City Life 2008 Edition

I have been a Maxis/EA SimCity player 4 years. However, with their introduction of SimCity Societies & the new style of play I opted 2 give another game a try: City Life 2008. I'm glad I did. The graphics in the 2008 edition are very good with special features like reflections in the water that make it a little more special than the SimCity games.

I found the game itself 2 be very quick. Keep in my mind I have a very good machine (Dell Precision M4300 with 4GB RAM), but I suspect it will perform well on most machines. The one area where the game lags is during the installation & loading of the game. The installation seemed like it took forever! It also takes a minute or two 2 load each time you play it. Maybe the slow load time is where the game is loading into memory, etc & makes the game play more smooth & quick.

I loved the ability 2 zoom in 2 the street level & look around at the city. That's awesome! The zooming in & out is much quicker than any of the SimCity games. The ability 2 build roads & other items in a "freestyle" mode is also an excellent feature. Initially, the number of buildings seems adequate, but after playing the game 4 awhile you might wish it had more.

The "society" part of this game can be a learning curve 4 some users. You do have 2 build the city with all citizens/cultures in mind (blue collar, rich, etc). However, after a few tries you easily get the hang of it. I know SimCity Societies has the same concept, but I felt limited in the SimCity Societies game play. City Life 2008 offers more of the traditional "city building" that I am used to.

I recommend this game 2 anyone that wishes 2 get into the city simulation game world, as well as any previous SimCity user. The great graphics, added building features, & street level zooms put it above SimCity. Give it a try, you won't regret it!

Being a fan of city/empire building sims & considering SimCity 3000 was the first game I ever purchased I thought I'd give this one a try. If you enjoyed SimCity without all the heavy financial wrangling then this game is just right 4 you. The graphics are high end & very detailed. You can actually get right down 2 'street level' & tour your city. In addition you also have a ability 2 'tag' citizen & follow them in their lives throughout the game. I haven't really figured out the purpose of this but its a nice feature in any case.
You start out the game by choosing one of many landscapes that come with different 'difficulty' problems such as tourisim, road building, etc & place your city hall. From there you construct residences 4 your soon 2 come populace.
The interesting twist 2 this game is that there are five or six different socio-economic levels of citizens that will eventually populate your city. You start out with Blue Collar workers & Fringes. These citizens can only work specific jobs in factories or business available 2 you 2 build as well as utilities & services. By building certain services or businesses that employ the next level of citizenry (Suits, Radical Chics & Elites)your Blue Collar workers may advance 2 the Fringe level & the fringe 2 the Suit level, et al. Fail 2 provide & they can drop 2 the "Have Not" level. As poor as poor can be.
Your main job as city administrator is 2 advance & keep harmony in your city. Have Nots & Blue Collar folks get along just fine. Blue Collar & Fringe do not which leads 2 disruption in the neighborhoods & if allowed 2 go 4 too long, rioting.
Only persons who enjoy multi-tasking & constructing cities that run (almost) like clockwork would find this game enjoyable & satisfying. The game allows the player 2 follow scripted scenarios or play sandbox mode.
Your citizens pay taxes & certain businesses generate income. The higher class & more educated the employees the more money the business generates 4 your treasury. Naturally services like police, fire & the like drain your coffers.
Finally this game runs fine on my Dell XPS 2000 Gen 4 desktop. Make sure that you ensure your system requirements meet the specs or you'll be sorely disappointed.

Design, construct & develop the city of your dreams with City Life 2008. It's a next-generation City Builder with a 3D game engine that provides a level of detail & animation unprecedented in the City Builder genre & total freedom of construction. Create superb villas in residential neighborhoods or imposing skyscrapers in the financial district. Provide comfort & satisfaction 4 your citizens by offering them work, health care, entertainment facilities, & much more 2 ensure that your city's coffers are brimming. It's up 2 you 2 manage this city efficiently, ensuring booming development while at the same time regulating the very delicate issues of pollution & traffic. Let peace reign between the six unique subcultures, or pay the price if the situation deteriorates into conflict, riots, and, in the worst-case scenario, fires.

Ensure that the six subcultures share the city in the best way possible 2 guarantee peace & prosperity Satisfy the eight basic needs 4 each inhabitant - Work, Shopping, Health, Safety, Education, Leisure Activities, Quality of Life & Neighborhood A complete map editorMinimum System Requirements Windows 2000 / XP / Vista 2.5 GHz Processor 256MB RAM Direct X9.0c Compatible 64MB 3d graphics card 4.5 GB Free space