You’ll ocassionally find someone on the internet sounding off about how the strategy genre is dead. If you see such a person in the future, send them this list of the best strategy games ever made.
Endless Space 2's Awakening expansion is out now, introducing yet another weird faction to the peculiar Endless universe. The Nakalim faction, once a huge empire, has seen better days, and now waits for the return of their gods. But they'll make time for galactic conquest, too.
Since Endless Legend, Amplitude has really leaned into faction design, so each of the Endless Space 2 factions plays differently from the rest. The Nakalim, for instance, get a technological head start, but to simulate their stagnation, they can't research any new technology—instead hunting down relics to unlock new advances.
The Nakalim's other unique hook is its relationship with the Academy, which is now an empire itself, though not a playable one. The Academy is a permanent fixture of the Endless games, but it's largely just a way for players to recruit heroes. Now it can build fleets, take over systems and request assistance from other factions. The Nakalim can gain control over systems through temples, and then turn them into Academy worlds, though not without some hefty compensation.
The Academy plays a pretty big role in Endless Space 2's story, so it's good to see it evolving from an abstract game system into a galactic mover and shaker, and you can still use it to hire heroes.
Awakening also throws a new Dust-sensitive minor faction into the mix, along with new Academy roles that the empire's ruler doles out as rewards. And even if you're not playing as the Nakalim, you'll be able to recruit the four new Nakalim heroes.
Endless Space 2: Awakening is available on Steam now.
Amplitude Studios may be working on a new Civ-ish 4X strategy game retelling human history, the recently-announced Humankind, but they’re not out of wild and fanciful sci-fi histories either. Today they released a new Endless Space 2 expansion adding an interesting new faction named the Nakalim. They’re a once-great empire who went dormant after their gods were killed and are now trying to secure their galactic position in anticipation of their gods returning. I do appreciate how Amplitude create factions who are more than your usual “they’re Klingons – but bugs!” or “they’re Borg – but less 90s!” Come meet the Nakalim.
Endless Space 2, developer Amplitude's 4X sci-fi strategy game, will be venturing further into the unknown next week, 12th September, with the arrival of its latest expansion, Awakening.
This latest Endless Space 2 expansion is being handled by NGD Studios (the same team responsible for Endless Legends' Inferno and Symbiosis expansions), and introduces a brand-new major faction in the form of the Nakalim.
The Nakalim ("a once vast galactic empire, now fallen into decline", according to Amplitude), are an extremely technologically advanced society, meaning those opting to play as the faction get a significant technology head-start, but weaker science.