Thought this would be a good game but to be fair theres better out there and they are older too.

found this to be too linear and after 30 mins quite boring for me.

Cities XL 2012 is definitely the preeminent city builder out there right now. I've been an avid city builder since I was first introduced to Sim City via the classroom. While most of what was said about the original Cities XL was that it had potential, I would say that XL 2012 has lived up to that potential.

When the Sim City series culminated in SC4, the many different city management elements really made the game fun. It was a shame that this same complexity was a reason for the dumbed down game that came after. XL 2012 almost picks up from where SC4 left off with great amounts of complexity and aspects of city management. One of the most satisfying aspects is the mass transit system where you actually have to plan out the bus routes and place stops connected to transit hubs. This is unlike the Sim City series where you simply placed stations at random intervals and the routes were undefined.

The game isn't without its flaws, though. It's a huge resource hog and needs more work in optimization. Those with XL 2011 may find that not much has changed gameplay wise, although it could be said that XL 2012 is the game XL 2011 should have been. It also has a tendency to crash at times. There's also a lack of interaction on a soft level with the city itself. Unlike the Sim City series, there's no news ticker and no advisers to talk to. There is a message alert system, but much of your time is spent watching the city from above and waiting for your next opportunity to build.

Overall, if you miss the Sim City line and have been waiting for a new city simulator to take its place, your money will be well spent on Cities XL 2012.

I"m in love with the Cities XL! I thought than new part with mark 2012 will bring some new features, but creators just added some maps and buildings. If you like city-builder games, you have to buy this game! But if you have Cities XL 2011 you can just download special add-on which updates the game to the latest verion. 2012 it's still very good production and I spent a lot of time with it. No changes in gameplay and graphics, but it's really good thief of time.