Reviewed: May 5, 2006
Reviewed by: Tyler Whitney

Publisher
Atari

Developer
Deep Red Games

Released: February 21, 2006
Genre: Simulation
Players: 1
ESRB: Teen

8
8
8
8
8.3

System Requirements

It’s always a joy to sink my teeth into a “God” game (like Sim-City, Civilization etc) mainly because I am so used to playing action-packed gun fests, that don’t require much of the ‘ol noggin to figure out. But here with TCNY, you have the ability to really dive headlong into crafting a world for your own joy, while managing all kinds of aspects of city-management.

Some of the highlights include:

• Over 50 Manhattan industry opportunities including:
• Running a nightclub
• Putting on a Central Park concert
• Owning the city's hottest new restaurant
• Managing a Wall Street financial firm
• Creating cutting-edge fashion businesses
• Organizing the Macy's Day Parade
• Building skyscrapers as part of your dream New York City skyline
• Upgrade businesses with hundreds of improvements -- increase the beauty, capacity and appeal of storefronts to attract greater crowds and drive profits
• Create and customize original businesses with successful chain locations across the city
• Place buildings anywhere to create your own version of New York City
• View the reactions of thousands of NYC citizens, each with individual traits and tastes
• Erect the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and other world-famous New York landmarks
• Develop the various Manhattan neighborhoods, each with its own authentic cultural flavor

You can jump into a “Sandbox” mode, with no static rules or levels emplaced, but the next mode is perhaps the most telling of the inherent game design. The “Build New York” mode starts in Greenwich Village with a starting sum of $500,000, unlocking new districts as you climb the economic/social ladder. You have to counterbalance various ventures with the surrounding culture and peoples, such as factoring in if a swanky night club will do well with a rather poor/middle class base, or do better in the ritzy area of town. Obviously, this is a no brain answer. However, there will be some more complex issues.

From laying the basic foundation and structure, you have to go further with such things as advertising and dressing up the atmosphere (such as trees, shrubs, flower beds, fountains, chairs etc), so that it attracts more patrons. “Opportunities” or missions in other terms, will come your way regularly as well, from meeting a booming housing demand, or raising several schools to prevent overcrowding- there are no shortage of tasks to manage.

So how do you know if Joe Blow appreciates your 5-star restaurant or not? Or does Mary O’Hare really like the new park next to her brownstone? Well, by simply clicking on the various buildings, they will list details on what needs are not being met, and what they really want. As long as you meet these needs, everything is gravy.

A simple upgrade system allows for easy advancement in terms of décor, functional and so forth of your various establishments. Sadly, you can’t fuss with the interiors at all-quite the disappointment. No doubt the levels of depth could have been immeasurable if you could go wild with interior design, which was probably why the developers opted out. Maybe an expansion in the works eh? Also, don’t be alarmed if you don’t see famous landmarks like the Stature of Liberty right off the bat, you have to complete certain objective in order to bring in the proud lady, and other attractions.

Throughout it all, there is a sense you can’t really do long-term harm. Sure you may have a few financial debacles (don’t ask me about my Wall Street venture…) but you always seem to rebound into new opportunities. Even the window-dressing doesn’t really matter much, just plop down some pretty looking things, and voila, you have a horde of patrons lined up.

I wish it was that easy…and unlike my recent review of Emergency 3, you will see none of the latter. No giant meteors crashing into 5th Avenue. No tsunamis sweeping away the Brooklyn Bridge. And even no stock market crashes, no riots and so on. It seems almost too peaceful, but what an ideal place for a bustling business empire. Perhaps “Tycoon City Las Vegas” would have made more sense…. or do I smell another idea for an expansion?

The dynamic lighting really plays well across the screen, from streetlights, shop windows, to even headlights of the many cars clogging the streets-just one of the many elements that help bring NYC to life. As day and night pass, massive shadows are cast off towering buildings, fire escapes and so on.

Architecturally, while I am no expert in that field, everything appears to be proportioned correctly, and fits seamlessly together. Besides your larger buildings, you have delicate parks, water fountains and the cutesy little vendors on nearly every corner of New York. Even the character models are surprisingly well done. And while their behavior is a bit odd at times (like no sleeping…), the range and variety of peoples-from yuppies to grannies-is quite impressive.

Unfortunately, much like the path finding/behavior issues, they are a bit hit and miss with the banter, going off on a crummy hotspot, or praising a real dive. Regardless, the sound in this title provides a rich backdrop to the already strong visuals, and adds a crucial element to make NYC come alive.