Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics Of War creators Proxy Studios have just released Zephon, a modern 4X strategy simulator set in a post-apocalyptic world. It features hexagonal maps, corporeal trees, lanky Evangelion-class giants, “otherworldly anthems of decay”, nuclear bombs, and a player-driven “mix of magic and cyberpunk” that ranges from city architecture to a research component. All this is my cup of offal. Here’s the launch trailer.
OK, when I play I’ll probably turn off the unit dialogue. Why does everyone sound so content when talking about having to trade blows with the tentacle beasts? But the rotten scenery is inviting, and I like the sound of “combat-focused” 4X, where battles take place on the same map as exploration and construction. I also like the premise of what specific genre of science fantasy you want your civilization to become. Will you field a robot army equipped with alien gadgets, channel dim forces from beyond the veil, or perhaps some combination of the two? Here’s a little preview:
Humanity hesitantly falls into ruin. Almost nothing remains of the world we knew – settlements, forests, seas, mountains – everything has been thrown into the unknown. Terribly mutated animals hunt in packs in deformed forests. Decrepit military robots unknowingly make their way through the ruins, with sensors and logic centers destroyed. Alien soldiers, once impossibly powerful, huddle in the wreckage of their ships, praying to unwary gods for rescue.
Control the survivors of humanity in a near-future alien apocalypse. Choose a path between the indifferent abominations of the Voice and the indifferent automatons of ZEPHON, with city management, turn-based tactical combat, unholy research, diplomatic maneuvers and branching narrative quests. Gather your allies and choose your actions wisely.
Here are some numbers. Over 50 unique units in battle! Over 150 technologies! Six types of climate you need to worry about when painting your map! 11 multi-tiered resources to consider when running your economy! Okay, that’s enough. Don’t worry, there are more Steam page.
The aforementioned Gladius was published in 2018, at the peak of the pre-Edwin period. It seems to have been well received. So how terribly embarrassing for my vaunted predecessors at Rock Paper Shotgun who never got around to reviewing it. Fraser (RPS in the room) did write about the lack of diplomatic options. Zephon seems to be cut from the same cloth, even if he is relatively needy among the Tyranids.
