14 DAY TRIAL // Have you ever missed the old Railroad and Transport Tycoon games, with their sometimes convoluted rules linked to creating rules? Have you ever missed laying down track and the incredible fixations that can develop with creating the most efficient transport routes for the people?
Cities in Motion is a video game developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive that aims to deliver an updated take on those kinds of mechanics, tasking gamers with becoming the main official in charge of transportation in a range of cities. A good player will have to solve the many issues that developing cities have while also managing to keep their company in the black, the customers happy and the employees helpful.
The game is easy to understand, with a clear and helpful user interface and early on the tasks that the municipality and the citizens throw at the player are fairly pedestrian, only to grow in complexity later on.
Initially, it seemed much too easy to overextend, trying to fulfill all the requests that various groups of residents have.
The result was a transport company deep in the red ink of debt and incapable of getting the money it needs to develop and then take advantage from the routes it has already created.
The better approach is to lay out a route first, preparing the stops and the general outlay, and then launch it to fine tweak the number of vehicles and maybe even add a stop or two where queues begin to form.
A huge part of the game is knowing when to add extra hardware, like tram cars or buses, to a route, and when to jack up prices, making more money as the inhabitants become happier with how transportation is handled.
The game looks good, with varying levels of zoom available for those who want to take a street level view of the city they are covering, although a bit more variety would have been nice.
Here's a look at Cities in Motion in action: