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Review of Frostpunk 2
Frostpunk 2 is the sequel to the original game released in 2018. The first game surprised everyone with its innovative concept of a strategy game focusing on resource management with only one enemy: the frost. The challenge was to build your city and overcome the frost or be defeated by it, ending your colony-building journey. Personally, when I first played it, the frost defeated me due to some poor decisions I made. However, when I replayed it, I started understanding the game mechanics better and got hooked. The big question is: did Frostpunk 2 manage to deliver the same feeling? Let’s find out in this review.
While the atmosphere of Frostpunk 2 remains similar to the original, there are significant differences. The game offers two modes: Story Mode, spanning five chapters, and Utopia Mode, a sandbox or free play mode where you can build your colony without restrictions. The story mode focuses on survival against the frost. The core gameplay revolves around a massive generator, the heart of your colony, which provides heating to the houses and other essential buildings. You must manage resources like food, coal, oil (the generator’s energy source), wood (called “materials”), and iron (“prefabs”). To power your buildings, you’ll need energy from the generator and sufficient manpower, which can be increased by expanding your population and building more housing for your residents.
This is just the basic gameplay overview. As you progress, the game becomes more complex, requiring expansion and resource management. Frostpunk 2 positions itself as a grand strategy game rather than merely a colony-building game. For example, the new logistics buildings allow you to recruit workers who can explore resources or establish outposts called colonies. These outposts can connect to your main colony via roads or even air routes if unlocked in the research tree. The research tree has expanded significantly, including upgrades for existing buildings. For instance, you can add modules to transform coal into oil or increase resource extraction efficiency.
One of the notable additions in the game is the ability to implement new laws via the research tree or random in-game events. However, tension can rise among the population, causing unrest. Managing this requires strategic decisions, such as enacting laws for child labor, healthcare, etc. Once unlocked, laws must be approved by the City Hall’s Congress. Congress convenes every 10 in-game weeks to vote on proposed laws. If a law is rejected, you must wait until the next session to propose it again.
Frostpunk 2 also introduces factions within your colony, which can grow to four or more depending on your exploration. Each faction has a unique perspective on colony management and laws, influencing Congress decisions. To gain their support, you can offer financial incentives or prioritize their desired laws, but be prepared for their demands to conflict with others.
The soundtrack is as brilliant as the original, perfectly capturing the game’s bleak and cold atmosphere. However, the graphics feel similar to the first game, with limited visual improvements. One issue is the lack of detailed zoom options for buildings, making them feel lifeless. This is a missed opportunity to enhance immersion.
Another drawback is the diminished focus on individual characters compared to the original. Deaths are less impactful here due to the larger population. Notifications often inform you of mass deaths from cold or illness, but they can be resolved by simply building more housing. Additionally, if factions overturn existing laws, you are not provided with a clear comparison of the old and new laws, which can lead to confusion.
Lastly, in Story Mode, after Chapter 3 on normal difficulty, I felt the game started to play itself. With all resources and upgrades unlocked, there was little left to manage except watching random events. Increasing difficulty might solve this, but a better balance on normal difficulty would have been ideal.
