Cities in Motion Review

Just like that game show Jeopardy from TV, there's going to be an answer to a question. The question you have to work out for yourself. It shouldn't be too hard, so here goes; "No, this isn't like a game you've played previously". There. Done It. So what is it then?

That's a good question in itself. What you have in Cities In Motion is a deep, involving traffic management simulation. Note the term "traffic management" in there, yes - that's pretty much all you do. And it's damn tough to do it right and keep the customers happy. There is some elements of being able to build your own tracks - for trams and metros anyway, but this isn't where the heart of the game is. You might be better off sticking with older games if that's the core game play you're looking for.

Getting stuck into the tutorial, the game does a great job of helping you learn the ropes - it's at this point the realisation sets in of just how beautiful the game is. The environments are lush, the vehicles are detailed and the cities are bustling with pedestrians looking for their ways to different destinations. The sounds make you feel like you're in a city with all the action going on, to lovely silences out of the way with nothing but a field for company. Sim games have never generally focused too much on aesthetics, but Cities In Motion has done well in this respect.

Game play is the usual sim-tycoon affair; choose your routes, buy your vehicles and set the prices to keep people happy. It all sounds simple enough, but when you've got more buses than you can count on your hands and toes combined, along with multiple trams and metros you can fall out of shape sharply.

There's also the ability to place waterbuses (also known as boats outside of the game) and set up helicopters to take people to and from their respective destinations. The challenge is getting the right combination of these transportation options to best serve the public. Would a bus route mean the passengers enjoy a better more visual route, or would a metro system benefit them more, taking them on the fastest route? Would that same metro system cause havoc with residents who really didn't want a train line they could catch from outside their windows?

In short what we have here is a traffic management simulation game with plenty of depth on offer to keep tycoon fans happy. However, if you were looking for a modernised version of a game you played eons ago, then Cities In Motion may not be for you. That said, there's a free demo of the game available, something that seems to be less common with games these days. So you really can't harm yourself by getting hold of it and giving it a try for yourself. Who knows - for those that didn't enjoy previous tycoon games in a similar field, this may well be the right combination of sim-management-strategy.