Caught in a Predicament: The Dilemma of Cities Skylines 2

Highlights

The second installment of Cities: Skylines surpasses its predecessor by revamping the traffic system, expanding the scope of available maps, and granting players unprecedented autonomy, resulting in an enhanced city simulation experience.

The sequel is missing many of the post-launch content and features that made the original game popular, causing some fans to be hesitant to switch over at this time. Additionally, technical issues and performance problems during its release have impacted the game's overall reception and may discourage players from giving it a try.

When studios create sequels, one of the biggest challenges is convincing players to invest in them. Typically, this can be accomplished by continuing the story of the original game and introducing new gameplay mechanics. However, games like Cities: Skylines 2 face difficulties in this aspect, as they lack a narrative. Therefore, it is crucial for the gameplay itself to demonstrate to fans why they should move on from the previous installment. Unfortunately, Cities: Skylines 2 seems to have struggled in achieving this goal thus far.

As the release date of Cities: Skylines 2 approached, the game had to prove itself to the audience. The original game had been an unexpected success upon its launch in 2015, and continuous updates and expansions had solidified its reputation as one of the best city-building games available. Naturally, players were highly anticipating how the studio would build upon this success with a sequel. However, while Cities: Skylines 2 may offer an enhanced city simulation experience, it appears to fall short when compared to its predecessor in various aspects.

Cities: Skylines 2 May Not Have Done Enough Quite Yet

Cities: Skylines 2 builds upon the solid foundation of its predecessor, offering fans a comprehensive city builder experience. The game boasts an upgraded traffic system, more lifelike citizens, a significantly larger map, and an enhanced leveling system that grants players increased freedom. Drawing inspiration from SimCity 2013, the studio has skillfully incorporated the best elements from the beloved franchise. These improvements contribute to creating a strong entry in the genre, although it may not be enough to sway players to try it out.

However, despite its strengths, Cities: Skylines 2 lacks much of the additional content that was gradually added to the original game over the years. The absence of post-launch DLC, including the popular park area tool, is noticeable. Furthermore, certain features like props and lackluster services such as airports or universities have been left out. It is possible that future DLC packs will reintroduce much of this content, but currently, many fans find little reason to abandon the original game.

Cities: Skylines 2 is facing numerous issues upon its launch, which have prevented it from living up to the expectations of being the premier city builder envisioned by Colossal Order. Currently, players are encountering frequent crashes, bugs, and performance problems. These issues were already known by the studio after the release, yet they still decided to launch the game. There might be various reasons behind this decision, but regardless, it has negatively impacted the game's reputation among players.

Due to the lack of content and technical difficulties in Cities: Skylines 2, some players may not be inclined to explore the sequel. They have invested years in constructing cities in the original game, along with numerous DLC packs and countless mods. Therefore, there seems to be no compelling reason for them to abandon their progress just yet. It would have been a different scenario if Cities: Skylines 2 offered everything that the original currently provides, alongside a relatively bug-free experience. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Cities: Skylines 2 remains a strong city builder that has the potential to rival its predecessor once Colossal Order addresses the numerous issues and introduces additional content through DLC. However, at present, the game feels underwhelming in comparison to the original. Unless players are eager to explore the new traffic AI and modular buildings, it may be wise to wait for now. Hopefully, the studio can rectify the situation, as this game has the opportunity to make a significant impact in the genre.

Cities: Skylines 2

Cities: Skylines 2, developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive, builds upon the success of its predecessor released in 2015. With a strong focus on realism, this city-building simulation game features a complex economic system and a dynamic world that evolves based on the choices and creativity of the players.

Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Developer: Colossal Order

Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Genre: City Builder