Alright. Frostpunk 2 is actually quite a bit more difficult than Frostpunk 1, which is saying something. It is actually an amazing game, but for me personally, it is weighed down a bit by some of the design choices. My negatives in this review aren't going to keep it from receiving a positive rating because it IS objectively a fantastic game, but I do have some to discuss.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3435528879

First, I want to discuss the main positive as I see it, for this game. The actual story is deeper than the first game. This is in large part due to the various factions present in New London, and the fact that you actually need to have council votes in order to pass new laws, which is represented with a pretty deep system that includes bribery or the threat of violence and generally requires some form of negotiation in order to pass any law. There is never a consensus from the various factions on how to do things, and the push and pull required to get things done is very realistic. If you are a clever leader, you will be able to manipulate people into doing what you want, but not always, and often, it is you being manipulated. Which creates situations where you are beholden to a group for their past support.

This system has an impact on everything from research to what buildings are being constructed, how clean your city is, how healthy your population is, and so on. It is very possible for the people and the council to openly revolt against you, deposing you and taking over the city. Which is game over. Trying to find a balance between the factions that really want technological advancement and the factions who want a more natural and adaptive approach to building up and maintaining this new society is very challenging. Trying to balance need against worker safety, appropriate child labor and education laws, exploration, and so on is a constant battle.

I personally never felt like my feet were planted firmly on the ground. At any moment, everything could give way and fall apart. It's like trying to carry something heavy, but it keeps wanting to slip out of your hands, so you readjust and are fine for twenty or thirty seconds, but then your hands start to hurt and it starts slipping again, only to have to repeat this process until you hopefully get it to where it needs to be or drop it altogether and watch whatever it was break. That's this game in a nutshell. And the tension that comes with that is kind of awesome.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3435528885

There are a couple problems I have with this game though.

For one, the UI is far less user friendly in pretty much every way. Navigating the various systems as they've been utilized here, is going to be an obstacle for a lot of players, and I'm not sure I fully grasped all of them after about five hours in the game. The New London stuff I felt comfortable with. The colony stuff, trade routes, and so on, less so.

But the biggest issue I have is also attached to the colony/new settlement stuff. The biggest issue people had with the On the Edge DLC from the first game was the gameplay centered around finding and maintaining relationships with other communities, building roads, and so on. And so naturally, 11 bit studios doubled down on that by not only making it the emphasis of Frostpunk 2 but making it even more exasperating since you have to maintain these other settlements the same way you have to maintain New London as far as building, maintaining resources, and so on. I can respect that they had a vision for how they could expand upon the first game, but it is comical that they chose the very thing people disliked the most as their primary creative vision. It is a bit of a game killer for me, personally. Which isn't to say it doesn't work or isn't appropriate. But it very much isn't something I personally enjoy.

https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3435528864

And it all also mirrors modern day real life so much, that I'm not sure I could even be in a good head space to want to double up on the general ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ going on in our world by also wanting it going on in my hobby as well.

Ultimately, I do believe this is a fantastic game, but it just doesn't hit well for me, and I find myself really not wanting to continue playing it. It will receive a positive rating, but I personally will be moving on to the next game.

You can see from my play hours that sadly I just don't like this one like I liked Frostpunk 1.
I don't enjoy how fiddly it is to get optimum layouts. Something has just departed since 1. The fear the mystery. The zoomed in and more personnel camera. Seeing your individual and names people toil and try to survive. The scope of this game ruined that.

First game was a masterpiece, that where gameplay mechanics and story did go hand in hand. It was a real struggle to keep everyone alive. The second game you just press all the buttons and win. There a no real decisions that feel meaningful. Deaths have become meaningless numbers that you can try to keep small but they are inevitable.

I get that they tried to go further and not do the same game again, but all I want is a Frostpunk 1 remaster with mod support, that enables the community to create scenarios.

Maybe it will be an ok or good game with further support. Buy it in a sale

I can't recommend it. Too complicated and not intuitive. I'm currently looking at guides to the cornerstones, zeitgeist, etc. to even understand what's going on. I'll try it again afterward, but I definitely wouldn't have bought it if I had known about it beforehand.

at the beginning of the launch i was able to play but after updates my game kept crashing until it kept on say fatal error, now i cant even play the game, and because i played to much i cant get a refund

Very different from the first game, feels less like simcity and more like civilization. Still had a fun time with the game even though its a big step down from the first. (7/10)

I have played the first FB years ago and adored the game very much, from the music, to the theme, to how immersive it was, and to the gameplay systems introduced. FB2 is a step forward in many regards but from a glimpse at other reviews it might seem that it isn't the case, I am here to address it :

First thing first I think 11bit did an amazing work, they upped the graphics, the UI experience, the complexity of the systems at hand, everything had been pushed forward. What 11bit did so great is taking a concept design and elevating it with each passing iteration - time pass (clocks) + exploration + limited resources + temperture - This was their thing in This War of mine, Frostpunk, and now FB2. In terms of being a close relative this game is still is even if some people feel different - it is as close as it could get.

