A nighttime shot of "SimCity" (All rights reserved - Maxis / EA)

PC players will be able to try out one hour's worth of the upcoming SimCity between Jan. 25 and 28, in advance of the game's general release the week of March 5.

Unlike its predecessor, 2003's Sim City 4, SimCity arrives during the Facebook age, when series fans and newcomers are familiar with the hooks of the social network's city building titles such as Social City and CityVille.

So it is that Mac and PC game SimCity trades on not only deeper city infrastructures and citizen behaviours but on its multiplayer aspects and online connectivity requirement -- introductions that many longtime players may find irksome.

Nevertheless, PC players are presented with a one-hour slot of game-time gratis to wrap their heads around the pros and cons of the series' latest entry.

SimCity beta sign-up page: simcity.com/beta/info