Cities Skylines 2's big Bridges and Ports expansion is a step in the right direction, but comes at too high a price

Cities Skylines 2 developer Colossal Order has done a lot of work since launch to try to steer its struggling sequel into a winning lane, and its latest addition is the first big CS2 DLC, Bridges and Ports. Out now, it packs in everything from new map types to customizable harbors, maritime industries, parks, lighthouses, leisure piers, and 20 bridge types including movable options like drawbridges and lift bridges. While it's a pretty substantial package, its $20 price tag is leaving a lot of players feeling short-changed, especially with the base game still lacking in several areas.

Following up one of the best city-building games on PC was always going to be tough. Maybe one day CO will get Cities Skylines 2 to the level of its predecessor, but it's a long road, and the game's Steam review score still sits at an underwhelming 53% positive. After delaying the Bridges and Ports expansion twice, the developer has finally brought it to bear, and there is some marked positivity around what it introduces to the game. Unfortunately, even the most optimistic praise remains layered in one very understandable caveat - it's hard to recommend spending almost half the price of the base game on a DLC when the core experience feels unfinished.

Taking the cost out of consideration for a moment, Bridges and Ports does feel like a good step towards a game worthy of the Cities Skylines 2 name. The additions to infrastructure are meaningful and impactful. Opening up ports, ships, ferries, and industries such as fishing dramatically expands the potential to build satisfying settlements. The bridges introduce a rewarding wrinkle to traffic flow, as you have to tackle when to halt road vehicles to allow your boats through.

Yet I can't shake the feeling that some of these are just addressing awkward gaps in the core game, and as a paid package it doesn't quite match up to CS1's impressive Industries DLC. We've also just passed two years since CS2 launched, and there are still plenty of issues with performance, crashes, and missing features that had become staples of its predecessor.

Notably, we're still waiting on the CS2 asset editor, which CO pushed back until after it had finished this latest expansion. Modding and custom creations are a huge part of what made the original Cities such a big success, yet rather than choosing to get its editing tools finished first, the developer decided to prioritize a paid DLC filled with new assets. I can certainly understand why that might rub the community the wrong way.

Since its launch, just 64% of Bridges and Ports reviews recommend it, landing it with the 'mixed' rating that CS2 is unfortunately familiar with. "It's a good DLC, no doubt about it," writes one user. "The new features are solid and genuinely improve the game… but it's hard to ignore that many of these things should've been part of the base experience from the start, which makes it feel a bit overpriced. On top of that, the core game still suffers from many of the same issues it had at launch. It's a shame, there's quality here, just released under the wrong circumstances."

Cities Skylines 2: Bridges and Ports is out now, priced at $19.99 / £16.99. It's also included in the CS2 ultimate edition, which costs $89.99 / £74.99. You can get it here if you're eager to start your waterfront adventures.

If you want to make more dramatic changes, there's quite a lot you can achieve with the best Cities Skylines 2 mods. Or, take a look through the best management games in 2025.

Are you happy with CS2's new expansion, or are you waiting on more additions to the base game first? Let me know in our community Discord server, where you can chat with the staff and other readers.