I was a big fan of Frostpunk when it released on consoles in 2019. Fast forward six years later, and console gamers finally get their hands on Frostpunk 2. Developer 11 bit studios first released their follow-up title in 2024 for PC (Thumb Culture even reviewed that version), garnering positive reviews across the board. But how does the console version fare? Is this city building, survival title a big improvement over the original game? Let’s find out!
Put a Jacket on; It’s a Bit Nippy Outside!
It may be worth noting that this is the first time I’ve played Frostpunk 2, so there won’t be much comparison to the PC version. If you’ve got any thoughts or opinions on the original release, I’d love to hear them! Let me know in the comments below, but for now, it’s on with the review!
Gameplay
If you haven’t played the original Frostpunk, fear not, as it’s not a requirement to enjoy this one. The Great Frost has enveloped the world, and humanity struggles to survive. Set 30 years after the conclusion of the first game, you’re tasked with running the city of New London. I say city, but don’t expect towering skyscrapers and traffic jams, because this is a place barely clinging to life. You’ll need to manage things such as food and fuel supplies, keep everyone as happy as possible, expand your settlement, and much more!
Right off the bat, Frostpunk 2 tells you that it’s a “challenging game in which planning ahead is crucial, and failure is a natural part of the experience.” Which, quite frankly, is pretty spot on. This is a larger, more complex sequel that, despite myself being someone familiar with the original, definitely needed a bit of time to get used to the new mechanics! The basic premise remains the same: survival by any means necessary, but on a much larger scale. In Frostpunk, you were placing each individual building to grow your city. Now, you’re constructing entire districts in one go, and handling tens of thousands of citizens, rather than hundreds. This does strip some of the individuality away of creating your own city, but seeing a rapidly expanding settlement is still rather rewarding.
You’ve Got to Give the People What They Want!
With more people to care for comes more challenging scenarios. There’s a much bigger emphasis on politics and different factions to appease. The start of the game only has two or three to balance, but later sees more forming, and smaller sects branching off from the larger groups. It felt like a nigh-on impossible task to keep everyone happy all of the time, and sometimes doing what’s right doesn’t always lead to the best outcome. Frostpunk 2 does a great job in making each choice feel weighty, and more often than not will make you feel like a terrible person.
Thankfully, it never felt like an overwhelming amount to manage, though enacting new laws will cause unrest among certain citizens. You will have to consult with the Council that will voice their opinions before passing laws, which helps when trying to gain favour with a particular faction. Your job isn’t to be the good guy, but to make sure as many people as possible survive the harsh conditions. It’s not just these people you’ll need to manage, though, as your Frostland Teams are also vital. You’ll need to send these teams to search far and wide for new resource deposits and places to colonise. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!
Sights, Sounds, and Controls
Harnessing the power of Unreal Engine 5, Frostpunk 2 can be strikingly beautiful at times. Snowy landscapes and steampunk buildings really do make for a great-looking title. It’s so nice that it’ll almost make you forget about your citizens’ pain and suffering! Even if just for a moment. The detailed weather effects are the stand out here, too. With waves of snowfall rolling over the desolate landscapes, making the whole thing look like a Christmassy desert. Just, you know, swap out the presents and turkey for pain and suffering.
The soundtrack as well, is as impressive as it is hauntingly beautiful. The orchestral pieces are truly great and hammer home the oppressive atmosphere that Frostpunk 2 perfectly encapsulates. Even smaller sound effects, such as howling wind or cracking ice, add to the immersion. Best to wrap up warm when playing this one!
My one biggest concern with playing strategy games that are clearly built with mouse and keyboard in mind, is how well they play using a controller. Well, console fans, there’s nothing to worry about here! Frostpunk 2‘s navigation and use of menus work flawlessly on PlayStation 5. It never felt fiddly or clunky to control, although you are able to pause the action if things are getting a bit too hectic. This is a very well-designed title that clearly wasn’t just a quick port of its PC counterpart, much to my relief!
Longevity
Despite the main campaign being noticeably shorter than the first game’s, you can still sink hours upon hours into the Utopia Builder. This sandbox mode allows players to jump right in, rather than slowly being drip-fed mechanics like the main campaign does. It’s still absolutely worth playing through the story, as being able to get to grips with each of Frostpunk 2‘s gameplay elements is much more manageable this way.
Final Thoughts
Frostpunk 2 feels like a true sequel to the first game. Although the basic mechanics aren’t too different, it’s bigger and more complex, albeit at the expense of the more personal feel of Frostpunk. It can be unforgiving and cruel, and may leave you feeling like an evil doer at times, but this gripping strategy title is definitely one to play.
So, with all that said, Frostpunk 2 is getting a much deserved Thumb Culture Gold Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
Fancy a strategy title that’s a bit less doom and gloom? Why not check out our review of Let Them Trade?
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Discord | Podcast