Analyzing the Scale Issue in Cities: Skylines 2

Article Key Points

In Cities: Skylines 2, players are provided with an extensive area to build their cities, allowing for boundless creativity. With a remarkable selection of 441 map tiles available for acquisition, the possibilities are infinite.

In Cities: Skylines 2, the city service buildings are overly large, occupying whole blocks and creating a cramped atmosphere in the city. This is especially noticeable with schools and power stations as they do not harmonize with the game's visual style.

Despite potential technical issues, Cities: Skylines 2 offers an enhanced simulation and expanded city scale, making it an exhilarating choice for players who revel in creating their own urban landscapes.

Cities: Skylines 2 has made significant improvements compared to its predecessor, offering an even more enjoyable city simulator experience. While the game does have some technical issues, the ability for players to creatively design their own cities helps make up for these shortcomings. The simulation has become much deeper, and the studio has provided players with a larger amount of space to construct their cities. However, a drawback of Cities: Skylines 2 is that certain aspects, such as city service buildings, have become overly large. As players progress, they will need to place numerous city service buildings to ensure the prosperity of their city. These buildings come in various forms and serve different purposes, with additional options becoming available as the city expands. Players familiar with city-building games will be accustomed to this process. However, they may not anticipate the extent to which these buildings occupy space, resulting in a crowded and inconsistent cityscape.

Everything Feels a Bit Too Big in Cities: Skylines 2

Cities: Skylines 2 Gave Players So Much More Space to Play With

Cities: Skylines 2 has significantly expanded upon the cities featured in its predecessor. In the original game, players would begin their city-building endeavors on a single 1.92 X 1.92km tile. As the population of their city increased, they had the option to purchase adjacent tiles to expand their city size. Without utilizing modifications, players could own up to 10 different tiles by the end of the game, granting them ample space to construct their dream city. However, some players found this to be somewhat restrictive. As a result, Colossal Order decided to take things to the next level in the sequel.

In Cities: Skylines 2, players now have the ability to purchase a total of 441 map tiles for development. Although these tiles are slightly smaller than those in the first game, this dramatic increase provides players with virtually infinite creative freedom to construct whatever they desire. While it is possible that some players may still desire an even larger playing area, many will likely never reach the limits of the dexterously buildable territory. Consequently, this alteration is perceived as a fantastic improvement, though there is still a slight sense of dissatisfaction regarding the game's size.

Cities: Skylines 2's City Services Feel Massive

The city size in Cities: Skylines 2 may have been increased, but this also led to a significant increase in the size of city services. Curiously, the city service buildings have now become massive. In Cities: Skylines 2, schools occupy entire blocks, power stations appear significantly stretched, and even police stations completely dominate the city skyline. Although some of these buildings are indeed large in reality, many of them seem overly enormous. Furthermore, despite the increase in city size, these buildings can quickly make the urban environment feel cramped.

In Cities: Skylines 2, schools and power stations are excessively large, causing frustration for players who must construct many of them. While it is understandable for a college campus to occupy significant space, elementary schools in larger cities should blend in seamlessly. However, in Cities: Skylines 2, players are forced to sacrifice entire streets to build just one school. This results in cities dominated by oversized schools instead of residential buildings.

Power stations in the game are also disproportionately large. Some of the largest stations require players to purchase additional tiles just to accommodate them. While it is true that power stations can be massive in real life, their scale in Cities: Skylines 2 does not match the overall aesthetic. This discrepancy creates an odd-looking landscape where everything else appears insignificant in comparison to these colossal buildings. Future DLC should consider scaling down these structures to ensure a more harmonious experience.

Announcing Cities: Skylines 2! Get ready to embark on a new virtual urban adventure as you shape and design your very own metropolis. Available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S platforms, this highly anticipated sequel from developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interactive is set to release on October 24, 2023. Immerse yourself in the genre-defining City Builder experience and witness the stunning visuals and immersive gameplay it has to offer. Don't miss out on the opportunity to expand and nurture your dream city – grab your copy from the Xbox Games Store now!

Editor's P/S

Cities: Skylines 2 is a city-building game that offers players a massive canvas to create their own urban landscapes. With 441 map tiles available for acquisition, players have virtually infinite space to build their cities. However, one issue that some players have noticed is that the city service buildings are overly large, occupying whole blocks and creating a cramped atmosphere in the city. This is especially noticeable with schools and power stations, which do not harmonize with the game's visual style.

Despite this issue, Cities: Skylines 2 is still a great game for players who enjoy creating their own cities. The simulation has become much deeper, and the studio has provided players with a larger amount of space to construct their cities. The game also offers a variety of mods that can be used to customize the game experience. Overall, Cities: Skylines 2 is a great choice for players who are looking for a challenging and rewarding city-building game.