Cities: Skylines II

Cities: Skylines II, developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive, is a premium city-building simulation and the direct sequel to the acclaimed 2015 original.



Touted as “the most realistic city builder ever,” this ambitious title pushes urban planning to the next level with enhanced graphics, deeper systems, and a living economy that reacts to every decision you make.

Built using Unreal Engine 5, Cities: Skylines 2 promises a next-gen city-building experience—but one that arrives with both innovations and growing pains.



Main Features

Advanced Road Tools – Lay down intricate highways, intersections, and roundabouts with refined tools that make urban layout far easier and more flexible.

Living Economy – Manage dynamic taxation, supply chains, and business zones, all influenced by weather, seasons, and citizen behavior.

Realistic Weather and Climate Systems – Seasonal changes affect power, water, traffic, and population well-being.

Service Upgrades – Buildings such as police stations and telecom towers can be upgraded directly for more efficient coverage.

Citizen Simulation – Every citizen has a full life cycle and reacts to changes in services, pollution, crime, and more.

Enhanced Land Value System – Now tied to how well player services meet citizen needs, rather than arbitrary placement.

New Services – Build server farms, telecom towers, and internet infrastructure to boost economy and citizen happiness.

Modding Support – Uses Paradox Mods instead of Steam Workshop (with mixed reception).

Expansion Pass (Ultimate Edition) – Includes landmark content like the San Francisco pack and future DLCs.

User Interface

The UI has been modernized with a cleaner design, improved data overlays, and streamlined menu navigation. Resource panels, transport lines, zoning maps, and economic dashboards are better organized.



However, some users have reported performance drops while interacting with overlays on larger cities. A learning curve still exists for newcomers, though tutorials are improved.

Installation and Setup

Cities: Skylines II is available through Paradox, Steam, FileHorse, and other major PC platforms. Installation is straightforward, but the game requires a 64-bit processor and at least 60 GB of disk space.

The game is hefty in size and resource usage—expect long load times and potential stutters on mid-tier setups.

How to Play

You begin by choosing a map with unique geographical and climatic challenges. From there, lay roads, zone residential/commercial/industrial areas, and establish critical infrastructure like power, water, and waste systems.



As your city grows, you'll manage budgets, taxation, public services, transit, education, and economic zones.

The game evolves with your decisions—crime rises if well-being falls, traffic worsens without smart infrastructure, and pollution affects land value. Strategic planning is essential, as citizens dynamically respond to their environment.

You’re not just building structures—you’re shaping lives.

FAQs

Is Cities: Skylines II beginner-friendly?
While more accessible than its predecessor, it still has a steep learning curve. Tutorials help, but expect to restart cities as you learn.

Does it support modding?
Yes, but only via Paradox Mods—not Steam Workshop. The system is less intuitive, which has frustrated long-time modders.

Is the game optimized for performance?
Not yet. Players report significant FPS drops and slow simulation speeds, especially in large cities—even on high-end PCs.

What’s new compared to Cities: Skylines I?
Dynamic weather, deeper citizen simulation, modernized assets, and advanced road tools are some major additions.

Is the game worth it now, or should I wait?
If you're a die-hard fan, it may be worth exploring with tempered expectations. Casual or new players may want to wait for major patches.



Pricing

Standard Edition: $49.99 – includes base game.

Ultimate Edition: $89.99 – includes Expansion Pass with future DLCs and extra content packs.

Pre-order Bonuses: Nine landmark buildings and a Tampere-themed map.

System Requirements

Minimum:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• CPU: Intel i7-6700K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: GTX 970 / RX 480
• Storage: 60 GB

Recommended:

• OS: Windows 11
• CPU: Intel i5-12600K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT
• Storage: 60 GB

PROS

• Stunning visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5
• Deep, realistic simulation systems
• Intuitive road and transport tools
• Dynamic climate and seasonal effects
• More upgradeable city services
• Complex citizen behavior and life simulation
• Internet and communication infrastructure
• Massive potential for creative city design
• Detailed tutorials for beginners
• Ultimate Edition includes strong DLC value

CONS

• High system requirements and poor optimization
• Ineffective modding system
• Laggy performance in late-game cities
• Broken service mechanics (garbage, healthcare)
• Economic system glitches (taxation bugs)
• Inconsistent public transport AI
• Poor communication from developers post-launch

Conclusion

Cities: Skylines 2 is a bold and ambitious sequel that dares to push the boundaries of what a city-building sim can be. With modern graphics, deeper systems, and meaningful simulation mechanics, it sets a high bar for immersion and creativity.

However, it also suffers from undercooked optimization, a bug-ridden launch, and a restrictive modding ecosystem that disappoints longtime fans.

While the core vision is inspiring, the execution needs time and commitment from the developers to match the original’s legacy. As of now, Cities: Skylines II is best described as a beautiful blueprint of what could be a phenomenal game—just not fully built yet.

Unless you're eager to experiment early, most players will find better value waiting for major patches or content updates before diving in.