City Contamination and a Parking Quest in Cities Skylines 2
During my preview of Cities: Skylines 2 at Gamescom 2023, I’m transported to a meticulously crafted, thriving metropolis, showcasing what’s achievable with ample time and resources. The expansive map here is a notable step up from those in Paradox and Colossal Order’s initial venture, and I’m instantly captivated by the designer’s expertise. The landscape is neatly divided into industrial, commercial, and residential segments, all arranged in a visually appealing and well-planned manner. The industrial zone, for instance, is tucked away from residential spaces, mitigating the adverse effects of smoke and air pollution on the dwellers.
“This is mastery,” I muse, wishing I possessed such urban design acumen during my earlier demo. Before this marvel, I had a shot at crafting my own quaint town. The process kicks off similarly to the original game – laying roads, erecting power lines, and establishing the fundamentals for population growth, with a handy tutorial for guidance. As I set up a row of houses, a blend of European and North American themes injects a unique stylistic flavor into my budding town.
With a sense of accomplishment, I admire my humble creation, hastily assembled in a circular design. However, my hastiness soon unveils its pitfalls. A Paradox representative points out the burgeoning pollution problems I’ve unwittingly unleashed upon my new residents. Talk about a harsh housewarming! As the noise and water pollution metrics escalate, the ill-thought placement of my sewage outlet adjacent to the water pump station hits me hard. The sight of toxic waste sweeping across the water sends chills down my spine. My eco-friendly attempt with wind turbines also backfires, as I realize they’re too close to residential quarters, disrupting the serene ambiance. My debut as a city planner sees me poisoning the water and shattering the peace within a mere ten minutes—quite the grand entrance into urban planning!
Nosy Parker
Despite my blunders in hastily assembling a pollution-free city, Cities: Skylines 2 adeptly educates newcomers to the mechanics, even if you haven’t touched the first game. The tutorial also serves as a beneficial brush-up for those whose city-planning skills have grown a tad rusty, much like mine. Since time isn’t on my side to amend my novice errors or to evolve my town, I transition to the pre-structured metropolis to delve into what, for me, is the most enticing aspect of the imminent sequel: Citizen Lifepaths.
The feature piques my curiosity, fueling a desire to discover what my citizens are up to. Now, I can tail individuals around the city, staying informed on significant life events and witnessing where their journeys lead them. This not only indulges my inquisitive nature but breathes life into the city, offering a firsthand view of a life unfolding in the domain I’ve established. Amidst the hustle and bustle of this urban landscape, I click on a citizen making their way to their car, gaining insights like their name, residence, workplace, and their contentment level in this city. By hitting the follow button, I add them to my watchlist, and they soon start surfacing on my Chirper feed, embodying Cities: Skylines’ spin on social media. Through this feature, the citizens’ lives enrich the city’s narrative, making the gameplay experience more engaging and personalized.
Clicking on the citizens I’ve chosen to follow transports me to their location, enabling me to virtually accompany them through the city and garner a snippet of their daily experiences. The first individual I tail spends a considerable chunk of time ensnared in traffic, navigating a bottlenecked route from the residential sector to the commercial hub. Oddly enough, it’s quite soothing to recline and shadow their movement, absorbing the city’s vistas as they gradually inch through the vehicular backlog. It dawnily dawns on me that they’re on a quest for a parking space.
Upon reaching a parking lot and making a few rounds, they revert back onto the road seemingly thwarted in their parking endeavor, continuing to drive a notable stretch before halting beside a pathway. While I hear tales of potentially catching citizens embroiled in more riveting acts like criminal endeavors, I find a unique pleasure in observing this relatable chore of hunting for a parking spot.
Then, to my delight, I spot several dogs scattered along the streets, each beckoning for a closer examination with a click. As my demo stint concludes, I’m left with a burgeoning sense of how Cities: Skylines 2 is poised to augment the preceding version, both in the expansiveness of the maps awaiting our architectural touch, and the enriched features. Though my exploration was brief, it’s evident that I’m destined to be the sort of player thoroughly engrossed in the unfolding narratives of my citizens upon the game’s release.
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