Review: Frostpunk: Console Edition (PlayStation 4)

Offering players a complex strategic challenge alongside a rich narrative featuring an alternative take on the 19th-century industrial revolution, Frostpunk weaves a story of how our planet mysteriously freezes, putting an end to civilization as we know it and forcing the human race to adapt to the harsh conditions. As the leader of possibly the last civilized society on Earth, you’re going to build the city your survivors live in, discover new technologies, explore frozen wastelands and most importantly, manage and rule society to prepare it for life in an unforgiving world.

Pros:

• Stunning graphics.
• 6.88gb download size.
• Platinum trophy.
• Photo mode.
• Four scenarios-new home/the arks/the refugees/the fall of Winter house.
• Endless mode.
• Set the autosave interval.
• Controls-sensitivity sliders, snap distance and snap strength.
• Tutorial pop-ups. (Optional and can be turned off)
• Camera control- can zoom in and out plus rotate.
• Set in an icy wasteland.
• Understandable controls.
• Gameplay- You are in charge of a small group of survivors and must try and build a way of life for everyone by creating jobs, laws and so much more.
• Hope and content meters which fluctuate upon your actions. These meters are the true source of the game, Keeping everyone happy will increase hope whilst…Well, you get it.
• Cutscenes happen as things unfold.
• Really deep rewarding gameplay.
• Resource materials grow around the camp.
• Heat- The most important commodity in the game. You have a generator that requires coal to work and heats up connected buildings. You have a special view to see what has heat. You can push the power and shut it down in order to keep it managed properly.
• Disease- Can happen and spread quickly. Heat can lower the risk.
• Beacon- Open up new areas to send people out to find more survivors.
• Laws- Set new laws in the various fields to dramatically change the gameplay. Legalize prostitution or force longer workdays and child labor.
• Earn research points and unlock new structures which in turn unlock new abilities or resources.
• Clear UI.
• Save when you want.
• Cool animations, You can watch people trudge in the snow, for example, It just looks really good.
• Easy system to assign workers to jobs and areas, Has a handy button to increase/decrease worker by one.
• All structures must be connected by streets. That system itself is very robust.
• Day/night cycle.
• Workers will have a set amount of hours in a workday meaning you will have downtime in action.
• Pop-ups happen from your people. These could be good or bad things or maybe warn you of an impending pandemic.
• Subquests can pop and are optional.
• Normal, Fast and faster game speeds. The boost stops when something significant happens.
• Really good voice work.
• Addictive.
• Fun to play.
• Difficult.
• Harsh weather.
• Many scenarios to play through and each time you can play it differently.

Cons:

• Only one control method.
• No invert axis.
• Easy to miss tutorials.
• A lot to take in.
• Small text if on a big TV.
• Sometimes not sure why/what just happened.
• Difficult.
• A lot going on.
• Controls not that well described especially shortcuts.
• Managing the workers is messy with you having to really work on what they are assigned to.
• Feels too clever at times.
• Only a handful of scenarios.
• No open-ended mode.
• Really dark and bleak atmosphere.
• You can screw yourself very easily if you do not plan well.