Ashes of the Singularity II PC Review
Conclusion
Solid performance, but there are some shortcomings
The original Ashes of the Singularity was a technological showcase. The game leveraged modern graphics APIs and multi-core processors to deliver RTS battles on a scale unlike any other game of that era. Ashes of the Singularity 2 retains the impressive large-scale battles of its predecessor and takes some things to the next level. Each unit now has more moving parts, and the addition of infantry highlights the inhuman scale of this game’s warfare. The last game was robots fighting other robots; this game’s human faction highlights the game’s true scale, and it’s better for it.
Sadly, Ashes of the Singularity II is not as technologically impressive as its predecessor. Modern technologies like DLSS, FSR, or XeSS Upscaling and Frame Generation are missing. For antialiasing, Ashes of the Singularity II uses MSAA. Now that’s a technique that I didn’t expect to see in 2026. While the game runs well, upscaling support would make it easier to run at higher resolutions. Additionally, Frame Generation techniques could make this game’s battles appear more fluid, especially on high-resolution displays. Yes, the game’s perfectly playable without these features, but that doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be welcomed.
Another technological oddity is the lack of a dedicated V-Sync toggle within this game’s options menu. For benchmarking, I had to manually disable V-Sync within the Nvidia app and AMD Software. While this likely isn’t an issue for users of modern VRR displays, I do feel that a V-Sync option should be available.
Solid performance and fast loading
One thing that’s worth noting about Ashes of the Singularity II is that it loads incredibly quickly. Whether it’s resuming a save or starting a new mission, players can be in-game in seconds. This game makes good use of modern SSD storage. More games should aim to load as quickly as Ashes of the Singularity II.
Overall, Ashes of the Singularity II runs well. While it can bring high-end PCs to their knees at Extreme settings, the game still looks great at medium and high settings, and gamers can always disable MSAA to boost performance. That said, I would like to see modern upscaling support in this game, as it could make it much more accessible.
Overall, I’ve had a lot of fun here. It’s nice to play an RTS that isn’t demanding too much from my fingers. Compared to click-heavy games like StarCraft, this is a very relaxing RTS to play. It’s nice to take the time and simply watch battles unfold from time to time, rather than being expected to constantly trigger unit abilities and move units with pinpoint accuracy. This is a nice addition to the RTS genre, and while I would have preferred a longer campaign with more personality and variety, I still enjoyed myself. Multiplayer and skirmish mode also add more variety and endless replayability.
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