Chess 2: The Sequel - Initial Thoughts

About the Game (From the Steam Store Page)

Chess 2: The Sequel is the next step in the evolution of chess tuned for more viable options, strategic interest, and years and years of expert play.

There are six armies to choose from, each with their own abilities and unique flavor:

• Classic: The original army from classic chess and the only army with a queen.
• Two Kings: Two warrior kings with a powerful attack and extra move.
• Empowered: Bishops, knights, and rooks gain each other's movement powers when adjacent.
• Animals: A wild mix of atypical attacks that are difficult to defend against.
• Nemesis: Focused attack on the enemy king for those who prefer checkmates.
• Reaper: Haunted army with teleportation and immortality.

The 21 matchups and 36 opening books reward strategy and positional play from the very first move, not rote memorization.

If you cross the midline of the board with your king (midline invasion), you win. This makes for faster, more dynamic, and more aggressive games while eliminating the draw problem that plagues high-level chess.

Previous Playtime

0 hours 

What Was I Thinking When I Bought This

I have game acquisition stories that are more frivolous or embarrassing, but not many. I like the title. It inspired a brief chuckle and so I impulsively threw this game in my cart. It's like, "you know Chess, the most iconic and widespread board game to ever exist, well, after 1500 years, we're releasing the long-awaited sequel - Chess 2." It's so breath-takingly arrogant that I can't help but admire the audacity.

Expectations and Prior Experience

My relationship with chess is rather fraught. When I was young, I had a vague idea that I would someday master the game. I read books about chess strategy. I got pretty good at solving chess puzzles (where they show a board position and then ask questions like "how does black checkmate in four moves?")

The one thing I didn't do is play games of actual chess. I was a lonely child, with few friends, and much too socially anxious to get involved with clubs and other group activities. In the late 90s, I received a game called Virtual Chess 64 as a gift and I resolved to practice rigorously until I achieved some notable skill, but I kept losing on the easiest difficulty level, despite the game's advertised "artificial stupidity." Eventually, I became frustrated and demoralized and quit trying. It's probably been at least a decade since I last played.

I expect that Chess 2 will be a fast complete for me, just on a mechanical level. It's a turn-based strategy game with near endless variation, and I can click on buttons indefinitely. I also expect it to be a difficult emotional journey. I've developed something of a mental block when it comes to this game. It seems like the sort of thing I should be good at, but I've become convinced that it's a fundamental aspect of my identity that I'm not.

The best case scenario here is that the silly rules changes to the "sequel" make this game enough unlike chess that I just sort of stumble through it. Otherwise, you all are in for the most melodramatic Chess blogging to ever see print.