Endzone 2

About

Endzone 2 is a strategy game where players manage multiple settlements across different zones, each with exclusive resources. The game features improved settler behavior for thriving communities and the addition of vehicles for flexibility in settlement placement and progression. Key changes and additions have also been made from the previous game, Endzone - A World Apart.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+21

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 322 reviews

gameplay20 positive mentions

grinding30 negative mentions

The game offers an in-depth supply chain and the challenge of managing multiple settlements, which can be rewarding when done successfully.
The graphics and overall presentation have improved, making the game visually appealing.
The new expedition mechanics add a fun layer of exploration and resource gathering, enhancing gameplay variety.

The game feels overly simplified compared to its predecessor, lacking the depth and complexity that fans of the original enjoyed.
There are significant performance issues, including long loading times and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
The user interface is clunky and can make managing resources and settlements tedious, detracting from the overall experience.

gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
77%
3%
The gameplay of Endzone 2 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the foundational mechanics and new features like vehicle exploration and settlement management, while others criticize the oversimplification and lack of depth compared to its predecessor. Many find the new mechanics tedious and repetitive, particularly the management of multiple settlements and the expedition system, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game retains its core survival and city-building elements, with potential for improvement as it continues to evolve in early access.
- “Endzone 2 retains the core gameplay mechanics of its predecessor, focused on the challenge of building and managing a settlement in a harsh, post-apocalyptic world.”
- “The dynamic weather plays an important role in both gameplay and visual presentation.”
- “Now the gameplay with vehicle exploration is interesting; while some say it's tedious and repetitive, I think it adds some good variety on how you play, going into different points of interest and exploring them is a nice change of scenery.”
- “I was incredibly disappointed to find out that the 'new direction' that they went with the sequel involved stripping away the many layers of depth and detail that the predecessor had in favor of a more simplistic gameplay loop, which has made the game feel very shallow.”
- “The new mechanics on managing multiple settlements become downright tedious after not very long.”
- “In early access, the game feels basic; you have a tutorial and a survival mode, the radiation is just a clock to make you speed up building, you need to play multiple towns, exploration can feel tedious, and the gameplay loop is boring.”
graphics
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
75%
8%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the improved art style and aesthetics compared to its predecessor, while others criticize the overall quality, including poor lighting and optimization issues. Many players noted that the graphics can appear blurry and less precise, particularly during gameplay with high population density, leading to performance chugging. Overall, while there are positive aspects to the graphics, significant improvements and optimizations are still needed.
- “In conclusion, Endzone 2 is shaping up as a decent successor to its predecessor so far, offering deeper gameplay mechanics and improved graphics.”
- “A city builder with the aesthetics of Endzone, also they improved the graphics and general art of some stuff and I loved that.”
- “Being early access it does have a lot to do and they have a roadmap with new things coming it seems each month, graphics look great as I am playing on PC.”
- “Not only are the graphics just way below the original, but you can't even play the tutorial.”
- “The graphics are not great; the lighting is terrible.”
- “People have equated it to the Anno series, which I have always found dreary and unrewarding, though this game feels less precise and has blurrier graphics.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the management of multiple settlements and the need to frequently engage in expeditions for resources. The mechanics, while initially interesting, quickly become monotonous as players are required to perform repetitive tasks without sufficient variety or passive options for resource generation. Overall, the gameplay loop is criticized for being boring and overly reliant on micromanagement.
- “The balancing act you have to play to keep all the zones in the green gets tedious.”
- “Each settlement is managed separately and their statuses cannot be viewed simultaneously, making them more tedious to manage.”
- “You have to take your little van over to random points of interest around the map, run around them to 'loot' a random pitiful amount of resources, and when you complete enough of it you get your one research point; the points of interest are repetitive, and it feels tedious to say the least.”
optimization
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The game's optimization is a significant concern, with players reporting consistent performance issues, including low frame rates around 30fps even on the lowest settings, particularly when managing multiple zones and high populations. While some minor loading performance issues exist, there are no major crashes or freezes. Overall, players hope for improvements in optimization and bug fixes in future updates to enhance the gameplay experience.
- “Right now it has some minor issues concerning loading performance, but I discovered nothing major yet.”
- “Knowing this is in early access and how much I've played so far, I hope they add the much-needed new and re-added content from the first game in further updates and the needed fixes of optimization and bugs to really enjoy this game.”
- “Everything else is pretty solid - the tried and true city building elements like placement optimization, rerolling maps to get the best start, and discovering new ways to play are good fun, despite only one game mode currently.”
