A city-building video game series developed by Monte Cristo, allowing players to create large, realistic cities with high customization and control over urban planning and management.
Cities XL is a long-running city-building video game series developed and published by French studio Monte Cristo. The series launched in 2009 with Cities XL, offering players the ability to create large-scale simulated cities with a greater level of realism and customization compared to other city builders at the time.
A key feature of Cities XL is its comprehensive city planning and management features. Players can customize nearly everything, from laying individual roads and zoning areas for residential, commercial and industrial buildings, to managing public services like power plants, schools, fire and police coverage. Players also handle urban challenges like traffic congestion, pollution, unemployment and more in order to keep their citizens happy.
While the original Cities XL received mixed reviews due to technical issues, its sequels Cities XL 2011, Cities XL 2012 and Cities XXL improved performance and gameplay. As the series continued, developers Monte Cristo added new features like multiplayer modes, day/night cycles, weather effects and modding support. The most recent title is Cities XXL from 2015.
Overall, the Cities XL series stands out for giving players granular control over customizing and managing every aspect of running a simulated metropolis. With strong city-building mechanics and visuals, it remains a compelling pick in the modern city simulation and urban planning game genre.