Frostpunk 2, which was released in the latter half of 2024, was a sleeper hit that came and went. This saddens me, because Frostpunk 2 is a sequel that is up there with the greats. Batman: Arkham City, Assassins Creed 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, and God of War (2018) all excel at evolving their franchises formulas.
Frostpunk 2 manages to keep the essence of the first game while completely evolving/replacing major game systems. It was a big swing that paid off. Instead of playing it safe and looking towards the past, it looked to the future. The developers of Frostpunk 2 set out to make the game with this question in mind, “where do we go next?”
FROZEN IN TIME
Many video game sequels that come out these days play it too safe. By saying this, I’m not suggesting that every game sequel has to completely reject its predecessor by vying for new different gameplay mechanics and stories that don’t fit the franchise at all. I am all for subverting expectations, but there are definitely right and wrong ways to do so. A recent example of a safe sequel that comes to mind is Spider-Man 2, which while fun, wasn’t nearly enough of a departure from the first to make any big swings.
The story in particular felt too safe and the gameplay, while a refined version of the first game, didn’t really take us anywhere new. Even the addition of the wingsuit despite being fun doesn’t really add much to the game. You could go the whole game without using it and would never miss it.
It felt like something was missing from the game’s story. You can see shades of a deeper, darker narrative that could have had a longer lasting impact on fans. Instead we got the story that we did and while it was fun, it ended up leaving me with the feeling of “that’s it?”. Then you have the other franchises with samey sequels like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed, which for what it’s worth, do at least drastically change the settings the games take place in.
Sequels should take the formulas of their franchises in exciting new directions. Sure, a safe sequel can be a good one, but what if taking a bigger swing could make a great one?
FULL STEAM AHEAD
This brings us back to Frostpunk 2, which in many ways honors its predecessor while taking the franchise to new exciting heights. The biggest departure is the emphasis on lands outside your main city. The first game felt small in the fact that you managed one city (New London), dealing with the challenges of your city as it grew in size. This created a much more intimate feeling than Frostpunk 2 ends up giving. Frostpunk 2 ditches some of that intimacy for grandeur and it works surprisingly well.
In Frostpunk 2, the stakes are bigger. Instead of managing just one city you will end up managing multiple colonies as well. Instead of hundreds of inhabitants, your cities and colonies will reach into the thousands. At the beginning of the game, New London already starts in a well-off state. The core city carries on from the end of the first game. This forces you as the player to expand outward immediately. New London can’t sustain itself alone and will eventually rely on resources found outside the city limits.
One other huge swing is the government system in the game. This is a vital component in bringing the closeness to your city that is lost in the second game. In the first game, you would unlock new technology through a skill tree, making your own choices between different types of tech. In Frostpunk 2 you have to deal with factions that make up the city. These factions each have seats at the table and will vote on issues that affect the city. As the “captain”, it is your job to keep these factions happy or risk all out war. This creates added dimensions to your city that force you to think critically.
Each faction has a different vision for the city. In turn they want specific tech upgrades that could further their goals. If you end up seriously angering a faction, you could always send them away to another colony. Beyond the factions and new government system, Frostpunk 2 evolves the core systems of the first game. The options extend the life of the game further than the first game ever could.
BREAKING THE ICE
In the end, Frostpunk 2 takes a giant step forward for the franchise, and it pays off. It’s a bigger, bolder, and riveting sequel. It doesn’t forget its predecessor but also doesn’t let it hold it back. That’s what separates a good sequel from a great sequel. I hope that in the future, other franchises that are working on sequels to their hit games will take a look at Frostpunk 2 and the success it reaped by not being afraid to shake things up. I think that this would result in grander, bolder, and more exciting sequels that could shake the industry.
Frostpunk 2 is currently available on PC. Don’t forget to check out Brian’s article on “Picking the Right Fighter for You” and Eric’s review of Kraven’s Last Hunt. For everything else geeky stay right here on Geekwave.
