EA's "The Sims" is breaking from tradition, with the gaming company confirming Tuesday that there are no plans for a "The Sims 5" game.
Game Information --------------------
Game Title: Frostpunk 2
Platforms:
- PC (Sep 20, 2024)
Trailer:
Developer: 11 bit studios
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 85 average - 95% recommended - 44 reviews
Critic Reviews -------------
33bits - Fernando Sánchez - Spanish - 92 / 100
>Frostpunk 2 is a continuous game with its first installment, although the developer has been able to expand and enhance a formula that worked wonderfully in Frostpunk - construction and management of cities plus survival - delving into expansion, management, and colony construction. and above all the relationships with the different factions and the political aspect, creating a much more complete title and to a certain extent somewhat more complex, but superior to its predecessor. If you liked the first game or you like the genre, Frostpunk 2 is a title that you cannot miss.
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ACG - Jeremy Penter - Wait for Sale
>Video Review - Quote not available -------------
AltChar - Semir Omerovic - 97 / 100
>Frostpunk 2 is an absolutely incredible game, a true shining masterpiece with a unique setting, mechanics and addicting gameplay loop. Since it's also on Game Pass, I'm recommending it even to players who aren't really into these types of games. You won't regret it.
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Atarita - Eren Eroğlu - Turkish - 100 / 100
>Frostpunk 2 is one of those rare, unique games that we rarely encounter. It has evolved in an incredible way compared to the first game, taking it to an entirely new level.
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Bazimag - Sina Golabzade - Persian - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 may not feel as personal as the previous game but it not only has kept the tense atmosphere we’ve come to expect from this series, it has also brought the scale to a whole new and unexpected level.
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But Why Tho? - Arron Kluz - 9 / 10
>What is most impressive about Frostpunk 2 is how well it blends its emotional narratives with its gameplay mechanics. It challenges the player on an emotional and moral level while also challenging them to grapple with some of the most intricately linked and well-refined gameplay the strategy genre has seen in years.
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CGMagazine - Justin Wood - 8 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 expands on what made the original so fresh. While a harsh difficulty might turn some players off, forging through is the name of the game in Frostpunk 2.
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COGconnected - Mark Steighner - 90 / 100
>Frostpunk 2 broadens the scope and deepens the mechanics of the first game, adding even greater complexity to puzzle-like city building that remains addictive and unique in the genre.
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Cinelinx - Emily Hughes - 5 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 has made improvements in just about every way, making it an immersive and engaging city-builder that every strategy lover should consider adding to their library!
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Digital Trends - Jason Rodriguez - 4 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 scales up the drama with a bigger, more strategic sequel that's easy to get lost in.
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Digitec Magazine - Simon Balissat - German - 3 / 5
>Like its predecessor, Frostpunk 2 is extremely dark and dystopian. If you are looking for a laid-back building strategy game to relax in, you are in the wrong place here. The rays of hope are few and far between, and death and despair are omnipresent. The political components, the exciting story and the decisions whose consequences you have to live with are great. Yes, it lacks the complexity of comparable strategy games. If you are looking for the great depth and complex gameplay mechanics of Anno, you won't find them here. Nevertheless, Frostpunk 2 is a worthy successor. The annoying micromanagement is gone, exploration and politics take up more space, which I appreciate. If you can cope with the dark scenario, you can definitely pick it up. “Frostpunk 2” only just misses out on four stars.
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GAMES.CH - Steffen Haubner - German - 88%
>The announcement of an official modding tool alone is likely to bring tears of joy to the eyes of "Frostpunk" fans. The setting remains attractive, the artwork and gameplay are equally clever, even if the novelty value has worn off a bit. But everything is now bigger, more complex and more impressive, and it is remarkable how smoothly 11 bit has interlocked the various elements and made them shine. There is always something to do in "Frostpunk 2", even if the feeling of a living game world, as one is used to from "Anno 1800", is missing here simply because of the thematic requirements. Anyone who wants an extraordinary experience and some real gaming challenges will feel at home in the eternal ice.
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GRYOnline.pl - Konrad Sarzyński - Polish - 7.5 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 is different that its predecessor. It too experiments with gameplay and tries to create a thrilling system of making difficult decisions, but the bigger scale of governing an entire region looks a bit uninished. Great potential to create a giant world was squandered, and the thing that generates most fun, is the policital system, not building your city.
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Game Rant - Max Borman - 4.5 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 has once again whisked players away to an apocalyptic Earth for a city building experience that many may not soon forget.
