What happens after you’ve successfully survived the end of the world? This is the question that Frostpunk 2 tries to answer and depending on what you choose in the long run, humanity may be radically different for better or worse. But at the end of it all, you can take comfort in the fact that it was all for the continued survival of the human race.
Frostpunk 2 is a city-builder survival game where you determine everything from building placement to policy proposals. Set 30 or so years after the events of the first game, Frostpunk 2 picks up immediately after the death of The Captain, the player’s original avatar. Players take control of a successor whose job is to scrape together whatever’s left after years of Whiteouts. The survivors have not fared any better since the initial freeze as they find themselves at another set of crossroads.
The overall gameplay has remained relatively intact to some extent. The biggest difference is the scale at which everything takes place. Players no longer huddle structures around New London’s generator for optimal warmth. The area is split into a hexagonal grid where districts are set up to fulfill specific tasks like growing food and extracting resources. But years of Whiteouts have frozen the ground solid, prompting you to send out icebreaker teams to prepare the area for development. All of this requires time and resources, and depending on where you are in the story, you can be short on one or both.
After many years of following a defacto leader, the survivors formed groups with a shared vision of the future of humanity. These factions have a long wish list of policies and ideologies they want implemented and they are not above throwing shade at one another to see their vision for the city fulfilled.
The two clashing ideologies can be summed up as those who want to bend nature to their will and those who want to adapt to their current surroundings. At the end of each chapter, you will choose the direction your people will go. The choice you make will not be accepted by everyone. And as you go deeper into the campaign, the divide between these ideologies will grow to the point that conflict becomes inevitable. I believe that this is the natural evolution of the core gameplay loop – we are now managing several groups of people who don’t see eye to eye.
Frostpunk 2, like its predecessor, is not an easy game. You need to make plans well in advance for potential problems that may or may not happen. At the same time, you are trying to implement your own vision for the future.
For my part, I tried to go for the practical approach and tried to settle the wilderness. I figured that if we were spread out, the strain on resources wouldn’t be so severe. But everything I did was second-guessed by the Stalwarts. I made concessions wherever I could. But eventually, that wasn’t enough. And their protest became louder and more direct. It all came to a head when tragedy struck and I was forced to put an end to the violence. This is probably the worst the game threw at me up to that point. It was worse than the Whiteouts but I somehow managed to keep my head. I couldn’t believe how close that playthrough was to falling apart.
As much as I love this kind of gameplay, not everyone is going to appreciate the fact that everything can fall apart at a moment’s notice. By this time, it’s to be expected by right of series reputation, it is still good that the developers added a warning to set expectations right. It’s not often that you can go 3 chapters deep and one event can utterly destroy your run but that can easily happen in this game.
Let me make it clear: the game is difficult even in the most casual mode. It allows some leeway for mismanagement here and there but you will not see the consequence of your actions (or inactions) until several months have passed. At that point, you might be rushing for a solution over a powder keg of a problem that’s primed to explode. But that’s all part of the experience and you should be able to pick yourself up and start over again with renewed purpose (and urgency).
Another thing that may catch new players off guard is the fact that vital information is often hidden under unexpected menus. This moment occurred to me after I established a resource base far from the city. Its purpose was to extract oil and send the surplus back home. Much time passed before I realized I needed to manually set the amount to send to the city from a small menu on the side of the screen. I will spare you the details but let’s just say that it was a real facepalm moment.
The game ran surprisingly well pre-release. Usually for this type of game, I expected to see some graphical glitches that would require a day-one patch. I did not experience such glitches. Nonetheless, I did come across an annoying glitch that came about after protesters ended one of their strikes. After resolving the incident, the affected district is supposed to go back to normal. But one district never returned to normal. I thought I was missing something but after several months of waiting, it became evident that the district was truly glitched. I had no choice but to dismantle the district and remake it anew.
If there’s anything that truly sticks with me throughout is how desolate the frozen expanse truly is. The series as a whole has always had great graphics and nice in-game models but this game takes it to another level. The visuals have that distinct portrait feel and you can feel the anxiety coming from the faces of the people who rely on you. The grid system makes it easier for districts to expand up and down along the contours of the land. Additional details like railways and highways are also a great touch. The lack of music adds to the feeling of isolation. Too bad you aren’t afforded many moments of reflection when you have delegates making demands at every chance.
Frostpunk 2’s emphasis on intensity and foresight makes it a worthy sequel to the first game. While it treads well-worn paths, the game takes everything we’ve come to expect from the series and expands upon the idea in every way possible. I highly recommend the game for fans of the series. First-time players may find it too daunting but that’s all part of the Frostpunk experience.
