Endless Legend 2 is the 4X breath of fresh air I needed, but I'm hungry for more

You couldn't accuse Civilization 7 of playing it too safe; indeed, many of the complaints surrounding it stem from Firaxis's bolder changes to the established structure of the series. Still, it remains steadfastly Civ. Paradox is making bolder moves with Stellaris, from a living planet to doomsday cultists, but it's a nine-year-old behemoth. If you favor a more grounded, classic 4X map, then you might have had today's launch of Endless Legend 2 circled on your calendar like I did. The good news is that, after spending several hours with the launch build, it's already reinvigorating my love for the genre, even if it feels a little barebones in its initial early-access form.

Developer Amplitude Studios last brought us Humankind, a reasonably robust offering that unfortunately didn't quite feel like it was doing anything dramatically new. Endless Legend 2, by comparison, harkens back 11 years to the launch of its predecessor, but that's good news when the original remains one of the best 4X games around, and to this day is one of the few titles to truly pull me out of the comforting clutches of Civ. Like the first game before it, Endless Legend 2's ace is the sheer diversity of its factions, none of which feels anything like the others.

Amplitude has doubled down on that for the sequel, and you can certainly feel it in the five playable groups available on day one, each of which brings entirely distinct mechanics and flavor to the table. The one notable downside here is that, while every one feels unique enough to warrant playing them all, you're therefore still only looking at a total of five games before you're out of fresh options, and it does make your rivals a little repetitive. This is really my only major gripe so far, however, and getting even that many 4X campaigns under your belt could set you up for dozens of hours of joy.

My favorites so far are the Aspects and the Tahuk. The former are a blend of creeping coral infection and machine hivemind that cover the land in spores that benefit growth, movement, and healing. This can assist your rivals, too, but its presence makes them more susceptible to the influence of your Chorus. The Tahuk are more of a traditional faction, but they interweave the tenets of scientific research and faith together in a manner that makes them a particularly curious beast.

Elsewhere, the Kin of Sheredyn feel optimized for beginners, unlocking access to their spacebound allies' tech as they reestablish communication paths. The returning Necrophage lean more than ever into their relentless disposability; hurl swarms at your foes to generate more warriors that you can evolve down branching paths, and funnel all your resources into a singular hive city from which you can zip across the map through underground tunnel networks.

Also a familiar face, the Last Lords aren't too different from their old incarnation, but the unique structure of Endless Legend 2's new ocean-strewn world Saiadha shakes up their pacing. Initially, they'll struggle to scrape together the Dust they need to survive. But as the tides gradually recede over the course of a playthrough, you'll find increasingly more opportunities to sweep up resources, awaken your slumbering troops, and rapidly accelerate into a true endgame force of nature.

That map-altering feature is known as the Tidefall, and it's Endless Legend 2's other trump card. At certain points, the water levels will dramatically shift, causing entire new paths or connecting chunks of land to become accessible. It's a great way to evolve the map over time, allowing the early game to play in a tighter space before opening things up as you progress. It also reveals some more unexpected discoveries that were previously buried beneath the waves, but I'll leave you to find those for yourself.

There are some other touches I really like. Hero characters don't die permanently (unless you choose to enable that in the settings), allowing them to grow over the course of a playthrough. Each has access to a full skill tree and equipment loadout, bringing them closer to the likes of Total War Warhammer 3's legendary lords in becoming cornerstones of your empire. They'll even take part in some of the narrative beats, and while these can sometimes feel a little overbearing at moments where you just want to focus on strategy, I appreciate Amplitude's efforts to inject a little more drama into proceedings.

It certainly doesn't hurt that Endless Legend 2 is a delight for the eyes. It's not really breaking new ground, it's just very pretty. I'm also mostly a fan of the clean, simple menu design, although Amplitude has already acknowledged that some work needs to be done to improve readability and correct a handful of instances of misleading or wrong information being given out.

Some similar work is required on the city management side, and it still falls foul of the 4X trap of occasionally having to click through several turns where it feels like you're just waiting for a milestone to pass. That's a problem very few games in the genre have managed to solve, however (shout out to 2024's reimagining of Solium Infernum as one notable exception), and it's not really something I've ever minded dealing with.

As mentioned, there are five factions playable at launch, and a total of nine ways to win (conquest, score, and seven different narrative-led victory conditions). Amplitude says that it chose early access because it believes "that games are better when the community is involved in the development process." Among the first additions planned are online multiplayer, a sixth faction along with the option for custom creations, and Steam Deck support.

"In many ways, this is the biggest moment in the game's development," game director Derek Paxton says. "The time we have been planning and working on for years. It's exciting and terrifying. In the game there is a moment during Monsoon, the storms are raging, but you know that Tidefall is almost here, new lands are about to be revealed. That's where we are right now.

"We understand that Endless Legend sets a high bar," Paxton continues. "On a personal level I came to Amplitude because I loved Endless Legend and wanted to work on this game. Being able to work with the amazingly talented people here is a thrill, and I'm constantly impressed with their passion and the passion of the community around this game. Thank you for joining us."

Endless Legend 2 is out now on Steam in early access, priced at $49.99 / £44.99. It's also available via PC Game Pass on day one. You can find it right here if you're ready to take on Saiadha. It's still early days, but Amplitude has laid the groundwork for something that's certainly got the potential to grow into a worthy entrant on our best strategy games list.

Treat yourself to the best gaming mouse in 2025 if you want to make sure all that clicking feels good. Alternatively, discover more of the best games like Civilization that you can play today.

If you're giving Endless Legend 2 a shot, drop into the PCGamesN community Discord server and let us know who you're playing as, and what you make of it.