Cities Skylines 2 is finally on the way, and Colossal Order is promising that it will be the most realistic city builder ever. The studio already showed that it is perfect for the job of carrying on SimCity's legacy, and players cannot wait to see what it does with this next chapter. If it actually fulfills its promise then it should be a hit, but there is one thing that Cities Skylines 2 really needs to get right if it wants to earn that title, and that is its unique buildings.
Cities Skylines features an assortment of unique buildings that players can earn, but most of them are simply set dressing. They look cool, but they do not tend to give cities any major benefits besides extra tourism. These buildings should provide the city with loads of different bonuses and effects that change the day-to-day operations, and Cities Skylines 2 is the studios chance to get the concept right.
Cities Skylines Unique Buildings Are Bland
As players build up their cities in Cities Skylines, they unlock new unique buildings that they can place down. These buildings all have distinct aesthetics, and most of them are required if players want to unlock special monuments. They range from the Grand Mall and Expo Center to the Tax Office and Modern Art Museum. Each building fits nicely into these cities, and various Cities Skylines DLC packs have increased the number of placeable buildings. However, many of them are simply decoration.
When players place down a building like the Grand Mall, they should expect that their Cities: Skylines city sees a big boost in commerce. In actuality, the city just has a big mall looking building sitting in it. There is not much to interact with, and it doesn't give the city any massive bonuses; it simply exists to boost tourism. Pretty much every unique building operates the same way, and there are only a few exceptions like the Stadium. While each of these buildings look nice, they should be doing a lot more.
Cities Skylines 2 Needs to Make Unique Buildings Feel Alive
Cities Skylines' unique buildings should be far more than simple set dressing, and Cities Skylines 2 needs to make sure that they serve a far greater purpose. The Grand Mall should boost commerce, the Expo Center should require players to schedule events, the Colossal Order Offices should give cities immense job growth, and the Tax Office should cause an increase in tax revenue. Each of these buildings should do something besides fill a bar to unlock a monument.
Not every unique building is set dressing, but the vast majority of them are. It is one of the most common complaints from Cities Skylines players. In real-life, these buildings do actually serve some type of purpose beyond being simple tourist traps. Tourists are often drawn to these buildings, but the buildings also contribute to the operation of the city in one way or another. If Cities Skylines 2 wants to actually be the most realistic city builder around, then it needs to ensure that these unique buildings are actually useful.
Colossal Order has yet to showcase any Cities Skylines 2 gameplay, and it has not even provided a specific release window. The studio may have already made unique buildings serve a greater purpose, or it may have stripped out the concept entirely. No one outside the studio really knows yet, but hopefully it has taken a long look at the concept. The cities need to feel alive, and one of the first steps should be to liven up the unique buildings.
Cities Skylines 2 is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
