Endless Legend 2 Makes Waves in 4X Strategy

There are many turn-based strategy games out there, the most prominent being Sid Meier’s Civilization collection of games. I have played many a game of Civilization V, and, thus, thought, when I saw the Steam page for this game, I was in for more of the same. I was wrong. This game is a breath of fresh air for the turn-based strategy sphere of gaming. With a solid storyline, quests that actually help guide your actions towards victory, heroes that don’t fully disappear, and a handful of other features that make the game more fun with each passing second, Endless Legend 2 is a game I fully expect the strategic gaming community to fully embrace.

From the minute I booted up the game, I was blown away by the unique feeling this game has. In my special demo copy, there was a message from the developers telling me about the process of the game and showing how dedicated Amplitude Studios is to making a game that fans will love. Shortly after that came another part of this game that I have not seen in any other turn-based strategy games I have dipped my toe into. That feature is a cut scene that helps to fully immerse you in the world of Saiadha. It has a similar feel to the intro cutscene from Sid Meier’s Civilization games from before you get to the main menu. 

Starting the game was also an interesting time, as there are three unique factions for you to choose from, each with its own positives and negatives. There is a diplomacy path, the Aspect, a middle-of-the-road path, the Kin of Sheredyn, and an aggression path, or the Necrophage. You will also be able to create your own faction in the future. I chose the Aspect or Diplomacy faction, as they are coral machines who want everyone to join the Chorus.

After you choose your own faction, you set the game rules like you would in similar games, setting how many NPC groups you will be versing, the size of the map, the difficulty, and the number of turns. Then you launch your game and get another cutscene, giving a lowdown on the situation you are entering to take control of. This feature of the game is something that I particularly enjoyed as they are spread out at key points in the plot, giving you more immersion in events that happen to you as you play.

You start off with your leader and some troops. You must construct your first city, choose your research, and start exploring the map. What makes this different from other turn-based strategy games, at least for me, is that, specifically for the Aspects, there are other ways to pacify the minor factions you come across. The Aspects have the ability to plant coral seeds, which slowly spread their influence to the nearby area. In this way, you do not need to specifically create colonists to spread your faction. I found this feature helpful in helping to subdue some of the harder surrounding factions.

There are cutscenes when you finish certain story missions or the age of research. The game also features dungeons that start a battle. This will result in a regular one-off battle, just like any other battle in the game, with the only difference being the end result. In most cases, the results of the fights are wiping out that faction and obtaining some money with which to pay for your various actions, as well as experience for your troops. In this case of a dungeon battle, you end up with prestige and some sort of loot item you can equip on your heroes.

Heroes are another thing I like about this game, as they do not fully disappear after use. In those games, you get a great leader you can use for specific functions, and they are gone. In Endless Legend 2, your hero not only can be used in battle, but if they are defeated, they go heal up in one of your cities and are back at it in a few turns, meaning you can get some pretty powerful forces to make your story a long and wild tale.

Something that I have not seen before in a game like this is the shifting water level. The game has this water shifting event occur a few times throughout gameplay, meaning you will have to contend with the great storm and its effects for the entire game, never knowing when it will hit. This presents you with active hazards and could derail your troops’ attempt to explore new areas or give them even more areas to explore.

From its innovative built-in story that draws you in, to cutscenes that result from your decisions, and dungeon battles you can take on for prestige for your civilization, there is so much to explore in Endless Legend 2. The game is still in development, but it shows a lot of promise to be a game that you could lose hours of fun to. Join the journey to decide Saiadha’s future. Endless Legend 2 will launch into Early Access on September 22 for PC via Steam. A preview code was provided by the publisher, but you can check out the demo now.