• Colossal Order’s urban city builder sequel is larger than its predecessor but faces challenges in surpassing it. Skylines 2 introduces features like importing electricity and modular upgrades for service buildings, streamlining the early game experience.
• The addition of resource nodes for farming and mining adds depth, contributing to the game’s realism and a quasi-survival city builder vibe.
• Despite its size, Skylines 2 feels less populated and lacks the vibrant city life animations present in the original.
• Prop decorations are noticeably absent, diminishing customisation options, and the game’s visual style leans towards realism, reducing whimsical elements.
• Skylines 2 grapples with performance problems, including fps drops, freezes, and crashes, particularly as cities expand, posing a current challenge for players.

Cities: Skylines 2: Where Ambition Meets Infrastructure

Colossal Order’s ambitious sequel, Cities: Skylines 2, sprawls across the urban development landscape, aiming to outshine its predecessor in both scale and sophistication. Yet, within this vast cityscape lie intricacies and challenges that, much like the metropolis it seeks to create, weave a complex tapestry.

Building Blocks of Progress

In the initial phases, Skylines 2 introduces game-changing elements, such as the ability to import electricity and modular upgrades for service buildings. This strategic layer adds depth to the city-building experience, providing players with more control over the evolution of their burgeoning metropolis. The introduction of XP-based milestones and a development points system, reminiscent of a strategy game tech tree, empowers players to shape the trajectory of their city’s growth.

Venturing Beyond City Limits

The inclusion of resource nodes for farming and mining introduces a survival city builder aspect, allowing players to draw agricultural and mining zones on the outskirts. This expansion into rural territories not only adds a layer of realism but also contributes to the immersive world-building, creating a city that extends beyond the skyscrapers and urban sprawl.

The Cracks in the Concrete

However, as the cityscape broadens, Skylines 2 reveals some shortcomings. While it boasts monumental size, it lacks the dynamic animations and lively details that brought the original Skylines to life. The absence of decorative props limits personalization, and a shift towards a more realistic visual style sacrifices some of the whimsical charm that defined its predecessor.

Performance Hurdles

The city’s ascent is marred by performance issues. Framerate drops, freezes, and occasional crashes disrupt the fluidity of the gameplay, especially as the city grows and flourishes. These technical challenges force players to navigate the urban sprawl with caution, detracting from the otherwise seamless experience.

Hope on the Horizon

Despite these obstacles, Skylines 2 mirrors the trajectory of its forerunner. The original Skylines underwent a transformative journey with the introduction of DLCs, free additions, and a vibrant modding community. 

Skylines 2, though grappling with current technical hurdles, holds the promise of a post-launch metamorphosis that could elevate it beyond its predecessor, not just in size but in overall magnificence. For now, it stands as a metropolis in the making, with towering potential and hurdles alike.

About us:

Tamatem Games is committed to helping the Arabic mobile gaming market reach its full potential. By localising popular mobile games, publishing original Arabic mobile games, supporting eSports, and investing in Arabic mobile game development, Tamatem Games is playing a key role in shaping the future of Arabic mobile gaming. Our most popular games include Fashion Queen, VIP Baloot and Battle of Kings. In addition, card players from across the MENA region have been enjoying our in-depth card game, VIP Jalsat.