User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 556 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 62 out of 556

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  1. Jun 20, 2023
    9
    Amazing art, new approach to battle system, great lore, great implementation of single player (questing) and multiplier. This game has so much love and work in it, it is simply amazing, I am blown away.
    Sadly horrible and very not-game fitting DLCs.
  2. Jun 9, 2023
    8
    High quality 4x that does a lot different to mixed effect. The region system and citty development systems were excellent, to the point that Civ adopted the latter eventually. Factions are unique and have contained narratives that can get fairly involved, and they each play and expand differently. Diplomacy is a bit limited and turn-based battles quickly grow grating.
  3. Jan 30, 2023
    8
    Without mods 5/10, with mods 8/10. Corrects stuff I didnt like in civilization. I hate pseudo-historic games so fantasy setting was very welcome.
  4. Sep 25, 2021
    9
    Beautiful game with lots of replay value since each empire has very different characteristics. The game on harder difficulty starts off imbalanced because the AI is way overpowered, and by the end of the game, if you compound the right tech and buildings, you become way stronger than the AI no matter the difficulty setting. Still, this is one of the better 4X games I've ever played.
  5. Jan 31, 2020
    8
    Gorgeous visuals, well designed resource management, mediocre combat. A good entry for new comers to 4X genre. The game calculates turns quick enough and can handle the process load of the late game.
  6. Feb 17, 2019
    10
    Одна из лучших 4X стратегий и меня бесконечно радует, что Amplitude продолжают выпускать дополнения для этой игры. Однако стоит упомянуть, что при игре по интернету часто приходится сталкиваться с проблемами синхронизации.
  7. Jun 14, 2017
    10
    Para mi el mejor juego de estrategia por turnos ahora mismo, tiene cosillas mejorables como la IA pero lo compensa con el inmenso trabajo artistico detras del juego y sus novedosas y profundas mecanicas.
  8. Mar 15, 2017
    9
    The visual section is magnificent and I loved the music of the game, since it put me in atmosphere and never got to bother me.

    The gameplay is excellent, although I feel that there are no enough possibilities to make a come back, many times my victory or defeat was so clear that continuing playing lack of point, other videogames penalize to be trust in excess and I feel that this one miss that.
  9. Mar 10, 2017
    8
    Picked this up at a great deal last summer, figured it would be a nice throwback to the CIV V days. I certainly wasn't wrong, much of the same experience I had in CIV V is present here, but there's a lot more added to this one. It's sophisticated - there's a lot of strategies to use and planning to consider when developing your empire. Approaches vary significantly depending on the factionPicked this up at a great deal last summer, figured it would be a nice throwback to the CIV V days. I certainly wasn't wrong, much of the same experience I had in CIV V is present here, but there's a lot more added to this one. It's sophisticated - there's a lot of strategies to use and planning to consider when developing your empire. Approaches vary significantly depending on the faction you're playing, which adds plenty of replayability. Other good features: tons of different resources (many with booster effects that are so good they're worth going to war over), marketplace to sell or purchase heroes or resources (there's also mercenaries, but investing in those didn't ever seem to be beneficial), competitive battle AI, prioritizing in the tech tree development (in CIV V it was pretty much linear), storyline quests that can return significant benefits like powerful weapons for heroes or faction-wide benefits. And there's plenty more laudable features.

    There are some downsides though. First one was more troublesome when first starting the game - you have much less control in battles and in the beginning that can be an annoyance when you can't get things to go the way you wanted. Eventually you'll begin to understand the movements and see that the combat effectiveness trade-off for initiative (the characteristic that determines when an unit can make their move) is a neat strategy element.

