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Home >
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Video Games
> Results: Tycoon City New York
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by Michael Anderson
May 15, 2006
Start spreading the news – I’m taking over and raising the rent!
Reviewed for PC.
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‘Tycoon' games are all about building a huge financial empire by strategically developing things like zoos, cities, railroads, and more. Tycoon City New York tasks you to build and expand various types of businesses throughout the boroughs of New York City to become the wealthiest developer in the city, crushing your competitors along the way. With simple gameplay that is very clearly explained in the early sections, and a very detailed graphical representation that takes you from overhead to street level quickly, there is much to like. By following the goals and listening to your customers, you will become very successful. This easy play ignores proper urban planning, and the amazing ability to have up to sixty-five thousand residents means finding one of a certain type when required is very difficult. The game is loads of fun for a few hours, but the fun wears thin as you begin to push the limits of the strategic challenges, and once you hit that point you will never recapture that initial feeling. It is a game that you cannot lose, but some of the design limitations dampen the desire to win, or even keep playing.
The streets of New York are tough places full of seedy characters and unsavory situations, several of which are recreated in this game. There are many in-game movies used to establish the character of the city and to provide motivation for completing certain objectives. These contain references to sex and drugs and bored kids hanging out by the fountain, amongst others. That is the only place you'll have any real interaction with the world – the rest of the time you are just building your empire like a crazed megalomaniac.
Playing the game consists of selecting items from menus and placing buildings or accessories using the mouse. There is a multitude of information available about your business and location, from spheres of influence to clientele and so on, all of which is pretty easy to access and understand. If you want to ignore it, that is fine as well – meet the goals and you'll do fine. And if you don't care about competing with the game, there is a ‘Sandbox' mode, in which you get starter money to build whatever you choose, and then more and more money as your businesses earn profits.
Your success is based on how well you implement your decisions, but you cannot fail. This makes it fun for kids who want to play a city builder game but lack experience. The themes associated with the various boroughs make it more appropriate for somewhat older kids, but there is not anything significant that earned the game its' ‘T' rating that is truly worrisome – you see teens and young adults acting as they would in the city. No terrible language, nudity, violence, overt drug or alcohol use or blatant sexuality. Most of it is more ‘cute' than offensive, so I would recommend it as harmless for kids 10 and older who have watched news programs and Nickelodeon ... or spent any amount of time on the streets of an actual city.
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> Results: Tycoon City New York
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