Cities: Skylines Xbox One X Enhanced Preview

The city building genre is one that's often left alone and there are very few titles that aim to properly simulate that situation. The Cities: Skylines Xbox One X enhancement is a pleasant surprise as it gives a boost to a title that will certainly have longevity on the console. There's not really any competition for the game in the console space or even on PC these days. I was pleased with the surprise boost the game received as it didn't get much of a promotion randomly appearing. With this update the developers that have aimed to push the console to 4k resolution while retaining that 60fps greatness.

Keep in mind that these types of games are taxing the further you go along and that's apparent here too. With more things going on at once, it builds a high demand for power and that can eat performance. That aside, the game runs really well and is smooth for the most part. As the city grows it's a bit more difficult to keep the fluidity up, but it does well. I noticed a slow down when zooming in at times, yet that's expected as there's a great quantity of detail present when you get close. The buildings load fairly fast though you will notice pop-in when you get super zoomed into the action.

I hope I'm not sounding too harsh as this Cities: Skylines Xbox One X enhanced improvement is seriously appreciated. I don't always have time for these simulation games as they're so time consuming yet I love jumping in on the odd occasion to build up my city. There's something about running everything that's so appealing. With this goal of higher resolution it looks generally way better visually and runs smoothly. It mostly leads to a more polished version instead of leaving the premium console unlocked with the base version. Obviously there's benefits there when it's not being pushed as hard, yet if the option is there why shouldn't they aim to see what the Xbox One X can deliver.

If you've never tried the game on the console, it's well worth it no matter what iteration of the Xbox One you have access to it. It's well done, truly captures that city builder style that's been left aside for so long in gaming. To provide extra context the game allows you to build realistic zones, provide essential services and even create public entertainment. Build roads, create bus routes and set taxes for your city. There are options to expand your city region and even trade on a larger scale. Cities: Skylines is a fun game, I appreciate that they've taken the time to improve it. My city does too as it gave me an excuse to push for more factories and to play it further. I even expanded a bridge across the river which was a nice addition to the people of my lovely town.

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