Original story: With the SimCity franchise currently ambling about on the Wii and iPhone, Monte Cristo's Cities XL was clearly designed specifically to sate the desires of hardcore urban simulation addicts--and now you can start playing the beta tonight.

We've got 500 Cities XL beta keys to give away, and due to the volume, we're handing them out on a first-come, first-serve basis. To grab a key, simply head to the beta client page on FileShack. A beta code will automatically be sent to the email address associated with your Shacknews account. During installation of the client, the game will automatically take you to the registration webpage which requires the code.

After that, load up the game, get playing, and share your impressions in the comments.