Despite disappointment with Cities: Skylines 2, the author returns repeatedly due to a deep inner need to build. The game feels like a modern extension of childhood play with toy cars and miniature cities. The article focuses on aesthetics, criticizing how flat, square, and unnatural surfaces make cities feel lifeless. The author argues that realistic details like stairs, potholes, trash, graffiti, and organic shapes are missing, making cities look "sanitized" and neurotic. Real cities contain poor areas, abandoned houses, and traces of nature and history, which add soul and character. The author hopes future games or DLCs will incorporate these elements, allowing players to create more authentic and immersive urban environments without spending excessive time on micro-management.
Discussions: r/Cities Skylines, r/City Builders, Hacker News. AI Disclosure: Artificial intelligence was used exclusively for proofreading, generating descriptive image alt texts, and creating the "improved" visual concepts.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing