Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

At its core, SimCity Graphics Set 1: Ancient Cities retains the same addictive city-building mechanics that made the original SimCity a timeless classic. You’ll still be zoning residential, commercial, and industrial areas, balancing your budget, and responding to disasters—all the familiar systems are present and fully operational. Because the add-on does not alter the underlying gameplay code, its impact on the rules and strategies is entirely cosmetic, leaving the learning curve and pacing identical to the base game.

What makes the gameplay feel fresh, however, is how the new graphics set rekindles your enthusiasm for routine tasks. Laying down a grid of roads suddenly feels different when your city emerges as a sprawling medieval hamlet or an ancient Asian metropolis. The satisfaction of watching your zones fill up is enhanced by watching thematic buildings rise up in their appropriate era, making each decision you make feel more narratively satisfying without introducing new mechanics to master.

Thanks to the seamless integration with the original SimCity engine, there’s no need to relearn any controls or menus. You can jump right into your favorite city alongside the vibrant new skins. And because nothing about the mechanics has changed, you can rely on your existing strategies—whether you’re optimizing for population growth or carefully preparing emergency services for the next disaster. The unchanged gameplay means both veteran mayors and newcomers can enjoy a pure, nostalgia-infused sandbox experience.

Graphics

SimCity Graphics Set 1: Ancient Cities truly shines in its visual overhaul. Every tile, building, and disaster icon has been meticulously redrawn to reflect one of three distinct eras: Ancient Asia, Medieval Times, and the Wild West. The pixel art maintains the clarity and readability of the original game, while introducing rich new palettes—jade greens and golds for the Asian maps, earthy browns and stone grays for medieval villages, and dusty reds and yellows for frontier towns.

The redesign extends beyond simple building sprites. In Ancient Asia mode, pagodas and ornate bridges replace modern skyscrapers, while rice paddies and tiered temples dot the landscape. Medieval Times brings thatched cottages, wooden palisades, and even castle walls into your city design, lending an authentic feudal atmosphere. The Wild West theme is equally detailed, with saloons, water towers, and desert badlands transforming your map into a cowboy’s playground. Each set is visually cohesive, giving your metropolis a unified, immersive look.

Even the game’s various disasters receive a thematic makeover. Earthquakes still shake your city, but now you’ll see collapsed fortress walls or crumbling adobe buildings. Fires burst out as thatch-roof conflagrations or blazing frontier saloons, while monster attacks turn into legendary beasts of myth or horse-mounted raiders. This attention to detail enhances the stakes of every emergency, making your towns feel more alive and reinforcing the chosen theme in every pixel.

Story

While SimCity has never been a narrative-driven series, Graphics Set 1: Ancient Cities introduces a subtle layer of storytelling through its themed assets. By presenting your city in a specific historical setting, the add-on encourages you to view your urban planning as part of a broader cultural narrative. Are you building a prosperous trading hub along the Silk Road, a fortified medieval stronghold, or a bustling boomtown in the Wild West?

Each era sparks your imagination: you might imagine competing warlords in Ancient Asia vying for tribute, or noble lords in Medieval Times jockeying for land and resources. In the Wild West scenario, you can almost hear the ringing of spurs and the creak of wooden boardwalks as townsfolk rush to the bank for their daily transactions. This thematic framing adds personality to what would otherwise be an abstract sandbox, encouraging emergent stories about prosperity, conflict, and survival.

Even though there are no scripted missions or cutscenes, the reinterpreted events act as narrative milestones. A devastating flood in your ancient city may feel like a historic calamity, while a prairie fire in your frontier town becomes part of the legend of “the great blaze that forged our community.” These emergent narratives give new meaning to your successes and failures, fostering a deeper emotional connection to each completed map.

Overall Experience

SimCity Graphics Set 1: Ancient Cities is a reminder that visual design can profoundly affect how we engage with gameplay, even when the mechanics remain untouched. Installing the add-on is a breeze—simply swap in the new asset files, restart the game, and choose your preferred theme. From that moment on, you’ll find yourself exploring familiar systems with renewed curiosity and delight.

The add-on is an excellent value for fans of classic SimCity who want to refresh their experience without diving into a full sequel or expansion pack. It’s perfect for replaying older scenarios or simply experimenting with new aesthetics as you build from scratch. Because it doesn’t introduce any new rules or complexity, it’s also a great way for newcomers to enjoy the timeless SimCity formula in a fresh visual package.

Ultimately, Ancient Cities proves that a well-crafted graphics mod can breathe new life into a decades-old game. Whether you’re a city-building veteran seeking nostalgia or a curious newcomer eager to experience SimCity’s roots, this add-on delivers a memorable, themed journey through human history. Your urban masterpiece awaits—choose your era and start building!

Retro Replay Score

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