Phoenix Point

 PC
User Score
5.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 398 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 161 out of 398
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 398
  3. Negative: 143 out of 398

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  1. derek_
    Oct 9, 2022
    10
    Great game. Plenty of interesting ideas, great tactical combat, beautiful graphic, good enemis-story-factions. Definitely right step forward for x-com type games.
  2. Xubaca
    Oct 12, 2021
    10
    - Excelent turn-based combat
    - Good graphics and sound effects
    - As good as XCom 2 - Good management options (research, build bases, manufacture equipment) - Diplomacy adds a new dynamic do the game, comparing do XCom series - Loading maps is very slow on Xbox One, but game is very good - Game still have some minor bugs on Xbox One and I had 3 crashes after 50 hours gameplay. But the    - Excelent turn-based combat
    - Good graphics and sound effects
    - As good as XCom 2
    - Good management options (research, build bases, manufacture equipment)
    - Diplomacy adds a new dynamic do the game, comparing do XCom series
    - Loading maps is very slow on Xbox One, but game is very good
    - Game still have some minor bugs on Xbox One and I had 3 crashes after 50 hours gameplay. But the game is good and worth your pattience.    … Expand
  3. Combiner
    Dec 19, 2020
    9
    Great different look on XCOM formula with very alive world and many random and non-linear things.
    Now devs just released Year One edition and they will keep improoving the game in 2021.
  4. Mukirana
    Dec 9, 2020
    10
    Player over 40 hours on the first week alone. Extremelly addictive. Stay away.
  5. realblacktea
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    I am playing on legend difficulty without save load and having a lot of fun, It is my 60-th try and i almost got it to the last mission, however got wiped out again, Best x-come like game in the last couple of years.
  6. K0O
    Jun 26, 2020
    9
    Very nicely balanced. Very addictive and interesting gameplay. Good solid game engine. Nice sounds and graphics. A bit repetitive, but still one of the very best turn-based strategy/tactical XCOM-type games. Recommended highly, if you liked the newer XCOM.
  7. SerGjant
    Jun 20, 2020
    8
    I think it's a pretty underrated game. There are quite interesting mechanics. It was not boring throughout the game.
  8. Val_b3
    Jun 13, 2020
    10
    While game has it's gripes and difficulties user score on meta is not representative of the quality of the game. It's a bit on the low side.
    First thing to know about it - it's slow. Very slow. I've wasted 60+ hours on a single campaign and I'm still not finished.
    Second thing - research tree is... unique. Unlike X-COM series where research is very straightforward, here it's not. You'll    While game has it's gripes and difficulties user score on meta is not representative of the quality of the game. It's a bit on the low side.
    First thing to know about it - it's slow. Very slow. I've wasted 60+ hours on a single campaign and I'm still not finished.
    Second thing - research tree is... unique. Unlike X-COM series where research is very straightforward, here it's not. You'll be getting most of your tech from factions, be it stealing, gifted or even collaborations.
    Third - experience from similar tactical games will help, but also impede with you. Unlike most of tactics where range and dice toss are the king, here it's range, aiming reticle AND dice toss. It's still clunky but fun to operate. Takes time getting used to.
    As for the gripes - squad requires MICRO management (goes as far as reloading BETWEEN missions and healing ONLY on bases or in battles (despite having all the medkits in the world and an assumed ability to use them in between; that's just dumb)); sheer volume of numbers makes it impossible to deduce most things, you'll be lost operating thousands of numbers each turn (there is a reason that X-COM series doesn't like going beyond 20 - not only does it enhance tactical experience, it also keeps them manageable (players need to be able to compute SOME numbers and possibilities on the fly)); enemy types are limited - while the enemy variations can be described as shifting and changing, the game suffers from lack of enemy types, this in turn backfires on the stuff you'll be spending 80% of your time on - tactical combat; more types = more fun; a whole pleiad of technical issues/bugs/freezes.
    Back in the day game release has suffered a lot of blowback due to EGS exclusivity. Despite all the negative it looks like team is set on continued support and developement of the game. I cannot help but support that. Hope that developers will keep on shaping this project into a game they can be proud of.    … Expand
  9. Dark_Ansem
    Apr 9, 2020
    10
    I really didn't want to give this game a 10, but considering the ridiculous reviews about Epic Games or from people who expected an action RPG, I have to. It's superior to XCOM2 in principle (and occasionally performance), but it lacks the same polish and amazing toolset. YET. More DLC and the toolset are coming.
  10. Vitamin-J
    Mar 11, 2020
    9
    A revolutionized engine for the "X-Com Like" genre.

