Summary
One of the main things players have to worry about in any urban city builder is the traffic situation. Just like in real life, as a city gets bigger, the traffic tends to get worse. This can cause huge delays, bottlenecks, and can force a city to come to a standstill if it is bad enough. That exact feeling is something that Colossal Order is trying to emulate withCities: Skylines 2, and so far, it seems to be doing a really great job at that.
ForCities: Skylines 2, the developers completely reworked how the traffic pathfinding AI works, which has created a much more realistic experience. While it is still not the perfect representation of reality, it feels like it has come a lot closer to it than its predecessor. It just seems to be far easier to manage, its movements seem to be more lifelike, and the inclusion of things like car accidents gives it a whole new feel. Because of this, future urban city builders should really consider taking some notes when designing their own version
RELATED:Cities: Skylines 2 Seems to Be Taking All the Right Things from SimCity 2013
Cities: Skylines 2’s Traffic Truly Feels Realistic
InCities: Skylines, managing trafficwas not a fun thing to do. As the cities became massive, the actual traffic felt impossible to work around. It often felt like the city would just come to a standstill as the cars would barely move whenever there was any sort of backup. Unless players had a great public transportation system, the AI would just fill the road. And the only ways to really deal with it were to increase the size of said road or add even more roads to the mix.
WhileCities: Skylines 2’s traffic is fixed in a similar manner; Colossal Order has made it so that the actual pathfinding AI seems a bit more realistic. Instead of just charting routes based on what was closest, the AI in this game take into account the cost of travel. Now, they will consider the actual road networks, the travel time, the travel cost, and all sorts of different things to figure out their path. They will also change lanes to avoid things like emergencies or car accidents and use more lanes than ever before. Andthe inclusion of a new roundabout tooljust makes things inCities: Skylines 2even easier.
This new approach to traffic means thatthe cars inCities: Skylines 2actually behave a bit more like real people do. Now, they actually chart their path based on various elements rather than what route is the closest to them. This means that cars are not building up on the main roads as much, and city services can actually get to where they need to be faster. Even though it is still not a perfect system, these changes go a long way in making it feel a bit better.
Colossal Order has also thrown innew features toCities: Skylines 2like traffic accidents and parking to liven up the feature a bit more. Vehicles can now lose control and crash into other cars or buildings during their commute, which can cause even more delays. Along with that, parking plays a big role with the traffic AI as the amount of available space will dictate whether they go somewhere or what transportation they will use. Both features help give the game more realism, which is great to see.
The addition of traffic accidents, parking, and the traffic AI revamp really help makeCities: Skylines 2feel special. While some players may prefer the original game’s version, this new version just feels a bit more realistic. And even though it still has a way to go before it can truly capture reality, this seems like a large step towards achieving that. So, hopefully, more city builders want to replicate it in some way.
Cities: Skylines 2
WHERE TO PLAY
If you can dream it, you can build it. Raise a city from the ground up and transform it into the thriving metropolis only you can imagine. You’ve never experienced building on this scale. With deep simulation and a living economy, Cities: Skylines II delivers world-building without limits.Lay the foundations for your city to begin. Create the roads, infrastructure, and systems that make life possible day to day. It’s up to you – all of it.How your city grows is your call too, but plan strategically. Every decision has an impact. Can you energize local industries while also using trade to boost the economy? What will make residential districts flourish without killing the buzz downtown? How will you meet the needs and desires of citizens while balancing the city’s budget?Your city never rests. Like any living, breathing world, it changes over time. Some changes will be slow and gradual, while others will be sudden and unexpected. So while seasons turn and night follows day, be ready to act when life doesn’t go to plan.The most realistic and detailed city builder ever, Cities: Skylines II pushes your creativity and problem-solving to another level. With beautifully rendered high-resolution graphics, it also inspires you to build the city of your dreams.