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GameLuster - Nirav Gandhi - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 is a masterpiece of design, and it'll be a warm day in Frostland before I let a single one of you skip it.
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>Frostpunk 2 remains quite brutal, and yet offers a great city-building gameplay with a very stylish visuals. You can also clearly see in which ways developers addressed some of the criticism of the first game, making the sequel that much better game.
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GameSpot - Kurt Indovina - 8 / 10
>Frostpunk 2's challenging gameplay makes for a compelling experience despite a dour and cynical view of human nature.
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Gamefa - Arman Zarmehr - Persian - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 is one of those games that fans of the strategy genre and city-building games "must" experience; We are faced with a multi-layered deep experience with different moral and political approaches, which is in many ways bigger and better than its original version. The expansion of the scale of cities compared to the first version, as well as the presence of mechanisms such as Council Hall, present attractive challenges to the player. Distinct factions with different ideologies have a significant impact on the political dimensions of New London governance, and its extensive and influential skill tree adds several strategic twists to the city's progression.
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Gameliner - Anita van Beugen - Dutch - 4 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 offers a robust survival city-builder with a strong focus on social and political aspects, appealing to newcomers and fans alike, though it may leave existing fans with mixed feelings due to its broader scope and diminished focus on individual connections and survival.
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>Forstpunk 2 should appeal not only to building and planning enthusiasts but also to people who appreciate a serious narrative and a more profound treatment of the factions and characters present in the game.
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Gamer Guides - Ben Chard - 86 / 100
>Frostpunk 2 is a great entry into the city-survival genre and one that will hook even newcomers to the genre. With a fantastic campaign full of difficult choices, a sandbox mode available from the start, and so many options on how you shape New London, the larger scale of Frostpunk 2 is one that succeeds in every way.
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>If Frostpunk 2 continues to provide players with more playable content in the future, like its predecessor, then it will definitely be a better title than it is now.
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God is a Geek - Chris White - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 requires your patience and ability to make tough decisions, but rewards you for sticking with it and respecting its systems.
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IGN - Dan Stapleton - 8 / 10
>Thanks to a ground-up rethinking of its ice-age city builder mechanics, Frostpunk 2's larger scale is less intimate but more socially and politically complex than the original.
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INVEN - Dongyong Seo - Korean - 8 / 10
>'FrostPunk 2' has an irreplaceable charm. The distinct feelings of bleakness, solitude, and the desperate struggle for survival remain unparalleled, just as in its predecessor. The larger scale of the city, the conflicts arising between communities within, and the weighty decisions required to manage and mediate these tensions create a unique and engaging experience.
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NoobFeed - Sarwar Ron - 95 / 100
>Expanding upon the original's strengths, Frostpunk 2 adds additional features, a more in-depth storyline, and more intricate city-building. Even while it takes time to get going, once it does, it unveils a massive game that surpasses the original in size and scale. Although there are some issues, especially with how some mechanics are explained, the game provides a deep and thrilling experience worth delving into.
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PC Gamer - Christopher Livingston - 85 / 100
>Not as satisfying a city builder as the original, but the society simulation is still on point.
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PCGamesN - Reid McCarter - 8 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 makes clever reconsiderations of, and expansions on, the first game's design, offering a better rounded, even harsher follow-up to the original's concept.
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Prima Games - Enzo Zalamea - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 easily immerses the player by putting them in the center of the turmoil of a never-ending battle against the winter. You'll constantly be hit with difficult decisions all while trying to build structures for the betterment of your people.
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Pro Game Guides - Stephanie Watel - 4 / 5
>In the world of city-builder games, the Frostpunk franchise stands proudly at the snow-capped peak of Mount Everest in terms of what definitively is the most all-around challenging IP in the genre. Frostpunk 2 easily helps it keep that title in a tight-gloved fist, with its incredibly intricate game design and uncompromising difficulty that is best suited for the most fearless and ambitious of Stewards.
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Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Sin Vega - Unscored
>An atmospheric, bold attempt to reinvent its own society-moulding subgenre whose story and building features too often frustrate with too few options or distract with too many.
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SECTOR.sk - Branislav Kohút - Slovak - 8.5 / 10
>A post-apocalyptic world with an eternal winter will once again entrust us with the fight for the survival of the survivors, whose fate will this time be strongly influenced by civil factions. A complex system of voting and negotiation is involved, which makes the game unique, but also challenging and sometimes frustrating.
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Screen Rant - Deven McClure - 4 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 is an innovative take on management.
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Sirus Gaming - Erickson Melchor - 8 / 10
>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.