    To point out a more serious issue I had, I'd prefer to describe how one my campaigns went down.
    I quit playing the game after a while and don't want to go back to it. Mainly because there's something going on with the campaign AI and it put me off the game for good. I played a campaign on the hardest difficulty (endless), 8 players, with only elimination victory enabled (conquer all enemy provinces). Now I remember **** about how hard the harder difficulties were when I first tried them last summer (called it "impossible and retarded"), but it looks like there is a significant luck factor involved that determines whether your campaign goes well or not. Basically I got lucky this time and without sacrificing too much, at the beginning of the game I laid down 6 or 7 cities before my expansion options were closed by enemy factions. Spent a good 100 turns just building, researching etc. And all this time I was surprised that nobody had come to f*ck me up like they used to when I first played this difficulty. My military was terribly weak until I got bored and started pumping resources into armies. Soon enough I was ready to go and capture my first city. Didn't meet too much resistance, managed to take them by surprise and immediately settle a truce with them. And here's one problem: A lot of the times powerful factions get "exhausted" very fast. That means that they're much more willing to submit to your demands in diplomacy for truce. Therefore you can pretty much play according to your own rules. I then learned that the city I conquered was much more developed than any of mine were and since conquering it didn't have any serious repercussions, I figured it was time to quit the pacifistic gameplay and just invest in war. Bla bla bla, eventually you'll have figured out the main weakness of the AI - they're easily taken by surprise and you can capitalize on it without bearing serious repercussions. After a while my elimination campaign turned into a grind and I quit. Therefore I'd recommend keeping the other victory conditions enabled and (except score - that can end your dozen-hour campaign unexpectedly) let the game function as a whole - then the faction specializations can shine. The AI may not be balanced enough to deal with limited victory conditions.
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  10. Mar 2, 2017
    9
    A well balanced game that does a good job ramping up the difficulty levels in a way that feels instructive and fun. The battle system is a bit odd and takes some getting used to. The factions have some decent diversity, more so than many other 4X games.
  11. Dec 27, 2016
    10
    As an attempt to balance out the people who rated this game a 0/10. I'm not going to deny that the game has the same style as Civilization but the game has so many unique features that would separated it from its older brother. From the Ability to edit your units, expand your cities in the direction you want, and assimilating minor factions to get their traits and unique units.
  12. Mar 2, 2016
    10
    Initial offering of game was great but additional dlc has added tons more depth to it. Graphics are great and UI is intuitive. The soundtrack is also a major positive of this game.
  13. Nov 26, 2015
    9
    This game is fantastic. I mean it really is. But you have to take it like it is, not like you would like it be. If you want to know what is amazing in this game, just read the tons of the other commentaries and watch some videos on youtube. Just know that this game is unique in his style. Don't expect a "Civilization in Fantasy Themed universe". Just don't do it. Don't expect a Warlock orThis game is fantastic. I mean it really is. But you have to take it like it is, not like you would like it be. If you want to know what is amazing in this game, just read the tons of the other commentaries and watch some videos on youtube. Just know that this game is unique in his style. Don't expect a "Civilization in Fantasy Themed universe". Just don't do it. Don't expect a Warlock or an Age of Wonders like of game. It's really a unique game.

    Generally I buy a game not by reading positive reviews but reading the few bad ones. If the bad ones make sense, I will not buy the game. So I kinda feel I have to step in to warn people not to read the bad marks which do not make sense. I mean none of them do...

    Most of the people complaining complain because of the Combat system. The combat is... Special. It looks like Combat Mission: you provide orders. Validate them. Then your units will try to comply with your orders.

    Units with the highest Initiative will execute orders first. So here comes the fuss: you play the Broken Lords (within the smallest Initiative), set all your orders. Enemy plays first since it has the highest initiative. This means: the enemy troops are not where they were at the beginning of the turn. Their troops attacked your mobile forces that cannot move anymore since they have been attacked. Their troops are now out of reach and none of your order is executed like you planned them to be because, as a result, your troops are now blocked, they don't execute the orders as required since they cannot do it anymore (out of reach, blocked...).

    Now you are frustrated because your troops have the lower initiative and every single turn none of your orders are executed like you wanted them to be. Your troop needed to attack an enemy that is now out of reach to it moved to get close to it while another enemy was just nearby. And you rage!! “HAAA stupid system! What is this game? If I was able to command the troop I would have attacked this target, not the first one!”

    But are you frustrated because the game is stupid? Because the game is badly optimised? No… That is the way the game functions. And if you want to win, to enjoy this game, you need to adapt your play style with the game.

