Endless Space 2 is a 4X turn base strategy game created by Amplitude Studios and published by Sega for Windows in 2017.
Plot[]
Each faction has their own individual story going on, but the main backstory is of the Endless, a now extinct race of space faring beings that managed to develop at an astronomical rate. Eventually not only did they discover space travel, but how to terraform and even turn their own bodies into an essence like conciousness and living as a virtual soul becoming one with the Dust, a nanobot like technology that allowed development at rapidly increased rates.
This caused a civil war within the Endless race as they became two factions; The Virtual, those who chose to abandon their mortal bodies and The Concrete, who remained in their physical forms.
Eventually this civil war ended up wiping the entire race out as The Virtual and The Concrete destroyed one another over the acquisition of Dust.
Now, other species have gained the ability to travel and colonise through space, and begin to follow the path of the Endless. Will it end the same for them, or will they find another way to live.
Gameplay[]
Players begin by choosing which faction they wish to be:
- Sophons: A peaceful race of intellectual aliens who have a great affinity for science, pushing the boundaries of what science can do with little reason than their own curiosity. This recklessness with testing science's abilities has led them to blow up their own moon out of curiosity.
- Cravers: An aggressive robotic insectoid like race who only know how to destroy. Any planet they live on is devoured over time and they are physically incapable of peace, constantly being at war with other races. Rumour has it they were a biological weapon created by the Virtual Endless to wipe out the Concrete Endless.
- Lumeris: A mafia like race of amphibian traders who prefer to settle things with deals and Dust. Lumeris can simply buy and sell planets instead of having to conquer them.
- Vodyani: A species which once overindustralised their home planet, destroying it in the process. They now live aboard their spacecrafts and worship the Endless as gods. Their current leader wishes to follow the footsteps of The Virtual and become able to upload their essence. Vodyani will kill and hunt anyone on their captured planets that are not Vodyani.
- United Empire: A human like species who specialise in Industry. Ruled by a single Emperor who's word is absolute, the United Empire are the most industrial species around.
- Horatio: Once an eccentric trillionaire from Mezari, Horatio took a ship in search of his own colony. Along the way he visited the Dungeons of the Endless and gained access to the Endless' cloning technology. Utilising this, he created a species made up entirely of his own clones. The Horatio have the ability to splice other species DNA into their own to improve their FIDSI output overtime, but due to their obsession with perfection their ships are beautiful, delicate and take longer to produce than others.
- Riftborn: A geometric shape like species from another dimension, they fled their dimension after a great disaster befell it. They are looking for a new place to start again, but this dimension full of organic species is incredibly unsettling to them. Unlike most species, Riftborn prefer highly hostile environments, seemingly surviving better in Lava, Toxic or Frozen Tundra planets more than forests or more mild temperates.
- Unfallen: Sentient tree like species that are largely peaceful. Unlike most species they do not use ships in which to conquer planets, but extend their influence through root like links that allow them to conquer other planets. They are amongst the oldest of the species and possess the ability to awaken guardians, special heroes who can protect the planet in their stead.
DLC factions:
- Vaulters: A human like race who originated from Mezari's who crash landed on Planet Auriga, the setting for Endless Legend. After the ending of Endless Legend, they were one of the only races to escape the planet's great disaster. Unlike other races, the Vaulters start only with a home ship rather than any planets. They are able to colonise planets instantly and have access to portal technology which greatly aids them in finding new planets. Added in the Vaulters DLC.
- Hissho: A warrior avian like race, originally created by the Concrete Endless as gladiators to fight for their amusement, being genetically selected to created stronger Hissho warriors for their entertainment. After the Concrete Endless were wiped out in the civil war, the Hissho escaped to forge their own path, with a great focus on honour (refered to as Keii) which serves as a race specific resource for them to use. Added in the Supremacy DLC.
- Umbral Choir: A mysterious force of unseen energy beings, the Umbral Choir are capable of hacking other planets and placing sleeper agents amongst it's enemies population to cause friction. They can also create completely hidden sanctuaries and their ships start with cloaking devices making them a great choice for underhanded tactics. Added in the Penumbra DLC.
- Nakalim: Much like the Vodyani, the Nakalim are a race of religiously devout beings, who worshipped the Endless's own gods, The Lost. The Lost are beings made of Dust who were nearly eradicated in the civil war between the Virtual and the Concrete. The Nakalim don't unlock additional science technology, but instead have access to reading ruins which will either generate science or be used to improve their heroes. Added in the Awakening DLC.
Players can also create their very own faction, which is completely customisable.
The main aim of the game is to perform the 4 X's: Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate and obtain a victory other the opposing races. Victories vary greatly from unlocking all the science first, an economy victory or annihilating your opponents.
Players will need to perform research to unlock new technologies in the technology screen. These allow the player access to better weaponry, guns, the ability to terraform non-habitable planets, increase economic power, improve their societies and unlock unique bonuses.
Trivia[]
- Endless Space 2 is a sort of reboot/retelling of the first Endless Space game rather than a true sequel.
- Horatio has his own spinoff game, Love Thyself: A Horatio Story. It's a dating sim visual novel about his race of clones trying to find love amongst themselves.
- Blaze from Endless Dungeon is a Craver.
- Opbot, a playable character from Dungeon of the Endless, narrator of the Vaulters storyline in Endless Legend and main character of Endless Zone returns as part of the Vaulter's faction.
- Hikensha, a playable character from Dungeon of the Endless is a Hissho.
- The Sowers, the Amoeba, the Harmony and the Pilgrims, who were major factions in the first Endless Space title are reduced to minor factions in this game.
- The Sheredyn, another major faction from the first Endless Space, only get a mention as some lore in Hadri Lenko, a hero's, bio.
- The Automotans are the only major faction from Endless Space to not appear or be mentioned in Endless Space 2.
