• Platform:   Windows XP / Me / NT / 98
• PEGI Rating: Ages 3 and Over
• Media: Video Game

As ever, the task is one of balance. You're Mayor of a city, and you need to strike the right mix of commercial, industrial and residential areas, while keeping an eye on finances, the transport system, fire, education, landscape--the list goes on. To its credit, the game is as straightforward or hard as you want it to be, and it's surprisingly easy to get into. While you don't directly control individual buildings and people, the decisions you make have repercussions throughout, and need to be taken with care. After all, agreeing to build a landfill site may bring in some much needed revenue, but it's unlikely to go down well with the locals.

As with its predecessors though, it's in the small details that Sim City 4 really scores. From residents going on the rampage through to full-scale disasters taking hold of your city, the complex game barely gives you a moment to rest. You can zoom in to get very close detail of what people are up to. And in a nice touch, any families created in The Sims can be moved into town. These characters are a real bonus when assessing the needs of your burgeoning city, as they tell you what they like, dislike and will positively not put up with in your metropolis.

The lack of clear goals still haunts the franchise though, and despite the well-thought-through user interface, the casual gamer may still struggle to get to grips with the challenge. However, there are months of gameplay to enjoy if this kind of title is your bag, and Sim City 4 is another excellent addition to an already top-notch franchise. --Simon Brew

Product Description
Right from the start in SimCity 4, players will experience new God-like powers of creation as they lay the groundwork for their cities by moulding mountains, carving valleys, seeding forests and laying rivers. With these new landscape creation features, players can now construct the most realistic metropolis imaginable. Unlike earlier games in the series, SimCity 4 cities do not live in isolation from the world, they are part of an entire region.

Each city a player now creates will become part of an ever-growing tapestry of municipalities that, once connected by transportation networks, can share and compete for resources. Depending upon the choices made by a player, this multi-city game play can result in a variety of outcomes within that region. Players can follow a Sim as they go about their life in the city. Players can personalise their Sim and immediately move him into any area and watch him experience life in the city, first hand. Is he or she enjoying a happy existence in an urban utopia or enduring a futile fight for survival in the inner-city? A player's Sim will provide valuable clues to improving the city.

SimCity 4 will allow players to actually touch their handiwork and feel the pulse of their creation. Whether a metropolis is booming with expansion or decaying through neglect, SimCity 4's new simulation engine will give players immediate feedback so they can react to its every need.