Cities: Skylines 2 Gameplay Systems – How Far Does The Simulation Go?

In our earlier article about Cities: Skylines 2, we went into substantial detail on the game's announced system requirements and how they might reflect on its simulation complexity, but today, we can go a step further still! Notably, the developer Colossal Order has begun providing in-depth overviews of the Cities: Skylines 2 gameplay systems. Traffic, specifically, was the first on the docket.

And while the actual topic itself does give us ample insight into just how much more intriguing of a simulation Skylines 2 will be compared to the first Skylines, it also gives us an idea of how far its gameplay loop might go. Spoiler alert: if Colossal Order is doing what it's done to traffic with all the other core sim elements, too, we're in for a heck of a ride.

READ MORE: How Hard Might Cities: Skylines 2 Be to Run?

Gameplay Systems in Cities: Skylines 2

Following the quick summary featured above, it should become plainly obvious that Skylines 2 aims to make some big changes in how a city is built. The biggest new feature of them all is, certainly, the fact that all non-highway roads now include power, water, and sewage lines by default. That's right! No longer will players be forced to painstakingly mishmash their utilities together one by one. Though we will still be able to do that, if needed, the features are integrated into cityscape roads, making everything that much easier and more streamlined.

Not to worry, though! That's not to mean that we're in for a simple, unengaging experience. Traffic, you see, is way more important in Skylines 2. That might sound a bit funny to Skylines veterans that recall how many cities outright failed due to the game's shoddy handling of traffic, but it's true. What's changing is that you will now have ample control over virtually everything to do with traffic.

The first official Cities: Skylines 2 blog posted by Paradox Interactive makes the developer's goal clear: Colossal Order aims to add complexity where it matters but streamline the innocuous, uninteresting bits along the way.

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What Does This Tell Us About the Gameplay Systems in General?

Back when it first came out, in the early 2010s, Cities: Skylines was nothing short of revolutionary. Coming off of SimCity's failures, the game was a logical and sensible breath of fresh air that dominated its niche for a long time. Heck, Skylines is still the definitive city builder, even in 2023!

The thing about it, though, is that many of its core gameplay systems are quite outdated by now. Mods have kept up, sure, but there's only so much a modder can do on that front. That's precisely why we were thrilled to see Colossal Order's first feature blog. It suggests big, important improvements. The sort of stuff that will change how cities are made. In-game, of course.

Not only do we no longer need to worry about most of the utilities while designing cities, mind. We're also getting actual roundabouts. Several types of them, in fact! Parking lots, too, as well as a wealth of other traffic planning options. A hugely important revamp of all the biggest problems with the original Skylines experience is in order.

Simplification, Yes, But Not Overdone

The fact that utilities are integrated into main roads is a simplification, naturally. It's good and necessary, however. Players will now, for example, also need to deal with wear and tear on road surfaces. That's where the new Road Maintenance Depot comes into the picture. Add traffic lights, crosswalks, stop signs, and an almost ridiculous variety of additional niche traffic options into the mix...

What you're getting is a deeper and more engaging gameplay experience than we had in Skylines. Except, in Skylines 2, this engagement comes from a different and, arguably, more enjoyable gameplay loop. And that, we believe, is what will make this game such a hugely important step forward for Colossal Order.

A Good Sign of Things to Come

While we do understand the scepticism that some might have about Colossal Order's comprehensive utility integration via road infrastructure, we're here for it. A sequel to a game as deep and comprehensive as Cities: Skylines would always have to make some concessions. Everything we've seen so far suggests that the developer understands where such concessions ought to be made, and we're very excited to see what else Colossal Order has in store for us.

The roadbuilding tools themselves appear incredibly powerful. More flexible than anything we ever got in the first game, it's worth pointing out. If this is the sort of thing we can expect from future Cities: Skylines 2 feature blogs, then it will be happy times for fans ahead of the game's October 24 release date.

For the time being, we're going to have to let this information stew for a little while longer. Not too long, mind. The initial blog suggests that we will be looking at how citizenry and vehicles behave in Cities: Skylines 2 sometime next week, so stay tuned!

CHECK OUT: What Does a 2023 Release Date Mean for Cities: Skylines 2?