[PREVIEW] ENDLESS Legend 2 – Very Promising Take on 4X Genre

The 4X genre has seen its share of uninspired titles recently, with Civilization VII being a prime example of a poorly received game. However, all eyes are now on ENDLESS Legends 2 from Amplitude Studios. In any case, it’s set on the new oceanic world of Saiadha and the demo provides a glimpse into a game that aims to build upon its predecessor’s unique blend of asymmetric factions, rich lore, and dynamic world mechanics, while introducing significant gameplay evolutions.

Unique tidefalls mechanic

You choose from a selection of several factions (the demo features the human-like Kin of Sheredyn, the coral cyborg Aspects, and the Necrophages) and embark on a quest to establish their empire. The familiar pillars of city building, technology research, army raising, and diplomatic maneuvering are all present. It’s been years since the last time we’ve played the first game that you end up getting a feeling like everything is completely new.

The unique aspect here is that the world of Saiadha is defined by tidefalls, natural phenomena where ocean levels recede, revealing new territories, resources, and potential threats. This introduces a fascinating layer of strategic adaptation, meaning you must anticipate these environmental shifts, plan your expansion, resource exploitation, and defense around a constantly changing battlefield. This dynamic map system is a refreshing departure from static 4X maps and demands continuous strategic reassessment.

ENDLESS Legend 2 retains the multi-tile city building from the first game but adds a new Foundations mechanic. Before expanding a city onto an adjacent hex, you must first build a foundation. This adds a subtle but important layer of planning to urban expansion and resource acquisition. The process of establishing “camps” to claim regions and then evolving them into cities using “influence” is important.

More engaging combat system

A significant departure from the original ENDLESS Legend is the more direct and involved tactical combat. While still turn-based on a separate battle map, you now have more control, issuing commands to individual units and manually positioning them. This aims to deepen the tactical layer, moving beyond the auto-resolve or more abstract engagements of the first game.

The demo showcases a basic combat system, with limited deployment zones and a focus on direct unit engagements. But I was personally not a fan of this as the combat felt rather bland. The auto-resolve function is still available, but you can now sometimes win battles yourself even when the function predicts a loss.

Each faction has unique storylines and quests, along with distinct abilities, buildings, and troops. The demo provides a taste of these unique gameplay mechanics, for example, the Aspects can spread coral spores to infest the minds of opponents, offering a different “diplomacy” playstyle. Additionally, neutral faction can be either destroyed, made into tributaries or allies.

Very promising game

Heroes return as powerful army leaders or city governors, gaining experience and equipment. ENDLESS Legend 2 introduces a personal relationships system, allowing you to assign companions (lovers, essentially) to your heroes. These companions can create “Havens” which grant bonus yields, adding a unique RPG-like element to empire management, something similar to Crusader Kings series.

While the game is certainly beautiful and draws inspiration from Amplitude’s own HUMANKIND, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s quite overwhelming. For new players, one game isn’t enough to grasp the mechanics. The map, while beautiful, can suffer from information overload and visual clutter as you unlock more features, leading to constant confusion. While more playtime may improve this, I believe crucial information on the map could be displayed more obviously. Additionally, hero management requires a lot of clicking, and even with shortcuts, the title remains a rather overwhelming experience.

In the end, ENDLESS Legend 2 promises to be a refreshing addition to the 4X genre. It leverages a unique setting and Amplitude’s signature narrative depth to create a really fun strategic experience. While the demo offers a limited view, the core mechanics are solid, and the dynamic world hints at something that might be truly amazing.