Frostpunk 2 (Xbox) Review

Frostpunk 2 recently arrived on Xbox Series X|S after some time on PC, and I was super excited to get hands-on with the console version. It’s hard to imagine it’s been seven years since the release of the first title, but this fresh instalment brings deeper, darker and more polished gameplay. Not only this, but the style of gameplay has had some changes, and it is by far the most stunning-looking strategic city builder that has ever graced an Xbox, that’s for sure.

Gameplay

The gameplay loop in Frostpunk 2 is slightly altered from the original’s tight and robust systems. Here you’ll be building and managing New London, integrating districts and specialised buildings to produce and distribute resources. Coal, steel, food, timber and loads more are essential for survival. Shifting away from what the original did well makes for larger landscapes and bigger settlements. Road networks and smart placement really matter as they will benefit heat distribution and also efficiency.

The single-player campaign is known as The Legacy of New London. Your role as a leader is to attempt to secure a future for the city whilst navigating all of the difficulties that come alongside the responsibility. Divided into five main chapters after the prologue, and throughout each, you’ll learn lots about the core systems of the game. As the game progresses further, you’ll be introduced to more complex features such as production chains, exploration and managing multiple settlements at the same time. It is very strategic and requires planning rather than immediate reactive decisions, which I loved.

Build At Your Own Pace

Once you’ve finished with the campaign, there are other modes you can spend time in to extend replayability and longevity. If you’re not too fussed on the story beats of a campaign, then you can always dive into utopia builder, endless mode or serenity/challenges. Utopia Builder is an open-ended sandbox mode which allows you to start from scratch and gives you the freedom to play how you desire. This gives high replay value as you can extend the strategy outside of the campaign gameplay and play across different maps, ambitions and also at greater difficulty.

Endless mode is perfect if you want to focus on long-term survival and see how long you can keep going. Using these alternative modes along with Serenity/Challenges allows you to potentially extend your time with the game into hundreds of hours if you want it.

Visuals & Audio

The level of detail throughout Frostpunk 2 is truly outstanding and doesn’t appear to be watered down from the PC port. The UI blends in well with the rest of the experience and caters to controller players with great fluidity and control. Zooming in and out of points of interest is seamless, and whilst there was the very occasional visual pop-in, it was quite a rarity.

The atmosphere is captured in the harsh weather, and the way snow gathers across the landscape is mesmerising. Panning across the map isn’t just a flat blanket of snow; it drifts and moves, collecting in corners, spreading across structures and reacting as it would in real life. Audio is superb, with an orchestral soundtrack that complements the game’s mood, atmosphere, and tone. Hearing the hustle and bustle of settlements, the sound of machinery and the howl of the wind brings the game to life. Presentation on Xbox Series X is fantastic, and I’d imagine not far off the polish of what you’d see on a high-end PC.

Final Thoughts

Frostpunk 2 is an outstanding sequel that goes deeper into the storytelling and survival mechanics. For the most part, the game ran smoothly on Xbox Series X without any visual hiccups, really. It’s a solid transition from PC to console, and I would urge anyone with an Xbox Game Pass subscription to give this experience a go. There is some patience required with the learning curve involved, and this may be frustrating to some. However, those who love RTS titles or anything involving survival strategy and mechanics will love what the game has to offer.