XCOM 2 Game Review

Released: February 5th 2016 (Consoles followed in September 2016)

Developer: Fireaxis Games

Publisher: 2K Games

Certificate: 16

Formats: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Format Played: PC

2012 saw the return of the classic XCOM franchise with the passionate and capable reboot: “Enemy Unknown”. Going in a new direction, XCOM 2 does far more than outdo its predecessor, standing among the best strategy games ever produced.

XCOM 2 takes place twenty years after the 2012 reboot in which a battered Earth was completely conquered by the aliens. Brief snippets show the XCOM base destroyed, the Commander being captured by alien forces and humanity signing a “unification” deal. Now under the control of the ADVENT coalition, XCOM is now a resistance movement making use of a repurposed alien battle ship to expose ADVENT’s lies and uncover the alien’s true plans for humanity. The story is far more cinematic and intriguing than the first with more cut-scenes and in-game commentary from the main characters; it provides a solid amount of background information to a world ruled by omnipresent alien overlords. On top of all that, it feels far more personal, with a further incorporation of the player into the cut-scenes; often, the three main XCOM staff members; alongside the returning Council spokesman, Central Officer Bradford, Chief Engineer Lily Shen and Chief Scientist Richard Tygan will address the Commander directly at many points, creating further investment.

The overall design of the game has been drastically overhauled; XCOM 2 makes use of repurposed alien battleship called the Avenger which flies around the world taking on missions and investigating specific occurrences. This could be a set of new rookie soldiers, a cache of supplies (which serve the game’s main currency) or even a scientist or engineer to bring benefits to research and constructing aboard the battleship. You’re also highly encouraged to make contact with other resistance havens around the world, creating a network of suppliers However, each of these events take time to scan and complete and you’ll find yourself saddled with guerrilla op missions; in these you’ll send your squad down to perform a variety of tasks from rescuing or kidnapping VIPs, destroying or protecting a key target and raiding a key supply point. These missions in turn feed into your primary objectives which include researching specific projects, enemies and building rooms on the XCOM ship. Onboard the battleship, you’ll be building better equipment and upgrading it with items scavenged off the battlefield and constructing rooms (within power limits) to improve your squad tactics on the battlefield as well as facilities that can give your soldiers new abilities and training. There’s a lot to keep track of this time around and on top of all that, there’s a timer called the Avatar Project constantly ticking away; if this isn’t delayed or slowed, the game is over and you’ll to reload or try again. Many obstacles can spring up in your mission to overthrow the aliens; there may be an alien facility you need to destroy to delay the Avatar Project, but you need to contact the resistance in that region first. Or there be a room you need to build but you lack the resources and Avenger power to do so. Alien dark events, which can range from reduced supply amounts to a UFO chasing the Avenger around the map are also employed to hamper your efforts, meaning you’ll have to choose which one to counteract the more the resistance expands. The tension that runs through XCOM 2’s veins constantly hangs over the player but it skilfully manages all the information with a fluid menu system that always displays what you should be doing alongside an intuitive interface for the ship itself. Elements of player choice also come to play; you could focus entirely on completing the main objectives and racing to the finish, focusing mainly on building better weapons, or you could concentrate more developing Psionic soldiers with mental abilities sooner by prioritising its research. 

But it doesn’t stop there; XCOM 2 has a comprehensive customisation system for soldiers with every aspect of their outfits being interchangeable. You can even write your own biographies (and possibly epitaphs), furthering your attachment to them over the course of every campaign. Each soldier created is saved to a character pool which can be saved and exported. XCOM 2 also has a multiplayer mode where you can again play as the aliens but not much has really improved from the original game; there aren’t many unique additions to set it apart from other strategy games or even its own single player mode. A cooperative mode would better suit the series. I felt that this didn’t hamper the overall package which has clearly focused on delivering the deepest and most tactical campaign in the series to date. Finally, the game is completely open to modders, the biggest being Pavonis Interactive with their recently released “Long War 2” conversion. There’s an absolute ton of customisable content here and modding will continue to add to that over time.

XCOM 2 maintains the shifting tensions and unpredictability that have defined the series. On ground level, cover is still incredibly important, as is putting your soldiers at a higher elevation so they can hit those all-important shots which are again determined by percentages and a roll of the dice among other stats. Taking turns between the player and the aliens, four classes make up the tactical decisions this time and each is far more versatile than before; rangers are close quarters experts who pack a sword for melee combat, specialists make use of gremlin drones to hack targets and heal the squad, grenadiers pack heavy machine guns and grenade launcher for crowd control and sharpshooters snipe from afar. Promoting your troops and giving them more devastating abilities remains immensely enjoyable but on the other hand it’s all the more heart-breaking to lose them as well as any equipment they were carrying at the hands of the aliens. Moving your soldiers around the map is a diligent process but the guerrilla warfare theme gives way to its biggest new addition; concealment. Often your squad will start off a mission hidden from view of the aliens; as you inch forward, you’ll be able to manoeuvre into position and unleash often devastating ambush attacks, eliminating several foes in a single turn. There’s also a greater focus on destructible environments; a well-placed explosive or heavy weapon can shred armour points on enemies or blow out the floor of a higher building, causing fall damage. Yet despite all these new tactics, equipment and considerations, XCOM 2 is brutally difficult, even more so than its predecessor which mostly comes through the numerous new enemy types; the aliens can mark your soldiers for a boost to aim, disable their weapons, resurrect fallen comrades, launch aerial bombardments and even come crashing through the scenery, leaving your soldiers out in the open. Finding Sectoids that can mind control your troops as early as the third mission is very indicative of the game’s focus; add to that the numerous timed missions that offer a limited amount of turns and you a tough challenge that will require carefully considered strategy both on and off the battlefield. For the most part, XCOM 2 feels fair, though there are some rare cases where things become cheap, especially on higher difficulties where the aliens manage to hit some baffling shots. The game ultimately creates and sustains a harrowing struggle that’s immensely rewarding to overcome.

Reducing the cell-shaded style in favour of a more realistic look, XCOM 2 looks far more vibrant and appealing than the first; everything from the procedurally generated levels to the armour the soldiers carry packs much more detail. The setting itself commands an immense irony, an idealistic future utopia with an undercurrent of sinister human abduction and experimentation running through it. A collection of military march themes gets the blood pumping in the lead-up to every mission, while also flaring up the tension when combat finally erupts between humanity and the aliens. A greater variety of effects also permeates every battle; explosions, fire and acid effects are particularly detailed. At launch, the game did have a fair few technical issues; but with some updates, the game’s stability has improved; currently it runs well, with a hint of framerate drops here and there during loading screens; some visual glitches such as soldiers picking up a fellow compatriot through a wall can also be a bit distracting. Overall though, XCOM 2 improves upon what was established, taking advantage of updated hardware to deliver a more realistic look.

Outside of a few technical hitches and a somewhat basic multiplayer mode, everything in XCOM 2 has been taken to a higher level, making it one of the best sequels in recent memory. More strategic choices to make, more customisation, more dastardly alien creatures to contend with and above all else, the same massive level of challenge that the series is known for. It’s an absolute must-buy if you have any sort of interest in strategy games, tactical or otherwise.

Rating: 9.5/10 (Superb)