Before continuing, please note that our version of the beta, which was only available in English by the way, ran in Medium graphics configuration on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i5-9400F processor (2.9 GHz), a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 16 GB of RAM and a 24-inch LCD screen with 1080p resolution.
We played for a little less than five hours, the time needed to launch three games on Normal difficulty in a sandbox mode (or sandbox in French) specially designed for the occasion (unique map and factions, precise objectives to accomplish, etc. .) During this session, we reached the end of two of them, once by reaching the in-game time limit of 300 weeks of survival imposed by the developers and another by unlocking one of the two endings present in this build.
Advertisement
A management and survival dimension on a much larger scale
Six years after placing us at the head of New London, the last human city left standing despite the deadly blizzard hitting the planet at that time, Frostpunk 2 asks us once again to ensure its management and survival but on a much larger and different scale. So forget the “small” map in the shape of an ice crater, the concentric grid around the central generator, the one-by-one placement of buildings, the individual assignment of labor as well as the day-to-day progress of the first opus.
In addition to the interface which has been completely redone to match the new ambitions of the series, the Windswept Peaks map offered here is larger. The population of the City, made up of several thousand inhabitants from the start, more numerous. Resources to collect in the surrounding area are accessible in larger quantities. And in-game time now passes in weeks.
Regarding the development of the city itself, in addition to money, materials and labor, it requires the construction of districts on several hexagonal squares which sometimes have to be cleared to be exploited. All being able to gain in surface area at our request, if there is enough space and while taking care that they do not pollute each other too much under penalty of generating penalties, each district is linked to a sector precise (housing, extraction, industry, etc.) and can accommodate various often very useful buildings, such as the Research Institute to name but one.
Rest assured, 11 bit studios hasn't scrapped everything that worked in the previous opus either. We must continue to meet the needs of the people of the City in terms of housing, heat, especially when the climate is bad, food, care and monitoring potential crimes. The technology tree is also back, although reshuffled into three branches: Survival, Economy and Society. The graphics and music transcribe in a way that is as gripping and immersive as ever, the chilly and survival-oriented atmosphere specific to the franchise.
Advertisement
As for the exploration of the surrounding regions, it remains a key mechanism for locating survivors, recovering resources, which can also be transported more efficiently by building roads and railways, and perhaps offering us even more if we trust the outcome obtained.
You will have understood it, if the macro-management dimension of the city largely supplants its micro-management, the gameplay of this sequel seems set to be at least as deep, well-oiled and pleasant to handle as in the past. So far, we really like the changes the developers have made and, wait, that's not all the beta had to offer us.
To the votes!
The story context taking place thirty years after the events of the first game, it is not surprising to see the system of laws evolve like the entire gameplay. However, we didn't expect 11 bit studios to disrupt our habits to this extent. No more dictatorship based on the paths of Faith or Order impacting the Hope and Discontent gauges. In Frostpunk 2, it is a true democratic assembly which runs the City alongside us.
More concretely, at the start of the game, two factions run the city, here the “Foragers” and the Machinists. Each accounting for approximately half of the seats on a Council made up of representatives, it is essential to gain, and above all maintain, their trust to avoid inflaming tensions to the point of causing a game over.
Unfortunately, it is not that simple because they all have a vision of the future and different aspirations among the following six: Adaptation or Progress for the Survival branch, Merit or Equality for the Economy and Tradition or Reason for Society . And as if that were not enough, two additional groups, the “Icebloods” and the Technocrats, subsequently emerge, which drastically complicates the situation.
In order to resolve the various political puzzles that we face, we must not simply vote for the laws we want but succeed in obtaining enough votes to promulgate them. To do this, we can put pressure on representatives, which causes us to lose reputation, or try to negotiate with those open to dialogue, which is not always possible. Promises, allocation of funds for projects, letting them propose a law in the next election… we have several options to tip the scales in our favor.
Also note that each faction is likely to put pressure on us if it considers itself too wronged, that assigning one to a specific technological research has consequences on its future operation (reduction/increase in the required workforce, increase in pollution, etc.), and that a “Rules” tab, in other words Rules in French, hiding, for example, Martial Law, is present but inaccessible on our build. We'll have to wait until the official release to find out what exactly it has in store for us. In any case, the political aspect observed in this beta is very promising and we can't wait for it to reveal all its secrets.
Despite a gaming experience that is necessarily reduced in part of its content and the refinement and optimization concerns encountered during our session (repeated crashes of the Unreal Engine before even reaching the main menu in particular), this beta leaves augur the best for Frostpunk 2. Although shaking up the benchmarks established in 2018, the numerous changes made by 11 bit studios in terms of gameplay all seem very interesting and convincing to us at the moment. Clearly, the Polish studio is already showing its desire to want to offer us more than just an improved version of the first episode. Now it remains to be seen whether we will still be satisfied once we have the full title in our hands. Verdict on July 25 on PC, via Steam, the Epic Games Store and GOG, and at a date still undetermined on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.