22 years later, modders are keeping SimCity 4 alive
Search for aSimCity 4a on YouTube, and youall see players constructing multilevel highway interchanges and intricate railroad networks, or maybe even a swooping flyby of a sprawling metropolis. None of these features came with the original game, which was released just after the turn of the millennium. Theyave been developed slowly and painstakingly over the 22 years since its release by dedicated aficionados a a thriving community that continues to push the gameas limits.
The work is a labor of love, and itas a lot of labor and love. Modder Tarkus says that after all these years, heas drawn to the deep and complex nature of the gameas simulation, which he says remains unmatched by newer games like Cities: Skylines (2015) and its sequel Cities: Skylines 2 (2023) a and even by SimCity 4as own sequel, which was released in 2013 and simply called SimCity. Modder Ulisse Wolf says that, for him, itas ultimately a question of community. Perhaps because of the gameas age, he finds that SimCity 4 enthusiasts are amore mature a guaranteeing you a quiet place to live in [peace] with other members.a
SimCity 4 was released in 2003, the fourth in game company …