In 2018, indie developer 11 Bit Studios released Frostpunka city builder for PC with a dark twist. While most city builders allow players to build their dream city at a leisurely pace, Frostpunk forces players to make snap moral decisions that always mean the difference between life and death. It's this brutal and bleak approach that sets Frostpunk apart from the competition from 2018 and now, Frostpunk 2 continue the same approach.
Set 30 years after the first game, Frostpunk 2His world is still a snow-covered nightmare, and the player once again finds himself at the mercy of the last vestiges of humanity through eternal winter. But while seasoning Frostpunk fans might think they already know all the strategies and tricks to survive, Frostpunk 2 quickly show them how wrong they are.
Frostpunk 2 wants fans to forget everything they think they know
Frostpunk 2 carries forward many of the mechanics of the first game
The general gameplay loop of the original Frostpunk remains largely intact. From the moment players start Frostpunk 2his campaign or Utopia Builder mode, will immediately be thrown into a never-ending state of emergency. Just like the first game, Frostpunk 2Its gameplay loop has players fueling their city's heat generator with vital but scarce resources, making sure they have enough food to keep starvation at bay, and researching technology that keeps these processes running as efficiently as possible in the ever-changing landscape of the Frostlands. .
Frostpunkhis moral choice system also returns in full force in the sequel. Throughout the game, players will be approached by a member of their unstable society, frequently asking them to make a difficult decision. These decisions often determine which faction the player joins with, which in turn determines the type of society they end up creating. The player must carefully balance each faction's trust with the needs of the larger community, and those decisions are not easy.
Every old mechanic gets a new twist in Frostpunk 2
But while a long time Frostpunk fans will well recognize this gameplay loop, Frostpunk 2 is quick to pull the rug out from under them, twisting every familiar gameplay mechanic in a subtle but significant way. For example, in the first Frostpunkplayers could simply place buildings around their central generator if there was enough space to do so. In Frostpunk 2now players must first build a District, expand that District to ensure there is enough space for a building, and then construct the desired structure.
Another key example of these changes is Frostpunk 2his resources. In the 2018 original, players had to collect coal, wood and steel to power the generator and build structures. Frozen 2 trades them for oil, materials, prefabs, and goods, the latter being a new resource needed to meet the needs of the colony's survivors.
These mechanical changes are not too drastic, but require even the most experienced Frostpunk veterans to relearn everything they thought they knew about the game. And while some fans will find this challenge new and exciting, others may find all the changes a bit overwhelming and possibly even unnecessary given how complex the original game's systems already were.
