Four new stations for €8.99: SubwaySim 2 responds to criticism of the U4 DLC!

According to the development team, the price in relation to the route’s length was one of the points raised particularly often in the first days after release. The criticism is not being dismissed. Instead, the team is trying to explain in greater detail what had to be implemented during the development of the U4 beyond the four visible stations.

A new station alone in SubwaySim 2 consists of more than just platforms and a few new objects. The U4 also required the complete route and tunnel infrastructure, custom signage and materials, passenger information, timetables, scenarios and numerous other details along the route.

According to the developers, this resulted in many hundreds of hours of work going into the DLC. However, the team does not provide a specific figure. The development effort was also apparently not limited exclusively to the immediately visible content of the four stations.

At the same time, technical areas of SubwaySim 2 were further developed with the U4. Particular emphasis is placed on the new signalling system and the dynamic tunnel lighting. The latter does not function merely as a static part of the environment: certain tunnel sections can actually be switched on and off using their own switches at the stations.

The signalling system was also revised for the new route. Neither of these innovations is intended to remain exclusive to the U4 in the long term. The developers also want to use and implement them in other areas of the existing route network in the future. However, when and to what extent this will happen remains open for now.

There is also another technical aspect that was tested for the first time with the U4. The new route was integrated directly into the existing Berlin map instead of creating a separate game world for it. For the developers, the short U4 was therefore also a test of whether this concept would work in principle.

According to the team, this attempt was successful. The existing Berlin map can therefore be technically expanded with additional routes. Some of the development effort apparently also went into foundations that could be reused for future SubwaySim 2 expansions.

However, this does not automatically answer the discussion about the price. In the end, what matters to players is also how much immediately playable content they receive for their money. Four new stations remain four new stations – regardless of how much development work was required behind the scenes.

That is precisely why it is noteworthy that the developers are not simply dismissing the criticism as a misunderstanding. The feedback on the scope and pricing was expressly acknowledged and will be incorporated into further considerations. Whether this will actually result in different pricing or a larger scope for future DLCs has not yet been announced.

Here you can read the developers’ announcement: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2707070/view/692019489711065678

After the first few days, two perspectives therefore stand side by side: on the one hand, a DLC with a very short playable route; on the other, several hundred hours of development work as well as technical work from which the rest of the game may also benefit in the future.

How do you rate the U4 for €8.99 after the first few days? Are four stations still too few for you despite the technical effort – or does the developers’ explanation change your assessment? And what would a future SubwaySim 2 DLC need to offer at this price for it to work for you?