City-building simulations have been popular since Simcity was released in 1989.

Games of this type make a refreshing change from the more destructive themes of many other computer games but if City Life 2008 Edition is anything to go by, few advances have been made in this genre in the past 20 years. As with previous city-building titles (including the original 2006 City Life), the focus here is on creating and running a harmonious and prosperous city.

There’s no overarching story or objective and nothing to win or lose, though there is plenty to achieve and much fun to be had along the way. With a few meagre starting funds you have to establish your city in an environment of your choice and start constructing buildings, roads, businesses and services for your citizens.

You’ll need to monitor a variety of elements of your metropolis, including economic growth, population size, traffic and social harmony. The latter is possibly the most unique aspect of City Life 2008, with inhabitants split into six colour-coded socio-cultural groups (such as Suits and Have Nots), not all of whom get along with one another.

If you’re careless neighbourhood feuds can quickly escalate into serious urban unrest and you could end up with a riot on your hands. Apart from this and the ability to walk through your cities at street level, there isn’t an awful lot here that can be legitimately described as groundbreaking.

More of the same isn’t always a bad thing, however, and City Life 2008 looks and sounds the part (though, overall, presentation compares unfavourably to the more polished Simcity Societies, while the game's interface is relatively simple to get the hang of. City Life 2008 Edition can be addictive and absorbing.

Its comparatively low technical requirements (1.5GHz processor, 256MB memory, 64MB graphics card) and budget pricetag make it an appealing prospect too. Whether or not you’ll actually enjoy playing it, however, depends on how in tune you are with your inner town planner.