In short: It’s turning into more and more widespread for high-budget video video games to launch with gentle or severe points, usually inflicting gamers to determine whether or not to buy them on day one or wait. Cities: Skylines II was certainly one of final 12 months’s most infamous instances. As the sport’s first anniversary approaches, writer Paradox Interactive displays on what it might have executed otherwise.
In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Cities: Skylines II writer Paradox Interactive mentioned it acknowledges that participant expectations are increased these days. The sport’s disastrous launch has modified the corporate’s method to different initiatives just like the upcoming Jail Architect 2.
Talking at a media occasion, CEO Mattias Lilja admitted that gamers with restricted cash and free time are shedding endurance for flawed video games to be fastened post-launch. Paradox and developer Colossal Order knew that Cities: Skylines II had points upon its preliminary October 2023 launch however underestimated the criticism they’d obtain from prospects. The sport nonetheless hasn’t absolutely recovered after a 12 months available on the market.
Efficiency was initially the largest drawback. Though the preliminary system necessities had been excessive, Paradox raised them simply earlier than launch, and efficiency optimization struggles continued afterward.
Moreover, the console variations had been initially scheduled to be launched alongside the PC however confronted a number of delays and stay delayed indefinitely. Gamers have additionally criticized expansions for feeling “rushed,” and Paradox has delayed upcoming expansions. The Creator Packs at the moment are scheduled for the fourth quarter of this 12 months, and the Bridges & Ports enlargement is predicted to reach in Q2 2025.
Reception to Cities: Skylines II has fallen nicely in need of its beloved 2015 predecessor. The sequel retains a “Blended” evaluation score on Steam, and participant numbers by no means recovered from a launch peak of roughly 104,000, in line with SteamDB.
Trying again, Paradox chief inventive officer Henrik Fåhraeus urged that the corporate ought to have held a closed beta earlier than launch to catch participant suggestions earlier. He indicated that atypical gamers and followers of the primary sport might need illuminated issues that eluded QA testers.
Paradox’s new perspective is probably going why it delayed Jail Architect 2 indefinitely in August. Lilja stays assured that the sequel to the favored 2013 administration sim options good gameplay, indicating that the delay is for extra technical polish. Hopefully, the writer can keep away from one other Cities: Skylines II scenario.