Game: Cities: Skylines – Airports DLC
Genre: Simulation, Strategy
System: Steam (Windows, macOS & Linux) also available on PS4 & Xbox One)
Developers | Publishers: Colossal Order Ltd, Paradox Interactive
Controller Support: Partial
Price: US $12.99 | UK £10.29 | EU € 12,99
Release Date: January 25th, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to JonnyAtom Productions.
Cities: Skylines which we reviewed on the Nintendo Switch when the game was first released, has had many DLC packs released on Steam. The latest DLC to be released is Airports, and as the name suggests, it adds the ability to design an airport in your city. So put your seatbelt on and place your table trays upright while we look at what the Airport DLC adds to the game.
Cities: Skylines – Airports DLC
In Cities: Skylines you take on the role of the mayor of your very own city. There is a selection of map environments, each possessing different factors such as certain natural resources, access to natural bodies of water, and climate.
However, regardless of which map you pick, the goal remains the same: to take your settlement from a small town and expand it to a metropolis. To do this, you must properly build and maintain the infrastructure of your settlement, organizing it in a way that allows for maximum efficiency.
Metropolis
When your cities reach the metropolis level, you can build your airport. The Airport DLC comes with three maps, Asanu Beach, Hanami Bay and Noyou Port, each with many flat areas to build an airport. There are quite a few different shapes and styles of modular Airport Buildings to pick from in the DLC.
To build an airport, you first use the Area Tool, found in the Districts and Areas menu, to flatten the ground and remove trees in preparation for your Airport. Then you choose a Terminal building and build it. Once a Terminal building is in place along with taxiways and of course, a runway as an airport ain’t much use without one, you’re in business.
Modular Airport
I thoroughly enjoy designing my Airport, connecting its various buildings using concourse networks, and adding transport routes. Since the airport buildings are modular, it gives the player free rein to be creative with plenty of flexibility in the game. Leaving it up to you how you want to build an airport in many different shapes and sizes to fit your city. As your airport moves up the levels more buildings become unlocked giving you more choices such as different shaped terminal buildings.
Airport Level Three
Once your Airport reaches level three, you unlock the Cargo Airport buildings and roads. Cargo airport includes the Cargo Airport Terminal, Cargo Aircraft Stand, medium and large Cargo Airport Roads, and the Airport Cargo Train Station. In addition, there are plenty of new metros, trains and bus stations to add to a thriving city and expand your transport network.
A level three Airport lets you build an Airline Headquarters Building somewhere in your city. It allows you to found your airline and customize the name, logo, and planes to your liking. Then sit back and watch your fleet of aircraft with the livery you chose on display take off and land at your Airport. I spent a good bit of time doing exactly that, probably more than I should have.
Developers involved the Community
The developers of Cities Skylines involved the community with the building of the DLC. They have made sure that most of the mods you have on your save file should work with the Airports DLC. I have a few mods on my save file and they did work fine with the DLC.
Airports DLC and its components add so much more to an already packed game; designing an airport and watching it come to life is enjoyable.
Unfortunately, if you are a Nintendo Switch Cities Skyline player I don’t think you will be seeing the Airport DLC released for the Switch. There are so many DLC packs available on Steam for the PC version of the game. It is a great pity we won’t see them make their way to the Switch; as Paradox stated back in 2019, the reason for the lack of DLC plans is the Switch’s ‘hardware limitations’.
Visuals
Airports DLC is visually in keeping with the original look of Cities Skyline. The game looks amazing on a PC capable of running it smoothly. I’ve always liked how the game comes to life once you lay down the first few roads and zoned some areas. The Airports DLC is pretty detailed visually; the air post services such as luggage carriers all operate once you have your Airport built, making it look very real. Even the planes taking off and landing sound spot on.
Conclusion
Cities: Skyline has been one of my favourite games since its release, which is why it’s firmly on my list of the Best City Building Games . With the Airport DLC, constructing a small airfield right up to large international hubs, cargo and transport hubs add much more to your city and tourism. Cities: Skylines – Airports DLC is my favourite DLC out of them all.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up 
Also available on the 25th January for Cities: Skylines: on Steam (Windows, macOS & Linux) also available on PS4 & Xbox One)
Content Creator Map Pack: (US $4.99| EU € 4,99 | UK £3.99) Featuring eight new terrain maps bySanctum Gamer, unleash your city-building creativity on new and unique landscapes.
Content Creator Pack: Vehicles Of The World: (US $4.99 | EU € 4,99 | UK £3.99) A set of 21 new vehicle assets from around the globe, brought to you by bsquicklehausen. Fill the streets of your cities with iconic service vehicles, like a Police Supercar and more!
Calm The Mind Radio: (US $3.99 | EU 3,99 | UK £TBC) When city-building stresses you out, tune that dial to Calm the Mind Radio. The game’s relaxation radio station will bring chill vibes into your architectural workflow.
On Air Radio: (US $3.99 | EU 3,99 | UK £TBC) Cool cats rejoice. On Air Radio brings jazz beats to Cities: Skylines. Ideal for building the smoothest cities around, you dig?
You must log in to post a comment.