Closing The Distance

[Thorondor]

Distant Worlds

Contact nearing and on approach vector. Phasing out of an alternate timeline, no less, this now-revealed new entry to Matrix Games' Distant Worlds' series takes place in the ominous Age of Shadows.

https://www.strategycore.co.uk/site/assets/files/5999/news-thumbnail_distant_worlds_shadows_reveal_bnr.jpg

 

 

Distant Worlds: Shadows is the highly anticipated third expansion to the critically acclaimed 4X space strategy game. Distant Worlds: Shadows adds incredible new gameplay to the Distant Worlds universe and includes an earlier era in the Distant Worlds timeline, called the Age of Shadows.

 

 

Start a new empire before the discovery of hyperspace travel and try to expand into the stars, or play as one of the legendary Pirate factions of the Age of Shadows, competing with new victory conditions to establish an alternate history where the pirates triumphed over the planetary civilizations. The pirate options alone include four completely new playstyles (ranging from Raiders to Smugglers) and new smuggling and mercenary missions. Also included are ship boarding actions and ship and base capture, new Ship Captain characters and pirate raids of planets and space stations.

 

 

 

The key features:

 

 

 

• Play as an Empire or a Pirate in the Age of Shadows

• Start as a Raider, Pirate, Mercenary or Smuggler and play with an entirely space-based faction that can if successful become a planetary empire as well

• New Pirate Leader and Pirate Captain characters

• New expanded Ground Combat with new troop types and an animated ground battle resolution screen

• New Ground Combat technology tree

• Resolution of the multiple stages of a planetary assault

• Assault pods and ship to ship or base boarding actions, including ship and base capture

• Gravitic Weapons and Tractor Beams

• Infantry, Armor/Mech, Special Forces, Planetary Defense Units

• Expanded and improved Area Weapons

• New planetary facilities

• Improved AI and new comprehensive difficulty settings

• New and Improved higher performance Graphics Engine

 

 

 

Therefore, plenty of novelties to look forward to in this stellar effort by the developers at Code Force, which should be warping in 'soon'. Do keep in mind though that the base game and all previous expansions are required to play with Shadows.

 

 

The first screenshots have come to light and can now be found at the dedicated product page in this sector of online space.

[Space Voyager]

As my poor memory did manage to access the few remaining neurons containing praise for DW, I decided to check some reviews. Mostly good opinions. What I liked the most is that the game (so they wrote) allows for a lot of automation. Will have this one in the cross-hair.

[Thorondor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=askoN9ciPB4

 

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Some more input regarding Shadows can also be found in this preview at Space Sector.

 

Also, screenshots have been detected decloacking here.

[Thorondor]

Space Game Junkie Brian Rubin goes the distance and previews Distant Worlds: Shadows.

[Thorondor]