It was last year when 11 bit studios delivered its Frostpunk sequel for PC, taking players back to the winter wasteland for another crack at surviving its post-apocalyptic world. The studio is now planning to let console players get their hands on Frostpunk 2, and it"s arriving almost exactly a year after the PC version and with a reworked interface suitable for controllers.
While the studio already had experience with console ports thanks to its work with the original Frostpunk, it said that the major differences seen in the sequel had made the task a much more intensive one.
For example, the bumpers on controllers will cycle between districts of the same type in Frostpunk 2. Meanwhile, a helpful radial menu will appear when a player selects a resource pile, filled with dynamic actions related to what"s being monitored.
"Initially, we tried to carry over as many interface solutions as possible," explains Igor Skibinski, production coordinator at the Frostpunk 2 team. “But the two games differ so much in terms of gameplay that we had to adapt and rework those systems over time. Still, our main focus was to make interaction with the game feel seamless - so players never have to think about how to play while they’re playing. Our ambition is to once again prove that even complex strategy games can feel intuitive and satisfying on consoles.”
11 bit studio says that the PC version will also receive the same gamepad control scheme with an update following the console version"s launch.
Frostpunk 2 lands on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on September 18. Just like the PC version that landed on PC Game Pass on day one, the Xbox Series X|S version will be available for Xbox Game Pass holders on day one too.
Moreover, two physical special editions have been announced for consoles as well. The Icebreaker Edition and Whiteout Edition come with a pop-up diorama, the digital novella Warm Flesh, a behind-the-scenes digital artbook, and other goodies.