Pocket City 2
"Pocket City 2" is a simulation game that allows players to build and manage their own city as the mayor. The game features delightful mechanics and amazing visuals, but some players have reported bugs. As you develop your city, explore and discover new areas and challenges. Overall, a fun and engaging game for city-building enthusiasts, but be aware of potential technical issues.
Reviews
- Pocket City 2 significantly improves upon the original with enhanced graphics, more features, and engaging gameplay mechanics.
- The game offers a unique free roam mode that allows players to explore their cities in first-person, adding a new layer of immersion.
- There are no microtransactions or ads, making it a refreshing experience for mobile gamers who want a complete game for a one-time purchase.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and crashes, especially as cities grow larger, which can hinder gameplay.
- Driving and movement controls can be frustrating and imprecise, making it difficult to navigate the city effectively.
- Some players have reported overheating issues with their devices while playing, indicating a need for better optimization.
- gameplay36 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Pocket City 2 is generally praised for its engaging mechanics and depth, offering a mix of city-building and simulation elements that keep players hooked. While the game features a casual and accessible design, many users note a lack of challenge and some repetitiveness, alongside various bugs and performance issues that can detract from the experience. Overall, it combines enjoyable gameplay with room for improvement in content and optimization, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
“The gameplay is easy to handle yet very complex.”
“Stepping up the already great foundation put down by the first game, Pocket City 2 adds a lot more depth and fun gameplay design to keep you hooked for hours.”
“Immersive gameplay, dynamic quests, and stunning visuals make Pocket City 2 a standout urban simulation.”
“Very casual gameplay and well worth the money; the downsides: there's really a lack of challenge in it. I built a city, unlocking and building all buildings on max difficulty without much thought at all.”
“Good fun initially, but gameplay soon becomes very repetitive and slow.”
“But the greatest disappointment came from how the city building mechanic itself is just a minor tweak from the first game, barely touched, only wrapped with a neater UI, and how come the traffic is a mess now?”
- graphics34 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their high quality and immersive design, with many users noting significant improvements over the previous entry. While the visuals are stunning, particularly at night, some players experience performance issues such as frame drops and device overheating, especially on lower-end devices. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the gameplay experience, despite minor glitches and the need for further optimization.
“The graphics are amazing; it plays very smoothly on an average phone.”
“Really cute art style and animations.”
“Immersive gameplay, dynamic quests, and stunning visuals make Pocket City 2 a standout urban simulation.”
“Turning down graphics helps but still suffers.”
“Note: the game really causes my device to heat up during gameplay but that's because the graphics are all at maximum.”
“I love it and here's my overall review graphics: the graphics were very high and it has an fps drop for low-end devices and there's room for improvement and optimization.”
- monetization31 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its monetization model, featuring no microtransactions, ads, or in-app purchases, allowing players to enjoy a complete experience for a one-time fee. Reviewers appreciate the absence of predatory monetization practices, highlighting the game's value and the freedom to play offline without interruptions. Overall, the straightforward pricing and lack of additional costs contribute to a highly positive reception.
“No microtransactions, no ads, totally offline.”
“Pay upfront for an amazing game with no ads or microtransactions.”
“An incredibly addictive game free of microtransactions and daily grind quests (there's lots of quests and milestones but not gated by daily grind).”
“The mainstream ones had all predatory microtransactions or the kids ones were a bit limited.”
“This city-building wonder brings back the charm of the classic SimCity but without the frustrating microtransactions.”
“No invasive ads or prompts to buy things.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over performance issues such as lag, stuttering, and overheating, particularly on lower-end devices. While some updates have improved the situation, significant optimization is still needed, especially as cities expand, leading to decreased frame rates. Players are hopeful for future improvements, as the game's potential is evident but currently hindered by these technical challenges.
“Update: the developer has been updating the game with multiple fixes and optimizations.”
“Works flawlessly, has great optimization and loved the mini games too!”
“Disappointed that the development continues to add useless artifacts and games instead of addressing performance and UI issues.”
“It's honestly worthy of 5 stars, but the optimization issues hold it back.”
“The only complaint is the performance optimization; the game is laggy.”
- stability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with numerous users reporting bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as freezing and crashing during critical moments. While many players still find the game enjoyable despite these issues, the frequency and severity of the bugs have led to some frustration, particularly with building placement and traffic management. Overall, while the game runs well on various devices, its stability remains a significant concern for many players.
“It runs great on my (now elderly) Pixel 4a.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action scenes.”
“I've experienced no crashes or bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
“A ton of fun, but it freezes and/or crashes after a natural disaster!”
“But I did not put 5 stars because the game just freezes whenever I try to place a new building.”
“The game is very good, but one thing I'm having trouble with is that it sometimes freezes and lags a lot, making it hard to play.”
- story13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's story features a variety of quests and side missions that keep players engaged, though some users find the quests repetitive and overly rewarding, particularly in the early stages. While the free roam mode and additional challenges add depth, technical issues such as freezing and crashes when entering buildings detract from the overall experience. Despite these concerns, the absence of microtransactions and daily grind mechanics is praised, contributing to the game's addictive nature.
“There are many events, side quests, and free roaming keeping me occupied and engaged.”
“Improved graphics, deeper gameplay, awesome free roam mode with additional quests and challenges.”
“An incredibly addictive game free of microtransactions and daily grind quests (there's lots of quests and milestones but not gated by daily grind).”
“I didn't give 5/5 only because there's still some room for improvement: the quests get boring after playing for some time (being the same in every city you start) and I don't like the sandbox mode, that's too easy.”
“My main gripe is the quests reward far too much cash, especially early on.”
“The beginning quests inject a ridiculous amount of money.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it enjoyable and appreciate the absence of microtransactions, many feel it lacks long-term engagement due to its ease and limited content, making it more of a temporary diversion than a game to revisit frequently.
“The replay value is fantastic, plus no microtransactions, people!”
“Not much in terms of replayability, at least not for like half a year or more when I remember I own this next.”
“A fun time waster for a bit, but extremely easy even on harder settings, so not a lot of replay value for me.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the mini-games and the process of befriending characters, which relies heavily on repetitive gift-giving without meaningful interaction. In contrast, the previous installment was perceived as more engaging and goal-oriented, lacking the grindy elements.
“No grinding, just fun.”
“The grind is rewarding and keeps me engaged.”
“I love how the grinding leads to meaningful progress in the game.”
“My gripes: (1) the mini games are not fun, (2) befriending people is a bit grindy (gift giving, no other interaction), (3) I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but PC 1 felt more goal-oriented and challenging.”
“The grinding in this game feels excessive and tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I find the repetitive tasks required to progress really frustrating; it feels like a chore rather than enjoyable gameplay.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its humor, featuring a variety of engaging mini-games and clever details that contribute to its comedic appeal. Players find it to be exceptionally funny, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the experience.
“The game is funny as hell!”
“The game is filled with engaging mini-games and humorous details.”
- music2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its quality; however, some users have reported issues with sound glitches occurring when interacting with notifications.
“The music is fantastic and really enhances the gaming experience.”
“The soundtrack is catchy and keeps me engaged throughout the game.”
“Good music too.”
“The sound and music bug out when I click a notification, check a message, and then return to the game.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short time.”
“The audio quality is poor, with frequent glitches that disrupt the gaming experience.”