Not for the SimCity fan. It looks good, but that's all it can do.
This is not like the previous SimCity games. I've been a fan of SimCity since the I played the original one on the computer. Then SC 2000 on the PSX, followed by SC III: Unlimited and SC IV w/Rush Hour on the PC. When I heard that this game was next in line, I made the mistake of jumping to the conclusion that it would be just as fun.
Graphically, the game looks good, with a lot of pleasing visuals and detaisl to boot. Unfortunately, that's all it does. Gone is the original premise of building your city from the ground up; laying zones and watching them grow into unique, individual items. Now, all you have to do is plunk down a pre-made building. Don't even ask me how the "Social Energies" rankings work, no one knows how to make sense of them. Laying down power lines, water lines, or various roads are gone. You only get two styles: dirt and pavement.
Also gone is the "What year to start" option. This was a nice incentive to try something different. The earlier the year, the more you were forced to use dirty power plants. Not in SC Societies. You're given a good deal of options from low-tech coal plants to high-tech fusion plants. This also takes away from a challenge.
Speaking of a challenge, it used to be that you tried your best to balance out everything to make money, provide items for your Sims to produce a better desirability, and generate more money. Now, making money isn't that hard. Instead of a yearly income, you get a weekly income, and it is based on how happy your Sims are. The happier they are to work, the more money they produce. Add in a couple more items that they want, and they'll be even happier, giving you more money.
The biggest disappointment I find of this game is that you can no longer have a city that "grows". I always enjoy watching buildings sprout up from tiny grass lots to cottages to mansions. But, SimCity Socities takes away that fun and lets you play a Pick-and-Play type setting.
If you're a fan of the SimCity series, don't do what I did and assume that it'll be another great addition with a twist. It has a twist, alright, but it'll twist you in the wrong way. Avoid this game unless you really want to be disappointed from the way the series took. I hope that if there is another SimCity game, it'll be SC 5: Back to the Original.