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4X games can be quite daunting initially, and only a few games achieve that sweet spot with accessibility for newcomers while also maintaining the advanced core gameplay that keeps players hooked. And ENDLESS Legend 2 executes the 4X gameplay loop exceptionally. Recently, I had the chance to play an early build that contained two factions, many of the game’s systems, and a gorgeous new realm. And I must say, this might be the next big 4X game on the market and one I can’t wait to sink many hours into.
Welcome to Saiadha
The most significant aspect of ENDLESS Legend 2 is its world, Saiadha. It made a big impression on me thanks to its interesting mechanics. In other games, its inhabitants, political situations, and random narrative events are what make the bulk of the gameplay loop. Here, it’s all about the Monsoon and the changes it brings.
As the game progresses, a Monsoon will arrive in Saiadha, affecting the landscape considerably. Minor factions will become hostile, your vision will be worse, and a few other effects will occur. However, once the Monsoon disappears, new landmasses will pop up around the already huge campaign map.
While it may sound like a time-gating thing, it isn’t. In other 4X scenarios, you can explore the whole map in a few turns and either rush your army to defeat someone or start diplomatic relationships as quickly as possible. On the other hand, the Monsoon puts exploration on hold, which gave me plenty of time to build up my civilization before expanding my horizons. Even if I wanted to expand my borders, the game wouldn’t let me, but it’s a restricting aspect I appreciated. It makes the whole world feel more dynamic and constantly changing. Plus, for new players, it will let them get familiar with the lands closer to the capital before venturing out.
In truth, this gameplay addition is superb and will appeal to both veterans and rookies. For the former, they’ll find an excellent strategic layer where they have to plan everything before a Monsoon begins or ends. For rookies, it will let them learn the ropes of the many systems ENDLESS Legend 2 brings. Lastly, one of my biggest gripes in strategy games is how changing an age doesn’t reflect on the world. It’s usually confined to your capital and civilization, but that’s it. Yet, when the Monsoon ends and the Tidefall comes in, new mechanics appear, landmasses pop up, and it feels like the world is progressing alongside you.
Highly Unique Factions
For this build, I only had access to the Kin of Sheredyn and the Aspects. The former is all about fast production and using Commandments, which are abilities that let you buff your allies, city, districts, or something else entirely. The latter focuses on expanding by placing Coral on tiles while also leaning toward a more diplomatic approach.
I went with the Aspects for my first run, and I loved many things about this faction. The Aspects’ main gimmick is Coral, which you can then use to create a Coral Spore and then turn it into a camp. Also, this mechanic gives you benefits when expanding. If you want to build a district or lay a foundation, it will cost less if there’s Coral on that tile. There’s even an option to let your units regenerate health while standing on Coral tiles.
I liked that The Aspects looked for a more diplomatic approach while expanding rapidly. It had a few downsides, though. As a rookie, I over-expanded and aggroed many minor factions, which led to many battles and a few broken relationships. Still, it was great to have the option to halt my advance and spread in an area first or just go nuts and put Coral on everything.
My favorite faction, however, was the Kin of Sheredyn. This faction focuses more on production, building, and even conquering. For my second run, I wanted to go down the warmongering path, and it was quite fun. I razed villages, amassed my armies, and went down a conquering path without any allies. As you can imagine, this led to my quick demise, but it was fun nonetheless. I also liked the Holy Commandments system, which adds powerful bonuses to many things around your capital. I used my Commandments to buff my city, but there were also a few options tailored toward combat and exploration.
Overall, both factions felt highly unique and tailored toward different goals. Still, you can make your own path as you progress through your campaign, which is the main selling point of any 4X game out there. Yet, ENDLESS Legend 2 brings some of the most distinct factions I’ve seen lately, and I can’t wait to see how they can develop further once the game fully launches.
Building Your Legend
Another aspect of ENDLESS Legend 2 is its choice-making narrative. As you progress through your campaign, many quests will start popping up. A few will task you with finding a person, and others will expand, but the best are those that give you multiple choices.
For instance, playing as the Kin of Sheredyn, I decided to bring a minor faction into my fold. Not long after, this faction was spreading information that caused turmoil inside my city. I had different choices that led to me silencing the faction, using it in my favor, or exposing them. The same happened when choosing people for my Council. Many of the options I got had different ideologies. Some leaned heavily on my playstyle, while others offered entirely different paths.
Beyond that, questing plays a huge part in the exploration loop. This build featured many quests, ranging from exploring to battling and finding someone. Out of all of them, exploration quests were the ones I enjoyed the most. Combat still felt a bit rough around the edges, and compared to other 4X games, I didn’t find it flashy or strategic enough. Yet, it is an early build, so it may change in the future. But in this state, I was just letting battles solve on their own instead of manually moving my armies.
The Next Big 4X Experience
ENDLESS Legend 2 is looking like a great 4X game already. Even in this early build, everything felt so accessible without removing the challenge we love about this genre. It has so many great features and a lot of QoL additions that make every single campaign feel smooth. Plus, the dynamic map system is one of the best I’ve seen, and I feel it will get better as more factions are added to the game.
Overall, ENDLESS Legend 2 left me with a long-lasting, great first impression. Its art style, UI, mechanics, factions, and in-depth strategic system deserve a chef’s kiss. My only minor complaint is that the combat wasn’t too appealing, but that’s just one layer of the many this game offers. Other than that, ENDLESS Legend 2 is looking promising, and whether you played the decade-old sequel or are a newcomer, this 4X will be one you want to try as soon as it launches.
