Cities: Skylines II CD Key

Users wrote

Cities: Skylines II is widely seen as an improved city-builder with more features and better visuals than the first game, and it has attracted ongoing updates from Iceflake Studio. However, players keep reporting significant performance issues, bugs, and stability problems, especially as cities grow large. Traffic AI and road design remain major frustrations, while many reviews criticize price and DLC monetization. Despite a rough launch, players see potential and expect the game to become a polished successor with continued development.

Last updated: 2026-03-04

Most Mentioned Advantages

• Graphics and visuals improved (9 mentions) - Many reviewers say CS2 looks better than CS1. They mention better lighting and more details in buildings and streets. The base game is described as visually striking and immersive. Overall, most people see the visuals as a strong upgrade in the sequel.
• More features in the base game than CS1 (7 mentions) - Players point out that CS2 includes features like mass transit and industries in the base game. This makes the game feel more complete without buying many DLCs. Reviewers say the core gameplay is deeper and more complete at release.
• Active updates and development by Iceflake Studio (6 mentions) - Reviewers note Iceflake Studio took over development and is releasing patches and hotfixes. They mention better communication and listening to feedback since the change. This ongoing support is seen as a good sign for future improvements.
• Modding support and built-in mod launcher (4 mentions) - Some reviewers mention a built-in mod launcher and easy access to community content. This is seen as helpful for modders compared to other setups. It helps manage mods without extra tools.
• Deep city-building experience (4 mentions) - Players describe the core city-building as engaging and deep. They enjoy planning roads, zoning and services. The game offers a lot of freedom to shape cities.

Most Mentioned Disadvantages

• Performance and optimization issues (22 mentions) - Many reviewers report poor optimization and inconsistent frame rates, even on strong hardware. DLSS can blur the image and some textures flicker. Performance often worsens as cities grow. Some players see long load times or stuttering.
• Monetization: overpriced base price and paid DLC (12 mentions) - Many reviews say the base price is high and key features are sold as DLC. They feel the game costs too much for what is included. Some reviewers say CS2 is not worth the price at launch.
• Traffic AI and road design problems (9 mentions) - Reviewers complain about traffic AI not working well. They cannot set lane turns or restrict vehicles. Road design has limited control, which hurts planning.
• Mod management issues (9 mentions) - Several reviews point to problems with mod management and workshop integration. It is hard to update and delete mods; mods can cause crashes.
• Crashes and stability problems (8 mentions) - Several reviews describe frequent crashes. Some people report blue screen or startup crashes. Progress can be lost due to crashes.

Compared Games

• Cities: Skylines 1 (6 mentions) - CS2 is often compared with CS1; many reviews say CS2 improves visuals and features while performance and stability are concerns.
• Sim City (4 mentions) - Some reviewers say CS2 feels like Sim City and recalls classic Sim City gameplay.