Phoenix Point Reviews
Phoenix Point may not meet the legacy of its celebrated forebear X-Com, but then few games ever will. Elegant, atmospheric, and energetic, Gollop's latest remains remarkably hard to put down.
Phoenix Point carries Gollop's legacy forward capably, if conservatively.
In terms of core design, turn-based tactics games don't get much better than Phoenix Point.
Phoenix Point successfully introduces a slew of new features and mechanics that sufficiently evolve the XCOM-inspired genre of strategy games, though is brought down by some buggy, wonky, and unbalanced implementation of some mechanics.
Like XCOM, then, Phoenix Point is a gripping tactical strategy game.
Phoenix point is a little rough around the edges, but if you manage to look past its bugs you'll be treated to one of the most nuanced and entertaining turn-based strategy games to arrive in quite some time.
Phoenix Point’s blend of combat, research management and global exploration is thoroughly compelling, even if the factions can be a little trying. Whether you’ve got fond memories of Julian Gollop’s original game or not, he and his team have taken old school strategy and dragged it kicking, screaming and gurgling into the modern day.
There’s slow-burn greatness in Phoenix Point. It’s a game where you might be exploring a site, bracing for ambush, but instead find an abandoned theme park dedicated to a novelty boy band of hedge fund managers called the Lucrative Lads.
Die hard fans of XCOM will likely fall in love with Phoenix Point, a hard-as-nails challenge that offers procedurally-generated replayability and a suite of tactics to help you thrive on and off the battlefield.
Phoenix Point fits firmly on the foundation of modern XCOM, but rethinks combat with an action point system and the ability to free aim. While the latter seems like a gimmick, it's actually a wonderful tactical option that pushes the strategy forward. It's a shame then that a reliance on procedural generation leads to a lack of variety, weapon balance isn't great, and the technical execution is rough. Phoenix Point is a great starting point for something amazing, but it's not quite there yet.
The gameplay of Phoenix Point is similar to the X-COM series but introduces tons of dazzling innovation. It's hard to get started but once you master all the strategies you will become a die-hard fan. The biggest problem, for now, is that the game suffers a lot of annoying bugs.
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Phoenix Point will appeal to you if you're a big fan of the new XCOM games but wish they had more complexity. If you're turned off by punishing strategy and a hands-off approach, Phoenix Point is not for you.
Phoenix Point has some amazing gameplay ideas and even fun fluff, but it needs to work on quality of life and balance.
The creator of XCOM returns with some interesting new ideas, but without the budget or time to refine them Phoenix Point struggles to offer a viable alternative to its more established rival.
Phoenix Point does not revolutionize turn-based strategy gameplay, but X-COM fans will feel right at home. If you're been itching for some more X-COM, with a little bit of Civilization mixed in then Phoenix Point is right up your alley. 39.99 USD is about right for this game, and is enough to justify the price tag.
Even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, at the end of the day, strategy fans – and certainly XCOM fans – will enjoy the improvements that Phoenix Point makes, especially if this is just the beginning.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Phoenix Point just wrote a love letter to XCOM, for better and for worse.
Phoenix Point is a collection of fantastic new ideas installed on the solid foundations of the X-COM franchise. While it lacks the content to offer the replay value of the more recent X-COM games, it's still a great game that will test your strategic mettle to its very limits.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this one as a tactics player, but for anyone interested in getting in now, I caution you to save often and take your time. It can be a joy to play at times, but it can also quickly become a real slog.