Although the graphical representations and storylines of 4X strategy game change, the heart of RTS/Turn Based space strategy has remained the same since its inception: build your fleet, find the opponents, kill, bribe, be diplomatic to aliens and waste a tremendous number of hours attempting to micro-manage your ever-burgeoning empire.
While fans of the 4X genera will recognize many of the stock-standard game elements (planetary management, ship design, custom factions), it’s the sheer depth of choices of customization presented to the player that will impress you.
Choose from eight playable factions, all with varying positive and negative traits, or pull from over 90 different traits to create your own.
The true impressive customizatio trait, it is the research tree. This too is relatively extensive, allowing specialization in four separate branches: Exploration & Expansion, Applied Science, Diplomacy & Trade, and Galactic Warfare. These specializations allow for unique new options for your empire.
For example, rather than simply having the option of peace available to you, you actually have to pursue it, and other diplomatic options, as a line of research. Other research allows you to colonize previously uninhabitable worlds, discover new minerals with special boosts for your empire, and build better and stronger weapons and armaments.
And if you want even more customization, you can build blueprints for each individual ship, upgrade on or all of your fleet with new research unlocks and more.
About gameplay; The tutorials in endless space are fantastic, they took the time to explain every nook and cranny of every interface the first time you visit the screen. In playing you find that there are some things that are left unexplained and I personally did not like the fact that there was no simple explaination as to why I caould not jump from one star system to another, yet the AI had no problem doing this, must have been some hidden research option?
All in all I am more of a Sins 4X player but may take the time and delve back in to Endless Space yet again one day. I give Endless Space an overall score of 6 out of 10.
- Endless Space
- Developer: Amplitude Studios
- Publisher: Amplitude Studios
- PC
- Genre: Turn Based Strategy
- Release Date: July 4, 2012
httpv://youtu.be/hr7I_8LOguk
