- Publisher: SegaSoft , Sega , Amplitude Studios
- Release Date: May 19, 2017
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
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May 25, 2017Endless Space 2 isn't just a very solid 4X game. It's also quite the narrative experience. Every faction has a story to tell, and every game will see you playing to their strengths while learning that story.
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Jun 7, 2017A beautiful, deep and fun experience that will take hours from your life… but you won’t regret it.
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May 29, 2017If you're looking for a replayable sci-fi strategy game to grab a hold of your man hours, then Endless Space 2 will provide you with all you desire. Endless Space 2 sets a new and beautiful benchmark for the 4X genre, masterfully laid out and something future 4x developers will enjoy learning from.
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May 18, 2017Despite a bit of a misstep regarding space battles, I have very little to complain about when it comes to Endless Space 2. Any bugs or other technical frustrations I had in the Early Access have disappeared with the full release, which also includes a whole new Faction that I can’t wait to play.
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May 18, 2017Endless Space 2 doesn't sugarcoat the 4x experience, and it can be daunting when you realize that all 600 icons on the screen have a tooltip you need to read to make just this one decision. Despite all that complexity, none of it seems unnecessary, which means every one of those tooltips has essential information.
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Jun 1, 2017This is a deep sci-fi 4X extravaganza. Loads of beautifully and sometimes very subtle connected game systems make this the most atmospheric and most complex 4X in recent years.
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May 30, 2017Endless Space 2 offers hundreds of ways to play, an interesting player-driven narrative experience, and above all the addictive turn-based gameplay we've grown to love.
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May 29, 2017Endless Space 2 is probably the best videogame ever created by Amplitude Studios, a 4X strategic game with an incredible personality, a deep (and unusual, for this type of productions) storyline, and an almost flawless gameplay. A real gem.
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Jun 1, 2017Quotation forthcoming.
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Jul 5, 2017Even though I wish that Endless Space 2 had fully controllable battles and smarter AI opponents, this is still an amazing game that you will be exploring for hours.
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CD-ActionJun 30, 2017A modern take on the cult classic Master of Orion. The drawback is that while it offers almost perfectly executed traditional 4X gameplay, it fails to throw anything fresh on top of it. [07/2017, p.40]
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Jun 2, 2017Endless Space 2 is one of the very best 4X games money can buy, specially if you like space related stuff. The only drawback is the lack of accessibility for newbie players who might find it hard to get aboard.
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May 28, 2017This is one of the deepest strategy and management games we've ever played, and it delivers everything 4X fans can ask for.
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May 26, 2017Fans of 4X gaming cannot really go wrong here. Endless Space 2 is a well-crafted game, that is expansive in all the right places, precise where it needs to be, complicated in an engaging way and truthfully, wonderful to look at. It’s also, after a bit of a time-investment (the tutorial is well-structured in this regard), pretty welcoming to any curious passers-by. Endless Space 2 has that special, addictive, one-more-turn quality about it. There is real style here, and a hell of a lot of substance to back it up.
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May 25, 2017If you love the 4x genre, you will love Endless Space 2.
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May 25, 2017Endless Space 2 is an amplified journey across the galaxy, it doesn't reinvent the 4x strategy style, but everything it does, it does well.
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May 24, 2017Endless Space 2 is a great 4X strategy game that is almost guaranteed to improve. While not free of bugs, including a few large ones, it's a title that oozes character. Each and every game offers the flexibility to play the way you want to and adapt as you please, while offering some excellently told stories with every game also offering a fresh emergent story to boot.
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May 24, 2017Fans of 4X games set in space will be pleased to know that Endless Space 2 is a real high-quality product. It's well made as well as engrossing. That's it. I really hope that Amplitude's new game wins the same acclaim as another successful cosmic strategy, Stellaris.
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May 22, 2017Endless Space 2 brings 4X to life with a gorgeous presentation and a host of new approaches to a well-established genre. While a few bugs remain, Amplitude has patched the game twice in the last week. By all accounts, Endless Space 2 is easily one of the best examples of the genre.
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May 18, 2017There's a lot to like here if you give it a chance, and even if strategy isn't your preferred genre, you might find that it's worth your time to give ES2 a shot.
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May 18, 2017While many of the main gameplay mechanics remain like the original, many smaller changes have been made to improve the overall gameplay experience. The UI is wonderful and the varied faction mechanics allow for a good amount of replay ability. There are plenty of joyous empire building moments to be had in Endless Space 2 and it also contains a good level of strategic depth especially in multiplayer.
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May 18, 2017With a much improved tutorial advisor, fantastic graphics, and race specific storylines, Endless Space 2 is a galactic adventure worth having.
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May 21, 2017Good 4X game with some interesting changes, but it can't surpass the predecessor due to a lack of innovations and the old-fashioned presentation.
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Games Master UKJul 13, 2017Huge space strategy housed within a gleaming shell. It'll keep you boldly going for months. [Aug 2017, p.74]
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Jun 1, 2017Some may prefer the accessible Master of Orion, some may want the complexity and diversity of Stellaris. Bur for now Endless Space 2 is my first choice: challenging, suspenseful and sufficiently versatile, but still accessible enough, so I don’t tumble into one failure after another.
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LEVEL (Czech Republic)Jul 24, 2017A perfect example of how the 4X strategy can be comprehensive, and yet remain clear and accessible to beginners. If you ignored the genre or it started to bore you, this is the reason to give it another chance. [Issue#274]
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Jun 8, 2017Endless Space 2 is a glorious (and graphically awesome) iteration of the tired 4X formula. There are some interesting innovations that can lead the genre a little further together with some quirks in the interface that can lead to frustration for the more advanced players.
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Jun 8, 2017Endless Space 2 is one of the strongest 4X games in recent memory, even if it's not the deepest.