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Spaziogames - Daniele Spelta - Italian - 8.5 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 puts its gameplay at the service of the story and, through simple game mechanics, manages to make the player experience strong emotions and a constant moral dilemma.
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TechRaptor - Andrew Stretch - 7 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 takes everything that made the first game challenging and scales it up. Bigger cities, more mechanics, and larger expansions will push a player's ability to balance so many resources and the consequences of their own actions. Overcoming these will reward you with an immense sense of pride.
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The Games Machine - Gabriele Barducci - Italian - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 combines the solidity of the mechanics of the first chapter, with some excellent additions to make the game truly one of a kind. Not just an excellent management software, but a real gaming experience.
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The Punished Backlog - Amanda Tien - 8.8 / 10
>11 Bit Studios should be extremely proud of Frostpunk 2; it’s an intoxicatingly detailed and beautiful survival management game. For those who do want more Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 delivers and then some. Fans of games like Crusader Kings 2 will rejoice, and these added social elements may delight fans of Sid Meier’s Civilization series. > >The array of laws and choices means Frostpunk 2 is hyper-replayable, for those interested in that sort of thing. Just a glance at the Steam Achievements list makes it clear that there’s a lot you can do and different approaches you can take. I’m already considering what I’ll do next time.
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TheGamer - Tessa Kaur - 4.5 / 5
>Frostpunk 2 has shaped up to be a hefty sequel that built intelligently on the bones of its already excellent predecessor, capturing all the most compelling parts of the first game while exploring human nature and morality with deftness.
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Try Hard Guides - Erik Hodges - 10 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 does exactly what a sequel should do. It excels in all the ways the original game did while increasing the scale and adding even more. It is an excellent expansion on everything we loved about Frostpunk and delivers a new, utterly unique experience and story, and one that fans of the original, as well as newcomers to the franchise, are sure to love.
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Twinfinite - Keenan McCall - 4 / 5
>While it might not be the most approachable city builder in the world, Frostpunk 2 is still an exemplary entry in the genre.
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VideoGamer - Tom Bardwell - 8 / 10
>Frostpunk 2 is a worthy sequel that ramps up the grit and immersion, but sheds some of the original's magic in the pursuit of innovation.
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Wccftech - Chris Wray - 9 / 10
>Frostpunk is an excellent looking, excellent sounding, and great playing organic growth and succession from the original. Spreading further along the wasteland, you have to balance more as you deal with politics, resources, factions, and ever more challenges, often including settling and building in new areas. Still a challenge, but more approachable, this is yet another city builder that will shine out amongst others.
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Zoomg - Afshin Piroozi - Persian - 9 / 10
>Overall, 11 Bit Studios has managed to create a highly respectable and valuable sequel for the first installment of this series in Frostpunk 2. The game has become significantly more extensive and detailed in almost every aspect, and in terms of content delivery, it reaches a more desirable level. This allows players to enjoy it for a longer period of time. If you’re interested in strategy and city-building games or if you were a fan of the previous version, Frostpunk 2 is something you must play.
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Personally, I think hidden time bombs are part of the pawn system's charm.
In space, everyone will eat your beans
Good luck figuring out how to avoid labeling every game ever made as a "skinner box". It's basically a jaded person's definition of what video games are at their core.
If you value your time, you wouldn't be playing video games at all. As they are nearly an entertaining way to waste time.
All games waste either time, money, or both. So I guess we just have to make video games illegal now. Oh well. Was fun while it lasted.
Without being a gacha game, World of WarCraft is guilty of a lot of the same stuff.
I'm not a fan of trying to poison the well on this discussion by trying to bring in a lot of secondary issues and try to broaden the issue to the point of uselessness.
The biggest issue with gambling is the ability to lose your money.
Sure, you can waste time with World of Warcraft. But I can also waste time playing too much Baldur's Gate 3, or Civilization, or by binging shows on Netflix.
But none of those allow me to spend thousands or tens of thousands by gambling on mechanics within the media itself.
How about we focus on that issue first?
But both are gambling.
Nah, they are not comparable in a meaningful way. Sure, at a high level, you can apply aspects of "gambling" to both examples. But the biggest and most important point is the ability to spend actual money for additional changes at "winning".
People are against gaming because of some deep-seating fear of Random Number Generation by itself. They are against it because of how easy it is to lose money.
Isn't that foam what we are discovered is leeching into ground-water supplies everywhere and is super unhealthy for everyone?
I meant more that a restaurant owner isn't going to see or really get any value from an open source solution vs closed source specifically. They are just choosing a platform at a price point that works for them.
