FROSTPUNK 2: WHERE SURVIVAL MEETS SPREADSHEETS AND FROZEN BUREAUCRACY
Frostpunk 2 promises to evolve its predecessor's intimate survival sim into a grand political clusterfuck. But much like trying to govern a city of frostbitten malcontents, the results are as messy as they are divisive.
FROM COZY APOCALYPSE TO FRIGID EXCEL SIMULATOR
Gone are the days of meticulously placing each goddamn building and fretting over individual popsicles masquerading as citizens. Frostpunk 2 zooms out, replacing the original's hands-on city management with a more abstract, district-based system. It's like going from micromanaging a dysfunctional family to herding cats in a snowstorm – theoretically more impressive, but you'll miss naming each frostbitten feline.
The game trades Frostpunk 1's intimate brutality for grand political maneuvering. You're no longer the sympathetic leader trying to keep a handful of survivors alive; you're the asshole in charge of a sprawling, frost-covered metropolis, juggling faction demands like a circus performer with hypothermia. It's less "every life matters" and more "how many can we sacrifice before someone notices?"
POLITICS: BECAUSE FREEZING WASN'T ENOUGH OF A PAIN IN THE ASS
Frostpunk 2's core gameplay loop revolves around appeasing various factions, each with the political nuance of a bar fight in an ice fishing shack. You'll spend more time in council meetings than actually, you know, running the fucking city. It's like playing Model UN, if all the countries were ice-covered and perpetually pissed off.
The faction system adds depth, sure, but it's about as subtle as a sledgehammer to a frozen lake. You'll find yourself navigating political waters so treacherous, you'll wish for the simplicity of just trying not to freeze to death. At least the cold was an honest enemy, unlike these frostbitten bureaucrats.
GRAPHICS: PRETTY, BUT WHERE'S THE GODDAMN SOUL?
Visually, Frostpunk 2 is a feast for the eyes – assuming your eyes enjoy vast, soulless cityscapes. The attention to detail is impressive; you can almost feel the frostbite setting in on your political ambitions. But the charm of the original's intimate, grimy aesthetic is lost in the vastness. It's like trading in your cozy, character-filled igloo for a McMansion made of ice – sure, it's bigger, but do you really need all that empty, frozen space?
SOUND: A SYMPHONY OF SUFFERING (AND BUREAUCRATIC BULLSHIT)
The audio design remains a high point, with a soundtrack that perfectly captures the bleakness of your situation. The wind howls, machinery groans, and somewhere in the distance, you can almost hear the sound of your political opponents sharpening their icicles. It's atmospheric as hell, which is ironic given that hell would be a warm fucking improvement.
CONTENT: MORE ISN'T ALWAYS BETTER, YOU GREEDY BASTARDS
Frostpunk 2 offers a smorgasbord of new features, from managing multiple settlements to deep political machinations. It's like they took the original game and force-fed it steroids and a political science degree. The result? A game that's undeniably bigger, but not necessarily better.
The campaign, while more expansive, lacks the punch of the original's focused narrative. It's like they traded in a sharp, poignant short story for a rambling novel that keeps forgetting its own plot while drunk on ice wine.
THE VERDICT: A COLD DAY IN POLITICAL HELL
Is Frostpunk 2 a bad game? Fuck no. Is it the Frostpunk sequel we expected or necessarily wanted? Also fuck no. It's a bold, often frustrating evolution of the original concept that will alienate as many fans as it enthralls.
For every player who appreciates the grander scale and political depth, there's another mourning the loss of the intimate, desperate survival experience that made the original so compelling. It's like expecting a cozy winter cabin and getting a sprawling, drafty ice palace instead.
Final Score: 7 out of 10
Frostpunk 2 is the gaming equivalent of climate change – it's made everything bigger and more extreme, but not necessarily in a good way. It's a game that will spark heated debates among fans, which is ironic given its frozen setting. If you're looking for more of the original's intimate survival experience, you might be left out in the cold. But if you've ever wanted to play political chess on a board made of ice and broken dreams, boy, do I have a game for you.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go thaw out my political aspirations and maybe play some Frostpunk 1 for old time's sake. At least there, when everything went to shit, I knew it was my fault and not because some frostbitten asshole vetoed my "don't eat the yellow snow" law.