The Alpha for Endless Legend only includes four of the eight classes that will be available in the final version. The Necrophages is sure to be among the first factions tried by many players, as this insectoid race can consume the dead for bonus food supply, and the clan can also summon hordes of enemies that swarm opponents. Broken Lords is another interesting class that is akin to vampires. These characters don't require food, but dust, which is primarily used as currency in the game, is used to sustain life in these powerful beings. The Vaulters are a more human like race that have boosts in scientific fields and can use ancient artifacts to gain benefits in combat. Wind Walkers are the final class and are easily compared with elves. The group can see enemy troops in the fog of the main map and have some of the best ranged armies in the game. Even with only these four classes, Endless Legend shows that it has a very diverse set of races that will really challenge players to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each to be most successful in matches in the full version.
Gameplay in Endless Legend isn't completely different from many other strategy games in the same genre. Choosing an initial area to begin a town is always important, and the game uses different altitudes from sea level up to mountain top to give advantages for choosing the certain areas over others. Even more importantly is to found a city near the various resources available to players in the game to continue progress and expansion of a culture and race. As with any strategy game, it's very important to carefully manage time spent building, scouting and gathering resources to have the best chance at success. The only victory conditions available in the current build of the game are to have the most points when the time runs out on a game or to clear all other enemies from the map, so building up armies is typically the best way to win matches against AI controlled opponents right now.
Endless Legend is based around turns with certain actions taking up entire turns, while so many turns will cause a change of seasons and passing of eras. There are four different areas of research to use in the game to gain different advantages in military expertise, science and industry, expansion of an empire and economy and population over other factions in the same game. Not everything will be researched in a single game, and the passing of eras will change research available to players. Early research in military skills allowed us to expand our reach early in matches and help gain advantages later in the game, while other areas suffered and caused some problems in the late game, but your mileage may vary. Additionally, there are minor factions that can attack players when expanding territory and bonus quests and missions to find that can grant some bonuses when completed.
Endless Legend is now available exclusively on Steam Early Access and can be purchased for $34.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Endless Legend website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Comes with Official Soundtrack and Endless Legend Amplitude Badge
- Founder Pack Bonuses
- 8 Playable Civilizations
- Early Access Savings
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Amplitude Studios
Available exclusively for PC (reviewed)
Release Date: April 24, 2014 (Full Release: TBA)