Alien races in video games can often be boring and uninspired. On rare occasion however, upon the spark of imagination with a hint of good execution, Alien races in video games can inspire and ignite one’s imagination endlessly.
Sci-Fi 4X games have given us numerous aliens over the years with a wide variety of cultures, appearances and lore. Endless Space 2 is the sequel to Amplitude studios critically acclaimed 4X game Endless Space and it is about to head into Steam’s early access program and promises to boast a wide range of strange space faring civilizations.
Gameplay
One of the major issues that many sci-fi 4X games get completely wrong is the implementation of these other worldly races. Often each race plays the exact same with the only real difference being an aesthetical one. Endless Space 2 looks to change that with each faction not only playing different but incorporating the cultural differences into the mechanics themselves.
The current early access build contains a few factions to choose from, of these the most unique are the Vodyani a race of beings who are contained within suits that help them survive after the near destruction of their race. They remind me of the Quarians from the Mass Effect series which also happened to be one of the more interesting cultures of that franchise.
Similar also to the Quarians, the Vodyani are a nomad race who have left their world behind and now survive on giant ships known as arks. These arks play the role of colonies when in a star system. Other races must colonize planets individually and set up facilities where as the Vodyani are not only housed in mobile colonies but they can also accumulate resources from an entire star system with just one ark.
Home system
In terms of base mechanics Endless Space 2 works the same as the original. You start with a single system and as you grow you are able to produce more ships and expand your empire. Researching technology has always been a pillar of the 4X genre and in this game, it works as you would expect it too. Each race has a technology tree that spans several tiers which denote the technological age. Each tier consists of sub trees that are divided into categories such as weapons or economics.
You are only able to research one technology at a time but can queue up several at a time so that it automatically starts the next after one is completed. Some factions will of course be research inclined and will be able to research much faster than others. The Vodyani for example, can collect resources of an entire system, but their production and research pace is slowed comparatively.
Diplomacy as it stands needs work, like most diplomacy systems in the genre, the game has the basics down but at this point, struggles to flesh out its ideas and lacks anything interesting or unique. The redeeming feature of diplomacy is the minor factions, who can be allied with for a multitude of bonuses. These sub-factions are usually the native inhabitants of certain worlds and each have their own unique culture.
Faction choices
One of the most unique and ultimately one of the most enjoyable elements of the game is the focus on the races themselves. Politics is a big factor in Endless Space 2 and how you rule your people will have consequences. Each action has heroes which are special units that can be attached to fleets or assigned to colonies as governor to give special bonuses depending on the heroes and role assigned.
The implementation of narrative is something that really impressed me in Endless Space 2. Each faction has story specific quests that you can complete in a non-linear fashion. These quests not only provide rewards like resources but also help to expand the lore and narrative of your faction of choice.
Combat in the original Endless Space was extremely hands off and sadly this has transferred to its sequel. The space battles look great but that is all you do…watch. Before an engagement takes place your able to choose a battle plan which is simply long range, medium range and short range. The effectiveness of the battle plans you select depends on the ships in your fleet and the enemy you face. This can lead to feeling like you have to specialize your fleets into ranges which naturally increases the success rate but also leaves you open to hard counters from enemy fleets.
Battle scaring
While engagements are fun to watch they do become boring and with no hands on action, it becomes the norm fairly quickly to auto resolve. I’ve always said that some good RTS combat in Endless Space would take it up to a different level. Once again however, combat holds an otherwise great strategy game back in a big way.
System Requirements
Aesthetically, Endless Space 2 retains its great visuals with a few marked improvements. The overall feel that the game’s smooth transitions and assets provide is something very few games have achieved. The whole game looks and sounds fantastic which really helps pull you in making five hours feel like five minutes.
Contested star system
Minimum:
OS: Windows (64bits only) 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10
Processor: i3 4th generation / i5 2nd generation / A6 series
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon 5800 series / NVidia 550Ti
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 8 GB available space
Sound Card: DX11 compatible
Additional Notes: Minimum Resolution: 1280 x 720
Recommended:
OS: Windows (64bits only) 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10
Processor: i3 5th generation (or newer) / i5 3rd generation (or newer) / FX4170 (or newer)
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon 8000 series or newer / NVidia GTX 660 or newer
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 8 GB available space
Sound Card: DX11 compatible
Additional Notes: Recommended Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Release Date
Full launch of the game is estimated at some point in Q1 or Q2 2017 with the developers looking to stay in early access for around four to six months, yet the time could be variable depending on feedback.
Additional Thoughts
Tech, glorious tech
Endless Space 2 is shaping up to be a great sci-fi 4X strategy that will potentially be packed with narrative and charm. The core mechanics of the game have a solid foundation that is only really let down by the hands off combat.
Fans of the genre and of the previous game should settle in nicely and find the focus on quests and heroes a nice touch to the already established mechanics. The full game will feature a host more features, races and units which will serve to add variety and longevity to the game.
Most Anticipated Feature: More races equals more unique mechanics and playstyles.