    Now, 3 cases:

    Case number 1: you are a moron (like most of the people bad-marking this game) and say "hey, this is too simplistic"; "why I cannot provide orders, this is **** "the enemy plays first and I cannot do anything". “InstaRefund”. bla bla bla... You are only misleading people…

    Case number 2: you say: "ho what a pity. I would have a preferred a system like Heroes of Might and Magic, where the highest initiative starts, but I can command each troop, one by one and take action upon the situation like it is on this very moment. I don’t like this style, I find it boring, so I didn’t enjoy the game”. This you can do. You could have preferred another combat system. Everyone has its own tastes. But the combat system is NOT EASY, NOT STUPID, IS NOT FLAWED. The combat system is very specific and we come to...

    ... Case number 3: you understand how the combat system works and you get adapted to it. You think and take strategies on that.

    JUST THINK!!! It is a Strategy Game requiring you to use your brain.

    Let’s take this case where you play with Broken Lords, with very low initiative troops. You will need strategy: You know the last playing troops, frontlined hand-to-hand combat troop will probably only defend. So what you do? Set "defense" or "on hold" and ask to attack a troop. If your troop is being attacked, and it probably will, it will defend and stay where it is. If your troop has not been attached: suppose the pointed enemy that troop is at reach, good, your unit will attack. If not, it will stand where it is and attack another nearby enemy. If there is no troop at hand it may not attack and just stay there doing nothing, but at least your troop will not move and screw the positioning for the next turn.

    You know the last playing troop; in the back; that needs to go to the Front will probably not be able to attack the enemy you pointed since that enemy will have moved first. So set only a movement, in aggressive behaviour. Place them where you would like to be. Best case an enemy troop will be at reach and will be attacked. Worst case, no enemy is at hand and your troop won't attack. But at least it will be positioned where you wanted it to be positioned, allowing you, on the next turn to plan a better attack.

    If you take Broken Lords, with low initiative, overall, you know that the strategy to be adopted is a defensive strategy: infantry in line, no initiative, backing each other. Second line, put your mages, that are support firing troops and that heal adjacent troops. Cavalry, more mobile, not very quick on initiative must only be used to flank enemies when the opportunity is good: and the opportunity will be one in a battle-time. Make no mistake: a bad order will screw everything. Great game
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  14. Oct 24, 2015
    8
    This is the best fantasy 4X game out right now. The factions play totally differently, and have different victory conditions, to an extent. The game's pace is a little slow; a problem it shares with their other game, Endless Space, and the winters make the pacing problem worse. Battles are often not decisive, as heroes can increase the resilience of units to the point where they can'tThis is the best fantasy 4X game out right now. The factions play totally differently, and have different victory conditions, to an extent. The game's pace is a little slow; a problem it shares with their other game, Endless Space, and the winters make the pacing problem worse. Battles are often not decisive, as heroes can increase the resilience of units to the point where they can't do serious damage to each other for the maximum duration of the battle. The indirectness of unit control in battles is frustrating, as the AI has much finer grained control, making use of support units difficult.

    That said, the game is fun, and fans of fantasy strategy will enjoy this one.
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  15. Oct 3, 2015
    10
    These guys make the most beautiful games I have ever seen. The music and aesthetics are among the best in the business. Even the sound of clicking items with the mouse is relaxing. Just like Endless Space, the best way to learn is to just start playing, although the tutorial is much improved and makes the game more accessible.

    Both Endless Space and Endless Legend require extensive
    These guys make the most beautiful games I have ever seen. The music and aesthetics are among the best in the business. Even the sound of clicking items with the mouse is relaxing. Just like Endless Space, the best way to learn is to just start playing, although the tutorial is much improved and makes the game more accessible.

