The imminent arrival of Sins of a Solar Empire 2 feels like a potential landmark moment for PC strategy games. A sublime blend of RTS and 4X game, the original Sins of a Solar Empire remains one of those immense, sprawling experiences that rivals the likes of Stellaris and Elite Dangerous for sheer scope and ambition. As we await Civilization 7 and the Starfield DLC, this could be just the space game we’ve been hoping for, and now we finally have a confirmed launch date.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is the long-awaited follow-up to a game that seemed almost impossibly ambitious back in 2008 and remains quite the spectacle today, boosted by its supportive modding community. Total conversions that transform the strategy game into impressive alternate versions encompassing Star Wars and Star Trek have kept players coming back. Meanwhile, 2012’s standalone expansion Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion delivers an ultimate version of Sins that manages to cater to veterans and newcomers alike.
Much like its predecessor, Sins of a Solar Empire 2 follows the galaxy-spanning conflict between factions spanning three major races. There’s the human Trader Emergency Coalition, forced into collaboration to combat the invading Vasari Empire, a once-dominant civilization that now flees an unknown foe. Rounding out the trio is the Advent, an outcast human sect that vanished a thousand years prior, only to return boasting technologically amplified psionics and a collective will called the Unity.
You can of course expect the same level of comprehensive depth as the original, allowing you to scale from a close-up perspective on a single ship battle all the way out to a mapped network of planets on the galactic scale. You’ll have to contend with planetary orbits that force changes in strategy, minor factions that can offer welcome benefits to those that assist them, and the ability to build and command thousands of beautiful ships across your entire fleet.
The launch features six factions across the game’s three races, support for up to ten-player multiplayer matches, and an in-game mod browser to quickly enhance your game with all manner of user-generated content in the future. “It’s been amazing to see how hyped fans are for the release of Sins of a Solar Empire 2 on Steam,” Stardock director of publishing Brian Clair says. “We have seen so many people who were fans of the original Sins, and Sins: Rebellion, sharing their excitement for this long-awaited sequel.”
Sins of a Solar Empire 2 launches Thursday August 15 on Steam. If you want to get one step ahead of things, you can wishlist it now to receive a notification when it arrives.
Got a craving for more? We’ve picked out the best RTS games on PC and the best 4X games alike, to satiate your needs whatever side of the strategy spectrum you prefer.
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