Developed by Proxy Studios, who you might know as the masterminds behind Warhammer 40K: Gladius, Zephon is a 4X title much akin to its older brother, only much more glorious.
With a post-apocalyptic world ridden with rogue AIs, horrors beyond comprehension, and out-of-this-world (literally) 4X gameplay, it stands among the greatest strategy games I've ever played, and you've likely never heard of it.
A world gone to hell and back and back to hell
Zephon is as much a 4X game as a narrative-driven story-heavy title, where a strange, unique world is unveiled to you each turn and at every corner.
Whether through quests, discoveries around the world, conversations with other civilizations, or any other means of storytelling (and trust me, there are a lot of those here), Zephon presents you with a ruined, post-apocalyptic future where eldritch horrors, superintelligence, spiritual beings, and cyberpunk dystopias all come together.
It plays much like Civilization, and, as noted in the intro, Gladius, which the devs extensively worked on. Essentially, you can consider Zephon an upgraded version of Gladius, given that it shares much of its DNA with it both in regard to gameplay and design. Where the two differ is the setting, which, though the 40K universe is a stellar one and among my favorites, sits a degree higher.
You spawn in with a select civilization, each with a specific affinity. These affinities determine how other civilizations perceive you, what your immediately available technologies and units are, and what story you will get to explore. It's super dynamic, weird, and unique, allowing every match to feel different.
And they don't feel different just because the gameplay varies between civilizations, no. What determines the dynamic nature of this game is the way the story unfolds. You get different quests, dynamic encounters, dialogue choices, decisions, and paths to follow. Everything is told through microcosmic narration and characters, all of which interact with the civilization you've chosen (and the choices you've made).
You can meet a rogue AI and decide whether to go with or against it, find a barbaric king hiding out and carrying a unique artifact (which you can steal or leave alone), or encounter eldritch abominations hellbent on world domination. The possibilities are nigh endless, as Zephon incorporates aspects of various genres and styles to allow for a world where anything is possible.
Terminator and 40K seep through
The 40K influence is also pretty evident in the art direction, as most panels resemble those found in Games Workshop's incredible tabletop, which can be attributed to Proxy Studio's experience with it.
But what stands out the most are the Terminator vibes. Machines kept on fighting in a war long after their creators and users had passed. Kept chugging along and engaging in endless combat, the few humans remaining eventually rising up against them. That sounds pretty familiar, and there's even a Skynet-like AI in there, too, the one I've mentioned above.
Each of these narrative aspects of the game seeps through during every match, its outcome determined only by what you do and choose, and what civilization you're playing as.
I could go on about all the various popular franchises Zephon took pages out of. But why would I, when you can go out and play it for yourself? It's an A-class experience and you can pick it up for less than your average modern live-service title.
And, what's more, it gets regular updates which expand on gameplay, story, add new maps and civilizations, etc., all for free. No DLC, no expansions, no Firaxis and 2K shenanigans bleeding you dry.
Do it. Try it. You won't regret it.
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