Cities: Skylines 2 achievements hint at some head-turning city-builder mechanics

The achievements list for Cities: Skylines 2 suggests it'll have some head-turning new gameplay mechanics. 

Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced that Cities: Skylines, 2015's hugely popular city builder, is getting the sequel treatment. Cities: Skylines 2 is set to launch this year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Developer Colossal Order promises it will be "the most realistic city builder" with "a deep simulation and a living economy", but exact details are being kept under wraps for now. 

While the game could be a ways off yet, the achievement list is already available, and it seemingly reveals some of the new gameplay features planned for Cities: Skylines 2. According to XboxAchievements, the game will have 40 achievements which are worth a total of 1,000 points. 

The most exciting of these is the achievement "Everything the Light Touches", which you earn by unlocking 150 map tiles in a single city. Given that in the original game, players were restricted to a building area of 25 tiles, or up to 81 with the use of mods, if this is indeed accurate, you'll have tons more space to build your city in the sequel. 

Then there's the "Things Are Not Looking Up" achievement which unlocks when you experience a rat infestation. Maybe a plague of vermin will descend on your city if your waste disposal services are lacking or there's a sewage problem, but however it comes about, this is surely one achievement that players won't be that eager to earn. We're also keeping our fingers crossed for more of these types of in-game events.

Additionally, the "Four Seasons" achievement suggests that players can experience various weather conditions throughout the year, and other achievements forecast hailstorms, tornados and forest fires. Also of note is the "You Little Stalker" achievement, which you get for following a citizen's lifepath from childhood to old age, and "Go Anywhere", unlocked by having 20 active transport lines which, rather interestingly, include cargo lines.

While you wait for Cities: Skylines 2, check out our pick of the best city-building games.