Deadlock II: Shrine Wars Demo

4X games like the Civilization series require a lot of spare time in order to be enjoyed properly, because they usually feature a variety of intricate mechanics you have to understand and put into practice. However, once you get the idea and grasp the underlying concept, everything gets much easier and a lot more fun.

Deadlock 2: Shrine Wars is based on similar principles, but it features some unique elements as well, in order to differentiate itself from the rest of the games in the genre. Hence, while the main goal is still to expand and overpower the other racers, there are many differences that influence the gameplay along the way and plenty of original ideas to diversify the experience.

To start off with, you have to choose from a variety of alien races instead of human nations, which means that the action takes place on alien planets as well. Thus, most of the environments and architecture is unique as well, not to mention the futuristic technology and fearsome weaponry you get to unlock once your civilization researches higher technological levels.

In case you are not familiar with the genre, this title might be a bit too much to swallow at first, because it features a rather intricate user interface you have to deal with. There are many options and possibilities put at your disposal from the very first few minutes, which can be overwhelming for a newcomer. Fortunately, there’s a lengthy tutorial available, which takes you through everything you need to know about the mechanics and the interface.

As far as the visual quality and the graphics engine are concerned, the age of the game needs to be taken into consideration before making any assumptions. The pixels may be a bit too obvious and big for today’s widescreen monitors, but you can still make out the objects on the screen and let your imagination do the rest of the work, for a change.

Deadlock 2: Shrine Wars has enough content packed into it to keep you occupied for a long time, especially since the game can be replayed a lot of times without having the same experience twice. Thus, if you are on the lookout for a different kind of 4X game and you do not mind the graphics, this can definitely serve you well.