PopCities

PopCities (Korean: 팝! 시티; POP! City) is an upcoming city-building game for the Nintendo Switch and PC. The game was developed by Korean-British company IndiCafé and subsequently published by Nintendo. The game involves the player building a new city in a previously uninhabited region, providing resources for the citizens who live there. The game is unique due to it being one of the first Nintendo-published games to have an iteration for the PC. Furthermore, the game features a number of exclusive features for the Switch version in comparison to the PC version, likely to make up for the less powerful visuals.
The game has four primary modes. These include the Mayor Mode, which is the standard city-building mode, providing amenities and enjoyment for a population in a prefabricated region, but also the Designer Mode, which sees the player become a mayor with an unlimited amount of money, essentially a Sandbox game. Other modes include the Architect Mode wherein one plays as an architect, designing placeable items that maybe use in Mayor Mode or Designer Mode. Lastly there is Citizen Mode, which allows for the player to act as a resident in a town he or she has already created. This allows for a first person view of the city one has built.
The Switch version of the game is less impressive visually, due to the limiting factors of the console, however, the Switch has many features that the PC does not. These ideas are largely regarded as 'gimmicky' but are designed to create an element of fun rather than of many previous city-builders. These exclusive features include a race feature which allows the city to be turned in to a racecourse, with Mario Kart-style racing oppurtunities.
==Gameplay==
Upon initiation, PopCities opens with a effervescent opening sequence, likely in reference to the 'Pop' in the title. This is later accompanied by a vivacious player menu, wherein the player is pushed to choose from one of the modes available. It is worth noting that from this menu, the Options/Settings tab is also accessible. The game thus progresses based on what mode of gameplay has been chosen.
===Mayoral Mode===
Mayoral Mode sees the player take the role of mayor and founder of a brand new city. Accompanied by a group of trustworthy advisors, the player can heed their advice and be a primary example of democracy in action, or do whatever they want, more in line with a radical dictator. Whichever path one takes, one is primed to face various opportunities and challenges throughout.
The Mayoral Mode menu is based around a rotatable model of the Earth, which is adorned with various placemarkers representing different regions around the world. There are ten in each continent except Antarctica, where there are two. Each location has different primary assets such as oil, coal and uranium. Furthermore, each region comes with three gameplay options, 'Simple', 'Moderate' and 'Advanced'. The Simple option comes with £1,000,000, £500,000 for Moderate and £250,000 for Advanced.
===Designer Mode===
Essentially Mayoral Mode with more money, Designer Mode incorporates every single capitalistic dream and combining it in to one mode. Within Designer Mode, there is unlimited money, allowing for complete unlimited design possibility. With power like that, there truly is no limit to one's imagination. Unlike in Mayoral Mode, there is no starting price, nor gameplay options, and all cities budgets are completely unlimited.
===Architect Mode===
Within Architect Mode, the player is free to decorate, build or design whichever plot or building type they want. For example, if one wanted to build a brand new shiny airport, ready to be placed in their Mayoral Mode city, they can do so within Architecture Mode. Roads and entrance points can also be edited to allow for complete compatibility with a Mayoral Mode city.
===Citizen Mode===
In Citizen Mode, the player takes the role of a resident of one of their Mayoral Mode cities, allowing for a first person view of the city. Citizens can board trains, trams, metros, buses, boats and cars, and also visit public parks, museums and other amenities. In the Switch version, the player must create a route before it is rendered due to the games high graphics demand. On the other hand, the PC version turns the game in to an open-world, ready for the player to explore.
==Placeable Items==
==In-Game Features==
PopCities Switch and PopCities PC are very similar in what they offer, both allow for in depth city creation and management, yet both take varying approaches to the genre. For instance, Switch is much more geared for casual players, where the daily tasks may involve building the city and thus relaxing in it. On the other hand, the PC edition allows for high-resolution quality gameplay with professional showcasing ability. Either way, both create a relaxing environment for the player.
Category:City-Building Games