Gamespot got it all wrong. Its intricate economy is a jewel that makes for great gameplay!
The strength of a city builder is the immersiveness of its gameplay--the more intricate the game, the more fulfilling. It should be congratulated for its economy which requires a great deal of management of the supply chain to create success. It does that extremely well and makes wonderful experiences for a city builder. Instead of memorizing map layouts that "work" with whatever system programmers wanted, this is more thoughtful, realistic, and strategic. The game does include restrictions for building. How realistic would an ancient Roman city builder be if they allowed building techniques that weren't possible? My guess is they didn't actually play it much or they expected SimCity style building and didn't go much further. Either way the review is poor and needs to be changed.
The building techniques are realistic, the game is fun, the soundtrack is good, voiceovers are both believable and intuitive to gameplay (you can hear suggestions from citizens), and the tutorial/game help is very instructive. Endless hours are in this game of fun as I'm already 30 in and have enjoyed it. The negatives include poor graphics in the extreme micro level, slower load times, and a the mouse can be difficult to master the movements of building placement. Other than that it's great.
Overall, forget gamespot and get this game if you like builders-- you'll be impressed.