Frostpunk 2 Metacritic review roundup: The critics are clear about this “ambitious sequel” to one of the best survival games out there
See what reviewers are saying about the hyped sequel to the fan-favorite 2018 survival city-builder.
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11 bit studios' critically acclaimed Frostpunk quickly stood out as one of the best survival games when it launched back in 2018, with reviewers and players alike gripped by its post-apocalyptic ice age-wracked world, challenging and tightly balanced city-builder gameplay, and impactful, nuanced writing. When a sequel was announced in 2021, the excitement from players worldwide was high — and it’s only grown since then, withFrostpunk 2currently standing as the fourth most-wishlisted game on the PC gaming platform Steam. Now, just a few days ahead of its scheduled September 20 launch on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Windows PC, the title’s review embargo has lifted and ratings from critics have been published.
According to the widely used review aggregation siteMetacritic, Frostpunk 2 has achieved an average “Generally Favorable” score of 86/100 based on 41 reviews conducted on Windows PC systems. Nearly every scored review awards the post-apocalyptic city-builder a very positive 80/100 or higher, though there’s one that marked it with a 75/100 and another unscored analysis that’s far more critical of the game. Here are a range of noteworthy scores and quotes:
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If there’s one thing that’s clear from the fact that every single scored review is a favorable one, it’s that Frostpunk 2 is a good game — and many believe it to be a great one, with lots of critics enjoying the sequel’s wider scope, deeper emphasis on making difficult compromises, and its emotional storytelling. With that said, some feel that its grander scale has taken away from the more granular elements of the original game’s city-building mechanics, and a few reviewers have mixed feelings about the focus on politicking with various factions and movements. Overall, though, the general consensus is that the Frostpunk magic is here, and that this follow-up lives up to everyone’s lofty expectations.
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Inour own Frostpunk 2 review, my colleague Samuel Tolbert gave 11 bit studios' sequel a score of 4.5/5 stars (90/100), writing that it “pushes the boundaries on what a city-building game and a survival experience can be, telling stories of human hope and despair in tandem” and that “with beautiful visuals and a radically increased gameplay scope over its predecessor, only a handful of issues mar the ice.” His only major criticisms were that some progression paths are underwhelming and not very viable at launch, and also that there’s an unfortunate lack of accessibility options.
Something important to note is that all pre-release Frostpunk 2 reviews were done on Windows PC, so you may want to wait for post-launch Xbox and PS5 reviews to come out before you buy the game if you’re playing on one of these systems. The game’s performance on PCdoesappear to be quite good across the board, but there’s ultimately no way to know if the same can be said for the console version until it comes out and is tested.
Frostpunk 2’s MSRP comes in at $44.99, with the pricier Deluxe Edition that includes access to upcoming post-release DLC expansions, three days of Early Access gameplay, an exclusive in-game item, a digital artbook and soundtrack, and a digital copy of the upcoming “Warm Flesh” Frostpunk anthology novella costing $74.99. If you preorder it, though, there’s a cool 10% discount that knocks the price down to $67.49 — but there are evenbetterdeals on CDKeys, which iscurrently offering preorders of the Standard Edition for just $34.19andcopies of the Deluxe Edition for only $52.59. It’s also worth highlighting that from now until September 23,the original Frostpunk is just $2.99(andits DLC Season Pass is $8.57)
Those markdowns are unfortunately exclusive to the PC version of the game, though Xbox players do have the option of playing Frostpunk 2 day one on Microsoft’s buffet-styleXbox Game Passsubscription service. WithPC Game PassorXbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC players can play the game this way as well through the Microsoft Store.
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Frostpunk 2 is just days away from its highly anticipated release, and based on how glowing the vast majority of reviews for it are, it’s likely that it will stand tall as one of thebest Xbox gamesandbest PC games of 2024. The price for the game starts at $44.99, though you can play it for far less with the aforementioned CDKeys deals or Xbox Game Pass.
Frostpunk 2 |$44.99$34.19 at CDKeys (PC, Steam)
The city must survive, but it’s grown in scale significantly. Where once hundreds called New London home, thousands now look to the Steward for leadership. Supply shortages and fierce whiteouts are to be expected, but managing the enemy within will be even more dangerous.
Also see:Deluxe Edition (CDKeys, PC)|Standard Edition (Xbox)|Deluxe Edition (Xbox)
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
