Explore. Expand. Exploit. Exterminate. 

To anyone familiar with the genre, these four words instantly conjure images of methodically using a turn based environment to gradually take a small group of settlers and with careful planning and cunning, become the complete master of your environment. To those new to the concept, what awaits can seem a colossal affair, a monumental undertaking against an unstoppable opponent. 

Endless Legend is Amplitude Studios latest foray into the 4x genre. It draws from both their past attempts and the wealth of games that preceded it. With so much to build upon, how will this latest title stack up?

Taking place on the dying planet of Auriga, Endless Legend has you collecting resources to ensure your survival until the next day. There are four primary resources. Food, Science, Industry, and Dust. Food keeps your units alive, Science and Industry advance growth on their respective charts, and Dust serves as the games primary monetary unit. This is where the simplicity ends. 

There is an incredible amount of lore and information for Auriga. It takes place in the same universe as every Endless game Amplitude has produced, so for any inclined there is a host of back story and development for the factions and their ripples through History.

 

Each one has story driven reason for their motivations and there are minor RPG elements sprinkled into the game play to expand the world without too much direct exposition. However, anyone looking for an in-depth lesson in history and politics will find as much story and intrigue as they are willing to read into. This adds a huge level of depth to the evolving story of Auriga. Each faction has their own heroes, and each hero gains experience as they fight, allowing them to level up and bring unique choices to each play through. Also liberally sprinkled throughout game play are small quests to explore a certain map tile, or level a basic unit. This also allows for a little flavour and brings you a little deeper into the story.

The graphics play an equally important role building up this world. As your resources grow and you expand your cities, their icons to represent them grow more detailed. There is a lot of information displayed on the resources they provide, but for all that is shown it never gets cluttered. Coupled with a simple way to navigate the multitude of different menus, Endless Legend quickly becomes enveloping on all fronts. As your hero levels up and you discover more scientific pursuits and you watch as each thing you plan gets implemented on your land, it’s hard not to get completely swept up in the rich world that’s been created. While each faction has essentially similar units, there is enough to their character that mechanical differences alone are not always the deciding factor for which group you’ll choose. 

 

 

In many ways this will decide whether Endless Legend is more interesting than others games in the genre. Each faction has unique cut scenes and some small mechanical differences, but they do not vary enough to warrant multiple play throughs to see what each has to offer. The AI proves to be a little soft, and experienced players will have little difficulty in bending Auriga to their will. Fortunately, there is a strong online community to challenge and push each other.

In the end, this is what will wholly drive your interested in this game. Endless Legend is part of a rich universe involving a few other entries in the franchise. It requires quite a bit of reading and history. Someone looking for a quick and frivolous experience is best to move on. Whether or not this intrigues you, I recommend you give it a try. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised. 

Pros

- Beautiful Graphics

- Detailed History

- Simple Interface

Cons

- Lackluster AI

- Similar Unit Structure

- Many similar games in Genre

Overall - 74%

 

  

 

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