When it comes to new city simulators, there are only a handful of options to choose from. Of course, we have the 2013 edition of "Sim City," as well as the more recent "Cities Skylines," but which of these titles is the best game for your money? Here’s a brief comparison that will hopefully inform you on which game best suits your specific interests and playstyle.
1. Zoning
"Cities Skylines" offers a dynamic, easy to use grid system which allows for precise and realistic zones to be made next to each constructed road in your city. The game offers the typical residential, commercial and industrial zones as well as adding the office zone into the formula.
"Sim City," on the other hand, opted for a slightly less precise system of drawing zones adjacent to roads, resulting in a noticeably less precise zoning system when compared to its 2015 counterpart. It too offers zones such as residential, commercial, and industrial, though with much less variety than in "Cities Skylines."Overall, "Cities Skylines" zoning system has newer and more refined zoning features than "Sim City."
2. Road and highway design
Both of these games obviously have features that refine the experience of constructing various roads and highways for your city(s). "Sim City" shines in this category, providing the player with intuitive and easy to learn concepts, truly allowing the player to construct their metropolis in whichever way they see fit.
"Cities Skylines," however, allows for a superior method of connecting highways to different sections of your city. The in-depth modding system allows for further variation to this system, though without mods it can be difficult to make your road systems feel unique and realistic. Considering these factors, I have to give this topic to "Sim City," though "Cities Skylines" somewhat makes up for its shortcomings with its large modding community.
3. Utilities
Utilities are a vital component of any city Simulation Game, creating a sense of realism that is so difficult to create in this genre. The two main utilities offered in these titles are water and electricity. Various buildings produce these services and have effects on the environment proportional to their initial and long-term costs.
"Cities Skylines," however, has a more complex system of creating a water pipe and power line system throughout your city, while "Sim City" simply runs utilities underneath roads, removing depth from what is otherwise a complex experience. Due to "Sim City’s" complex water pipe and power line systems, "Cities Skylines" easily reigns victorious in this topic.
Both of these games offer immersive and in-depth experiences. "Sim City" is the seasoned classic that never quite goes out of style, while "Cities Skylines" is the new kid on the block that we would probably all blame for being a "Sim City" knock off if it wasn’t so damn good. Ultimately I can’t tell you one of these is superior to the other, but I hope I have been able to inform you on which best suits your playstyle and help you to chose which one you prefer.
