I loved the first game. I didn't completely beat it, I play it on and off every once and a while, but when I saw that a 2nd game was coming out I was ecstatic. I've played around 3 hours now, made it to chapter 3, and I have a couple of things to say since it seems like I've basically reached the gameplay loop. I'm playing on the officer difficulty.

1 - compared to the first game, a lot of my decisions in this game don't seem as impactful to me. or, honestly, I just can't really see the impact I'm having at all because there are so many damn things happening. not that I'm upset that there's so much content, but I genuinely do not care about the laws that I pass lol like I pass a law and it's just in the back of my mind. I pass laws to please people, not to strategize. maybe I'm playing it wrong, I don't know, but so far I haven't failed so it really doesn't seem like they have much of an impact at all save for deaths here and there. that's another thing, deaths don't feel impactful either. there are so many people in my city that the workforce isn't a problem for me.

2 - the UI. it seems like everyone can generally agree that it is absurdly busy. there are a dozen things on screen to worry about: factions, resources (now there can be a surplus, now there are stockpiles within those resources), scouts, money, workforce, population, the council, progress markers??, weather and temperature (though they're not even much of my concern anymore tbh), tension... god yeah you get it. i went into this game completely blind, it's definitely not beginner-friendly especially if you haven't played fp1.

3 - okay, I know that I just said I can't sit here and complain that there are so many things to micromanage, but there are SO MANY THINGS TO MICROMANAGE. since notifications are nearly nonexistent or unclear, it is VERY easy to miss a completed expedition, or when your generator shuts off, or when it's time to pass a law in council, or fucking this and that youuu get it. resources are super finicky, especially housing. housing was the worst. i never, ever had enough housing. i could build for days and days and it still wouldn't be enough. tldr i really need to watch an experienced player play this and listen to their thought process because if I'm being fr my brain completely shut off at some point and I was just expanding districts and placing down random buildings to get positive numbers. lol.

but hey, i saved the seals and still got past prologue first try. love the seals. yes i still give this 4 stars cause i could waste my life away playing this idc