64 Macworld • February 2022MAC GAMING
SimCity, but Cities: Skylines puts
a lot of detail into systems such as
transport as you’re building things up.
Larger roads can cause pollution, and
lower property values, so you have
to think carefully about where you
build them. You can even put roads
underground to avoid spoiling an area
of natural beauty – although you’ll
need to make sure your underground
roads don’t collide with metro trains
down there as well.
Our only real complaint is that
the game could use a more thorough
tutorial to help complete beginners.
But if you’re already a fan of city-sim
games then you’ll find that the sheer
detail and control provided by Cities:
Skylines will provide a real challenge.
There are also some good expansion
packs available, such as the AfterDark pack
that lets you
develop your
town’s night-
life, and the
recent Natural
Disasters,
which will
see how you
manage to
cope when the
town is hit by
a tidal wave
or even a meteor strike from the sky.
The game’s system requirements are
pretty high, though, so check before
you buy.- Dear Esther
Price: £7.99 from fave.co/3lSnsA3
Dear Esther is a game unlike any
you’ve played before. It offers
beautiful graphics and glitch-
free gameplay, although the word
‘gameplay’ doesn’t seem quite right.
There are no weapons in Dear
Esther. No crowbar or shotgun. The
first-person environment you explore
feels like open terrain with barren
moorland and rocky cliff tops. It’s
a billion miles away from the test
chambers of Portal. While other
games reward the completion of
puzzles or the destruction of zombie
11.