7. It Reflects Real Life (Sort Of)...
One of my favourite things about SimCity is how accurately it holds a mirror up to real life; for all of its absurdities, the mechanics that keep the cities chugging along are rooted in a very real sense of cause and effect. Creating a town that relies on industry for its economy may enjoy considerable success for a while, but in the event of material shortages, you'll be struck with a punishing economic downturn, and much like real life, there's a certain car crash quality to observing the misery that takes place. As in reality, nobody ever has a back-up plan, and all you can best do is try and minimise the damage. Maxis have clearly studied how real economies work, and I was particularly impressed at how the housing market dynamic unfolds within the game; if you attempt to re-balance budgets or simply skim off the top by raising taxes, the housing market will eventually collapse, resulting in patent homelessness around your city. The authorities can't keep up with the demand, and soon enough what was once a promising metropolis has become an urban wasteland. It's utterly, utterly fascinating to watch.