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Jun 1, 2017Endless Space 2 is the rare 4X game where the writing is better than the strategy—though the strategy is still pretty decent.
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May 31, 2017The performance, happiness and stability issues drag down a game that could have received a perfect score. If I had a choice, I’d roll back to the previous patch to at least have a stable game again, but that’s not an option. Fortunately there are ways to win the game without having a large portion of the map in your back pocket. When the turns are processing, battles are resolved smoothly and revolts remain manageable, Endless Space 2 is an absolutely magnificent game. There is so much to discover, so much to do and so many different ways to do it, it’s dazzling when you get started. But once you have the basics under control and start noticing the many intricate ways in which the game allows you to manage and fine-tune your empire, it is hard not to be impressed.
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May 25, 2017Where other 4X titles lean towards a more utilitarian presentation, Endless Space 2 starts with a great 4X game and layers on good art, great writing, and excellent UI design. There's a wide variety of play in the available factions and a deep political system that underpins the entire thing. The combat disappoints and the AI could use some improvement, but Amplitude is known for its expansions and improvements. What's here is already a 4X class act.
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May 25, 2017Endless Space 2 is an amazing sci-fi strategy game, with an impressive art style and a lot of options to rule your own galactic empire.
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May 23, 2017Endless Space 2 is the quintessence of the 4X genre. Despite confusing menus, some bugs and some issues with its combat system, it offers a deep and complex gameplay, and a captivating experience.
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May 23, 2017One of the best sci-fi strategy games ever made, with an impressive amount of storytelling variety and accessible controls.
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May 22, 2017Outstanding depth and tactical challenge have been preserved, although not at the expense of the strong storytelling needed to emphasize the sense of awe and wonder in galactic exploration that’s always been a huge part of the genre’s appeal. Amplitude has done a masterful job combining these two elements into a single game, where the quests and strategy and politics and economy are all tied into a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
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May 18, 2017Endless Space 2 bolsters Amplitude’s reputation for superb, unique 4X faction design. The interwoven narrative and management mechanics produce a universe within which its easy to lose yourself, but some lingering bugs suggest the game may have launched prematurely.
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May 18, 2017Just as Endless Legend and Civilization V are now far superior to how they started, so can Endless Space 2 be. It’s odd to talk of foundations in something so markedly floaty and space-based, so perhaps it’s better to think of this as an outpost, plonked down on a planet waiting to be colonised. It’s a fertile planet, sure, but one that’s yet to be fully exploited.
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May 18, 2017Endless Space 2 is the game that the fans of the 4X genre wanted and expected. Not only it is great for the most experienced players, but also has a style that is perfect for newcomers.
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May 23, 2017A beautiful and capable 4X game, with memorable personality that's seemingly calculated down to the pixel level. It doesn't deviate much from the genre's norms, but it delivers a generally satisfying 4X experience with only a few missteps in combat and diplomacy. Provided you're also okay with tackling a steep learning curve, it's also a satisfying entry point for the genre.
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May 19, 2017Gorgeous grand strategy with atmosphere, depth and replayability—but it needs more time to reach its potential.
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Jun 29, 2017A truly deep and compelling 4X game that will keep players busy for hours. What it's lacking in ability to pick up and play, it makes up for by delivering a beautiful experience for those who are willing to keep at it until they understand it all.
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Jun 14, 2017A charming title with a breathtakingly good interface, Endless Space 2 is a clear improvement over its predecessor.
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Game World Navigator MagazineJul 5, 2017Every race has its own narrative, but it doesn’t work like it did in Endless Legends: tasks feel disjointed and random, and there’s no victory by completing the storyline. Procedurally generated quests are even more arbitrary, and Academy storyline can’t quench thirst for good storytelling on its own. [Issue#221, p.90]
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Edge MagazineJun 22, 2017There's much to recommend in Endless Space 2, and its art and writing has the potential to open up a complex genre to a new audience, but there's no escaping the fact it'll be a better game in six months. [Aug 2017, p.116]
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May 23, 2017Long and enjoyable, Endless Space 2 offers the user a deep experience full of options and with thousands of objectives to achieve. It is also difficult and very, very slow.
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May 23, 2017Endless Space 2 offers great political and administrative mechanics, but lacks compelling warfare and diplomacy systems.
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May 19, 2017Endless Space 2 really pushed the boat out with great animations and pretty decent graphical elements, but the constant performance issues do detract from the overall experience. I would recommend you check out a few gameplay videos before jumping in unless you’re a 4X fan. The game takes a lot from titles like Stellaris when it comes to politics, but stops short of being a great overall strategy game. If Amplitude pushed the envelope a bit further with a more nuanced political spectrum and ditched the turn-based aspect, I could have seen myself loving this game. But at the moment, it's just adequate.
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Jun 30, 2017Sleek and competent and detailed and not really very exciting. [Issue#263, p.62]
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May 23, 2017Outside of Civ’s relentless near-perfection, Endless Space 2 is now one of the real standard-bearers in the 4X space. While some of its more direct elements come up short, its implementation of politics is a masterstroke, adding depth and complexity to part of a game that often feels like an arbitrary chore.
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May 18, 2017From the interface to economics, it sports some of the best systems I’ve seen in a 4X game, and like Endless Legend, it’s simultaneously confident and experimental, finding new ways to spice up a genre that can too often be bland. [RPS Recommended]
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May 26, 2017But I think it's worth the investment. With Endless Space 2 I feel like a lot of the loose observations and conclusions I drew from Endless Legend are finally coalescing into knowledge, and Amplitude's strategic language is starting to sound like poetry.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 130 out of 181
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Mixed: 26 out of 181
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Negative: 25 out of 181
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May 19, 2017
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May 22, 2017
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May 21, 2017