Endzone 2

Pretty post-apocalyptic survival game in which efficient management saves lives – now with multiple settlements in parallel.

Endzone 2 is an evolution of the formula set in the previous game. Not all the changes land, but overall it's an improvement over the original game.

I grew quite fond of Endzone 2 and its world, the building design, but also the innate feeling of helplessness that the game brings at times. It’s definitely one of the go-to titles in the strategy-survival genre for me, alongside Frostpunk and Banished.

Building brighter tomorrows in a ruined world is back, and while it doesn't bring anything new or surprising, it's still fun.

Endzone 2 emerges from the fallout shelter with a new direction. The shift to a more modular, zone-based world map, as well as more directly involved expeditions both pays off and causes drawbacks in equal measure. However, the core of this colony sim continues to be entertaining and well structured, even if it is as slowly paced as the rate of radiation decontamination.

For those who prefer their logistical twiddling to be more abstract and neat, this isn't going to tear you away from the factory lines of Shapez 2. But it might be worth a pop for those who prefer their number-fiddling to be wrapped up in a thematic purpose. It doesn't have the moral compassing nor the defined flavour of Frostpunk (which, for me, remains the more eye-catching post-apocalyptic city builder). But it does enough with its humble scavengers and salvaging expeditions to at least invest you in the populace as a whole. Even if that concern is always attached to a selfish desire to avoid resources plummeting. [Early Access Review]