This update to the venerable franchise reduces the intense complexity of former versions of SimCity, and adds more room for creativity: The cities you create can evolve in a mind-boggling amount of different ways, depending on the "social energy" of the buildings and elements you incorporate. Those new to SimCity will find it easy to jump in and start creating cool cities, but longtime fans will probably miss some of the challenge inherent in prior releases.

For more on this game, see 1Up.com's review of SimCity Societies.