Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC Review: Craft your own Utopia in this immersive add-on

The Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC is the latest addition to the icy world, adding an array of new features and changes that expand the base abilities. In a world where ending tension means quashing debate, the pack adds new tales and expands the skill branches significantly.

Here's a deep dive into Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC and why it's the much-needed expansion in your quest for order, paid for in blood and ice.

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Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC: The final shape of an eternally frozen society

The Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC introduces a massive overhaul to the Utopia builder alongside QOL features to core gameplay (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || 11 Bit Studios)

Fractured Utopias is the first DLC for the critically acclaimed Frostpunk 2, where players go all-in to make sure the city does not fall. The base title offers many challenging areas, including an immersive story mode alongside the custom Utopia Builder.

At the outset, it is worth mentioning that the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC does not attempt to reinvent the game or broaden the title. Instead, it delves deep into the mechanics of the frigid city and reworks the Utopia mode, offering a massive quality-of-life improvement and ideological boosts.

While the regular playthrough treated ideology and direction as a passive feature that emerged as the gameplay progressed, the overhauled Utopia builder treats it as a foundational aspect of the gameplay. The update essentially transforms this mode from a casual sandbox to a high-octane simulation, powered by a vast range of new features and Tales.

While the factions emerged as passive players in the regular playthrough, gamers begin by aligning with a set of dominant communities in this mode. Each of the factions in the Utopia builder holds its own interpretation and understanding of societal perfection, complete with its own systems, tools, and endgame scenario.

The Utopia tree is one of the most immersive features of the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || 11 Bit Studios)

The Utopia tree is perhaps one of the most powerful aspects of the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC. Each faction has its own tree, filled with unique active and passive laws as well as functional hubs. As part of the DLC, each of the eight factions have their own skill trees, with twelve nodes in each. This offers gamers 96 different powers and buffs that can significantly impact and assist in gameplay.

The buffs and skills in the Utopia tree are separate from the research and council progression, essentially defining how a faction achieves its vision of the perfect city. Due to the wide variety of buffs and powers, each Utopia feels functionally unique and distinct rather than being just a cosmetic variation.

Each faction has its own set of skills and buffs in the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || 11 Bit Studios)

When players invest points into a faction, they will gain access to specialized laws, unique buildings, powerful abilities, and faction-specific hubs that directly impact and contribute to how the city functions and thrives. Points can be earned through earning trust by implementing laws, taking actions, or aligning with the demands of factions.

Another unique feature that Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC adds is the ability to engage with this opposition more deeply, even granting access to their Utopia Tree. This essentially allows gamers to choose features from opposing factions that go directly against the chosen ideology, but are good for the overall survival of the city. This feature casually depicts the depth and impact of each choice in the game.

While players enjoy their newfound powers in their quest towards Utopia, they will be challenged by an opposing major faction. This group will test the Steward's mettle and throw many curveballs that the players must dodge. The opposing faction will usually possess values that directly oppose the ideas of the chosen faction, creating a challenging environment.

You can experience two new Tales in the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || 11 Bit Studios)

Apart from the challenges offered by the new narrative events and in-game scenarios, the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC introduces two brand-new Tales, Doomsayers and Plague. These are massive overarching crises that the players must combat while heading towards Utopia.

The Utopia builder offers players the choice between either or both Tales. Doomsayers features a hostile community and faction that aims to hijack the city, while the plague is a deadly virus that approaches the city. Each of these Tales offer unique rewards and structures that players can use in the game. Additionally, gamers who wish to play these exclusively will also get recommended choices.

The Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC adds a brand-new map filled with challenges (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || 11 Bit Studios)

Alongside these features, the DLC also adds Jagged Bay, a new map that situates the city right next to a frozen coastline. The abandoned Imperial Exploration Company site is bountiful in resources, thanks to the abandoned Hangar nearby. However, the geographical difficulties offer a new layer of challenge to players in this small map.

While it offers little in terms of story development, the Tales and the new Map serve as more than enough to justify the price tag for the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC. The expansion succeeds not by adding volume, but by adding weight to the gameplay. It sharpens Frostpunk 2’s strongest ideas and adds much-needed depth to the philosophical arc and replayability of the Utopia Builder.

In conclusion, the Frostpunk 2 Fractured Utopias DLC does not aim to change the core gameplay or add a flurry of new content. It essentially improves the current mechanics while offering new content that blends in seamlessly with the existing framework of the title. It is a worthy expansion for both casual citizens as well as hardy stewards who don't mind tough choices for the sake of the city.

Also read: Who was The Captain in Frostpunk 2, explained

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Check out more Frostpunk 2 here:

• How to Stop a Civil War in Frostpunk 2
• How to get Captain's Authority in Frostpunk 2
• What is the Zeitgeist System in Frostpunk 2
• Banish Opposing Faction, Seek Reconciliation, or Enforce Order in Frostpunk 2

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Edited by Sayendra Basu