Back in 1992, SimEarth was an ambitious and admirable undertaking that SimCity fans embraced and enjoyed as the next step in the evolution of the simulation genre -- at the time, its restrictions, limited graphics and difficult interface were just the standard. No one would have known to complain. But now, 17 years later, people have seen the incredible growth of accessibility in this category of gaming -- and it's impossible to go back. No tutorials, no real help. No reason to waste your time or money. SimEarth is one of those games that you should appreciate for its place in industry history, but not one you should spend time or money on to go back and play. Ignore this release.
Presentation - 3.0
Graphics - 3.5
Sound - 4.0
Gameplay - 4.0
Lasting Appeal - 6.0
Overall -
SimEarth: The Living Planet is ambitious, but lacks the kind of grounding that made the previous game in the series so approachable.
Cyril takes his look at various retro titles available out now along with some current XBL titles. In this week's edition are Worms 2, Sudoku Master, California Games, Battlefield 1943, and more....
NL writes: "The simulation genre has come a long way - maybe not so much in the area of depth, as that's always been there. Where it has really progressed is in presentation: nowadays it's no longer up to the player to have enough imagination to fill in the gaps left by technical limitations. Unfortunately, those gaps are in abundant supply within SimEarth: The Living Planet. The challenge now is to get those imaginative juices flowing once again: you're going to need them."
