Screenshot: YouTube
Strategy specialists Paradox had a big day today, unveiling a range of new projects set to be released over the next few years, including both new games and expansions to existing games.
CITIES: SKYLINES 2 ANNOUNCED
Big news first: Cities: Skylines, the world’s leading city builder and a game that’s kind of eight years old now, is getting a sequel. The debut trailer is only cinematic, unfortunately, so not much to gain, but the accompanying press release provides a little more information:
A modern take on the city-builder genre, Cities: Skylines II allows players to create and maintain cities that come to life like never before, complete with fully realized transportation and economic systems, a wealth of building and customization options, and advanced Modding Features . Revealed during the 2023 Paradox Announcement Show, Cities: Skylines II advances the city-builder genre and lets players build the cities of their dreams with the world’s most open city-builder sandbox.
OK, so not. That doesn’t really tell us anything either, especially what will do what we can’t do in Cities: Skylines yet. Well, at least it looks nicer! Perhaps!
Cities Skylines II | Announcement Trailer I
CRUSADER KINGS III: TOURS AND TOURNAMENTS
Crusader Kings III is getting a new expansion called Tours and Tournaments, which like the game’s last major update, Royal Court, caters more to the character and RPG side of the game than its broader strategic content.
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There’s a lot more information about it here, but basically:
By assembling an entourage, choosing options for your journey and hiring a caravan master, you are ready to set off and travel to activities around the world. The travel system is an integral part of activities where both the host and guests travel to reach them – creating a greater sense of place as you see your route being planned and your character moving right on the map.
The expansion adds three major events to travel to: Grand Tournaments, Grand Weddings, and Grand Tours, where you can strut your realm, meet people, and offer the player even more menus that prompt you to choose a dialogue / action option.
It will appear in “late spring”.
Crusader Kings III: Tours and Tournaments Announcement Trailer
THE LEAGUE OF LAMPLIGHTS
That looks cool! This is a brand new thing, a “tactical turn-based strategy game set in an alternate year 1933,” which is a longer description of what was certainly its elevator pitch, which is “It’s Indiana Jones x XCOM.”
The Lamplighters League Announcement Trailer
Since this trailer doesn’t contain any gameplay, here’s a second one:
The Lamplighters League – First look at the gameplay
The game is slated for release in 2023 on “PC and Xbox Series X and S consoles.”
EUROPE UNIVERSALISIVE
The venerable grand strategy classic Europa Universalis IV gets its 2168th expansion with Domination, which “features new mission trees, new government reforms, new estate management, and new events for several of the major powers in the game.”
That means powers like Britain, Spain, and France “have been given new life and balance, with greater historical depth, more promising rewards, and branching mission trees, allowing player choices to have a dramatic impact on how the story unfolds.”
Europa Universalis IV: Dominion | announcement trailer
Paradox also made a number of smaller announcements for smaller titles, such as a Surviving the Aftermath expansion and “Mechabellum, a sci-fi auto-battler game in which players compete with ever-growing armies of mechs, robots, and heavy weapons.” which you can look here.
