Cities XL

Gameplay

Cities XL let players join a persistent online world called a planet, which came with a monthly fee. On a planet, subscribers could build cities alongside other players, trade resources like electricity, team up to construct landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, and visit other cities as an avatar to host events. On January 27, 2010, developer Monte Cristo announced they would shut down the multiplayer service because too few people subscribed, and the service ended on March 8, 2010. That same day, a patch added buses to single-player mode; before, buses were only available in multiplayer. The game had three types of building lots: residential, commercial, and industrial, each with different density options. Residential lots were split into four social classes: unskilled workers, skilled workers, executives, and elites. Players had to pick which class could live in a lot before placing it, and the simulation never changed that choice. Lots could be created by zoning an area, which made the game generate them automatically, or by placing them one by one. A Mass Placement Tool was shown in previews, letting players choose tags to control what kinds of buildings appeared when outlining an area. The road system included many road types, angles, and curves, plus bridges and tunnels. Other transport options like airports, trains, ferries, and subways were planned but not included. A bus add-on came out in December 2009. An unimplemented feature called Gameplay Extension Modules, or Game Enhancement Modules, would have added detailed extras like a ski resort or a beach. For a ski resort, players could have added ski lifts, restaurants, shelters, and ski trails. While managing a GEM, the main city simulation paused, but doing well with the GEM could improve the city overall.

Development

Cities XL used height maps, textures, and a normal map to build its terrain. Rather than creating its own terrain tools, Monte Cristo worked with third-party programs like EarthSculptor, World Machine, and GeoControl to produce realistic landscapes, which were then imported into the studio’s own terrain editor. SpeedTree middleware handled the in-game trees and forests. In a September 2007 interview, Philippe Da Silva said the game would offer a wide range of maps and environments, giving players more freedom to design different kinds of cities. A pre-release screenshot of an Aspen map showed that snowy areas would be included. Monte Cristo built a 3D engine that could run on lower-end PCs, meaning players might not max out every graphics setting but would still see better visuals than in City Life.

The game was first hinted at in June 2007, when Da Silva posted a screenshot of a new city-building project on his personal blog. Later, in an interview on a community site, it was confirmed that the project was not City Life 2 and was initially called Cities Unlimited to avoid confusion. On April 15, 2008, the official title became Cities XL. On July 6, 2009, Namco Bandai Partners announced they would distribute the game in the UK, Nordic countries, Iberica, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand, while Monte Cristo handled the rest of Europe. The game launched on October 8, 2009, in Oceania and Europe, and on October 9, 2009, in North America. Two editions were released: a standard version and a limited edition that added extra landmarks, additional maps, and a poster. A demo was also made available beforehand.

During development, Monte Cristo ran a developer blog and user forums on its website. Before the game came out, both the blog and forums were taken down and made private. The company told the community not to worry, saying they had saved all the worthwhile posts and would stay active on sites like Simtropolis. After Cities XL sold poorly, Monte Cristo closed down in May 2010.

Reception

Cities XL landed in the middle of the pack with critics. IGN felt it nudged city-building forward with a gentler learning curve than SimCity, and liked the curved roads and stunning visuals, but found the online multiplayer shallow and questioned its subscription fee. GameSpot gave credit for taking the genre online, yet called the multiplayer limited and overpriced, and dismissed the single-player mode as an afterthought with poor trading options and bland graphics. 1UP.com also knocked the trading, and though it praised the fantastic graphics, it said the game was held back by missing features. Overall, the game scored 68.27% on GameRankings and 69 out of 100 on Metacritic.