If you are into city building or even simulation titles on mobile, you probably have come across the name of Pocket City. After nearly 5 years, the game got its much-awaited sequel, Pocket City 2 and in this article, we’ll review this indie title and go through all the good parts and not-so-good parts to help you decide if you would like to play the role of your dream city’s mayor.
Pocket City 2 starts with the same backdrop as its predecessor
As you step into the shoes of the city’s mayor, you’ll be first customizing your avatar which is a new addition to this title. The story, however, remains the same old thing where you have to grow your small settlement into a thriving city. One notable thing that you would notice at the start of your game is that you can enjoy the game in both portrait and landscape mode.
There isn’t a proper story here, but the majority of the city-building simulation titles are like this only. You, on the other hand, will get the option to rename your city and expand your city to the adjacent areas if you wish to. The best part is, you can take a free ride in different vehicles to experience the city yourself.
Artstyle and Music remain the same
The game brings a low poly art style and this looks quite attractive that matches well with the overall game theme. Graphics-wise the game has not got any upgrade which was not necessary to be very honest. As someone who has hundreds of hours combined on both titles, I could tell that the art style is just a decent part of this game.
Just like its graphics, the game’s music and sounds too are very minimalistic that sync well. You’ll never realize that there’s something going on in the background. I really loved the “Yeey!” sound that the NPCs made whenever you, as the mayor, accepted any small requests or quests. The block parties or the other events you’ll start will also have separate music.
Pocket City 2 game mechanism has got a nice upgrade
Although Pocket City 2 has the same core gameplay, the various mechanisms got a significant upgrade. Your role as the mayor will be to grow your city in every aspect, be it the population, happiness, or overall quality of life. As a city management simulation title, Pocket City 2 has a lot to offer to its players.
You’ll get detailed stats for every aspect of your city. And this insight will help you to understand and overcome all the problems and help you thrive. Compared to Pocket City, this game’s metrics system is much better. The game has added a well-managed research tree. As you progress through the game and reach milestones, you’ll be rewarded with Research Points that you can use to research and get extra benefits.
You also get the option to set the tax rates for Income, Property, and Sales. Each of these will affect Tax satisfaction which indirectly affects the Happiness index of the city. At the same time, this will also define whether the population will increase or decrease.
You can also take loans from Bank at 2% daily interest. The amount of the loan will depend on the number of banks you have in the city. Having the courage to take loans and repaying them will make things interesting. Your decision will highly impact the growth of the city’s economy and overall expansion.
Plenty of things to do but replayability is a question
As you can already read from the Pocket City 2 review, the players will have a lot to do in this game. From micromanaging the city’s economy to the overall growth of the city you’ll be pretty hooked during the time you would play. The addiction will be real! You would also enjoy the changing seasons that will turn the overall color of your city. For example, during the summer season, the city will be vibrant, winter will turn the city white, and autumn leaves will turn your city orange, how cool is that!
The map, however, may look small if you just look at one city. But that too comes with a nice solution. Pocket City 2 will allow you to create more than one city as you can see in the image given below. Each area will come with a different terrain that may spice up your gameplay. You can also transfer some money from one city to another for a progress boost.
If you get addicted to this game like me, you would end up hitting level 50 in a single day and then you would feel what’s next? You can either go for the city expansion in the adjacent map or maybe start over. Although the game does not stop at level 50, it’s probably when you’ll have all the areas unlocked and have most of them filled with buildings already. So that puts a question mark on the replayability of this game.
Building your own City is definitely worth your time and your… money
For $4.99 the game’s value for money is fair. If you love city-building games or are just a fan of simulation games, this is a game you should not miss. This is a game that you would play all day long on a lazy weekend. But do note that it is for that weekend only, you may get bored real quick after that considering there’s no online option. So the value may not exactly be the same for you.
Final Verdict
Overall, Pocket City 2 will stand proudly with the contemporary hits of the market (such as EA’s SimCity Buildit) as evident in our review. The gameplay will keep you hooked to the game every single moment and you’ll be in the constant urge of improving your city, and thats what a Mayor should do, right?! The bug-free simplistic gameplay and art style just add another layer of satisfaction to this indie masterpiece!
Pocket City 2 Review by GamingonPhone
Game Mechanics - 9
Graphics and Music - 8
Controls and UI - 8
Replayability - 6
Value for Money - 9
8
Good
If you are a casual gamer looking to try something new or a seasoned fan of city-building simulation games, Pocket City 2 is a game that should give a try.
What are your opinions on the Pocket City 2 review? Do let us know in the comments below!
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