Review of Frostpunk 2.

Initial release date: 2024

Platforms: PlayStation 5, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Mac operating systems

Developer: 11 Bit Studios

License: proprietary license

Genres: Survival game, City-building game, Strategy video game, Strategy

Publisher: 11 Bit Studios

Series: Frostpunk

Not to sound like a boomer, but I swear practically everything I used to adore as a kid has grown too big for its own good. Call of Duty, for example, is a brand that has long grown too huge for its own good, and as of last year, is far too bloated to be pleasant. Crisps bags are also too huge for their own good, as they are now stuffed with far too much literal air. I could go on and on, but no one wants to read a tirade on why I believe American autos, domestic beer bottle sizes, or mainstream movie franchises are too large for their own good, so I’ll get right to the point. Frostpunk 2, the widely awaited sequel to 2018’s best “try to survive a hostile world without turning into a dictator” simulator, is far too huge for its own good. It’s still a terrific title in its own right, and a remarkably strong civilization builder, but it lacks the modest scale and, as a result, the human narrative of its predecessor, and therefore represents the latest manifestation of the half-winded tangent you just read.

If you haven’t played the predecessor, first and foremost, you should go do it. Second, allow me to summarize it while also summarizing Frostpunk 2. In both games, you assume leadership of a society striving to make ends meet in the aftermath of a tragedy that has transformed the entire planet into what resembles Antarctica, except everyone has a British accent and wears hats from the 1800s. If you want to continue in power, you, as the leader of New London, must scavenge resources by building mines and other structures, all while managing your settlement’s politics, policies, and population. That is never an easy undertaking, especially when the world around you is literally frozen. To survive the eternal winter, you’ll have to make a lot of difficult decisions that may destroy what passes for an oasis at the end of the world, or may result in your removal from power.

We, collectively, must survive. However, the children I put to work in the mines most likely do not have to.

The primary distinction between the two titles, however, is scale. Unlike Frostpunk, which involves carving out a 500-person colony from a harsh planet, Frostpunk 2 begins with a pre-built city full of thousands of very chilly citizens. You still have to obtain fuel for the generator that prevents all of those citizens from freezing, feed them, house them, and maintain some sort of order, but there is a strong emphasis on transforming your home into a genuine civilization. And this isn’t necessarily a negative thing; Frostpunk 2 offers a number of great mechanics that make doing so pleasant. Scouting out the frozen wastelands beyond the limits of New London, establishing outposts in places with resources you can’t find within your own borders, and managing your government by playing politics with multiple competing factions is engaging and about as much fun as the title’s depressing motif allows.

Thus, Frostpunk 2 excels at playing politics. As quasi-dictator of New London, you suggest rules affecting everything from your civilization’s fuel source to how children are nurtured. It’s “amusing” to transform your political party into de facto fascists who utilize eugenics to assure a steady supply of labor, as in, instance, Rimworld, or to create a true utopia where everyone can live as happily as possible given the circumstances of the game’s world. To achieve either, you must negotiate with all of the other political parties in New London, which entails performing them favors while simultaneously seeking to screw them in any way possible, and the in-game structure, as well as how you utilize or abuse it, is quite complex. To put it another way, it’s similar to playing Civilization, but instead of nuking you, Gandhi threatens a worker’s strike.

To be clear, Frostpunk 2’s other systems are also excellent in terms of fun. The title is difficult in its easiest times but appears impossible the rest of the time. New London’s citizens will perish, you will almost be kicked out of power, and you will have to continually reload from a previous save when you make a mistake. Figuring out how to live and exploit the frostlands requires expertise and effort, but the rewards are always worthwhile. Finally, defining what type of leader you will be and building a city that can effectively function on its own, regardless of how many mistakes you make along the way, is supremely satisfying and exponentially more rewarding than it is in games where your civilization’s survival is essentially guaranteed.

I wonder if the roads in New London are better than those in my hometown.

But, returning to the “too big for its own good” issue, constructing a civilization rather than a small city means that Frostpunk 2 lacks much of its predecessor’s character. Although there are occasional dialogue pop-ups from your inhabitants telling you how excellent (or, as is frequently the case, horrible) you are as a ruler, the narrative isn’t as human as Frostpunk, or 11 bit studio’s other fantastic title. Although there is still a plot, albeit a very loose one, it is neither cheerful nor tragic enough for a game set in the end times. It also swiftly fades into obscurity, as Frostpunk 2 rarely allows you to participate in it. You’re always managing something, so it’s nearly hard to focus on the minor details, such as individual fatalities among New London inhabitants or the ramifications of any of your various activities. There are simply too many things to keep track of in the title, making it impossible to care about the majority of them in the same manner that you can in smaller size strategy games.

That’s not to say Frostpunk 2 is a horrible game; in fact, it’s a surprisingly good civilization builder. Its gameplay is purposely demanding but rarely unfair, and there’s always enough to keep you entertained, yet none of it feels like mindless time-killing filler. It’s not really enjoyable to adopt policies that would almost certainly land you in The Hague if The Hague existed in the post-apocalyptic United Kingdom, but it is entertaining to see how such policies play out, as is the case with the majority of the actions you take in general. However, the title as a whole suffers from the same flaw that many sequels to renowned games do: it changes so much, yet so little, about what made the first game wonderful that it’s difficult not to miss its predecessor’s simplicity.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 88%

Controls: 82%

Aesthetics: 90%

Content: 85%

Accessibility: 78%

Value: 84%

Overall: 83%

VERY GOOD!

Summary: “Frostpunk 2” skillfully expands on the principles of the original game, providing a genuinely compelling experience in which players must balance survival, morality, and city-building in a frozen wasteland. With amazing visuals and a lot of content, it transports players to a harsh yet compelling universe. While some elements may be difficult for newbies to understand, the game’s strategic depth and replayability make it a standout title for genre fans. Overall, “Frostpunk 2” is a worthy successor that delivers in both gameplay and story, cementing its place in the hearts of strategy fans.