Wishlist of Improvements for CitiesSkylines 2: Building the Perfect City Simulation Game

CitiesSkylines 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular city-building simulation game, has taken the gaming world by storm. With its realistic urban planning features and attention to detail, it’s no wonder that players have embraced it with open arms. However, no game is perfect, and there is always room for improvement. In this article, we will explore a wishlist of improvements for CitiesSkylines 2, highlighting the areas where the game could evolve to become an even more immersive and enjoyable experience.

1. More Realistic Euro Public Buildings

One of the first items on our wishlist is a more diverse set of public buildings, especially for European-themed cities. In CitiesSkylines 2, public buildings are often oversized with sprawling gardens and parking lots, which may be suitable for American cities but not for small European towns nestled in valleys with limited space. Players are longing for smaller school, hospital, and train station buildings that would better fit the scale of walkable European cities.

2. Empower the Player with Infrastructure Control

In the real world, urban planning often requires complex infrastructure solutions, including overpasses, tunnels, retaining walls, and adjustments to road grades, especially in hilly terrain. However, in CitiesSkylines 2, players find themselves limited in their ability to create these crucial elements. Allowing players to construct overpasses, tunnels, and retaining walls, as well as adjust road grades, would provide more creative freedom and enhance the realism of the game.

3. Enhanced Zoning Mechanics

Zoning mechanics in CitiesSkylines 2 leave room for improvement. Players are craving irregular lots and corner walk-to-work (W2W) buildings. Currently, when players create curved streets with W2W buildings, unsightly gaps appear between them, breaking the immersion. Moreover, the ability to specify lot sizes and orientations is missing, a feature that was available in SimCity 4 over two decades ago.

Wishlist for Enhanced Zoning Mechanics
– Irregular lots
– Corner W2W buildings
– Specify lot sizes and orientations

4. Diverse and Customizable Ports

CitiesSkylines 2 offers players the opportunity to build ports, but the options are limited to gigantic cruise and cargo ship ports. The game could benefit from more modular port construction, allowing players to tailor their ports to their city’s size and needs. This could include features like quay walls, wave breakers, lighthouses, warehouses of various sizes, and specialized ports for different cargo types, such as ore, oil, and grain.

Wishlist for Port Customization
– Quay walls
– Wave breakers
– Lighthouses
– Warehouses of various sizes
– Specialized cargo ports

5. Pollution-Free Industry Zones

In CitiesSkylines 2, industry zones are known for their pollution. It would be a welcome addition to the game to introduce non-polluting or low-pollution industry zones, such as warehouses and high-tech industry. These zones would be suitable for placement near residential areas, promoting a healthier and more harmonious urban environment.

6. Seamless Transition Between Medium and High-Density Buildings

The game’s transition between medium and high-density residential buildings can be abrupt, making it challenging to create visually pleasing urban areas. A smoother transition between these two building types would allow players to design more realistic and aesthetically pleasing neighborhoods.

7. Diverse Commercial and Office Buildings

Low-density commercial and office buildings in CitiesSkylines 2 often have a generic US suburban appearance. Players are yearning for more diversity in these building types and the option to construct commercial and office row buildings that can be seamlessly integrated into their cities.

8. Cultural and Religious Centers

The absence of churches and other religious or cultural buildings besides the massive Notre Dame in CitiesSkylines 2 is a notable omission. These structures are typically at the heart of every village and city, and their inclusion would enhance the cultural and historical depth of the game.

9. Bring Back the Subtropical Theme

Players who enjoyed the subtropical theme from the first CitiesSkylines game are hoping for its return in CitiesSkylines 2. This theme added a unique flavor to city-building, and its absence is keenly felt by fans.

10. Expand the Range of Tourist Attractions

CitiesSkylines 2 offers a wide range of building options, but there is room for more diverse tourist attractions. The addition of stadiums, concert halls, museums, and libraries would enrich the gaming experience and provide players with additional challenges and opportunities for creativity.

11. Revamp the Train System

The train system in CitiesSkylines 2 has room for improvement. Players have highlighted the need for smaller train stations, terminus stations, elevated stations, sunken stations, tunnel stations, and dedicated train bridges. Expanding the train infrastructure options would enhance the realism and variety of transportation systems in the game.

Wishlist for Train System Enhancements
– Smaller train stations
– Terminus stations
– Elevated stations
– Sunken stations
– Tunnel stations
– Dedicated train bridges

12. Smarter Roadside Elements

Parked cars on roads with no buildings on them can be an eyesore and break the immersion. CitiesSkylines 2 could benefit from more intelligent placement of roadside elements, ensuring that parked cars appear in logical locations, enhancing the overall visual appeal of the game.

13. Flexible Day/Night Cycle

While the day/night cycle adds realism to CitiesSkylines 2, players have noted that the midday lighting with strong sun contrast can be less visually appealing. Allowing players to adjust the time of day, perhaps to the morning or afternoon, would enable them to create more visually pleasing scenes.

14. Default Road Styles with Grass and Trees

Players often find themselves adding grassy sidewalks and roadside trees to roads manually. A feature allowing players to set default road styles that include these elements would streamline city-building and enhance the overall aesthetic of the urban landscape.

15. Plop Fully Grown Trees and Bushes

The ability to plop fully grown trees and bushes would add an extra layer of customization to city landscaping. This feature would enable players to design parks and green spaces more efficiently and with greater variety.

In conclusion, CitiesSkylines 2 is a fantastic city-building game that has captured the hearts of gamers worldwide. However, there are several areas where it can evolve and improve to provide an even more immersive and enjoyable experience. From diverse public buildings to enhanced zoning mechanics, customizable ports, pollution-free industry zones, and a revamped train system, there are numerous opportunities for the game to shine even brighter in the world of city simulation. With the potential for mods, DLCs, and updates, CitiesSkylines 2 has a promising future ahead, and we can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve.