Stat fiends will love zooming out to Planet View, which allows players to observe their planet just as a satellite would while roaming the depths of space. Windows on both sides of the screen list statistics such as the proportion of land to water, pollution levels, their population's happiness rating, and more.

Players may also allow you to observe all other cities on your planet, each of which is governed by another human being and can be visited if you desire a firsthand look at how other players are faring in their governing.

Monte Cristo also plans to hold various competitions for subscribers. If your city has a better handle on its pollution levels than a friend's, players will be rewarded with to-be-determined resources. Events can be tracked on calendars, so mayors will have plenty of time to devise ways that will net them extra goods.

CXL's social networking also extends to many features that will be available on CitiesXL.com. Each player will be able to create an avatar using MMO-like customization options. Players will also be able to engage in trading via the website, as well as track their city's stats if they're unable to actually play the game.


Players willing to pay the subscription fee for CXL's multiplayer would justifiably demand a steady stream of content to justify opening their wallets, and Monte Cristo does not plan to disappoint. Content will be dispersed as GEMs, Gameplay Extension Modules, each of which will add hours worth of new gameplay to the overall experience and will carry variable price tags. One GEM that Monte Cristo alluded to several times was a ski resort. Ski resort owners will have to attract tourists, build slopes that cater to skiers of variable proficiency levels, and set and manage a budget.

Though only in an Alpha phase, CITIES XL is already an impressive game brimming with features bound to attract expert architects as well as those who have always been interested in city builders yet deterred by their apparent complexity.

Monte Cristo plans to release CITIES XL in August of 2009.