Cities Skylines II is an immersive city-building experience that combines creativity with strategic planning. As mayor of your virtual city, you’ll shape a thriving metropolis from the ground up.

When I started the game, performance hit me in the face with around 10+ FPS even in the main menu. I quickly adjusted the settings to prioritize performance, and immediately experienced a better-performing game, running at around 40-60 FPS on my aging i7-8700k processor paired with an RTX 3080. However, as I grew my city to over 30,000 citizens, my performance took significant hits, dropping below 30 FPS, accompanied by heavy frame drops and freezes. Sometimes, it even becomes a slideshow. So yeah, performance = BAD

Gameplay wise, it is all about the creation of your city, starting with a blank canvas. The initial phases are where you’ll lay down the foundations, setting up roads, power, water, and sewage systems. These elements are the lifeblood of your city, and their efficient design is crucial. Personally I started with the sandbox mode, so I could freely construct the City of my own likings without budget or progression limitations, and it is just as fun.

A lot of things have been added and improved upon compared to the first game which was already excellent as it. The most notable change is the expanded map size, offering a fivefold increase in playable area. In the original game, players had access to a 5x5 grid of map tiles, with only nine unlockable. In Cities: Skylines 2, there are 441 map tiles, each 1/3 smaller, enabling players to create sprawling metropolises and intricate city systems.

Building tools have been refined, taking inspiration from popular player-created mods, particularly for road construction. This results in a more accessible and user-friendly experience for both new and experienced players.

The AI system has been overhauled, providing more personalized and realistic NPC behavior. Players can follow citizens’ Lifepaths, witnessing their daily routines and behaviors, adding depth and connection to the city. The progression system now relies on Development Trees and Milestones, offering a more customizable approach to unlocking buildings, services, and policies.

Overall, I am having a blast creating my own city and it is about every bit as fun as when I first fired up Cities Skylines, or even SimCity 4. If only the performance wasn’t such a deal breaker. For now I cannot recommend it unless you have a decent PC and even then you’d have to be okay with sub 30FPS performance.

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