From the creators of This War of Mine, 11 Bit Studios, has returned with a game that is sweeping across the world, Frostpunk. With sales reaching over 250,000 in the first three day of its release, this game is a pleasure to play with its city-building survival setup. At no point in time has taking care of others become so captivating.
In the fictional timeline of the late 1800s, the world has been plummeted in to the cold. Crops have failed, and snowstorms have killed millions. The goal here is to survive anyway you can. Players are placed in a circular crater-like area that has the ability to shelter remaining survivors from more debilitating weather.
From the beginning you, the player, start off with a small group of survivors who originally went in search of a heat generator and other necessities such as food and shelter. Small caches are available with supplies to start, but eventually decisions will need to be made. These decisions include who will go in search of other survivors, who will do research, and what will you do when politics are needed for the people. Topics like politics will become important as the city grows and keeping everyone content is a major factor. Every decision will affect the population and how they see you as a leader. The Book of Law’s works like a tree guiding the society and a technology tree keeps you on the path to survival. Other than the hard to find building buttons, 11 Bit Studios has done a great job limiting the number of tasks so that nothing ever becomes unbalanced and overwhelming.
Things are grim for the survivors in the game and you yourself the player. Not only this but, the environment will inevitably stay this way. Finding resources and maintaining them can be difficult but not to the point where the game comes to a halt. I particularly have been fascinated with the overall imagery as well. There is a gray tone to the landscape and highlights of the generators that really make you feel like you’re living this journey. Along with the looks of Frostpunk, the audio is great as well. From the moment you start you hear the cold wind and the narrator has just the right tone to set the mood for the story.
Like a lot of strategy games, the need to balance your group’s tasks is key, as well as making sure everyone has what they need, much like SimCity. Hospitals need made just as much as roads and shelters. But what about the bodies of the dead? Or, child labor? These are very real things to be handling. The decisions made when topics like these come up with ultimately affect the city. Side missions do come up, but is it going to help survival if a group goes out to help someone? Every action will come back in full force in this 12-15-hour game.
After following Frostpunk for so long now, It has hit every expectation. Visually the landscape is stunning. Game play itself is not too overwhelming. The story feels real and I care about the survival of my people. For the price of $29.99USD, the game is worth every penny.
9/10
Frostpunk is available now on PC
