SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited

About

SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited is a single player casual strategy game. It was developed by Maxis and was released on March 7, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"SimCity™ 3000 Unlimited" expands on the original game with new building sets from Asia and Europe, over 95 world landmarks, and four additional disasters. Create and control your urban empire with 13 challenging scenarios, or build your own using the SimCity Scenario Creator. Customize your city with the Building Architect Plus tool and hundreds of buildings from SimCity 3000 and new European and Asian styles. Protect your citizens from nine disasters and reunify East and West Berlin in this ultimate SimCity experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 434 reviews

music29 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

SimCity 3000 is a nostalgic classic that offers engaging city-building gameplay, allowing players to manage budgets and resources effectively.
The game features a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and brings back fond memories for many players.
Despite its age, the game still holds up well visually and provides a satisfying challenge for both new and returning players.

The port suffers from significant control issues, including overly fast scrolling speeds and a lack of modern resolution support, making it difficult to navigate.
Many players have reported bugs, crashes, and missing features from the original game, leading to a frustrating experience.
The game feels outdated compared to modern city builders, and some players find it less enjoyable without the original charm and features.

music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
40%
6%
The music in the game is widely praised as one of the best soundtracks in gaming, with many reviewers highlighting its superb composition and nostalgic value, particularly the jazzy and funk elements that enhance the gameplay experience. However, some users expressed disappointment over the absence of certain original tracks and the need to re-enable some songs manually. Overall, the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's charm and atmosphere, making it a standout feature.
- “Additionally, the soundtrack is wonderfully composed, enhancing the overall atmosphere and making the gameplay experience even more enjoyable.”
- “The music is stellar and hearing it again after so many years brought on a wave of nostalgia.”
- “Amazing soundtrack on top of intuitive gameplay mechanics makes for easily one of the best purchases I ever made.”
- “One of the most disappointing things from my viewpoint was that I was expecting the original soundtrack to be available.”
- “It's a poor clone without fullscreen, no original music, and without decent controls... it's a shame...”
- “Several songs are missing compared to the original Sim City 3000, including the iconic main theme 'Broadway'.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
45%
11%
The graphics of the game evoke mixed reactions; while some players find them charming and nostalgic, praising their ability to hold up over time, others criticize them as outdated and lacking compared to modern standards. Despite the visuals being described as "stuck in 1992," many appreciate the unique art style and aesthetic, which contribute to the game's overall appeal. Overall, the graphics may not satisfy those seeking contemporary visuals, but they resonate well with fans of classic design.
- “The graphics, while nostalgic, are charming and hold up remarkably well even today.”
- “The art style is still amazing, and the game is just pleasing to look at... it's hard to believe this came out in 1999 and still looks as good as it does.”
- “Amazing pastel-like visuals that stood the test of time, fantastic soundtrack, and just a chill game to kill some time.”
- “Graphics are total crap and I only played it for 20 minutes and was very disappointed.”
- “Interface is horrific, controls are a nightmare, and graphics are stuck in 1992.”
- “Boring, bad graphics, no guide to figure out how to play it... wtf”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The gameplay of SimCity 3000 Unlimited is praised for its well-balanced mechanics that offer a satisfying challenge without overwhelming new players. The game features engaging city-building elements, rich customization options, and a beautifully composed soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While it prioritizes complex mechanics for seasoned players, it remains accessible with in-game advisors to help navigate its systems, making it a highly recommended title for simulation game enthusiasts.
- “The game's mechanics are well-balanced, providing just the right amount of challenge without being overwhelming.”
- “Its engaging gameplay, detailed graphics, and rich customization options make it a must-play for any fan of simulation games.”
- “Awesome game once you figure out all the mechanics, build a city, manage a budget; there are so many different things you can do in this game.”
- “For what it's worth, given that this is an improved version over the original, I'd wager that SimCity 3000 Unlimited is a game that rivals my starting point into the series, the SimCity 2000 port for the PlayStation 1, which I don't recommend if you want to experience the second game for yourself as the performance is lacking and doesn't control as well on a console controller. Its previous entry is loved by some fans of the series for striking a better balance of simplicity versus complex mechanics, whilst also having a more 'retro' feel to its graphics. This game chooses to focus more heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city at the expense of being too overwhelming for newbies to the genre.”
- “So to conclude, if you are looking for a good SimCity game to purchase on Steam, then I can easily recommend this over not just the abomination that is SimCity 2013 but also potentially over SimCity 2000 outside of Steam if you want a game that prioritizes the mechanical complexity involved in the building and management of an ever-expanding city. Noting that SimCity 4's Deluxe Edition is also sold here on Steam and is a game that holds up pretty well in its own right, part of the fun in games like these is experimenting with all of the different systems to find out what works and what doesn't, which, with the help of the in-game advisors, should eventually be doable as the satisfaction gained from finally nailing it is a fantastic feeling that few games of its kind can rival!”
- “The gameplay can be quite overwhelming for newcomers, as it focuses heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city, which may deter those looking for a more accessible experience.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with many users reporting frequent crashes, freezing, and issues with saving progress, particularly on modern systems. However, some players have noted that it runs smoothly on Windows 10, especially with specific mods. Overall, while there are positive experiences, the prevalent bugs detract from the overall stability of the game.
- “Runs great on Windows 10 with the widescreen mod.”
- “It runs great on my laptop.”
- “Runs great on Windows.”
- “Unforgivably buggy - crashes and doesn't save.”
- “For me, it freezes and locks the screen so that I have to reboot.”
- “It is not smooth on modern systems; the architect tool freezes the game. I could go on and on, but this is not to pan the game, but to highlight some of the issues that, if fixed, will make this game great again.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The optimization of SimCity 3000 Unlimited has been criticized for not showing significant improvements over the original game, despite being an updated version. Users note that the performance issues and control mechanics remain problematic, suggesting that the game's code may be at fault rather than hardware limitations. This lack of optimization can make the game feel overwhelming, particularly for newcomers to the series.
- “For what it's worth, given that this is an improved version over the original, I'd wager that SimCity 3000 Unlimited is a game that rivals my starting point into the series, the SimCity 2000 port for the PlayStation 1. Since its previous entry is loved by some fans of the series for striking a better balance of simplicity versus complex mechanics, this game focuses more heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city, which may be overwhelming for newbies to the genre.”
- “I'd understand if this was still 1999, when the original game released, but seeing that the performance has somehow not improved after 25 years makes me think this must be an issue with the game's code, not my computer hardware.”
- “The performance is lacking and doesn't control as great on a console controller, which makes it hard to recommend for those wanting to experience the second game for themselves.”
- “This game focuses more heavily on the realistic simulation of a highly-developed city at the expense of being too overwhelming for newbies to the genre.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is significantly elevated by a beautifully composed soundtrack, which enriches the overall experience and enjoyment of gameplay.
- “Additionally, the soundtrack is wonderfully composed, enhancing the overall atmosphere and making the gameplay experience even more enjoyable.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The story revolves around a love narrative set within a bookstore, where new copies of a simulation titled "A Love Story" are introduced, suggesting a meta-commentary on romance and the nature of storytelling itself.