Cities XL 2011 is the second reincarnation of the Cities XL franchise. In fact, it is little more than the original game, reconfigured for fully Single player, and expanded with new content.
History[]
After the end of the Planet Offer Monte Cristo announced Cities XL 2011 as the new form the game will take, which will incorporate all features from the Planet offer, retrofitted for Single Player. Unfortunately, work on the game was interrupted by Monte Cristo's bankruptcy, and for several months the situation was unclear, until announcement was made that Focus Home Interactive has purchased the rights and is continuing the development.
5 pictures of CXL'11 were released in a press release on citiesxl.com on Friday, July 23, 2010, containing pictures of large new pier options and trains. Cedric Lagarrigue, CEO of Focus Home Interactive, said in the press release,
"It's important not to leave Cities XL without a future. Though the game may not have reached the ambitious objectives set forth by Monte Cristo, it has been successful in Europe and via online platforms. There's a community that's developed around the game, hopes and expectations that we cannot leave without a future. We are convinced that the game must make its mark and become a reference as promised during the pre-release announcements of the original 2009 game. We will therefore release Cities XL 2011 in October and will do so with the intent to please those who bought the earlier version. Moreover, we are working on a special offer for the game's release which we will soon reveal. As for the other City Builder and management game fans, Cities XL 2011's content, options, and features should give them great satisfaction."
Later that day, a forum was opened where many people posted questions and ideas about CXL'11. Administrators tried to answer as many as possible.
Focus Home Interactive released the game on October 14, 2010 with a 50% discount for current owners of Cities XL (proof of payment needed while buying).
New Features[]
Cities XL 2011 is basically the original game, adapted for fully Single Player. Although this doesn't sound like much, when we compare the new game with CXL's original Solo mode, we see many differences:
- Expanded trading system[]
While CXL Solo mode gave only the option of trading with the cutthroat company Omnicorp, CXL 2011 allows the player to establish trading connections between all his cities. While still trading with Omnicorp to obtain extra cash and hard-to-find resources, the main focus of Cities XL 2011 becomes the creation of a planetary network of cities, supporting each other.
- New Subway in-city transport[]
The Metro system is the second mass transport option, included in the game. The lines pass underneath the city, but can also run above-ground, although no above-ground stations are available (yet). The overall capacity of the Metro is much bigger than Buses.
- New road styles[]
Four new roadstyles have been introduced: American, English, French and German, each one complete with uniquely textured avenues and service different service vehicles.
- Detailed tax system[]
Cities XL 2011 allows you to set taxes separately for each one of the four citizen classes, and for each business type.
- Expanded information features[]
New information panels have been included for more clear and detailed indications of services, road functions, traffic, resources, etc.
- Three theme packs[]
The old Planet Offer packs are making a comeback, with three separate styles: European (the Planet Offer's Old England), Asian and American. Every style is complete with unique residences, civic buildings, roads and plazas, allowing creation of a fully functional stylized neighborhoods.
- Blueprints[]
The Megastructure mechanics have been included with almost no changes. All buildings are available from start as part of one of the three Packs.
- New buildings and maps[]
Finally, some new building models have been released for almost all branches, along with new spectacular maps like Hong Kong and Paris, bringing the total number of maps to 47.
Photos[]
These are the 5 photos that were released in the press release:
