Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this game has many educational aspects and can teach kids some of the basics of city planning, economics, and so on. Players may experience riots, acts of arson, and other forms of violence -- including organized crime -- if tension between social classes gets too high.
Families who play this game may want to discuss what they like about it. Is it fun to have control and build buildings -- and even watch tensions spark between different classes? They may also want to talk about how a game like this is different than a shooter game. Are creative games like this getting more difficult to come by?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jeremy Gieske
CITY LIFE gives players a chance to build, grow, and run a city. They manage the city's finances and services, keep an eye on pollution and traffic, and assign plots of land for development -- pretty much the same as they would in other city-builder games like SimCity.
But City Life players must do more than grow the city and keep it in the green. What really makes this game different from others of the same type is its focus on social hierarchies.
Players must work hard to keep the peace among the different classes -- which range from the poor "Have Nots," who do the city's dirty work (like cleaning up parks and running the town dump) to the "Elites," who can put serious cash to the city's coffers but also require a multitude of city services to stay happy.
Players who let tensions rise too high may experience riots and acts of arson -- or even an infestation of organized crime, requiring the skills of an expensive SWAT team to root out.
Players will find this game challenging and fun. And it's beautiful, too. The 3-D graphics allow players to look at the city from almost any angle; they can even go into a first-person mode to take a stroll through their streets. It's also possible to view the city at a variety of times of day, from the twinkling lights of night to the hustle and bustle of daytime.
The game can grow fairly formulaic, which may reduce its long-term play appeal. Also, in contrast to the design, the text and dialogue boxes are sloppy.
Overall, though, this game is structurally sound. Kids and adults looking for new challenges in playing mayor will find it with City Life.
Rate It!
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ViolenceMob violence, riots, and arson are all possible, but rare. Close-up views of the violence are possible via the city media. |
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Social BehaviorThe game features social classes, such as the "Have Nots," which may trivialize real-life problems. |
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Commercialism |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoBars and nightclubs can be built as part of the city, but players don't really see any characters drinking, etc. |
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Educational ValueTeaches city management and planning, economics, social dynamics, and many other skills. |
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