Frostpunk 2: Console Edition

“The best thing about Frostpunk 2 is that it builds on what made the first game great while also expanding its goals. The larger scale makes survival more complicated and scarier, and the addition of politics and factions changes the game from a resource-balancing act to a real society simulator.”

“I also lost reasonable amounts of progress to in-game crashes. I took it as a chance to fix mistakes I’d made, but didn’t save more frequently, though. Especially in the game’s later hours, the process just took too long. Every settlement was clearly always running in the background, slowing the whole thing down. Still, even this port can’t keep me away. I’m already ready to brave the frost again.”

“Frostpunk 2 is an ambitious sequel that expands the scope of the original with deeper political systems, layered management mechanics, and a striking presentation powered by Unreal Engine 5. It’s a compelling mix of survival, city building, and social simulation that can easily absorb players for dozens of hours. Unfortunately, the console version suffers from major interface and control issues. Menu navigation is often clunky or unresponsive, turning simple actions into frustrating tasks. These problems heavily affect the overall experience and weigh down the final score. With proper patches, Frostpunk 2 could truly shine on console. For now, its brilliance is dimmed by technical shortcomings.”

“The icy hellscape of Frostpunk 2 translates surprisingly well to Sony's sleek console. The PlayStation 5 occasionally has hiccups, and the DualSense controller is far from ideal for a strategy game this intricate, but the game does a brilliant job patching over these issues to let you enjoy a strong narrative experience. I got to build what I thought were thriving civilizations, and then watch them fall apart through my own shortsightedness. Frostpunk 2 is a beautiful, honest depiction of how far humanity can go when survival is the only ambition, and it makes my multiple political downfalls worth living.”

“Of course, it's not a title for everyone: if you're looking for quick matches or immediate progression, it'll probably be too demanding for you. But if you accept its proposal, it rewards you with one of the most well-rounded management and survival experiences of recent years. And best of all: it's coming to Xbox Game Pass at launch , so you have no excuse not to try it and tell us what you think for yourself.”

“Frostpunk 2 remains one of the most compelling city builders and survival games in recent memory, and it's survived the transition to console in remarkably strong form. That said, if you have the option of playing on PC, that remains the best place to play.”