Cities XXL

Cities XXL is a city-building and management simulation game developed by Focus Home Interactive and published by the same company. It was originally released on October 15, 2010, and later re-released on Steam on February 5, 2015. The game was made available for Microsoft Windows and aimed to expand on the features of its predecessor, Cities XL, by offering larger city maps and more detailed management tools for urban planning enthusiasts.

In Cities XXL, players take on the role of a city planner responsible for designing and managing a sprawling metropolis. The game allows for the creation of residential, commercial, and industrial zones while managing infrastructure such as roads, public transportation networks, and utilities. Players also need to balance city budgets, taxation, and public services to ensure the prosperity of their population. The game emphasizes large-scale city building, giving players the ability to create complex urban environments with extensive transportation and industrial systems.

Promotion for Cities XXL focused on its improvements over Cities XL, highlighting enhanced graphics, bigger city maps, and deeper management features. Marketing campaigns included gameplay trailers and presentations at gaming events to attract fans of city-building simulations. The ability to create expansive cities and manage detailed infrastructure was emphasized to appeal to players seeking a large-scale urban planning experience.

Upon its Steam release, Cities XXL received generally poor reviews from players. Many criticized the game for performance issues, technical bugs, and a lack of meaningful innovation compared to its predecessor. Despite the promise of large-scale city building, reviewers and players felt that the core mechanics had not evolved significantly, resulting in a lukewarm reception from the Steam community.

The game does not have any downloadable content or expansions. Its content and features are limited to what was included in the base release, which contributed to criticisms regarding a lack of depth and replayability. Players looking for ongoing updates or additional content were left without options, which further affected the perception of the game on Steam.

Despite the poor reception, Cities XXL retains a small audience among city-building enthusiasts who enjoy designing and managing large urban environments. While it did not achieve the same level of success or acclaim as titles like SimCity or Cities: Skylines, it is noted for the scale of its maps and the freedom it offers in city design. The game remains accessible on digital platforms for players interested in exploring its large-scale urban planning mechanics, even if the execution was widely seen as flawed.