    Both Endless Space and Endless Legend require extensive management. I like that there are so many tooltips and lots of in-depth flavor text. But if that is not your bag you can ignore it as well. While they have their faults, I think the sheer beauty of the games warrants the 10/10.
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  16. Aug 29, 2015
    10
    Superbe ambiance et très bonnes musiques. Ce jeu; d'abord complexe, permet énormément de différentes stratégies en fonction de la race que vous jouez. En outre, jeu très profond, très bien travaillé permettant de nombreuses heures de jeu avec un immersion juste fantastique! Un must-have.
  17. Jun 26, 2015
    9
    long story short, Beyond Earth is underwhelming so I picked this up for my 4X fix. Wow. This game is definitely more complicated but once you get the hang of things and sink a few dozen hours in you realize how special this game is. It's depth and creativity are the key ingredients to making this the current King of 4x. For the first time in a looong time, Civilization is in second place.long story short, Beyond Earth is underwhelming so I picked this up for my 4X fix. Wow. This game is definitely more complicated but once you get the hang of things and sink a few dozen hours in you realize how special this game is. It's depth and creativity are the key ingredients to making this the current King of 4x. For the first time in a looong time, Civilization is in second place. Totally worth the money. Expand
  18. Jun 18, 2015
    10
    Best "X4" strategy game that I've ever played, it's (imo) better then all the civilization. In this game changing your civilization have a real impact and change your gameplay ! Graphics are amazing too et the soundtrack is just flawless ! *-*
    It would be cool to have a bit more political options but it's realy a minor problem.

    just buy this game !!
  19. May 7, 2015
    8
    It's basically Civilization with a fantasy theme. You have more lore and an interesting setting, but less factions and option. The diplomacy and other themes are better done, yet the combat isn't as good or tactical as Civ. It's a fun game that any 4X fan should check out.
  20. Feb 11, 2015
    10
    Being a fan of Endless Space, Endless Legend was a nice improvement both lore wise and mechanic wise. Unlike Endless Space, I was able to convince friends to pick this one up and actually play against people.

    Combat system reminds me of the combat in Age of Wonders III but combined with Endless Space.

    (Cultist 4 Lyfe)
  21. Feb 7, 2015
    9
    Other than Civilization V, this has to the best large-scale turn-based strategy game on the market. It is so much better than Civilization Beyond Earth. It brings enough new ideas to the genre, considerable polish and replayability, and is the best looking turn-based game ever made.
  22. Jan 29, 2015
    9
    "Bizarre, cynical, and full of stories–truly, Amplitude Studio’s Endless Legend is the Hunter S. Thompson of 4X games.

    In a year that boasted some heavily-desired strategy and civ-based games (including one from the granddaddy of all civilization franchises), isn’t it funny that the one that absolutely stands out the most is the one with the strangest lore, most unique characters and
    "Bizarre, cynical, and full of stories–truly, Amplitude Studio’s Endless Legend is the Hunter S. Thompson of 4X games.

    In a year that boasted some heavily-desired strategy and civ-based games (including one from the granddaddy of all civilization franchises), isn’t it funny that the one that absolutely stands out the most is the one with the strangest lore, most unique characters and creatures, and most fleshed-out, fun-to-explore world. It’s almost as if players enjoy a unique polish to their games every now and then. Not that I mean to give the finger to Sid Meiers and Firaxis and all those wonderful people. They’ve put out dumptrucks of amazing games over the years, and I’ve gobbled every bit of it up like an obese Texan toddler.

    But merciful blue Christ: Endless Legend is steadily making itself into my favorite civilization game since Civilization V released Brave New World."

    Read the full review at Notes From The Conquistadork: http://conquistadork.net/2015/01/05/long-winters-gathering-dust-thoughts-on-endless-legend/
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  23. Dec 30, 2014
    10
    It has this absolutely gorgeous graphics with an amazing artwork and graphics style, as well as an excellent, almost euphoric soundtrack; it is magnificent, it is advanced, and even if it is much to comprehend at first, compared to the Civilization-series, it is worth it.

