In order to effectively build and manage a city, one must be able to walk the streets with one's populace, yet also step back to see the bigger picture when necessary. CITIES XL will allow players to do both with a flexible engine that blends attention to detail with a copious amount of statistics. Zoom in close to view the intricate details of your skyscrapers, suburbs, farms, and sweeping countryside. Zoom in closer still to watch cars pull out of lots and wait for a safe opportunity to merge with highway traffic.

Pulling back enough for a layer of fog to descend on a barren rural area, one Monte Cristo representative clicked a single button and began to weave a complex network of roads. The word "complex" only applies to the intricate manner in which he intertwined his streets and boulevards. While clicking and dragging the mouse to and fro, the representative held a single keyboard key that allowed for raised roads held aloft by pillars to be created. Pushing down on the land caused the path to burrow into one end of the hillside and out the other, resulting in a tunnel. Within a few minutes, a bare chunk of land had become a coherent network of roads, bridges, and tunnels. Sprinkling a few farmsteads on the fertile land allowed farmers to reap the malleable region's rewards of crops, which make for excellent trade materials.


Such effortless and seamless creation embodies Monte Cristo's keyword for CXL's development: accessibility. Players will have total control over such building features but without the complexity of digging through an interface just to find a button that allows for road construction. The interface is a collection of colorful and telling icons that indicate their functions; little to no guesswork will be involved.

An extension of accessibility is the developer's effort to ensure that concepts are presented on a gradual incline of difficulty rather than one that is initially manageable before quickly skyrocketing at a 90-degree angle. Cautious players can approach the game at their own speed and will find themselves better suited for future challenges that build on a foundation of firmly grasped concepts: a road here, a building there, and before they know it, they'll be pouring over complex statistics and decisions that those familiar with the genre probably take for granted.


Gamers interested in CXL's single-player city building are free to stick within their own city limits, but the game's multiplayer mode -- which does require a subscription fee the price of which has yet to be determined -- allows your city to become one of many on an entire planet. You'll be able to trade with other players in order to negate the weaknesses of your own city. If your city produces tremendous amounts of electricity but low amounts of gas, you could negotiate a contract with another player to trade the two resources. Eager to construct a wondrous landmark but short on engineers for the job? Hire some from a neighbor.