4x posts

Sword of the Stars 2 is the newest game for indie studio Kerberos Productions. As it is a sequel to the reasonably successful Sword of the Stars (imagine that), it's got some expectations. One of these is that the engine will be drastically improved from its predecessor, as one would expect, and this trailer shows that off in quite some detail. While the trailer itself is relatively boring (it's akin to a flythrough), the ship designs are incredibly stunning in both scope and color. Alas, there was nothing of the engine in action, just of the ships, so we can't really judge if it will look as great during gameplay.

We have to admit it: we are total Civilization junkies. Stick us in front of any game with Civilization in the title or Civilization designers at the helm, and we'll love it. So it's absolutely no surprise that we love Civilization 5. After all, every game in the series has been well-received by both critics and consumers, and this latest iteration is no exception. While it goes without saying that we feel Civilization 5 is definitely worth a purchase, there are a slew of changes that both improve and detract from the experience. The result is a Civilization game that, while familiar and enjoyable, plays quite a bit differently from its predecessors. Unlike Civilization 4, it doesn't replace its forebears, but rather offers an alternate vision of what Civilization should be like.

Despite having a stellar main series, Civilization is hardly the only game of its kind. Even among the designers and devlopers of Firaxis there are multiple offshoots, with many later feeding concepts back into the main series. It's an interesting evolutionary process that makes each main Civilization game better - in different ways - through variation. One can't look back on the Civilization series and merely ignore the side games, otherwise one will miss many of the inspirations behind complex, entertaining features in the main series.

Civilization as a series is one of the great constants of PC gaming. Started almost two decades ago, it's been going strong the entire time. Every release in the main series has been, critically and commercially, a blockbuster. With Civilization V coming out, it's important to take a look back at the previous games in the series. After all, Civilization is a series built on the shoulders of both its predecessors and offshoots. Even though many of today's gamers weren't even born for the first few Civilization games, they still remain hallmarks of complex, yet accessible, game design.

Stardock may publish plenty of independent titles, such as Sins of a Solar Empire, but that doesn't mean they are ignoring their own game development plans. Elemental is the first completely new game from Stardock in four years, and while the launch was rocky, it's still easily their best. Stardock has learned from classics - Master of Magic and Alpha Centauri being two major ones - to craft a supremely entertaining strategy game. It's surprising just how fantastic Elemental is, and it serves as competition (although not major) for the upcoming Civilization V.

Note: This review was written using the pre-launch version of the game. Any changes via patches since release will be noted in the review.

The Total War series started in Japan, and it returns to the Land of the Rising Sun with Shogun 2. While the series has undergone some major innovations in the many years since, the developers definitely seem to be giving the original game justice. This massive battle report, clocking in at over 6 minutes, details the minutiae of handling a tactical battle. Topics covered include new AI tactics, flanking, and morale. There's also mentions of the new models and a new speech algorithm for the pre-battle general speeches. Frankly, we're incredibly excited to get our hands on Shogun 2, and with this battle report, most people should join us in our glee.

Download HD Shogun 2 Battle Report Video #1 Trailer
Check out all Shogun 2 downloads

We were recently granted a preview of Stardock's Elemental: War of Magic by none other than CEO Brad Wardell. While many know this company as the developer of Object Desktop, they've also had success with their Galactic Civilizations series and their publishing ventures Sins of a Solar Empire and Demigod.

It would be a mistake to simply categorize Elemental as just a fantasy-based 4X title; the gameplay offers much more than the assumptions contained within that genre. Read on to find out why you should look forward to this game`s August release.

Games that are coming out soon have a lot of unknowns that the average person might not know. Who is this character inspired by? Is all the talk of volumetric fog or cel-shaded graphics really worthwhile? Do the game mechanics really seem solid, or are they lackluster? In All You Need To Know we provide information to help you fully appreciate what these upcoming games have to offer.

Feed your head after the jump.

It's a common thing to let the AI "cheat" in a real-time strategy game. Giving them faster resource gathering, knowledge of the whole map, or even extra units is something developers might do on higher AI difficulties. But why not just streamline out all the resources and construction and just leave the basics of the AI? That is to say, the basics are swarms of AI units that you must overcome to win. AI War: Fleet Command does this, and manages to set itself up as one of the best strategy games this or any year. It's a game that is perfect for playing with your friends, and easily surpasses the RTS 4X standards set by the excellent Sins of a Solar Empire. It shows that one man with a vision and make something just as good, if not better, than that of a large team.

Download the AI War: Fleet Command Demo

Sometimes you just need to sit down, slide a floppy into your A: drive, and enjoy gaming retro style. We know this all too well! That's why we have a list of the best and brightest from days long gone. These are some of our favorite games of all time, and we're sure that you'll love them as much as we do, if not more. Welcome to Boot Disk, and enjoy the retro ride!

There's plenty of great games floating around in the 4x genre. Games like Civilization 4 or Galactic Civilizations 2 are incredibly engaging and time-consuming, leading to that "one more turn" affliction that most 4X fans are afflicted with. The Civilization series pioneered the ground-based 4X game, but another series defined the space 4X. Master of Orion is an incredibly influential and highly-regarded series for a reason, and the most enduring and popular of said series is Master of Orion 2: Battle at Antares. While it's interface and graphics may seem a bit antiquated by today's standards, it set the bar for depth and humor in the 4X genre, and is easily a classic in any genre.