Being stuck in a traffic jam is no person’s idea of fun, although inevitably, it is an issue that so many of us have been forced to contend with during the course of our lifetime. Truly, there is nothing quite so galling or demoralising in this world than to be forced into a traffic jam and spending several hours of our life trapped in the stuffy confines of our vehicle with no hope of escape or reprieve.
What makes Cities In Motion such a remarkable concept then is the fact that this is game that specifically deals with and focuses exclusively upon, traffic jams. Given how much the general public despises such items, it is very brave of the producers indeed to actually try and articulate this concept into an actual, living game. And yet, so they have. So what is the final result like?
Gameplay
In case you are wondering as to the relative accuracy of the title of the game, the purpose of the game is to ensure that the cities that you are charged with assuming responsibility for do keep in motion, and do not come to a total gridlock by virtue of the excessive traffic and poor design of the traffic system.
Initially, Cities In Motion sounds like a premise that is deceptively simplistic, even to the point perhaps of being patronising to the intelligence of the player. After all, how hard can it actually be? In reality, the truth of the matter is this: quite a lot.
One of the biggest constraints the player will inevitably find that will forever dog their ambitions for their cities and stunt their ideas is money. Money, as with any simulation game, plays a crucial role in the Cities In Motion and so the player will need to ensure that when they construct a major new highway, or road network, that they are able to afford it.
Those of us who maybe thinking that we can quickly win the Cities In Motion game simply by ensuring that we save our pennies until we are in the black and therefore can actually afford the road items, think again. You see, in Cities In Motion, the player does not need to just worry about the short term, immediate price tag of the item in question but, they also need to ensure that they will have sufficient funds to actually meet the overheads associated with the item in the long term.
Indeed, it is precisely the cost of maintenance that can and oftentimes will, deplete the already very limited and tight treasury that the player has at their disposal.
The running expenses associated with the various items you deploy around the perimeter of your city can quickly mount up in value, especially when you factor in the likes of the wages of the workers and the cost of repairs.
Given that money is at such a premium then, this means that is simply imperative that the player actually takes the time to carefully consider where exactly they are actually placing the various transport hubs. Obviously, the player wants to place them in areas where they are going to get the maximum amount of coverage and usage, and so locations where there are plenty of users will ensure that the player gets the maximum benefit. However, centralising all of the transport hubs can be problematic especially as the cities may have the population scattered across the entire city.
Conclusion
Cities In Motion is a highly demanding and challenging game that will constantly force the player to carefully review and think about what it is that they are doing.