    If you like 4X and Civilization, you will get many, many, hours out of this game.
  24. Dec 28, 2014
    9
    My only 4x experiences, previous to Endless Legend, were Civ 4 and 5. This is, simply, better. It's a fantastical world, beautifully realized, and provides so much more variety than the Civ series can. Much of this stems from the factions in the game. In Civ, factions have 2 unique units or buildings, and a special characteristic. In Endless Legend, each race not only has completelyMy only 4x experiences, previous to Endless Legend, were Civ 4 and 5. This is, simply, better. It's a fantastical world, beautifully realized, and provides so much more variety than the Civ series can. Much of this stems from the factions in the game. In Civ, factions have 2 unique units or buildings, and a special characteristic. In Endless Legend, each race not only has completely different units, but forces the player to adopt radically new play styles, depending on the strengths and weaknesses and quirks of the race they're playing. Oh, and your units can be equipped with items of increasing cost and ability, allowing a huge amount of customization.

    Play it see for yourself.
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  25. Dec 17, 2014
    9
    I think Endless Legend is one of the best 4x game you can find today.

    Its strongest points are (Its Subjective) Its art design - Wonderful Music, Beautiful and Unique Avatars for the different factions, Nice (randomly generated) world map - the game is a joy to look at. The tech tree - Although it has tiers I have found it much more interesting and a lot less linear than in Civ
    I think Endless Legend is one of the best 4x game you can find today.

    Its strongest points are

    (Its Subjective) Its art design - Wonderful Music, Beautiful and Unique Avatars for the different factions, Nice (randomly generated) world map - the game is a joy to look at.

    The tech tree - Although it has tiers I have found it much more interesting and a lot less linear than in Civ IV,V

    RPG elements - Heroes have a rather good ability tree and there is huge armory to upgrade and "specialize" your heroes and units as you progress through the game. Exciting quests and the feel you need to explore for more hidden treasures on your map. A lot of minor faction on the map also make the game more interesting and giving more options to set up your "army composition" because after you pacified a minor faction you can use their very unique.units in your army.

    Its a wonderful game If you like the turn based strategy genre Endless Legend its a must to try and I think you won't be disappointed.
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  26. Dec 10, 2014
    9
    An excellent 4x strategy, must have for everyone who loves this genre. Graphics is a thing to get used to and there are still some things to polish, but... I believe a true 4x fan can live with that, especially when you get truly unique factions, multiple quests and an interesting minor factions which are both barbs and kind of city-states for you, followed by quite good combat system, anAn excellent 4x strategy, must have for everyone who loves this genre. Graphics is a thing to get used to and there are still some things to polish, but... I believe a true 4x fan can live with that, especially when you get truly unique factions, multiple quests and an interesting minor factions which are both barbs and kind of city-states for you, followed by quite good combat system, an original approach to city management and a nice diplomacy capabilities and having kind of RPG element in heroes levelling and following your faction main storyline. AI is a bit dumb in the late game but surely provides some challenge on the start, and playing vs humans is always better, right? Especially, when the multiplayer is not broken like in another quite famous title of the 4x genre :-) Expand
  27. Dec 1, 2014
    9
    Lets see here gents, Great looking game check. 8 different empires that are all very different check. turn based so i can drink my beer, check. amazing interface that has very use full but not overwhelming info with detailed tool tips so that i don't have to have a encyclopedia to figure out how it works, check. OH NO my friend disconnected while playing online..... dot worry he can justLets see here gents, Great looking game check. 8 different empires that are all very different check. turn based so i can drink my beer, check. amazing interface that has very use full but not overwhelming info with detailed tool tips so that i don't have to have a encyclopedia to figure out how it works, check. OH NO my friend disconnected while playing online..... dot worry he can just re join and the AI just plays one turn..... wow that alone is note worthy but no one will tell you that.

    I can go on and on but lets just say for a second guys that a very small company that i have never herd of is releasing titles that are constantly, that are entertaining and a very reasonable price, i would recommend this to a friend matter of fact i bought it for a friend for x-mas and we both are enjoying it.
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  28. Nov 30, 2014
    8
    Endless Legend is a fresh Civ-like turn-based game, with a touch of fantasy, and with some unique and very interesting features

    If the point of the game is very similar to Civilization (you choose one of the paths to victory, being as usual military, culture, science, domination, etc.), its gameplay is original and creative. The factions are very different and will affect your victory
    Endless Legend is a fresh Civ-like turn-based game, with a touch of fantasy, and with some unique and very interesting features

    If the point of the game is very similar to Civilization (you choose one of the paths to victory, being as usual military, culture, science, domination, etc.), its gameplay is original and creative. The factions are very different and will affect your victory possibilities, some of them are really crap at combat, others can't even colonize new regions.

