Recent reviews by Xavier22

Simply put, if you enjoyed Frostpunk 1 you will enjoy Frostpunk 2. The game mechanics are different overall but after getting over the transient annoyance of having to relearn a game you think you already know how to play you realize there are way more similarities between 1 and 2 than you may have initially thought. To me, this is a great sequel to FP1. Its not just a newer version of FP1. its the logical next step in the series. The city, its people, the resources and the problems you manage are scaled up. While the game is in some ways "less intimate" than FP1 it still has that same great vibe and charisma that the first game had.

Give this game a shot! If you like city builders, survival, management, post apocalyptic, political sim type games this one will scratch that itch, guaranteed.

If you like RTS games with a survival/Frostpunk type of vibe then deff give this game a try! The art, music and gameplay is really well blended and atmospheric. Not to mention it follows the amazing true story of the Czeck legions fighting their way though civil war torn Russia. I do however have one bad thing to say about this game. The difficulty balance needs a TON of work. I'm the type of gamer who loves a challenge with these types of games but once you learn the mechanics its ridiculously easy. The last half of my first game on the hardest difficulty I routinely had to sell or get rid of resources because I was finding too many. You can get resources from points of interest, within missions from scavenging, and mission rewards. Another thing is if you stop on the tracks too long the Commies will start to harass you but even this system didn't seem to really punish you as I played. Later on its possible to lose solders to random diseases and stuff but it doesn't really hurt you. Finally, the game teases throughout the first half that winter is coming and you should prepare by saving up resources. But as you progress through the winter section you will still be flooded with resources making it too easy. I could run all of my heaters 24/7 without worrying. In fact, in the last 4th of the game I just stopped going to resources nodes.

My suggestion is to rebalance the resources on the harder modes and to perhaps limit quick saving. Quick saving needs to be there to help combat the jank you can run into with RTS combat sometimes.

I still recommend it but if you're like me and like a challenge this may not scratch that itch too well.

I really want to like this game but it has a lot of annoying small issues that make it a drag. Aesthetically its incredible, and the music is great but the actual game play sucks if you've ever played similar games, like Frostpunk.

- Buildings are annoyingly sized and its hard to make things look "good" like you can in other city builders.
- Its a small complaint but the little people walking around bouncing off of the walls looks so dumb. Your citizens don't appear to have any kind of schedule in accordance to their job/lives, they just bounce around the walkways endlessly. Try putting two roads next to each other and watch. Just poor design in lieu of what other games of this type offer.
- Resource management is a nightmare, it doesn't seem like the devs fully thought out the way resources are managed. The fact sectors are completely separate for the most part makes no sense at all. You have to build resource nodes for everything and you can't delete buildings if you have no space left.
- The happiness/stability feature is just silly/poorly executed. For example, my people were mad we didn't have enough food and in response the workers in all of my food producing buildings went on strike, how does that make any sense at all?

Honestly, if the devs can fix the economy/resource management aspects of this game it would be a recommend from me. But at the moment the game just feels like a chore to play.

As a Battletech/Mechwarrior fan this game does some things better but does quite a few worse than Battletech. For one, the combat and mech customization is awesome and makes the game engaging. However the 'overworld' gameplay is severely lacking. There isn't enough risk and variance to keep it interesting past 10 hours. You can upgrade the base but there literally is no reason to, you could play the entire game with the first mech slot upgrade. There also isn't a story past the tutorial. Who is the enemy, why should I care? There's no progression with the story and it quickly loses steam after you capture the first few regions. There also just isn't enough maps, after 10+ hours in and after capturing a few regions I think I saw like 3-4 maps total.

Another small gripe I have is that one of the main selling points is the 'realtime' replays you can do after every turn. Its so cool! You can replay what everyone did in the last 5 seconds and it makes things very cinematic. However it would be cool to be able to rewatch entire battle replays and have the ability to save them. Idk, given the current feature and marketing I would think this would be in the game. One of the biggest strengths and differences this has over battletech is the real-time nature so why not lean all the way into it?

