After the failure of SimCity 2013, modern city builder fans were left with practically nothing to turn to. Luckily, two years later, Colossal Order swooped in to save the day with the acclaimed Cities: Skylines. And after nine years of updates and DLC, it seemed like the developer was going to do it again with the highly anticipated Cities: Skylines 2. But what was supposed to be this massive new city-building experience seems to have fallen flat with its audience.
While Cities: Skylines 2 has improved upon many aspects of the original, it has also suffered from immense technical issues and lacks much of what the community was hoping for. So, a lot of players seem to be turning their backs on the title and instead are sticking with 2015's Cities: Skylines. This means that, just like with SimCity before it, the Cities: Skylines brand is in a bit of a tough spot. If Colossal Order is not careful, then the entire series may have to face the reaper sooner than many expected it to.
Cities: Skylines 2 Might Have a Scale Problem
Cities: Skylines 2 may have expanded the city size immensely, but everything feels a bit smaller thanks to the massive size increase of other aspects
Cities: Skylines 2 May Be Following in SimCity's Footsteps
Cities: Skylines 2 Paled in Comparison to its Predecessor
Just like with 2013's SimCity, there was a ton of anticipation for Cities: Skylines 2 as its release date neared. It had been nine years since the original one launched, and the studio was promising some massive changes. Not only was it revamping the building mechanics and many of its core systems, but it was also giving players so much more space to play with and adding a plethora of brand-new features like a tech tree. This made it seem like the game was taking everything good about the first and doing it so much better. But, upon release, fans seemed to be extremely disappointed in the final product.
At launch, Cities: Skylines 2 suffered from immense technical issues. The game was filled with very noticeable bugs, and it would often lag or stutter, especially as the city size grew. Additionally, since Cities: Skylines had nine years of DLC packs to work with, this sequel felt extremely lacking in comparison. And while Colossal Order said it would be addressing many of the technical issues, the game has already received four DLC packs over the course of six months while the base game is still suffering.
The Community Has Seemingly Stuck With the Original Cities: Skylines
Because of these faults, the Cities: Skylines community seems to be turning its back on the game. Unlike the first one, Cities: Skylines 2 currently sits at mixed reviews on Steam, with many criticizing the fact it is still broken over half a year later. Additionally, according to its Steam charts, the average player count is not even half as much as the original, which likely means the majority of the community has little reason to make the jump over.
In response to the backlash, Colossal Order pulled the game's first major DLC from sale, offering refunds to those who purchased it and adding that content to the base game instead. Along with that, Ultimate Edition owners were given three more creator packs and three more radio stations. Instead of focusing on paid content, the studio said it was committed to free updates and improving the modding tools. While it remains to be seen if this new direction helps, it does show that the studio is trying to right the ship.
However, that ship may have already sailed. First impressions are extremely important, especially when players are being asked to spend $50 on something. Cities: Skylines 2 failed to impress those players, so many have likely already moved on. Unless Colossal Order can pull a Cyberpunk 2077 or No Man's Sky, the Cities: Skylines brand may be going the way of SimCity. Players will just have to wait and see if that is truly the case.
Cities: Skylines 2
- Released
- October 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
If you can dream it, you can build it. Raise a city from the ground up and transform it into the thriving metropolis only you can imagine. You've never experienced building on this scale. With deep simulation and a living economy, Cities: Skylines II delivers world-building without limits.
Lay the foundations for your city to begin. Create the roads, infrastructure, and systems that make life possible day to day. It's up to you – all of it.
How your city grows is your call too, but plan strategically. Every decision has an impact. Can you energize local industries while also using trade to boost the economy? What will make residential districts flourish without killing the buzz downtown? How will you meet the needs and desires of citizens while balancing the city's budget?
Your city never rests. Like any living, breathing world, it changes over time. Some changes will be slow and gradual, while others will be sudden and unexpected. So while seasons turn and night follows day, be ready to act when life doesn't go to plan.
The most realistic and detailed city builder ever, Cities: Skylines II pushes your creativity and problem-solving to another level. With beautifully rendered high-resolution graphics, it also inspires you to build the city of your dreams.
- Developer(s)
- Colossal Order
- Publisher(s)
- Paradox Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- City Builder
