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I’ve played many video game genres in my life, and one that I’m always wary to approach is that of 4X games. Not because it is a bad genre. On the contrary, it is so engaging that you can easily get lost in these dozen-hour campaigns. That is precisely why I approach them with caution; if I start playing one of these titles, I’ll disappear for weeks. ENDLESS Legend 2 will make me go MIA because it is one of the greatest 4X modern games out there, and one that, despite launching in early access, is already brimming with things to do, wars to wage, and quests to complete.
The Big Four
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to experience a bit of what Hooded Horse and AMPLITUDE Studios were cooking up for ENDLESS Legend 2. Now, I’ve had the chance to experience what many will play during early access, and in the words of one blindfolded demon hunter, “You are not prepared.”
In all seriousness, I was already expecting a high-quality 4X experience, but I was not expecting it to be this deep, especially before the game’s full launch. This time, my ENDLESS Legend 2 preview featured almost the full roster of factions, with one of them still a mystery for all of us, many more victory scenarios, and a plethora of quests for me to complete.
Since I always go for the faction with all the soldiers in shining armor, I shook things up this time and went with the warmongering and devouring Necrophage, and boy, I had a blast as I razed every village on the map and saw my gooey minions create burrows in every area they visited.
During the first demo I played, victory conditions and some gameplay aspects were pretty limited. Now, there were almost no boundaries in these procedurally generated maps. I started my match with my Necrophage hero and quickly founded my city. I began setting up my technology research and created burrows, a fast-travel mechanic for this faction that can eventually become nests to attach to cities, allowing you to expand your territory.
Since the Necrophage faction is all about war, I began recruiting my council to support my warmongering campaign, and I ignored every diplomacy request that came my way. ENDLESS Legend 2 quickly shows you just how much care it puts into player agency, as every campaign can go in whatever direction you want. That applies to quests, narrative victories, and even how you expand your territory across these lands surrounded by water.
For this run, I decided to pursue one of the narrative scenarios, which I won’t spoil, while also aiming for a conquest victory. It was pretty challenging at times, but I enjoyed just how customizable the Necrophage felt. You start with weak units but can upgrade them after gathering corpses, which is a faction-unique currency you need for better fighters. Soon after, I was burrowing myself around these lands, expanding my domain, and leaving nothing but rotten carcasses in my destructive wake.
Leaving my campaign’s narration on the side, I also noticed several improvements from one build to another, primarily the UI and how it explains many of its terms. You all know that 4X games are no joke when it comes to their systems, and I’m glad ENDLESS Legend 2 makes everything highly approachable without diminishing the depth that only the veteran 4X players know how to take advantage of. It is a paradise for the most experienced warlords and an easy way to get into the genre for those rookie commanders.
Bring the Tidefall
The most unique aspect of ENDLESS Legend 2 is the Tidefall mechanic. After a set number of turns, you’ll see a moonsoon happening, followed by a Tidefall that unveils new parts of the map. A few happened during my playthrough, and all of them made the ever-changing area much bigger and opened up new paths for me to explore. From Fortresses to minor factions, and even paths to reach my enemies, it was great to see that the dynamism isn’t exclusive to an army, but also to the place you’re trying to conquer.
Many might believe Tidefall is a time-gating mechanic, but as I said in my first preview, that’s not the case. This feature encourages players to plan ahead. How much will you expand before the Tidefall? Should you go wild and capture as many territories as possible or wait for opportunities to establish yourself in a more profitable area? The same happens with approaching other factions. Should you wait until the whole area is open or start amassing an army just for caution?
In truth, this mechanic never rushed me or overwhelmed me, and at times, some of my other objectives distracted me so much that I forgot about it. However, when it happened, it completely changed my run, forcing me to adapt to the new uncovered zones while keeping my goals in sight to avoid losing track of my victory conditions.
Still, what kept me hooked were all the dynamic events that occurred without me noticing. For instance, at first, I was aiming for an Extermination victory, and without realizing it, I triggered my faction’s story. Which, by the way, is easy to follow as there’s a menu that records every bit of your faction’s narrative so you know how it started and how your choices influenced the story you and your army are building.
Overall, ENDLESS Legend 2 is already looking like the greatest 4X of recent years, and one I know that if I start playing, will pull me into these changing waves and won’t let me go for a long time. While I feel certain aspects, such as combat, need some polish to be flashier and more engaging, the truth is that the early access for ENDLESS Legend 2 looks quite promising, and one I’m excited to follow from its beginnings and all the way until we get the final version.
