As is the case with most console games, there are no video settings to tweak. If there's a complaint to be had with this port, it's the fairly noticeable change in graphical fidelity. A lack of replay value was one of the complaints about the original release, but with three alternate scenarios and an endless mode now (plus paid DLC in the future), that issue has been thoroughly addressed.
Frostpunk: Console Edition also includes all the free DLC added to the game up to this point. There's a surprising amount of customization options too, allowing the player to adjust camera and cursor sensitivity, snap distance, and snap strength in order to get everything feeling just right.
Handy radial menus and a revamped, intuitive UI make it seem like the game was designed for consoles all along. The button layout has been redesigned from the ground up with controllers in mind, and while it doesn't quite have the speed or precision of a mouse and keyboard, it works remarkably well. Frostpunk is a game of triumphant highs and nail-biting lows, unpredictably tied together into an incredibly satisfying experience of management and survival.ġ1 Bit Studios has put a considerable amount of effort into the new control scheme for consoles, as well. How cold is it in all the city's zones? Are all the workplaces fully staffed, and how many sick citizens are there? Are the scouts out looking for other survivors? Can you pass a new law yet? And how long until the temperature drops again? Juggling all this while maintaining resources, laying out buildings, and developing tech is essential to keeping people healthy and hopeful. Micromanagement and forethought are key from the minute the first groups of workers are sent to gather resources. The bird's eye view of the crater allows the player to command all facilities, workers and construction at once, but that certainly doesn't mean it's easy. Now the real work begins: fueling the Generator, scouting the wasteland, and keeping the city and its people alive as the last hope for humanity.Īll of the gameplay elements of Frostpunk are still fully featured in the console edition, and the moment-to-moment tension is as impactful as ever. The player takes on the role of the Captain, who has led one of the expeditions north and discovered a new home in an icy crater, where they have installed the Generator. But these generators need huge amounts of coal in order to function, and there's only one place with enough coal reserves: the Arctic. England has constructed massive, monolithic coal burners called Generators, designed to serve as powerful heat sources. As the worldwide blizzard gets colder and colder with no end in sight, nations desperately pour their resources into finding new ways to survive.
In the late 19th century, an apocalyptic winter has fallen over the earth as the result of sudden global cooling triggered by malevolent natural forces. The alternate-history premise of Frostpunk has always been one of the most intriguing things about it. Related: Green Hell Review: A Nightmarish Trip Through the Forest
It may not be as pretty as its PC counterpart, but this version is optimized with a fully rebuilt control scheme for gamepads and plenty of additional content, making it a great way to play one of 2018's best games. Luckily, Frostpunk: Console Edition is a port made with care. Some might be wary about console ports of former PC exclusives, especially one that involves top-down city-building and minuscule adjustments.
The relative commercial success of the game has allowed it to expand with updates and DLC for over a year since then, and now Frostpunk has officially come to PS4 and Xbox One.
Developed and published by 11 Bit Studios, Frostpunk originally launched for Windows PC in spring of 2018 and became a sleeper hit that captivated players with its involving combination of city-building, societal management and survival simulation. In the case of Frostpunk: Console Edition, it's a great thing. It's almost always a good thing when a platform-exclusive game is made available to a wider audience. Despite its graphical compromises, Frostpunk: Console Edition is an excellent way to experience one of the best games of last year.