First in-game screenshots of Simcity (2013)

[KillerRu 1]

Sorry... i still stick with 4

[meowza 230]

Those shots pretty much shows where the final artstyle is headed.

They could probably add an option in the video settings to desaturate the colors, just to lessen the complaints.

[The_City_Builder 299]

I'm loving the graphics! The second picture reminds me of SimsVille!

  Edited June 1, 2012 by The_City_Builder  

[Indiana Joe 1,751]

The big difference here is that the graphics are 3-D like they were in Societies. That looks really cartoony with the preliminary textures. But they will undoubtedly improve them; we'll see how it turns out.

I just hope there's a way to adjust that horribly shallow view angle. I like my satellite views.

[Wackee 8]

Had higher expectations on the graphics and modelling... and with less than a year until release you can assume that these are pretty much final. "Total Replacement Mod" is the magic word here.

[Mark Waybill 242]

These shots are quite dissapointing, that is, if they represent final graphics. From what I've heard the graphical capability of the finished product is going to be a lot better than what we have seen, so I am hoping these images are not representative of the final graphics, because they are barely different to those shown in the initial release.

I trust Maxis will improve on them, because what they look like is a cartoonish version of CXL.

[Asheroo 53]

I just want to say, for today's 3D Graphics, they look pretty good. You need to remember, it's 3D graphics, and not only that, but a city building game. City building games take up a lot of memory due to the simulation of the city, development of the city and of course the detailed graphics.

The graphics here certainly look more detailed. The people and cars look much less cartoony than in CXL. The grass and trees are modelled very well. The shader is quite good and the colours.

This is exactly what I pictured it to be like. Looking at it over and over again, it doesn't look that cartoony. Of course it will have a taste of cartoonish-ness, it's a 3D computer game (not a render or modelling application). Some of you probably just have way high expectations. I think once we see videos and maybe play a demo/beta we can then start making some better judgements.

[UsmanMS 10]

I hope the game looks like in the announce trailer.

[Bipin 3,403]

If your so concerned about childish graphics, go make your own buildings that have a more realistic design and colour pallet. They said modding would be a key component of the game...

[Jazzmaster 716]

If people were expecting the level of detail seen in recent SimCity 4 CC to be rendered in full 3D for a game that's marketed to people from low-to-high end PC's, I've got some bad news for you.

Unless you want to spend thousands of dollars on a new computer so you can run super mega ultra xtreme turbo graphix for an ultra-real SimCity, that is.

[RichManSCTV 14]

Looks ok. It looks like a cross of Societies and 4000.

[Supertask 29]

Uncanny valley. A toy like robot looks cute. However as robots approach looking human they become creepy. Same thing with graphics. The more real we try to make them the more unreal they start to look.

I think this is an especially valid point. People are asking for "realistic" graphics, as if that's even really possible in a fully 3D city builder. If the art style focused on getting as close to realism as possible, what you would get in practice would be graphics that looked flawed and inconsistent, because the clear attempt at realism would cause us to think of the game in the context of real images, which it wouldn't be able to compete with. This is the advantage of making the game somewhat more stylized and "cartoony", Maxis has found a style which looks nice without being constrained by the necessities of a strict realism - which is still an impossible standard with today's technology.

[Jasoncw 11,940]

I think people may be overestimating how "realistic" the SC4 Maxis buildings actually are. I think if you took any of those models and rendered them for SC4 and put them on the STEX they'd all be well received.

The style reminds me a lot of SC 3000.

We also have to remember that these are cities that the Maxis people built to make screenshots. If you remember, the promotional screenshots for the other SimCitys weren't that great either. So I think with some good city building, and then over time with good modding, the graphics will be really nice.

[Asheroo 53]

Well, I just took a few comparison shots in CXL2012, here they are in order of the Sim City screens from that article (http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/7117/article/first-in-game-simcity-5-screenshots/)....

My conclusion: They both have their advantages and disadvtanges. However, the graphics in CXL really do pull down the performance a bit. Also, do note the vegetation in the Sim City screens. For me, the Sim City style is for me the better one, as it actually has for me quite a good balance between cartoony and realism, particularly for a city building game, and the render is done very well. I'm very happy with the screens so far. It also looks quite level with some city simulation renders I have seen over the past few years. It for me is a good mix between Sim City 4, Tycoon City: New York and Cities XL. Also, I do however think that the material/texture of the buildings hasn't been so well rendered - the bricks don't really show well and look more like plastic, but it's a small thing and may look very much better up close (or maybe closer to the release period).

A few things to note about the game itself from the screens...

- The lot sizes, not all buildings are on a lot, and the buildings that are on lots are on small realistic sized lots

- Vegetation!

