Game Reviews

National Geographic's Plan It Green

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National Geographic's Plan It Green

While there are those who question the concept of global warming, the cache of going green is altogether undeniable. Wading into the debate comes National Geographic's Plan It Green, providing tips and tricks as to how you can consider energy efficiency in the course of urban planning.

The concept is a good one, and thankfully doesn't get too bogged down in environmental issues, instead following a path similar to real estate sim Build-a-lot.

The problem is, while its rival had a rhythm all of its own, Plan It Green feels sluggish in comparison. Fiddly menu systems and a series of overt signposts stall play.

It's far from awful, though. The basic concept is renovation and rejuvenation, your job as the newly elected mayor of Greenville being to instill some environmentally friendly life back into the town.

It relies on you having the funds to do so - the key to success is determining just how and when to spend the money you have in order to achieve each level's goals. Targets vary from making a few old houses eco-friendly to more complex tasks such as adjusting taxes to spur sustainable retail business.

Going for goals

You have to spend money to make money, of course, and the more you build and upgrade the more money you reap from taxes as the days go by. The game relies on you keeping cool and building yourself up before trying to fry the big fish.

There's little point in upgrading all of your existing houses in one go, for instance, if that uses up all of your funds and prevents you achieving your other goals, however tempting it might be.

Plan It Green sadly lacks a real edge. Campaign mode plays like an excruciatingly long tutorial that prevents you from making any mistakes or building anything that isn't on the agenda. Signposted all the way and with no real time limit, this mode feels less like a test and more like following a series of orders.

Weak and watery

More freedom is on offer in Challenge mode, where you can take on another player via Scoreloop. Unfortunately, these challenges are entirely too short.

Despite showing the potential that should have been available from the off in the main mode, it's watered down to something far more meek and mild here.

Either you're restricted by playing the Campaign or dealt bite-sized pieces of gameplay in Challenge mode. By holding your hand too much, Plan It Green deadens its appeal - there's little to celebrate in success when you've been told, almost to the letter, exactly what to do.

A cleaner, more streamlined approach with tougher goals and less guidance would transform this into one of the genre's finest, but as it is National Geographic's Plan It Green simply serves as a playable appetiser, setting up meaty main courses like Build-a-lot.

National Geographic's Plan It Green

Plan It Green comes with a slow pace and, as a result, isn't quite the pumped land management sim it claims to be
Score
Keith Andrew
Keith Andrew
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font. He's also Pocket Gamer's resident football gaming expert and, thanks to his work on PG.biz, monitors the market share of all mobile OSes on a daily basis.