Arcen Games is not new when it comes to space strategy titles and this is one genre that has been neglected for a long time. However, Arcen Games has released the sequel to its space strategy cult classic game dubbed AI War 2. AI War 2 is a grand strategy title in which the whole expanse of space and tons of planets are awaiting your arrival. In this review of AI War 2, we dig deep into the universe of AI War 2 and tell you why we loved every bit of this space-faring strategy title.
AI War 2 does not force you to jump in a pre-built campaign upon starting up the game. Since the game was previously in Early Access and has only left it recently with its 1.0 release, certain elements are still not live in the game. One such mechanic is the Multiplayer which is planned for a Q1 or Q2 release. However, until then, the Singleplayer of AI War 2 is surely going to keep you busy because it is extremely detailed and offers great freedom of how you want to play the game.
I will recommend that you start playing with the Tutorials. If you like to read, there is a detailed written guide in the game as well which details each and every aspect of AI War 2 however I am pretty sure that once you’ve played the tutorial scenarios, you will be able to play AI War 2 pretty easily since they cover all major aspects of the game. After playing the Tutorial, you can jump in the Singleplayer which is where the real charm of AI War 2 begins.
AI War 2 does not come with a single pre-built campaign for you to play and end the game. Instead, it comes with an option to create your own campaign by giving you access to a large number of game modifiers and options or the ability to simply pick from a number of pre-built scenarios depending on the difficulty that you want to have and jump right in the action. This also opens up the possibilities of downloading and playing scenarios built by other players from around the world.
Your main target is all scenarios is to defeat the AI which has taken control of the entire universe and left you with nothing but a single planet to yourself with a small army. From there, you have to find different ways to expand your own presence across the globe and take down the AI once and for all. However, you must expand and take over extremely cautiously because the AI’s presence across the universe is extremely powerful.
Make one wrong move and you will find the entire armada of AI on your doorstep and you will be quickly wiped out from existence. To counter this, AI War 2 wants you to build and take over AI’s planets one step at a time. The game favors slow and gradual progression. You will need to keep a low profile until you are ready to take on the AI head-on which is extremely late in most scenarios.
Every AI planet you take over with your forces will continue to make AI take more and more notice of your actions hence it is vital that you plan ahead and then move to take over. AI is extremely smart and well-designed and will stop at nothing once it is in a bad mood with your sneaky tactics. The grand scale battles that ensue are extremely entertaining to watch and really makes you play the game more and more.
Apart from the main enemy AI, AI War 2 also comes with different other NPC factions which are both hostile and friendly. Some friendly factions will often turn up to help you against the AI as they are equally frustrated and want to defeat the AI however most of the random factions in the game are neutral and will against any faction who threatens their existence. Some of these factions are so powerful that in most cases you are good if you simply avoid them altogether. The addition of random factions really makes the universe of AI War 2 feel more alive.
AI War 2 comes with all basic RTS mechanics. You will need to establish a steady resource collection network because the more you expand and build, you will need more and more resources. You will also need resources if you want to use some advanced technologies such as Hacks and exploring planets that are beyond your initial vision. Scouting plays a vital role in AI War 2 because it will allow you to know the details of unknown planets before you make your move.
Apart from building and deploying various production facilities and defenses, you can also spend the collected resources to upgrade your defenses and technologies. This will not only make your fleet more powerful but will also ensure that all structures in your captured planets are more efficient in their process. This all sounds extremely complicated however the simple and explanatory UI of AI War 2 makes everything extremely easy. Useful keyboard commands are extremely easy to learn and understand.
After playing for hardly 30 minutes, you will be using all commands to manage your fleet and commanding them to take over hostile planets like a pro. The bar at the left side of the screen allows you to manage your fleet, build structures, units and upgrade your technology. Just like any other RTS title, the three basic gameplay mechanics remain the same in AI War 2 which are build, defend and upgrade. You cannot expect to simply keep on expanding your base to planets and forgetting about your previous planets.
The resources on each planet are limited so you will eventually need to expand to other planets but all other facilities such as your Factories and Command Centers will ensure that the planet remains under your control even if you move on to other planets in the galaxy. To ensure this, you are able to construct different base defenses that will ensure that your planets remain safe if the AI decides to attack them. Depending on the current scenario’s setting, AI might not be the only threat as different NPC factions will also attack you from time to time.
The NPC factions all behave in their own unique ways as some factions will only attack the AI or some will even help you out against the AI. These factions are all unique and have their own unique backgrounds. The unpredictability of these NPC factions is another challenge that you will need to look out for. Quite often I was nearly close to defeating the AI on a planet when the Marauders would suddenly join in the fight and try to take on the remaining forces. Similarly, some of the factions will absolutely annihilate you as well as the AI as they consume metal for food.
AI War 2 is a solid space RTS and we have not had this much fun with any RTS set in space for a long time. Space RTS is a genre that is already dying rapidly as we only have a handful of decent titles remaining in this specific genre. At such times, AI War 2 brings back hope that as long as there as developers such as Arcen Games, we will continue to get extremely well-made space RTS titles such as AI War 2. If you have been longing to play a good space RTS which gives you the opportunity of setting up your very own custom scenarios complete with base building, fleet management, tech upgrades and alien races along with a deadly AI force that can overwhelm you in seconds, AI War 2 is the game for you.
Final Verdict
AI War 2 offers a lot even without multiplayer in its current state. It offers massive battles in space and offers great freedom as to how you can approach your next move in a bid to take over the AI. At the same time, it is extremely easy to understand and play making it one of the best space RTS titles we have ever experienced. If you are a fan of space RTS titles of the past such as Sins of a Solar Empire, AI Wars 2 will keep you occupied for ages. It offers tons of content with the ability to create your own custom campaign scenarios and play them. With multiplayer planned for next year, AI War 2 is only going to get better with time.
Final Score: 9/10