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It does lead to a problem though, which is the fact that while it is very much similar at the core, it does take some bold steps towards emphasis on new mechanics such as the political system and the way districts work and obviously the scope and feeling of the essense of the game (less small community, more major city).

Which brings me to the naming convension chosen by the company -> I don't think it was done in a manipulative kinda way (like other companies will insist on keeping a IP just for the sake of extra sales) but I do think it harmed not calling the game Frostpunk Beyond or something else to show case this is a kind of a side step (forward but also sideways) as to alert people they are not gonna get the exact same experience.

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Now with this being addressed I can say that I very much liked the direction the company took, both in scale and in mechanics. The political system introduced in this game is the best one I have played with (yet) and as for the scale I am one of the fans who suggested adding more settlements and the idea of clashing with other residents of the Frostlands (I was pushing for MP and fighting of people as a resouce, and still am) so I am very much in alignment with the changes that were done.

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A few points to critic (that barely take much from the game) :

* There are some graphical bugs mostly in the Frostlands.
* On the same page I would say it was disappointing that settlements/outposts don't expand or change in the Frostlands.
* Some more clarification of UI, especially because this game is so time sensitive, things like 'promise' should indicate if it has a cool down, or if it has a cost to not commit (I have avoided on my first go for a long time to even press this), or lacking info on how much a district expansion is adding (how many houses?), or whether an effect is temporary or not (I took bad food, does it permenantly increases the illness? or just temporary? turns out it was temporary but I was relying on common sense but that shouldn't be the case cause it other cases it is less clear).
* Spoiler!! ** - the end game crisis arises a bit out of no where, I had zero tension and then it jumps sky high as soon as chapter 5 hits, I understand some jumping but it is from 0 to 100, yeah I had messages before but there was no built up tension at all to indicate I need to build up for that.
* In continuation of the previous point - I did had the story driven tension in Chapter 4 but it didn't had the marker for it (it was glitch) because I only had colonists and the UI wasn't fitted to show that info so I had to guess what to build and how much of it.
* There is a lacking refresh to a faction's promise pool, there was points in the game I was waiting for it to refresh but without new research they kept asking the same over and over - this needs to be addressed (I had so many buildings that were fitting for the communities that they just never demanded).
* In the first game I loved that there wasn't to much revealed about what happened as the storm approached, but I was hoping for a bit more details in this game.
* Last but not least, I played on max difficulty and while I really enjoyed the game I felt like it was a bit to much on the easy side, I was piling up way more than I needed just because I was expecting another storm to arrive, alas not only I could pass the final vote with just my trust level but even if I have made promises I didn't need to keep them there was no aftermath to survive through.

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To wrap up if anyone survived this review - this is highly recommended, for me it is as memorable and incredable experience just as much as the first FP was although a bit different (but this is good). I enjoyed it so much that I can only dream for a MP experience with this game (Please make it a reality, I wish I would have to coop/fight with other players). Don't expect FP1 and you would love every moment and experience this game delivers would astonish you, while keeping the world of FP alive.

a side for the very few critics I have listed this game is top notch in almost everything it does, I could only wish other games had such a wonderful politcal system that demanded constant pull and push, some randomness, favors, actions, and events that keep the player on edge (I would claim it can serve as an educational tool on the reality of politics), well done ! brilliant!

Tldr: expeditions still remain :/

Positive:
You no longer have to worry about losing individual workers it seems. This is huge.
You no longer have to worry about micromanaging the generator, steam hubs, and heaters. This is huge.
You no longer have to worry about day/night shifts. This is huge.

Negative:
District mechanism is wonky: why do I have to build oddly shaped districts just to use up some tiles?
UI is wonky: nonintuitive how to bring up certain things. Communities and factions have way too much focus.
Expeditions: why was this ever added to the original game and kept for this one? I thought this was about strategy. I shouldn't have to consult a guide to find where to send crews.

Overall still a postitive game and an improvement on the original.

Sad to see there's still no fix for people with Ultra wide monitor. IF you play windowed only the 1280x720 resolution is there. I've noticed that the workaround doesnt work anymore either and that devs have ack the problem but still no fix? Have requested a refund.

First read other negative reviews, they are all mostly true.
Adding to them
Game runs like trash. Not for everyone but a lot of people have technical issues with the game and all developer did to adress this issue is open discussion here on steam how to fix it yourself. Basicaly delete file here, add something there play on low settings (even if you have a system that runs CyberBUG on high settings without a problem). It feels like you cant even buy a working product anymore (not cheap by the way) without dancing around a fire naked, playing on tambourine, chanting spells and what not. To prove my point i will ask you to google "Frostpunk 2 optimization/crashes/freezes/performance" Its a mess. Game is beautiful, id say, but not extraordinary.
So the situation is:
Game regulary crashes. Unplayable on settings higher than medium (system doesnt matter) September 17 devs say "Fix it yourself". Today March 3, No fix, BUT! In that time Devs added "Zoom Stories related to the celebration of the Chinese New Year", whatever the hell that supose to mean, and posted a road map where DLC comes in autumn 2025 and no pathсes in sight.
I am waiting for steam support to approve refund. Hope is not lost. Yet.