There is something inherently appealing about a strategy game in which the world refuses to sit still. Endless Legend 2 takes the familiar foundations of the 4X genre and places them on Saiadha, a strange ocean world whose geography is gradually rewritten as the seas recede. Developed by AMPLITUDE Studios and published by Hooded Horse, this sequel combines empire building, exploration, diplomacy and turn-based warfare with a distinctly science-fantasy setting. On PlayStation 5, it proves to be a remarkably ambitious strategy game that is at its strongest when its systems interact with one another, although its wealth of mechanics can occasionally make the experience feel more complicated than necessary.
Saiadha is a particularly effective setting because its fantasy elements are not simply decorative. This is a world of alien cultures, ancient technology, strange creatures and supernatural-looking phenomena that often have a technological explanation lurking beneath the surface. The central mystery surrounding the planet gives the campaign a sense of purpose beyond simply painting the map in the player’s color, while quests and faction-specific narratives provide additional reasons to explore. The story is never quite as prominent as it might be in a conventional narrative-driven game, but that works for a 4X title where the most interesting stories are often the ones created by a campaign’s unexpected turns. The combination of fantasy and science fiction also gives AMPLITUDE considerable freedom to make its factions genuinely unusual rather than dressing familiar historical civilizations in different costumes.
The defining idea is Tidefall. At certain points in a campaign, the oceans retreat and expose previously inaccessible parts of Saiadha, revealing new resources, locations, enemies and routes between areas that were previously separated. This is more than a clever visual gimmick because it continually undermines assumptions the player may have made about the map. A strategically useful coastline can become an exposed border, a previously isolated opponent can suddenly become reachable, and newly revealed territory can completely alter the value of existing positions. Most 4X games become increasingly static as the map is conquered and there is less left to discover, whereas Endless Legend 2 repeatedly creates new reasons to explore and reassess the situation. It is one of the game’s smartest solutions to the familiar mid-game slump.
The underlying empire-building systems are more traditional, but they have plenty of depth. Cities grow through carefully positioned districts, with adjacency bonuses and the surrounding terrain encouraging players to think beyond simply finding an empty tile and constructing whatever produces the most resources. Food, Industry, Dust, Science and Influence all have their roles, while strategic and luxury resources, technology, diplomacy and minor factions add further layers to the decision-making. There is a pleasing sense that almost every action feeds into another system, although that interconnectedness can also make the game demanding to learn. Even with a good tutorial, there are enough details to absorb that the first campaign can feel like an extended lesson in how Saiadha works. Once those systems begin to click, however, the considerable amount of information becomes part of the appeal rather than an obstacle.
The factions are arguably where Endless Legend 2 distinguishes itself most successfully. Their differences are not limited to a few statistical bonuses or a different selection of units; they can fundamentally change how an empire approaches growth, warfare and diplomacy. A faction might depend on defensive fortifications and military infrastructure, while another can operate according to entirely different rules of population growth or resource management. Heroes add another layer, developing through skills and equipment while providing useful bonuses to the wider empire. This RPG influence gives individual armies and commanders a little more personality than is usual in the genre, and it also makes the prospect of starting another campaign more attractive because learning a new faction can require reconsidering strategies that seemed reliable in the previous game. The downside is that some factions are so strongly built around their intended identities that experimentation can sometimes feel more restricted than the wealth of systems initially suggests.
Combat benefits from the same philosophy. When armies clash, the surrounding terrain becomes the battlefield, allowing positioning, elevation, chokepoints, abilities and unit characteristics to matter. This is considerably more interesting than simply comparing two armies and watching the larger number win, and heroes can have a substantial impact through their abilities and equipment. At the same time, the tactical battles are not flawless. Some encounters can feel heavily dependent on numerical advantages, buffs and terrain exploitation, while the opposing AI does not always make the smartest use of the battlefield. The option to auto-resolve battles is therefore welcome, particularly when the outcome seems obvious, but manually fighting important encounters can produce better results when the calculated outcome would sacrifice valuable units. That creates a useful choice between respecting the player’s time and taking direct responsibility for the battles that matter.
The PlayStation 5 controls also have the unenviable job of translating what is traditionally a mouse-and-keyboard-heavy genre into a controller-friendly interface, and the game’s radial menus and layered information systems provide a solid foundation for doing so. The design suggests that AMPLITUDE has put considerable thought into making the game’s many systems accessible without a mouse, while the interface itself does a good job of keeping a huge amount of information available without completely drowning the screen in menus. Nested tooltips are particularly useful: information can be examined in progressively greater detail instead of forcing players to memorise every mechanic or constantly search through separate reference screens. There is still a lot to process, and some of the density is unavoidable, but the interface generally works with the game’s complexity rather than against it.
Visually, Endless Legend 2 is one of the more distinctive-looking 4X games around. Saiadha’s biomes have strong visual identities, while the creatures, buildings and factions retain the unusual science-fantasy character that defines the series. The combination of painterly environments, alien architecture and strange units makes simply moving across the map an enjoyable part of a campaign, and the emergence of new terrain after a Tidefall gives the world a tangible sense of transformation. The presentation is not completely beyond criticism, though. Some of the lighting can appear rather flat, and the sheer number of symbols and interface elements can occasionally make the map harder to read at a glance than it should be. These are relatively minor issues against an otherwise cohesive art direction, but they become more noticeable during long sessions when clarity matters as much as visual spectacle.
The audio presentation is similarly atmospheric rather than constantly attention-seeking. The soundtrack uses an appropriately otherworldly mixture of instrumentation and adapts to different situations, helping exploration and battles maintain their respective moods without becoming intrusive. Faction introductions and other voiced moments give the various civilizations some additional character, although there is less spoken personality during ordinary gameplay than there could be. Likewise, the environmental and combat effects do their job without always providing the density or variety that would make every encounter feel especially lively. It is an effective soundtrack and soundscape rather than a defining part of the experience, with the visual presentation doing more of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating Saiadha’s identity.
What ultimately makes Endless Legend 2 work is the way its systems keep feeding back into one another. Exploration reveals resources and threats, resources shape cities, cities support armies, armies enable further exploration, heroes develop through those encounters, and Tidefalls periodically disrupt the assumptions that have been built around all of it. There are still familiar 4X conventions underneath the surface, and anyone expecting every system to reinvent the genre may find some of the mechanics comfortably traditional. Yet the combination of asymmetric factions, RPG elements, tactical battles and a world that physically changes during a campaign gives the familiar formula enough personality to stand on its own. The result is a strategy game that can be intimidating at first but increasingly rewarding once its many moving parts begin to make sense.
Endless Legend 2 is therefore less about reinventing the 4X formula than about finding imaginative ways to keep that formula moving. Its biggest successes come from the mechanics that force the player to adapt, whether that means learning how an unfamiliar faction functions or responding when a newly exposed stretch of land changes the strategic map. Some rough edges remain in the information density, combat balance and occasional clarity of its systems, but the sheer variety of possible campaigns makes those shortcomings easier to overlook. For players willing to settle in, learn its rules and accept that a single turn can easily become several dozen, Saiadha offers exactly the sort of strategic rabbit hole that makes the 4X genre so enduring.
Score: 8.1/10