- “The sore point, unfortunately, as befits games of the time and strategy, is the optimization. Most of the gameplay runs around 30fps on the lowest settings.”
- “Optimization is needed for sure; changing the graphics settings doesn't seem to do anything at all to help this issue. The game tends to chug when you have multiple zones and a high population. This is normal and expected in these types of games, but this game also doesn't look very graphically demanding as it should be. I never ran into any game freezes or crashes, though.”
- “Really poor play experience, possibly even at an unplayable fps when having multiple zones and high population due to optimization.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
67%
22%
The game's story is criticized for being virtually nonexistent, lacking the engaging narrative elements that distinguished its predecessor. Players express disappointment over the absence of collectibles and lore that could enrich the world, leaving the experience feeling bland and unoriginal. While there are plans to introduce new side missions and points of interest, the current state of the game fails to provide a compelling story or backstory to motivate players.
- “Finally, new side missions and points of interest will be added to the title to enrich the game further, as it doesn't have scenarios yet.”
- “I especially love the 'puzzle' missions where you control a team of survivors directly to explore buildings in the wasteland.”
- “The demo had another aspect that could have differentiated it and gave it some flavor, distinct area housing, but they did away with that, so now it's basically Endzone 1 but boring and without any story whatsoever, and now you can't even tell one building from the next.”
- “It has some graphic issues that need to be fixed, but my main reason for not recommending this game at this time is the lack of story.”
- “The story mode was what kept me playing the first game and sets it apart from other mind-numbing city builders.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The music in the game has received high praise, particularly for the standout "Down by the Riverside" song featured at the beginning. Reviewers appreciate the overall soundtrack and sound design, highlighting it as an excellent complement to the game's art style and graphics.
- “That 'Down by the Riverside' song at the beginning of the game is chef's kiss.”
- “Excellent art style and soundtrack.”
- “Love the graphics, music, and sound.”
- “The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
- “The sound design feels lackluster and fails to create an immersive atmosphere.”
- “Overall, the music does not leave a lasting impression and feels generic.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with many players reporting no crashes or freezes. However, there are concerns about optimization, particularly when handling multiple zones and high populations, which can lead to performance issues despite the game not being graphically demanding.
- “They took the concepts that worked (most of them) and expanded or polished them, they added some new things I didn't even know I needed, and they did it in a very bug-free and easy-to-dive-into package.”
- “I have had zero issues so far and the game looks good and runs great.”
- “Game runs great, very detailed and can't wait for more content to release over time.”
- “Optimization is needed for sure; changing the graphics settings doesn't seem to do anything at all to help this issue. The game tends to chug when you have multiple zones and a high population. This is normal and expected in these types of games, but this game also doesn't look very graphically demanding as it should be. I never ran into any game freezes or crashes, though.”
- “The game tends to chug when you have multiple zones and a high population. This is normal and expected in these types of games, but this game also doesn't look very graphically demanding as it should be.”
- “I never ran into any game freezes or crashes, though.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game's atmosphere is a mixed experience; while it features impressive details in buildings and landscapes that create a bleak yet exciting environment, players often feel a lack of life and interactivity as the game progresses. Once cities are running smoothly, the charm diminishes, reducing the experience to mere data management without a sense of comfort or visual appeal. Overall, the initial atmosphere is engaging, but it can fade into a sterile, caretaker-like experience.
- “I mean that it kept the atmosphere and the charm of the first game.”
- “When your city reaches a point where it's running smoothly, the game will no longer provide any sense of comfort or visual appeal. There are no city atmospheres or additional interactive details; the entire game experience becomes a matter of merely maintaining data balance. There are no citizens, no life, everything is just numbers and data arithmetic, and you feel like a caretaker.”
- “The level of detail in the buildings and landscapes is impressive, with ruined structures, exaggerated forests, and running rivers all contributing to a bleak, but exciting atmosphere.”
- “When your city reaches a point where it's running smoothly, the game will no longer provide any sense of comfort or visual appeal. There are no city atmospheres or additional interactive details; the entire game experience becomes a matter of merely maintaining data balance. There are no citizens, no life, everything is just numbers and data arithmetic, and you feel like a caretaker.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game offers significant replayability, with new elements designed to enhance depth and variety in gameplay. While some players noted a slow mid-game and a lack of challenge, the overall experience remains enjoyable and encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “It promises to broadly evolve the city-building and survival mechanics that fans of the first game appreciated, while of course introducing new elements aimed at enhancing the depth and replayability of the experience.”
- “Overall great game, it's fun as it is and has good replayability.”
- “Lots of replayability.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers express a desire for the game to succeed and suggest that increased advertising could enhance its visibility, given its high quality.