SimCity, previously referred to by fans as SimCity 5, is officially being released today. The game is technically the sixth major installment of the franchise and will see the implementation of a number of new features.
In addition to updated 3D graphics, SimCity is using a new engine, titled "GlassBox." GlassBox will make certain visual elements of your city much more visible, including traffic, economic stature, and pollution. Additionally, the new game will feature non-orthogonal and curved roads, as well as zoning areas that will now conform to the road type it is placed near. SimCity also allows you to control the appearance and functionality of certain key buildings, such as adding an extra generator to a power plant, or an additional garage for a fire station.
However, all of this functionality comes at a bit of a cost. The new SimCity will feature a much smaller city size than its predecessor, which raised a lot of red flags with fans. Last month, Maxis' Ocean Quigley addressed the concerns, explaining that it was a trade off for better performance on more computers.
After internal testing, Maxis decided that smaller, more interactive cities with extra visual elements would be better than sprawling, low resolution ones that didn't let you see a lot of activity. Quigley also reminded players that SimCity is meant to be run on a wide range of different computers, from hardcore gaming rigs to everyday PCs. However, he does recognize that many gamers want a much bigger sandbox to play in, so the studio definitely has bigger city sizes in the works. It's a feature they're working on, they just can't say for sure when it will be released.
The game is out today on the PC, with an OS X version to follow in the future, in spring 2013. Do the smaller city sizes bother you enough to keep you away? Or are the new features a proper trade-off?
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