment seem exaggerated - how brazen. If you want work productivity to increase and exceed the norms several times, you have to deliver the required goods.
A crucial element of gameplay is crafting a robust network of roads and tracks. Every produced good needs to be transported. One also cannot forget about public transportation. It's optimal if people can get to their workplaces as quickly as possible. Efficient transportation will ensure this.
The graphics, on the other hand, are realistic. Which, in my opinion, it is a mistake. This way, it just becomes obsolete sooner. And in the case of Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic, the visual aspect is no longer impressive. On the upside, the buildings and other structures were modeled on real objects from the Soviet era!