Yes folks, SimCity Societies has been released… and initial reviews suggest it will be the worst SimCity game in history. Official reviews from game sites give it an average of 6.5 out of 10. Many say the game is boring, disorganized, and bug-filled. Here’s a selection of ratings with quotes:

Eurogamer: 5 out of 10

There’s not much point comparing it directly to SimCity games of the past, since it’s almost completely different in style and tone. SimCity 4 may have grown terrifying and bloated for the average player, but Societies simplifies things to an often depressing degree.

GameSpy: 3 out of 5

No gameplay depth; beefy system required.

IGN: 5.8 out of 10

SimCity Societies has enough faults of its own that we’re not going to run short of things to criticize. While the concept is sound, the game mechanics are too arbitrary and confusing for players looking for the next great city building game.

At the SimCity.com official Bulletin Board, most new threads are not excited compliments, but questions about why this game is so threadbare. In fact, there is already someone asking for their money back, saying the following:

I think the folks over at EA have made a mistake in dealing with Tilted Mill… game ruined… game over!

In case you haven’t gotten the message: this game is terrible. My recommendation to you? Don’t waste $50, wait for City Life 2008, which comes this month (current estimated release date is November 22). SimCity Societies is a mish-mash of randomly placed buildings, roads that only go in two directions, and even lacks a terrain editor. Perhaps SimCity 5 will be better, but until then, I’ll be looking forward to Cities Unlimited!

In conclusion, A Digital City gives SimCity Societies developer Tilted Mill a 10 out of 10 for effort, but the game itself gets 1 out of 10 for gameplay which only serves to provide a slight distraction from life, instead of the great entertainment of previous SimCity Games.