Review: Frostpunk 2(XBOX)

One of the most ambitious strategy games of today, expanding everything the first title offered and taking the formula to a whole new level.

For those unfamiliar, Frostpunk 2 is a strategy and city management game where players take on the role of a city leader in a frozen world. The story takes place in an alternate 20th century timeline, following a catastrophic volcanic winter that almost completely destroyed human civilization. About 30 years after the events of the first game, set in New London, players aim to expand the city while strategically managing political, social, and economic aspects, making decisions that shape the future of humanity in Frostpunk's frozen world.

GAMEPLAY AND DEMOCRACY

Frostpunk 2 stands out for its dynamic democracy system. Laws shaping society are voted on by the council, composed of factions present in the city. Players can set rules for funerals, emergency shifts, community work, and various other areas.

This political system allows for distinct development paths:

• Democratic path, with fair votes and influence disputes.

• Authoritarian path, taking on the role of captain and making decisions without depending on the council.

  
  

Additionally, the research tree is divided into different branches, such as heating, resources, society, and city. Development choices depend not only on practical needs but also on pressure from factions. Each group has a support or disdain meter, which directly influences the actions available, including granting funds, setting agendas, or even banning entire communities.

This political complexity, combined with resource management and the constant struggle for survival, makes Frostpunk 2 one of the most in-depth titles in the genre.

EXPLORATION

Beyond all the complex gameplay aspects, map exploration outside the main city adds another layer. During these missions, players can encounter entire colonies—other cities that need management, each with specific resources. In these locations, players must build settlements for residents, allocate workers, and manage resource transfers between the cities they colonize.

By the end of the game, players may manage three to four cities simultaneously, each serving a strategic role for the main city. Some may house factions to maintain order or remove them from the central city, while others function as critical resource extraction points, ensuring the main city's survival.

Exploration also allows for discovering side stories and gathering additional resources. Depending on player choices, it’s possible to prioritize settlements that provide abundant coal, materials, food, or even new inhabitants to strengthen the main city. This is an extremely comprehensive system, reflecting the complexity and depth that make Frostpunk 2 a unique strategic experience.

COMPLEXITY AND LEARNING

Frostpunk 2 is not an easy or casual game. It requires time and dedication to fully understand. The main challenge for players is the learning curve, as true mastery of the interface, technology, and social structure only comes after completing the main campaign.

Only then does the player feel ready to tackle the Utopia Mode, which expands the possibilities even further.

VISUALS AND INTERFACE

While the first Frostpunk used a proprietary engine, Frostpunk 2 was built on Unreal Engine 5, allowing a quick port to Xbox and other consoles. The result is one of the most visually stunning strategy games ever released, with immersive environments and breathtaking scenes.

On the other hand, the abundance of information on the screen can be overwhelming.

The top bar alone shows population, workers, heat, cores, raw materials, fuel, housing, food, goods, logistics, temperature, date, and game speed. This does not include the bottom construction bar or the city view itself, which is constantly filled with simultaneous events.

Initially, this flood of information can be intimidating. However, after 15 to 30 hours of gameplay, players become accustomed, though they may still forget important details, such as extracting specific resources from deep deposits.

The visuals impress, but the crowded interface still affects clarity.

CONSOLE VERSIONS

The reviewed version is the console edition, where the learning curve becomes even steeper. Strategy games are generally not fully adapted to consoles since the genre traditionally relies on mouse and keyboard. Despite this, the team did a commendable job bringing Frostpunk 2 to this platform, although it’s unlikely that RTS games of this type will reach mainstream popularity on consoles.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Frostpunk 2’s achievements are extremely challenging and designed for players seeking to go beyond the basic gameplay. They require full attention and strategic planning, aimed at those wanting to explore everything the game has to offer. Challenges include maintaining relations with specific factions without ever harming them, achieving 100% council approval, or completing certain actions without collecting resources from managed colonies. Earning all achievements in Frostpunk 2 is a long-term commitment that may take months of dedicated play.

TRAILLER OFFICIAL

FINAL IMPRESSION

In conclusion, Frostpunk 2 is a true delight. It is undoubtedly one of the best strategy games of the last 10 to 15 years and can easily be placed alongside titles like Age of Empires IV as a benchmark for this new generation of strategy games, each well-positioned within its audience. The focus on the main campaign is remarkable, especially considering the complexity and depth the genre demands.

The only factor preventing a perfect score is that some mechanics could benefit from further refinement to be more intuitive. Although the in-game help system works well most of the time, there are situations where it fails to provide precise information, which can frustrate less experienced players.

Still, in all aspects it aims to achieve, Frostpunk 2 stands out and significantly elevates the genre. It is a game that demands reasoning, planning, and strategy, unlike many titles that rely solely on reflexes or multitasking. Newer or younger players may struggle initially, especially since matches can last for hours or even days without a defined end.

With a remake of the first game already in progress, I eagerly anticipate future sequels to see how far the studio can expand the Frostpunk universe. If this is the limit, they have delivered what, in my view, can be considered the definitive title of the franchise, with unparalleled mastery and excellence.

Review by Gamertag: Scoulz

SCORE: 98/100