Restaurant owners don't care about Open Source.
Because there aren’t developers working those jobs realizing that workers are being worked to the bone because of businesses refusing to add limits to how much demand can come through their door.
I'm not sure why you believe game developers would be better suited to this than people who actually do business software development. And it's less about what the developers want to do with software than it is about what the people to are buying the software want to do with that software.
This gen felt like a waste of money to me, with only minute differences at a huge cost.
Nah, SSDs are a massive upgrade, even ignoring everything else.
I could never go back to the spinning disk hard drives.
From line cooks to bike repairs, people who used to be video game developers are being forced to try something new
I feel like your post was being overly dramatic and then I noticed your comment about Starfield being a one out of ten game, and at that point it's hard to take you seriously.
The second strike was Fallout 76, crazy how disappointing his game was and even to this day is still broken and in disarray.
Fallout 76 may not be an amazing game, but they've turned it into something pretty enjoyable to play, and from my experience a couple years ago "broken" as an adjective doesn't really make sense as the game ran and played perfectly well.
They failed spectacularly with Fallout 4, which took the gaming industry by surprise after seeing how poorly developed it was, and the extreme low quality of the story, how unfinished the game was, how simply broken many areas and features were, I could talk about it for hours.
So, clearly you are just trying to push an agenda for some reason and are just making things up whole cloth at this point. I'm not sure what fantasy world you are living in but this isn't based in reality. It's just something you've made up in your head.
Also, I don't see the point in doom-posting about a game that's years away from release. What's the reason for fantasizing about a game's failure? Is it that people enjoy drama like the recent Concord release and are trying to look for future games to chase the same high?
Patch notes for anyone interested: https://www.nomanssky.com/2024/09/aquarius-update/
My PS3 can play at most a decade worth of games. It is obsolete.
Sure, but so is the PC that someone bought around the time the original Doom was released.
I think the more likely relation is to credit ratings or something similar, since the "AAA" is based around budgets and financial investments.
he games expected to be GotY contenders would be marked AAA, AA for otherwise decent games, A for more niche games and B for “this is a starshot, we’re hoping it will sell enough to justify production costs”.
Is there any evidence of this being the case? Personally, I don't remember anything other than "AAA" back in the day, with other variations coming about much later as budgets grew and people wanted more specific delineations.
It's been funny seeing the Playstation controller slowly morph into an Xbox controller. Which is great because I definitely preferred the Xbox controller since the 360.
I still prefer the offset sticks on the Xbox controller though.
To elaborate a bit more than just budget/marketing, AAA games used to be distinguished from AA titles.
To be a bit of a pedant, "AAA" was basically the marketing term to denote a game with a larger budget. The term "AA" came around afterwards as a way to distinguish games that fell between smaller indie games, and larger budget AAA games.
Edit: Corrected spelling.
AI is proving a major issue in SAG-AFTRA's negotiations with major videogame publishers.
Bummer that we aren't even getting a chance to play it.
Sad to see the state of the MMO genre at this point. It looks like we might be hitting a point where there aren't going to be any new games going forward. I expect most online games will stick to the smaller scales like Destiny or Diablo 4 and just avoid all the complexities that come with large scale persistent worlds.
After 30 years working on some of the most beloved franchises at Capcom, director Hideaki Itsuno is moving on to create games elsewhere.
Final Fantasy Creator Reveals Which Entry He Thinks Is 'Most Complete', and It's Not Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi has revealed which game in the series he thinks is "most complete," and it's not the fan favorite Final Fantasy 7.
He actually responded to this on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/DrDisrespect/status/1805662419261460986
Two clear quotes from the tweet.
Were there twitch whisper messages with an individual minor back in 2017? The answer is yes.
and also
I'm no fucking predator or pedophile.
What about it is a clone of Genshin Impact?
The core developer team of Bandai Namco Online's MMORPG Blue Protocol talk about the game's issues and what they're doing about them.
This year marks FINAL FANTASY VI’s 30th anniversary! In honor of this, we decided to interview the title’s character and monster designer, Tetsuya ...
In space, no one can hear you screen
Among the improvements in this patch, look for many new UI icons as well as weapon-related balance changes aimed at enhancing core combat and related choices. Your feedback and volunteered gameplay data help inspire our changes, so thank you for playing! Stay tuned for Boon updates in our next patch...
"There’s something very intentional about consuming or framing these works as entertainment rather than as art"
Starting with fixes for summoning a cheese toastie, among others, later this month.
