{"id":785,"date":"2023-08-23T18:36:44","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T18:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/?p=785"},"modified":"2025-07-02T19:34:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T19:34:15","slug":"six-ages-2-lights-going-out-review-from-out-of-the-darkness-another-ray-of-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ballpeenhammer.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/23\/six-ages-2-lights-going-out-review-from-out-of-the-darkness-another-ray-of-light\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out\u2019 Review \u2013 From Out of the Darkness, Another Ray of Light"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It\u2019s been a bit over five years since the release of Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind<\/em>, a game that I loved just as much as its predecessor The King of Dragon Pass<\/em>. That might seem like a bit of a wait for a sequel, but the gap between the first and second game was almost twenty years, so I think we\u2019re doing alright here. Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out<\/em> ($9.99)<\/a> once again returns to the fictional setting of Glorantha, a world where gods and goddesses hold major sway over the happenings of the mortal world. Or at least they did, because in Lights Going Out<\/em>, the ca-ca has hit the fan. A clash between gods has put the world in the brink of ruin, and you have to somehow survive in the fallout of this fierce struggle.<\/p>\n

The setting is the biggest change in Six Ages 2<\/em>. Previous games saw you guiding a tribe in relatively prosperous times. Sure, there were plenty of dangers and risks, and it wasn\u2019t unusual to fall afoul of the gods or spirits and get wiped out. But the smart leader could find a great bounty in the land and its offerings, leading their tribe to an unprecedented level of comfort and happiness. That won\u2019t be the case here. The gods of Chaos have been uncorked, and many of the familiar gods from the previous game are straight-up dead. The land is ailing, the trade routes have crumbled, and everyone is filled with the tension and dread of an uncertain future.<\/p>\n

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We can\u2019t choose the times we\u2019re born into, and we can\u2019t choose the setting of the game we\u2019re playing. All we can do is play our hand as best we can, and that\u2019s just what you\u2019ll do in Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out<\/em>. Despite the grimmer setting, this follow-up isn\u2019t any more difficult than the previous games. The good outcomes are generally less good and the bad outcomes are quite a bit worse, but your ability to achieve either remains the same. It\u2019s an interesting twist that helps this game stand out despite sharing almost everything mechanically with its predecessors. You really feel like you\u2019re barely surviving in this harsh world, and just seeing the names of gods crossed out on the usual list has a heavy impact for those who have been following along with the series.<\/p>\n

For those new to these games, this is a blend of two kinds of games. On the one hand, it is a simulation game. You are leading your tribe, managing your resources, making diplomatic choices, and dealing with attacks. You have to try to forge and maintain uneasy alliances with other tribes, keep your people well-fed, and avoid bringing down the wrath of as many gods as you can. It\u2019s not quite as detailed as the likes of Civilization<\/em>, but it holds a similar appeal. Not a whole lot has changed here when compared to the last game, but there is a sense of scarcity and you certainly don\u2019t have as many gods to appeal to. It\u2019s also a bit harder to adhere to the principles of your tribe, given the circumstances.<\/p>\n

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The other half of the game is a choice-based narrative adventure. Events will occur where you\u2019ll have to make a decision. Your advisers will offer their input and you can choose which of them you want to listen to, if any. Sometimes there is a clear best answer, but it\u2019s rarely that simple. Indeed, in this game you\u2019re often faced with a choice between seemingly equally unpleasant outcomes. And sometimes you might think you made a good choice but it comes around later to bite you in the hindquarters. There are pleasant surprises too, though they\u2019re not something you should count on. A lot of strange things can happen in the world of Glorantha, especially in the state it\u2019s in, and a lot of the fun of the game is in seeing what happens in these events. The writing is really sharp, and it certainly has its own sense of humor at times.<\/p>\n

Naturally, these scenes are all accompanied by some terrific artwork. Always a highlight of the series, and as good as it\u2019s ever been here. It\u2019s a little extra spice that helps bring this unusual world to life and helps sell some of the bizarre things that can occur. As with the other games in the series, there are hundreds of these events and they\u2019re largely random in terms of when or if they will appear. This introduces an element of chaos into the game no matter how well you organize things on the simulation end, and ensures that the game can be almost endlessly replayed without covering the same ground.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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