Games like Endless Legend represent the future of the 4x genre. They offer to play in a richly detailed and beautiful world, one that it is easy to get lost in. While still staying true to the pillars of the 4x genre (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate), it entrusts you with saving your civilization and the world of Auriga.
Beginning with one city, its loyal populace, and a few troops, plot your path to victory. Conquer land and develop your settlements into fearsome cities and fortresses. Assimilate or exterminate minor factions. Hire and train new heroes to lead your armies and govern your lands. Improve your civilization by discovering lost artifacts and ancient technologies.
The game offers eight paths to victory, from a simple extermination of every other faction to economic domination to scientific achievement. The player must balance five different resources. Food is used to sustain and increase your population. Industry is necessary to produce buildings and units. Dust (familiar to players of Endless Space) is the currency of Auriga. Science is used for research while Influence is used for macro-level decisions across your empire.
Eleven different civilizations with their own unique playstyles are on offer. The scholarly Drakken contend with the fanatical Cult of the Eternal End and the insectoid Necrophages. Each civilization has a deep and gripping backstory and their units and abilities drastically vary. The game avoids the trap that many others fall into of creating cosmetically different sides where the only thing differentiating the various factions is their team color or appearance.
On the surface, the game has been described as a fantasy version of Civilization but it’s unfair to just leave at that. Endless Legend is a classic in its own right, having won PC Gamer’s Game of the Year in 2014.
