The demo requires that you create an account on their website. In order to play, you have to "login", which requires you to have a net connection running. It's a bit much for a demo, and doesn't bode well for those who just want to play the game offline when it comes out. It is really too much to ask to have an unfestered offline mode?
Maybe they'll loosen up by the time the game comes out, else I might just wait for the next city builder.
Cities XL Site Gets Upgrade; Demo Coming Sept. 8
The Monte Cristo team has officially launched the new Cities XL Web site to update the design and add all sorts of resources for players, including a community section where you can view your player profile, write a City Journal and manage your trade contracts.
In addition to the site upgrade, Monte Cristo has announced that a Cities XL playable demo will be available for download starting Sept. 8 that lets you create a city of up to 22,000 citizens on one of three maps. According to the FAQ, the demo contains approximately 10 percent of the full game and will be playable for seven days once you've launched it. The demo will be available until Oct. 6 and will be playable until Oct. 7.
The Cities XL team has also released the third video in a series of four to show you some of the options you'll have in the full game. For example, will you give priority to education or invest in security for your citizens? The choice is yours.