If you get excited about 4x strategy games, that is eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate, then Endless Legend is probably the best there is. Endless Legend is a turn-based strategy game, much like Civilization V. You play on a huge map with hexagonal tiles, build armies and cities, and win based on your culture, military, or economy. That’s where the similarities end, however.
Endless Legend is currently available on Steam Early Access. It’s worth buying early because not only do you get a head start on the game, but you can actually communicate your opinion on the game to the developers through the Steam discussion boards. I didn’t run into any bugs while playing and the UI is absolutely perfect – there are just some features that are currently unavailable.
You will be able to play as eight different races, but so far four are playable. You can play as the Vaulters, who are the human race, the Necrophages, who are like the Zerg from Starcraft, the Wild Walkers, an elvish race, and Broken Lords, who are like robots obsessed with money. My favorite race to play so far are the Necrophages because you have to focus on constantly building cheap military units to rush your opponent.
Although it is a turn-based game, you really won’t spend much time spamming the end turn button because there’s plenty to do. Unlike other turn-based games, Endless Legend has quests. Some are timed – build a second city in x-amount of turns, find and assimilate a nomadic culture, and many others. There’s a main quest line as well as side quests. Not only that but you can queue up your research and your build order. There really is a lot to consider in each turn.
Another featured I enjoyed was the hero customization. Each race has its own hero with significant special powers. You can assign a hero to a larger army to become virtually unstoppable against minor faction troops. You can buy and equip tiered armor for your hero. You can also upgrade your hero’s skills whenever they level up and choose from three different skill trees.
Battles are very different in Endless Legend and they’re like a game within a game. You do have the option of just letting the computer decide who the victor is, or you can fight manually. In manual mode, Endless legend morphs into a grid-based strategy. You take control of the battlefield, decide your formation, and select which of your units will attack or defend. This is one of the most unique features I’ve ever seen in a turn-based strategy game.
Endless Legend is currently being developed by Amplitude, makers of the sci-fi strategy Endless Space, as well as Dungeon of the Endless.