I wrote a good bit final yr about Ixion, a deep house city-builder than mixed the fun of popping in little constructions with some 4X parts like exploration, then wrapped all of it up in an engrossing story in regards to the dying days of the human race. I cherished the sport, however I additionally hated it.
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I cherished it for all the explanations I spelled out right here, however I additionally hated it as a result of it was at instances pointlessly worrying, and its tightly-wound narrative, which helped the sport in so many different methods, was additionally an unlimited ache within the ass when it got here to progressing via Ixion’s ranges:
In Ixion you’re at all times in peril, at all times wanting one thing you want, and it’s arduous to get that stuff at one of the best of instances, not to mention once you’re coping with the whole lot from employee strikes to burning factories. A city-builder ought to not less than typically be a tranquil expertise, as a result of they’re about constructing and watching issues develop; right here there have been valuable few moments I wasn’t feeling extremely wired, and by no means felt like I bought the possibility to only take pleasure in for a day or two the truth that, hey, we had been nonetheless alive. A sandbox or freeplay mode may have actually helped right here, however sadly the sport doesn’t embody both of these issues, there’s simply the marketing campaign.
I wrote that in December—Ixion simply squeaked into my 2022 GOTY record—and now we’re in Could 2023. And whaddya know, whereas the sport doesn’t have a “sandbox or freeplay” mode, it now has one thing possibly even higher: issue choices.
Truly, it’s one thing even higher than that: they’re deeply customisable issue choices. Have a look at this!
Any new playthrough will now start with a selection of three issue modes:
Journey:
This mode is for gamers who wish to benefit from the sport’s narrative and is really useful for these unfamiliar with the city-builder style.
Default:
That is the meant IXION expertise and is really useful for gamers aware of metropolis builders.
Problem:
An unrelenting battle for survival; this mode is for Directors who actually wish to take a look at their abilities.
Desire a bit extra customization so you’ll be able to play IXION the way you envisioned? Then this fourth possibility is for you. In Customized mode, you’ll be able to alter all kinds of sport mechanics to your style. Bored with the fixed hull degradation. Flip it off. Not getting sufficient employees from cryopods? Change the ratio. Accidents taking place too usually? Lower the frequency.
You can too alter these issue parameters through the pause menu mid-playthrough – together with in your present saves!
Good. That is excellent. It lets us proceed to play the sport the best way its builders meant, but additionally lets us—the Royal Us, these of us who weren’t down on a few of its issue and pacing points—tailor a few of its extra annoying facets to easily make it extra enjoyable. And that doesn’t simply imply making issues simpler, you may make them more durable if you need!
My preliminary Ixion advice in 2022 got here with some fairly robust caveats; these are nearly all gone now, so if the concept of a city-building Battlestar Galactica feels like your factor, it’s best to positively test it out in 2023.