XCOM 2 Reviews
Alien firefights play out like deadly games of chess. The difficulty tests your resolve, but XCOM remains one of the deepest and most rewarding strategy games on the market
XCOM 2 manages to raise the stakes and challenge of its predecessor without ever becoming too frustrating. Defeat will be frequent and death even more so, but victory is all the more sweet for it. In short, it's bigger, better, broader, and even more brutal!
There are still only a few games that do what XCOM does, and even fewer that do it so well.
XCOM 2 succeeds in making a more cinematic experience for the story and adds a little bit more personality to the supporting characters of Officer Bradford and Proffessor Tygen.
XCOM 2 updates the franchise's formula without sacrificing what works in the original game. You have more freedom than before, and relatively superfluous elements like the Interceptors have been cut. More importantly, the pacing and structure really does make you really do feel like a band of renegades taking on an occupying force. It's been a fun ride, and with more mods on the way, I'm looking forward to playing it again - the best possible compliment I can pay to a tactics game.
A superb sequel that improves on every aspect of the already excellent originals, and offers one of the most absorbing and unpredictable strategy experiences ever seen.
Despite being a fan of the XCOM series as a whole I never expected this new entry to be as polished, intricate, immersive, beautiful and exciting as it is. XCOM 2 is not only one of the greatest strategy games of all time, it's also one of the greatest videogames of all time.
A truly terrific game that deserves a wide audience
XCOM 2's brand of tactical strategy might have its roots in the golden age of PC gaming, but its sights are set square on building a future. By limiting your reliance on safe, defensive play styles and pushing you to work quickly and attack, Firaxis has built one of the most tense, demanding and addictive strategy games ever, where every choice has repercussions and every soldier, every victory counts. If you buy it, clear your schedule: this one will keep you gripped for months.
XCOM 2 is a great turn-based strategy experience that delivers plenty of tension, a wide range of ways for gamers to navigate missions and choices and enough procedurally generated maps to keep engagements interesting even after 50 hours or more of play.
XCOM 2 took a formula that was already deeply compelling and made it even better. The game is even more punishing due to the expanded gameplay and the emphasis on urgency, but it gives you plenty of opportunity to succeed all the same. You'll celebrate every victory, you'll learn from each defeat, and either way, the game manages to be amazing. As good as the previous release was, XCOM 2 is an even better game in every conceivable way.
XCOM 2 checks many of the right boxes for a worthwhile sequel. The improved turn-based strategy gameplay and base management are the true highlights of the sequel. The game's random nature and urge for trying new strategies will keep players coming back. The game stumbles, however, at making the series accessible to a larger audience. The overwhelming difficulty is frustrating. That may be appreciated by series fans, but doesn't welcome newcomers.
A fresh, fast tactical strategy game that makes 2012's XCOM feel ancient.
Despite these technical faux pas, XCOM 2 has many grand elements to praise. It is the countless little touches, such as your troops whispering acknowledgments while in stealth, or ducking when within the line of sight of a comrade's shot, that truly show the commitment and effort the team at Firaxis poured into this stunning sequel. If XCOM: Enemy Unknown was the standard-bearer for tactical turn-based games, then XCOM 2 has wrested control of that flag, and now holds it even higher.
XCOM 2 is finally here, and we're taking a break from mourning our fallen squaddies to tell you how great it is.
It is rare when the sequel surpasses its predecessor, but XCOM 2 does it with style and verve. Unlike grenades in Enemy Unknown, everything in XCOM 2 matters. Choices have purpose, lives are no longer trivial. Maps no longer repeat, and neither do outcomes. XCOM 2 is punishing, but that just makes success taste that much sweeter.
A brilliant concept coupled with smart design choices results in a hugely rewarding game that over-delivers in almost every area
Firaxis has outdone themselves with 'XCOM 2'. It is a tactical experience without peer, better even than its predecessors. It is draining and agonizing, but in a good way. The high difficulty may turn off some gamers, but it's worth every second.