Edited: 10/24/2024 Originally titled “Cities Skylines II 10 months Later” So I lied. I decided to update this a bit at the one year mark! Happy Anniversary Cities Skylines II Team!
We are almost a year since Cities: Skylines II released back on October 24th, 2023 and so much has changed. In late March we finally got official code mod support and access to the editor (beta) to create maps. This release also saw the first new assets in the form of the Beach Properties DLC. In late April Beach Properties became part of the base game. While the DLC release was a bit of a fiasco it was at this point that things started to feel like the ship was turning things in the correct direction. It was also around this point in time when I started to think it may be time to revisit the review for Cities: Skylines II.
Fast-forward to late May and we hear news of an Economy rework, or as it was termed when it came out in late June “Economy 2.0.” This patch didn’t fix everything in the economy but it really changed the game for the better. It felt like decisions mattered for the first time since launch. That isn’t to say the game wasn’t fun or that what we did before didn’t matter. No the game was fun and some decisions mattered, however you couldn’t really fail before this patch.
A couple of short weeks later would be the next big patch the Detailer’s Patch #1, not only implying more detailer patches to come but also a HUGE update for detailers! Having access to certain props natively in game is a game changer for those that don’t use mods or won’t have access to those mods.
Economy 2.0. was a more meaningful addition to the game for its long term success. It is so cool to see changing taxes on say beverage production to promote more beverage producing industrial buildings pop up to counter a lack of goods and it working. I can’t lie using props to make realistic looking rivers with rock props from the Detailer’s Patch is so enjoyable.
There was a slight blemish on the Detailer’s Patch though, the dreaded Homeless Bug. Any building you demolished the cims who lived in those buildings got stuck in your city and took up valuable jobs of potential new citizens. Since Detailer’s Patch came out right before CO took their summer break we don’t have an official fix at the time of writing. Though there is a MOD on PDX Mods that mostly fixes the issue so it isn’t all doom and gloom.
So is the game worth playing in August 24th, 2024?
I may not be the correct person to ask this question as a person who purchased the Ultimate Edition with zero regrets. Sure I was disappointed in the game on release, my 3080 12GB cried for mercy just like everyone else’s computer. I was also disappointed in the lack of consistent and thoughtful communication but honestly Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order were in a no win situation.
All that to say, I think the actions of the team tell us how much they care about Cities Skylines II and how much they want it to succeed. While there were a few blunders, the overall direction of the game is trending in the right direction. I look forward to seeing what happens next.
UPDATE 10/24/2024: A lot has happened since I wrote this in late August. In September we got a rather large and important patch. The “Decorations Patch” added access to almost 300 decoration props but more importantly to most was a fix to issues with Homeless citizens. In mid September we got an important update on the state of the game and the developers focus. I will link to the announcement so you can read it in their own words.
Then yesterday we got a huge bug fix patch that includes fixes to tourism and more fixes related to homeless citizens. Also includes fixes to so many other things. I will link to the patch notes for you to see the full scope of the patch. Probably one of the most important part of this update is getting the game ready for the Region Packs.
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