To say that the initial launch of SimCity was a disappointment would be putting it lightly. EA and Maxis' highly anticipated title didn't just fail to meet expectations it outright failed.
However, since that time some serious strides have been made to improve the base level SimCity experience. Some of those features, like Cheetah Speed for example, were added back into the game after being taken out, while others were added after overwhelming gamer demand.
Now, though, comes word that the most-requested feature for SimCity is today hitting the game. And when we say finally, we mean after the title has been available for a full year. That's right, an offline mode has arrived in SimCity.
The offline mode is a key component of update 10 for SimCity, and adds a "Singleplayer" option to the start menu. Obviously players will have to go online to download the update, but, if they so choose, they will never have to hop online again after that.
With the offline mode, players can manage any number of regions, input cheats, and mod the experience to their heart is content. In essence, many of the rules that limited the multiplayer experience in an effort to keep things "pure" are now lifted in the offline mode.
On a similar note, it was only just a few months ago that SimCity began to support mods, but there were specific limitations as far as what a modder could and couldn't do. Now, presumably modders will have free reign to design buildings, infrastructure elements, and anything else that might add a new twist to the simulation experience.
Despite the addition of SimCity's offline mode, though, it's hard to shake the feeling that this is too little too late. While some games are able to rebound after a shaky launch — Diablo 3, for example — there are even more titles that lose their fan base and never get them back.
SimCity developer Maxis Games has certainly taken strides to win gamers back, though, but it's unclear if they are actually returning. Had an offline mode been introduced, say, in April or May of last year, that would have been different, but this is a full year later.
Now that SimCity finally has an offline mode are you any more interested in playing the game? Is it too little too late for what has largely been a disappointing game?
-
Source: SimCity