Now I could declare war without any cost, get more manpower and buy cheaper ships. Come the election, they dominated and the laws changed. Through migration and swallowing up minor civilisations, I had a fair number of aliens who were a wee bit militant living in my empire, and I’d gotten myself into a nasty war, forcing me to construct lots of ships and military buildings, which in turn bolstered the party. Political events, wars, building projects and other actions can also drum up more support for them.Īnd that’s why, playing as the largely pacifist Lumeris, I found myself dealing with a government run by the militarists. All of them have a political ideology they are most closely affiliated with, and over time they’ll help parties that espouse the ideals they dig. How much control they have, and indeed if they they exist at all, is determined by the species living under your yoke. It’s perhaps the biggest hook that sets Endless Space 2 apart from Endless Legend, and its influence permeates throughout the entire game.Įach empire contains six potential political parties vying for power. They set the tone and inspire certain types of playstyles, but the politics system has just as big an impact. Even on the same type of map, with the same opponents, playing as the the extradimensional Riftborn or the ravenous Cravers feels like a fundamentally different experience.įactions aren’t just defined by their unique techs and fancy powers, however. Each of the Xs is informed by the history and abilities of the factions. The arboreal Unfallen, on the other hand, link star systems together with cosmic tendrils, instantly colonising a world once the vines take root.

The business-savvy Lumeris colonise worlds by paying private companies to do all the work. Sure, Endless Space 2 is full of that, but what’s most compelling is the way in which it intersects with the mechanics, elevating them both. Character doesn’t just mean flavour, either. With its faction-specific soundtrack, lavish art and light RPG-like quests, it’s hard not to fall for it. Like its predecessor – definitely Endless Legend and not the first Endless Space – it’s a bold attack on the more staid elements of the 4X multiverse, full of character, weirdness and ambition.Īmplitude have crafted a game that oozes character and charm out of every pore.

My new beau is Endless Space 2, and its got its hooks in me deep.

It’s bad for your health.” I’d walk straight out of the room, of course. But you’ve got to stop falling in love with 4X games. I can imagine the intervention now, family and friends sitting around me in a circle.

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