There's change afoot! Grandma - get the cat in!

Retaining the sandbox feel of previous SimCity titles is a crucial decision, but the game still needs a way to measure a player's progress. To that end, goals are presented as a city develops. Depending on the prevailing mix of social energies, the goals will take different forms. Successful goal completion unlocks new buildings and nets other advantageous bonuses. With roughly 15 percent of buildings available when a city is created, the unlocking carrot is very tempting indeed.

If you yearn for simpler days, build your own Mayberry. Small-town sherriff Andy Griffith not included...

Conversely, push your city in toward unchecked industrialization, complete with slums.

Since this is still a SimCity title, the level of success (or failure) will still depend on effective planning and management. Only here, the focus of those actions has shifted from brick-and-mortar development to society building. EA promises, however, that dyed-in-the-wool civil engineers will have all the necessary tools to build an exacting metropolis. Care needs to be taken to keep the desired social energies in balance, however. For instance, the productivity of a bustling downtown section is bottlenecked without a transportation system to shuffle Sims to their jobs from the suburbs.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the level of customization that city builders are offered. The pinnacle of development in the old SimCity paradigm was almost always a hyper-busy metropolis. Not so with SimCity Societies; since a city's development is hinged on a mix of social energies, any number of city types can be created. From a small agricultural town to an advanced manufacturing city, the possibilities are near limitless. In this sense, designing a city is more about planning a community than laying down roads and directing resource production. Since goals are based on a player's choices, a city's development direction is never explicitly dictated by the game.

Zooming in close reveals the full 3D glory that was missing from previous SimCity games.

The game's narrowed focus means bidding adieu to the ultra-zoomed-out views found in SimCity 4. In SimCity Societies, you'll spend more time zoomed in to near street-level keeping an eye on the comings and goings of your city (following individual Sims is even possible). Say goodbye to fixed camera angles as well: a free-rotating camera is featured. Graphically, the game has finally entered the new millennium, with fully rendered and textured 3D buildings and environments. Given the game's scope, the level of detail in buildings and other models isn't likely to win awards. However, art design has been stepped up, and structures appropriately represent their social influence (a Ferris wheel, for instance, looks inviting and fun, while a courthouse casts a threatening pall).

Keeping with SimCity tradition, SimCity Societies promises to be a great canvas for modding. From script modding (via C# programming and XML markup), to creating new buildings and landscapes, EA will offer all the requisite customization avenues for modders. If the modding community that has grown around The Sims is any indication, SimCity Societies has the potential to foster near-infinite longevity through user-created content. The editing tools and SDK may not make the retail box, and will likely be available for download following the official release.

Industry fuels the economy of a large city.

A wonderful vista overlooking a bustling metropolis. SimCity Societies offers significantly better visuals than SimCity 4.

Slated for a North American release on November 13, SimCity Societies will hit store shelves just in time for the ever-important holiday buying season. While the game is sure to attract new buyers (and those who are already familiar with The Sims), it appears that there are enough classic SimCity elements present to keep all but the most stalwart series fans happy. Is SimCity Societies EA's New Coke, or will the melding of social awareness and urban planning drive the brand in a refreshing direction? We'll let you know as soon as we get our hands on a review copy.