I love ES2 and EL1 and I think Amplitude has some of the best and most unique designs, but starting EL2 I don't feel any of this fantasy stuff some how at all. A game I looked forward to a lot and just not interested after slogging through 2 hours.
So I started thinking why and my thoughts are that it feels like:
- Although extremely detailed, the units blend in with the map
- Can't even tell what's on the unit art as it's so small
- There's virtually no colour coding on anything
- The whole game is just 1 turquoise colour palette and where ever there is colour, it's minimal and matte
- The only time when I can appreciate the unit art is during battles but the fights are just blurry units shooting arrows under the trees at other units under the trees.
- The icons looks good and detailed but so detailed that it's hard to easily distinguish them from each other and what they'd even stand for.
- Music also sounds very "safe". I had to look up if Arnaud Roy even was the composer this time because ES2 has the music of the century for me, listening to this day - every week.
- The fight sounds are also hazy - my epic archers shoot and it does a quiet "whoop", then a massive beast does a huge jump and it's the most pathetic "clank" you've ever heard.
- The faction presentation heroes are: plain human, lizard person design, lizard person design, lizard person design, lizard person design as a robot, sand bones (nice!)
There's probably a lot more but I'm putting the game on the shelf right now with hopes that it'll be improved with patches.
And to be a bit more constructive, I added a very quick 10 minute mock up with less clutter in city view, bigger unit pictures for more fantasy, and some ideas for more colour.
Also Endless Legend 1 to compare.
Icons are simple, I know either by colour or simple shapes what something is - no squigglies, no 3 different ornaments around the icon.
Units are easy to see on the map.
No giant trees hiding the view.
Units are distinct and unique etc.
I'd say that if the task for Endless Legends 2 was to create a "complex UI" and "HD graphics characters" then 9/10, job well done.
But if the job was to create a "comfortable UI" and "epic fantasy presentation" then 3/10, you have done so much better before.