City building games have a Soul Problem pt.2

When I dive back into Cities: Skylines 2, I can't help but feel a deep yearning for the game. It's like satisfying an innate desire. As children, we engaged in makeshift city-building with toy cars or played in the dirt, constructing miniature cities filled with tunnels and bridges. Some of us even had an uncle who turned the playroom into a miniature world of trains, tunnels, and stations.

A fragment of this childhood fantasy seems to resurface whenever I launch Cities: Skylines 2 and build a city. In my previous piece, I explored the genre broadly, sparking interesting discussions, especially on Reddit. Today, I'll focus on the aesthetics that disappoint me every time I gaze at my city. Everything appears square and unnatural, leading me to wonder if there's a solution.

One issue arises when the sidewalk, building tiles, and grass meet, resulting in an unappealing sight. While some may achieve better results through mods and decals, spending 40 hours micro-managing every city corner isn't realistic for most players. Without investing those hours, the city feels lifeless. I find joy in building a city and then gazing at it, marveling at the algorithm's creations.

I want to experience surprises and avoid the lifelessness that comes from hand-painting every detail. It's similar to wandering the streets of Athens, seeking charming corners that reveal a story. In this game, everything feels sanitized to the point of neurosis. The small textures greatly impact the overall atmosphere. For instance, designers could look at 100 photos of real cities, noting elements like damp spots, weeds, abandoned toys, or rusted railings.

Even in well-maintained areas, nature occasionally takes over. Unfortunately, real cities have poor areas with abandoned houses or those in poor condition. This aesthetic element offers realism and feedback without needing to open the stats panel. The landscape should speak for itself. I hope future city-building games or CS2 DLCs emphasize adding soul and character to city-building.

Until then, we must rely on our Bob Ross instincts. AI was used for proofreading, generating descriptive image alt texts, and creating improved visual concepts.