- Traffic/pedestrian simulation at traffic lights looks great with the people crossing (reminds me of TC:NY - which was actually quite a good simulation despite the small city building yet good customising)

- Unrealistically building smoking heavy industry everywhere will cause overly-polluted skies, but from this it looks like we will have good pollution effects, and build some dirty-atmosphered cities like Beijing and Mexico City

Overall, these screens, although I admit I did have a little disappointment at first impressions, looking at them more with further depth and analysis, I actually really like it. It's making me a little more excited for the game - however I'm still awaiting further official word about cheats/sandbox (something they have said they are trying to find a way to implement) and any offline mode.

  Edited June 2, 2012 by Asheroo  

[dabadon5 295]

So you judge the quality of a game by three screenshots, and then claim that the creators of the game failed because you don't like the graphics? :|

What i have seen so far from SC13 has failed to impress me. SC4 had one good thing and that was it looked realistic. This game looks way too cartoony. I know these are early shots of the game,but the final version will be very close to this otherwise they would not have shown them.I am a big fan of Simcity, been playing it for ten years. I was hoping it would be a more SC4 style game, with better gameplay. Im just more disappointed if anything. But as long as ST keeps going, i guess there is nothing to really complain about.

  Edited June 2, 2012 by CaptCity  
Edited off-topic material.

[pcwhiz24 1,187]

The second pic looks like The Sims 3 on steroids, love the 6 lane boulvard on the last pic

[chocolate_city 93]

Of course we all have our own opinion... In mine, this game is going to be very tired. The cartoonish graphics are laughable, the on-line only didn't work for Cities XL, I find hard to believe that we will all change on minds just because its Sim City... We all waited so long for this to come out and its going to be sooo disappointing when it does... I hate to be so pessimistic, but I just ain't feeling it about this game... If I am wrong.. God will I eat it.. and l will humbly go sit in a corner with my thumb up my you know what... LOL

[mrbisonm 1,622]

Very early to make a decision yet, but to me sofar it looks only like an improvement of Simcity2000.....concerning the textures. Geeez did you see the lawn texture? Arghhhh. Not much of positivity yet. SC4 will be hard to beat, unless they still have the same designers. (they are probably all fired by now and working for other Companies by now).

mrb

  Edited June 2, 2012 by mrbisonm  

[~Dee~ 215]

I like those screenshots, the first one looks like you can't breath with all that smog.

The second one reminds me of The Sims 3 neighborhoods and the third ... I like that the firemen hold their hoses to put out the fire.

I reserve judgment until we see some actual game play, but to me it looks very promising.

  Edited June 2, 2012 by CaptCity  
Edited off-topic material.

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

Wow those photos look amazing, although I am a little disappointed that they didn't look like the graphics in the release trailer.

[Miyasako 28]

it looks real.. how can I put this... childish?

I would perforce more realistic graphics

[CaptCity 4,893]

Once again, we have comments regarding other games and each other in an SC(2013) topic. Let's stick to the purpose of the topic, and do so in a polite way. Thanks.

[meowza 230]

The original and easy going ST that I loved is beginning to make a come back...

Thanks in part to those screens.

[DazzaDazza 29]

i don’t think its the graphics that bothers me, the 2nd pic look pretty good, it's the fist pic that stand out more. it looks like a a mix mash of SCS and and CXL, where we have to make a specialised cities

  Edited June 9, 2012 by mrdazza_460  

[Blurque 9]

It looks really nice, a bit cartoonish, but I don't really mind that. I only think the roads are quit wide..

[jakehh 52]

I don't mind that the graphics are cartoonish, but the whole game looks like the Sims 3 in my honest opinion (Never liked the sims)

[Kiiroitori 55]

Hmm, the graphics looks very similar to the concert art, if this really is what the final graphic is .. its probably going to be a downer, i can see a few flaws, with one of which is the jagged roads, and to me it looks very Americanized and not very global. However, it has its advantages and has taken its inspiration from different varieties of prospective, particularly being influenced by cities XL., though there is still time for improvement, so I am hoping that the graphics of the jagged roads to hopefully smooth out and a more variety of buildings globalized. If that is not to be done, then it shall be up to us to repair the damage afterwards with the power of Custom Content and modding community.

[Simcity0412 3]

Is it like SC4? It better be. :| :|

[CaptCity 4,893]

Second reminder... Let's discuss the images, not other games and not each other. Off-topic posts will be removed.

[Vahr 343]

The fact that there's real grass instead of simple textured terrain is already a major plus for this game. Building style wise, they do seem a bit plastic, but considering that these are textured models (vs texture-baked boxes (aka trimetric billboards) in SC4) it would be rather simple to dirty them up a bit for realism. They've got the atmosphere down and looks very eye-pleasing. Graphically, I like how this is going, even if it is somewhat cartoonish.

Hopefully Maxis pulls this off well.