bigger and colder

Summer is over and temperatures are dropping again, although in this case they are dropping more than necessary. Frostpunk 2is the sequel to the management and survival game of 11 Bit Studioswho once again entrusts us with the difficult task of leading New Londonthirty years after the events of the original game. The world is still immersed in extreme cold and even though society has survived, its situation remains precarious. As you take command of a much larger city, the challenge of balancing survival, politics, and morality becomes more complex, in a game where difficult decisions are the order of the day.

Frostpunk 2 and its large-scale expansion

This suite is presented in a a much larger scale than its predecessor. In the first delivery, we managed to manage a certain number of people, but in Frostpunk 2 we start directly with a population ten times bigger. This leads us to be much more ambitious when building certain areas. For example, we no longer build buildings separately, but create entire districts, with certain spaces reserved for other structures. The design of the city, while visually impressive with its network of pipelines and factories, looks more like a large-scale projection, like a colder (hehe) and distant city than a closed and familiar place that you have created from scratch.

Unlike the first game, where every decision affected the tangible development of your small colony, here the feeling of direct control on the environment, it is diluted. We observe big changes without feeling a personal connection with the details. Although it is true that we can negotiate and propose laws to be approved in council, each with its consequences.

Factions and internal conflicts

The heart of the game remains social and moral management. Decisions are not limited to the creation and management of resources, but must be balanced with the factions of the city, who have their own interests. At first there are only a few factions, but as we progress, the decisions we make can create new groups with independent claims and behaviors.

Extremist factions such as Unconditionalwho advocate unethical methods, such as mind control or human experiments. Others, such as the PilgrimsThey are radically opposed to technology and demand that you turn off the generator that has kept humanity alive for decades. Others, however, will be halfway or partially aligned with one or the other. Not only do the factions challenge you, they often clash with each other, creating even more conflict.

Politics is one of the biggest challenges of Frostpunk 2. Every bill must be negotiated, not only to gain factional support, but also to prevent tensions from escalating. If we don’t maintain some balance, disgruntled groups may become hostile, organize protests, or even control of city districts. If things go too badly, they can throw us out of power, which will end the game.

The constant dilemma of Frostpunk 2 is whether we should please one faction at the expense of another, or adopt more policies authoritarian to quell riots. It is easy for us to come into conflict with our own morals as we progress, even though extreme measures are sometimes necessary.

Management, Exploration and Colonies

At the level of managementEven though the details of assigning workers to each building have been simplified, there is still a need to manage resources efficiently. Districts can be adjusted to optimize production, but the real challenge is how to balance the needs of citizens with those of factions.

THE exploration remains a key element, sending expeditions into the wastelands in search of resources, abandoned settlements and possible colonies is vital to our survival.

The system of colonization adds an extra layer of complexity. These colonies can connect to our original city to share resources. However, this also creates more complications, as each colony has its own political needs and requirements, and so we can lose them if we don’t manage them properly.

Technical section

The game has a solid technical section. Graphically, there is a palpable leap compared to the first opus, especially in the quality of the structures and the modeling. The effects are also more attractive, although it is true that they are more numerous precisely because of the larger scale. The interface is similar in terms of configuration, but different in design, adopting light colors, something that we can modify in the settings for dark tones. Note that, being more ambitious, we have more interface which sometimes feels somewhat intrusive. The soundtrack follows the lead of the first opus, with orchestral musical themes with nostalgic or, to some extent, hopeful overtones.

When it comes to PC configuration options, we have quite a variety.. We can limit the FPS, adjust the quality of the scaling, enable the generation of frames, modify the quality of textures, fog and shadows, among others. In addition, the game is compatible with ultra-wide resolutions and, at least during my hours of play, without problems. An addition is the possibility of connecting our game to Twitch, allowing the chat to be part of the council and vote on proposed laws.

Conclusion

In summary, Frostpunk 2 retains the essence of the original, but with a much broader focus on its scale. Internal relations between factions then become more complicated to manage, even if the possibilities also increase. Even if its larger size makes the connection with the city less intimate, it is nevertheless an intense experience, which continually puts on the table moral dilemmas and decisions that will test us. Every little decision countsand its repercussions can determine our fate. This is a highly recommended title, especially if you have played the first game.

Consider following us on Xbox Space to keep you informed of all the latest news from the world of video games.

Thanks to 11 Bit Studios for making this analysis possible.

I do things… It’s the neighbor who chooses the meme and it’s the meme who wants the neighbors to be the meme