I hope the devs can keep expanding on their ideas and make this game the best version of itself because I think if they can fix the strategy/overworld part and lean into the realtime aspect it'll easily rival Battletech, but it isn't at the moment.

If you're a Motorsport Manager player and you're wondering if this game is worth it then read this!!!

Mostly everything in this game is the same as Motorsport Manager except for a few things. The format and construction of the game is the same as MM down to the menus. You'll design and fit parts, manage sponsors, drivers, scouting, staff management, etc. Although these features have slight differences compared to MM is basically identical. Since its branded with F1 some of the customization options you may have enjoyed in MM will not be in this game so some features will be more surface level here.

Good Differences:
- The F1 branding comes through, the camera angles, radios and general vibe is amazing. Just watching the cars on track is a better experience compared to MM by far
- The actual racing feels and looks better compared to Motorsport Manager. In MM it felt like some cars would just get weird speed boosts sometimes. It all feels more grounded.
- Practice sessions feel better to me. You really have to use all of your practice time effectively to get drivers and cars acclimated. I think its paced well compared to MM.

Not so good differences:
- Lack of custom options. You don't have a character like you do in MM, meaning there is no progression. You can't have a "career" like you do in MM
- Can't make your own team
- Staff management is not as robust as MM. You can't really edit or manage pit crews directly
- Mechanics and engineers don't have special skills that affect parts in design nor do they provide driver relationship bonuses.
- You can choose sponsor goals but you can't choose new sponsors that affect the appearance of the car.
- Races are easier to manage compared to MM. There is not as much tyre management compared to MM. You can just keep the cars at neutral for most of the race (I'm 4 races in with Ferrari so maybe this changes?)

Bottom line:
You should buy this game if you want better visuals from an F1 manager game but if the lack of customization options are a problem this game may not be worth it for you as its the same as MM just with less customization and progression.

As a fan of grand strategy, RTS, and management games this game scratches a certain itch for me. If you've ever played and enjoyed games like Battlestations: Pacific or FTL you will like this game.

What to expect:
- Its a rouge like game. Meaning you likely won't come close to winning your first few games. Good thing is even after a failed campaign you will get bonus cash when starting over in the same save slot, making ever successive game, win or lose, easier.
- Combat seems unfair at first since you can only field one ship at a time but spend time learning how to maneuver and know when to retreat, it will pay dividends
- Combat, salvage, radio interception, landing, and diplomacy are all mini games nestled into the strategy layers of the game. Some can feel like a chore (mostly the landing one) but if done correctly can make your game easier.
- There are save points but otherwise this game utilizes ironman saves, most choices are final
- The game can be brutal and unforgiving, but that's how it was designed, if you are looking for an easy going experience this may not be the game for you.
- The UI is really awesome however it isn't the most friendly, its meant to add to the atmosphere of the game.
- Intel, radio comms, ECM, and radar all play a major role in determining where your enemies are and where you should move. Mastery of these mechanics is important..
- Sound design is pretty great
- As of right now there are a few bugs but hopefully they are patched in time. Nothing game breaking for me.


I'd recommend this game to any strategy lover. There are some things that can definitely be improved upon but if you've ever wanted to feel like an admiral in command of a fleet like the carrier groups of WW2 try this game out.

Best game to get all that hate out 10/10

Simply a fantastic piece of work. Great RPG, the story alone makes this game a 10/10. The in game card game, gwent alone has gripped me for hours, if you like magic or any card game gwent will draw you. Its like a good book you can't put down. Iv'e had to restrain myself on days i have to go to work because if i start playing I wont stop. :) If you like video games and art in genreal BUY THIS GAME, its worth every penny.

P.S. before you buy really check if you can run it, you want to exeprience this game in its full glory, Trust me.

you will have no life, NO LIFE