    Talking about combat, it is very well thought. As soon as you enter a battle, by moving your army against another, the 'normal' gameplay stops and you're taken to the field of battle, which is a real field, with mountains blocking your way and everything. You can pick 'auto' mode for the 9 vs 1 battles, but when your army of 10 men encounter another army of 10 men, the way you position your troops become very relevant, and you can sometimes win by just being smarter than your opponents.

    It's time-consuming, addictive, well if you've made it that far, I know you know what I'm talking about. One...last...turn...

    Other novelty, the heroes. They can lead your army like generals or improve your city as governors. They can be customized at the point you can choose their gear, skills, like a mini RPG-feature, and they count as an extra super-unit in battles. Same happens for armies, you can customize your units. They'll cost more if you add a shield, a chestplate, but they'll be more efficient. Also, you can rename them, which might be a funny feature in multiplayer.

    Now I gave it a 8 because of 2 things. First of all, the set up of a multiplayer game can be very time-consuming at the beginning. The forums are full of people not being able to play at all, being stuck in loading screens all the time. Second bad point, as I'm not playing in English, some parts have not been translated at all, which might be problematic for some people, it gives a small sensation of an unfinished game.

    Other than that, it's a must-try for every Civilization fan, it is new, fresh, with nice music, nice colours, and lots of customization.

    Now one tip to the new players, choose your starting faction carefully, some are very difficult to play with, and build armies to protect your cities, because 2 little soldiers to defend a fortified city is not enough, you'll lose it in one turn !
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  29. Nov 28, 2014
    9
    Endless Legend is what I thought I was buying when I got Civilization: Beyond Earth. It's a great 4X game with a lot of evident work put in. The factions are very different and dramatically change your playstyles and priorities to a point that a playthrough as the "Broken Lords" is entirely different from a playthrough as the "Roving Clans".

    Your units and heroes are customizable though
    Endless Legend is what I thought I was buying when I got Civilization: Beyond Earth. It's a great 4X game with a lot of evident work put in. The factions are very different and dramatically change your playstyles and priorities to a point that a playthrough as the "Broken Lords" is entirely different from a playthrough as the "Roving Clans".

    Your units and heroes are customizable though you are limited by your faction to certain types... with that said you can also conquer other minor factions, absorb them, then customize their units to fill any gaps in your armies. There are several different minor factions too so it feels pretty well filled out.

    You expand your cities by building them out.. so it's a pretty neat system where as your population expands a la Civilization you don't get an expansion in your influence area but instead are able to build additions to sprawl your city out to utilize more resources. Kind of a neat twist on the Civilization system of expansion.

    If I had to try to chop away at enthusiasm for this game I'd say you need a decent machine to run it because in the later stages of the game it can get pretty hard on your system resources, even chugging some systems to a complete halt and prevent you from finishing the game. I'd also say the graphics are... I don't know... not dated but maybe just a little bland?

    All in all if you're a 4x strategy fan and dig the fantasy setting then this is the game you're supposed to buy this year.
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  30. Nov 20, 2014
    9
    Fresh idea for a 4X game. I like it a lot. The only flaw for me is, that it becomes repetitive quite early. But I'll be very much looking forward for a sequel as this might become an epic 4X series. And it looks beautiful, with nice OST.
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 37
  2. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. Feb 10, 2015
    85
    The masterpiece you don't expect, who knows how to remedy many flaws of the more famous rivals without disrupting any of the mechanics which we have become accustomed, using instead many original ideas to give a boost to the genre.
  2. CD-Action
    Jan 9, 2015
    80
    A complex, polished and really pretty game that has nothing to be shamed of even when compared to Sid Meier’s Civilization. [13/2014, p.44]
  3. Games Master UK
    Dec 21, 2014
    89
    A beautiful strategy diamond that breathes new life into a tired genre. [Christmas 2014, p.71]