Offblast! Endless Space 2 Hits Steam Early Access
Or you can wait
Endless Space 2 [official site] is not out. If you want the full and fancy 4X space strategy experience, you might need to wait another six or so months. However! If you want to play something of it, any of it, and you want to be a teacher's pet and maybe help shape the game, you can now have a crack at a chunk on Steam Early Access. We've played a bit ourselves and it's... clearly not finished, but you knew that because it's not finished yet, yeah?
Developers Amplitude Studios are quite clear about Endless Space 2#s initial state: "It is in Alpha state, meaning it is playable, but misses a lot of content, game balance is rough, and only English language is available." It's only got half the full game's factions, two-thirds of its victory conditions, and so on. This initial release is focused on the first 125 turns too, as they're polishing that first phase up.
Here's what Fraser Brown concluded after his time with it:
"Though it's still missing a lot of the pieces that will ultimately, hopefully, hold it all together, Endless Space 2 does an excellent job of showing Amplitude's vision. I know that sounds a bit wanky, but its weird races and delightful, if a bit self-indulgent, writing is like a statement of intent. It’s not trying to be another Master of Orion (and thank goodness, given the most recent attempt) and is more concerned with diversity and storytelling than precise balance and ticking a very specific list of 4X boxes. It's bold, then, but just a bit rough right now."
If you do want in now, it'll cost you £26.24/29,99€/$29.99 on Steam. Do yell your thoughts at Amplitude's Games2Gether feedback platform doodad too. Amplitude aren't sure when they'll release the full version, but do note "our Early Access periods generally last for 4 to 6 months" - this isn't their first rodeo.
To celebrate the launch, hey, here's the same basic trailer from two different perspectives. Here's where the Sophos came from:
And what the Vodyani are all about:
