Cities: Skylines 2 has, perhaps accidentally, released a full list of its in-game achievements, giving players an early look at what some of its weirdest features and options may be, with rat infestations being a particularly noteworthy highlight. Presented as part of Paradox Interactive's all-new game showcase almost exactly on the eighth anniversary of the first title's release, development of the sequel to one of the most critically acclaimed city-building titles is apparently now well underway.
Slated to launch sometime during 2023, Cities: Skylines 2 may well be closer than most fans would've imagined. Even though there's been no actual gameplay shown so far, Xbox achievement websites have managed to get a hold of the game's achievements, and they appear to be quite telling all on their own.
As the headliner of this year's Paradox Announcement Show, Cities: Skylines 2 turned heads as soon as its title first showed up on the stream. Now, however, its achievement data appears to have been released - perhaps inadvertently - and it's more revealing than one may have expected. For example, the "Everything the Light Touches" achievement unlocks after players purchase 150 map tiles, which is a massive increase from the first game's meager 25-tile baseline. On the other hand, the "Things Are Not Looking Up" achievement unlocks following the first rat infestation of a player's city, and "The Size of Golf Balls" is tied to a hailstorm event.
These achievements imply that not only will Cities: Skylines 2 be substantially larger than its immediate predecessor, but also that the game will field a far more varied array of simulation options. If hailstorms, tornadoes, and rat infestations are a thing, players will need to be very careful and avoid some common mistakes when playing the Cities: Skylines sequel, as there will be more things to keep track of in the follow-up.
Considering how popular Cities: Skylines mods have become over the years, odds are good that developer Colossal Order will be looking at ways to leverage the Steam Workshop in the new game, too. The availability of advanced simulation features should open up the game's systems like never before, if this ends up being the case, making the whole thing that much more engaging in the long run.
It's worth reiterating that no Cities: Skylines 2 gameplay has been shown just yet. Colossal Order's track record is quite good, however, and the studio's pedigree means that expectations are high that the new city-builder will make its way onto most players' Paradox Interactive video game tier lists. Only time will tell whether the developer ends up being successful in this regard.
Cities: Skylines 2 will be available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
Source: Xbox Achievements
