We’re just over a month away from the launch of the sequel to one of the best management games of all time. Cities: Slylines II is a reality and we had the chance to test it out ourselves by designing our towns, thanks to the good advice of Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen, who we were able to chat with during our stay at Gamescom.
After my first awkward foray into the game (which is very intuitive even for a newbie like me), I showed him my work. “I also wanted to make the city more functional rather than beautiful,” Harry Kenin confesses to us off-mic. An important aspect as you have to serve all industrial or population areas as now the season is advancing and the cold harsh winter is coming.
Seasons and weather are one of the most prominent novelties in Cities: Skylines II. “If we think about a city in the winter, there’s a lot of heating demand. So you have to make sure there’s enough energy coming into the city.
“When it snows, snow accumulates on the roads. So if you don’t actually clear the road of snow, it becomes slippery and you have more accidents.
It also highlights how new subsystems integrate and complement each other. For example, if there are more illnesses or accidents due to snow, you will need better health care facilities. Building progress and improvement is key. “In the first game you had to build the same type of hospital across the city, whereas now you can provide more capacity for patients, for example, through expansions to existing service buildings.
“Building improvements impact relationships with citizens. A crucial point, as we must also pay close attention to the mood of cities, such as those that influence industrial productivity. They have comfortable homes, nearby amenities and affordable mortgages Loans are crucial.
Although Mariina Hallikainen did not mention this in the interview, trade is also another important new feature, as we will be able to use the surplus to trade with other cities or create a self-sufficient city. The choice is yours.
