{"id":7606,"date":"2015-09-09T18:09:51","date_gmt":"2015-09-10T01:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/endless-legend-a-unique-science-fictionfantasty-experience-like-no-other\/"},"modified":"2024-01-24T16:41:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-25T00:41:14","slug":"endless-legend-a-unique-science-fictionfantasty-experience-like-no-other","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/endless-legend-a-unique-science-fictionfantasty-experience-like-no-other\/","title":{"rendered":"Endless Legend \u2013 A Unique Science Fiction\/Fantasty Experience like no other"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"EndHead\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Endless Legend
\nAmplitude Studios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greetings, fellow gamer geeks. This is one of this week\u2019s reviews where I won\u2019t actually be covering a horror, action, or science fiction game (gasp!), well perhaps a pinch of the latter. We\u2019re going to be taking a look at an upstart RTS extravaganza called Endless Legend<\/em> by Amplitude Studios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me first say that 2014 was certainly a tumultuous year for us in the PC gaming community. Iconic franchises had begun to fade while emerging modern classics sauntered onto the stage with bombast. 2014 was also the year of the RTS; indeed a whole plethora of them were churned out as if a dam had been ruptured somewhere and was spewing them out. While the vast majority of them were pretty \u201cmeh,\u201d there were also a few that caught my eye but that just didn\u2019t have the time to play, let alone review. Endless Legend<\/em> was one such game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>
Courtesy – Amplitude Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I must say that upon first hearing about Endless Legend<\/em> being little more than \u201ca Civilization<\/em> clone with spells,\u201d I wasn\u2019t exactly chomping at the bit to play it. However, the more that time passes, the more I realize that many modern gamers can be a rather fickle lot; very persnickety about the most minor of minutiae, and quibbling about factors I consider irrelevant. Give me a unique story (or at least an original riff on a classic), decent graphics (I favor strong writing over visuals), and make it accessible and not too esoteric and kitschy, and you\u2019ve got me interested. With this in mind, I dug a little deeper under Endless Legend\u2019s<\/em> hood, and I\u2019m glad that I did\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amplitude has already proven that they are not afraid to take risks and think outside of the box, as exhibited with Endless Space,<\/em> their 2012 4x space conquest game. I played Endless Space,<\/em> but found the research system wonky and the gameplay unengaging. I did see the potential in it though, however much it may have been a squandered opportunity. With Endless Legend,<\/em> Amplitude shows no sign of letting up with regards to rolling the dice and striking out on their own as far as originality goes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>
Courtesy – Amplitude Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Endless Legend<\/em> builds upon its predecessor by plopping it down into an unusual science fiction\/fantasy setting, and improves upon it in almost every aspect. This was apparent from the first time I fired it up. The intro had that epic feeling to it, with gorgeous art design and proficient narration (which luckily continues throughout the game). Fantasy and science fiction can be tricky to merge, but here they\u2019ve done it. Endless Legend<\/em> has a distinctive look and style that approaches the elegance of art deco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where in Endless Space<\/em> the races seemed as if they\u2019d been designed as an afterthought, in Endless Legend<\/em>, you can see that some grey matter was really percolating there, as each faction is beautifully conceived\u2014unique and bristling with personality. After a cursory review of each of them for the very first time, I wanted to play all of them at once. Rarely have I been so struck by a blatant disregard of science fiction and fantasy troupes\/arch types; it was very refreshing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>
Courtesy – Amplitude Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The game is set on the planet Auriga, a veritable powder keg of conflict with various factions all with their own differing agendas. This vast boiling pot eventually reaches a flashpoint as factions come into contact; wars will be waged, and cities and towns will be burned to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combat is a rather bizarre combination of tactical and strategic, where your standard armies (albeit customizable) engage in fierce combat alongside mighty heroes and mythical creatures. Whereas in Age of Wonders <\/em>III and Fallen Enchantress<\/em>, combat is also turn-based\u2014but is definitely of a tactical nature, in Endless Legend,<\/em> the conflicts take place on the world map instead of zooming down to a more detailed battle zone. This can be great for players who favor a more Civilization<\/em>-esque experience, where combat is settled more expediently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>
Courtesy – Amplitude Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Adjacent armies can be brought into the fray as well, but there is a curious lack of options as far as how the battles play out. One may argue that this more streamlined approach to combat is more efficient and drives that game forward at a more rigorous and uninterrupted pace. But for gamers like me who like getting down into the nitty-gritty with my troops and toggling\/tinkering with their individual abilities, this can be a little disconcerting. In this regard, combat resolutions never felt like they had any real sense of accomplishment, but rather boiled down to who had the biggest and baddest armies to bring to the table. Gamers should not be put off by this as these are my own preferences; those who favor a more fast-paced style of combat will find themselves right at home with this kind of system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endless Legend\u2019s<\/em> visuals are outstanding, but not in a gaudy sense. Their minimalist grandeur is a sight to behold, and there is a tremendous amount of detail put into each tile and unit. If this seems like a contradictory statement, take a look at some of the included images and you\u2019ll realize I\u2019m not a madman (not quite anyway \u2013 shhhh). If you\u2019re into 4k gaming, you\u2019ll even be more blown away by their elegance and styling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Courtesy<\/a>
Courtesy – Amplitude Studios<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although Endless Legend <\/em>isn\u2019t a perfect game by any means, it is a blast to play. It has that \u201cjust one more turn\u201d appeal that you just can\u2019t put your finger on, and I have found myself up late at night feverishly clicking my mouse half to death (that didn\u2019t sound right, did it?) in order to raid just one more city\u2014or research one more powerful spell. Endless Legend almost slaps you upside the head with its unabashed originality, and although it is a bit rough around the edges, it\u2019s an endearing, accessible game that grows on you the more you play it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SCORE: 86%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kane\u2019s suggestion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indulge yourself in Endless Legend\u2019s<\/em> sumptuously elegant visuals by investing in a new PC gaming rig. Here\u2019s a handy recommendation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"FALL<\/a>
CyberPowerPC VR Ready Deal RTX 2080<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also, get over to CyberpowerPC\u2019s website<\/a> to\u00a0catch other\u00a0great deals as well!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Endless Legend Amplitude Studios Greetings, fellow gamer geeks. This is one of this week\u2019s reviews where I won\u2019t actually be covering a horror, action, or science fiction game (gasp!), well perhaps a pinch of the latter. We\u2019re going to be taking a look at an upstart RTS extravaganza called Endless Legend by Amplitude Studios. Let… Read More »Endless Legend \u2013 A Unique Science Fiction\/Fantasty Experience like no other<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2732,2733,2741,2742],"tags":[2520,2906,2521,2907,2536,2527,67,2486,2632,2902,2524,1791,2530,2611],"class_list":["post-7606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-games","category-gaming-laptops","category-gaming-reviews-news","category-product-reviews","tag-4k-gaming","tag-amplitude-studios","tag-cyberpower-pc-game-review","tag-endless-legend","tag-fall-sale-special-i","tag-game-reviews-2","tag-gaming-pc","tag-ian-kane","tag-isometric-games","tag-kickstarter-games","tag-laptop-gaming","tag-pc-games","tag-rts-games","tag-turn-based-games"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15490,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7606\/revisions\/15490"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberpowergaming.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}