    Granted, the original Xcom had a similar mechanic - Phoenix Point's free aim systems makes any other game that uses percentages feel seriously dated. The factions are a great addition and allow multiple play throughs with different endings and outcomes. The factions lack a little asymmetry but with the mods there are out there, one    A revolutionized engine for the "X-Com Like" genre.

    Granted, the original Xcom had a similar mechanic - Phoenix Point's free aim systems makes any other game that uses percentages feel seriously dated.

    The factions are a great addition and allow multiple play throughs with different endings and outcomes. The factions lack a little asymmetry but with the mods there are out there, one can customize the differences and provide a truly unique feel for each one.

    It feels great to have another strategy game with a turn based tactical layer and geoscape strategic layer that isn't centered around the traditional sense of an Alien Invasion. Phoenix Point's story is very unique, eerie and provides the same novel feeling Julian Gollops originally produced X-COM: UFO Defense had given us, so many years ago.

    Not to mention Vehicles. There is vehicles! I always want there to be vehicles and too many developers just skip out on this part.

    I am very excited to see the additional content drops for this game and I truly think this is going to change the sub-genre, for the better.    … Expand
  11. Sinistars
    Feb 28, 2020
    10
    After finishing my last game I was looking for something isometric strategy or RPG and after trying many xcom wannabes I went back to play another round of XCOM2, until, this little gem came along. Creator of the original XCOM was enough to pull me in and I am so glad it did. If you played XCOm, you will feel at home fairly quick, not a huge learning curve for us, a lot of the sameAfter finishing my last game I was looking for something isometric strategy or RPG and after trying many xcom wannabes I went back to play another round of XCOM2, until, this little gem came along. Creator of the original XCOM was enough to pull me in and I am so glad it did. If you played XCOm, you will feel at home fairly quick, not a huge learning curve for us, a lot of the same mechanics and layout, with some improvements and a few not so much. Combat improve the are the most notable for me, the zooming in to shoot and target areas of the body and such I love, where the ship building leaves a lot to be desired, no improvements and maybe less challenging since you can place new rooms anywhere, no challenge figuring out how or where to place your rooms. It does go into a lot more detail about diplomacy, factions and with so many decision to change the outcome of the game, it seems it will be Very repayable. So far I love it, it’s fun, challenging and is helping relieve the XCOM 3 cravings, for now. game.… Expand
  12. Aliarm
    Feb 9, 2020
    8
    Game have better core gameplay, combat mechanic and variety then XCOM. But still need some better interface, tutorial and polished.
  13. thzeitch
    Dec 25, 2019
    9
    I like classic XCOMs and Firaxis' XCOM2: WotC as well. Now I've played Phoenix Point about 30-35 hours.
    All visuals, sounds and music made very well - stylish and congruent. Really good job!
    The core game mechanics is rock-solid. Gameplay is addictive that leads me to insomnia. Lore/narrative content implemented good enough (btw, do not expect strong storyline or something, because this    I like classic XCOMs and Firaxis' XCOM2: WotC as well. Now I've played Phoenix Point about 30-35 hours.
    All visuals, sounds and music made very well - stylish and congruent. Really good job!
    The core game mechanics is rock-solid. Gameplay is addictive that leads me to insomnia. Lore/narrative content implemented good enough (btw, do not expect strong storyline or something, because this game {like original XCOMs} is much more about gameplay, not storytelling).
    Also, I must admit, some game aspects are unpolished yet, but noncritical. No doubt the game is definitely worth to buy and has a great potential that (I'm sure) will be properly unleashed in the future DLCs.
    9/10.    … Expand
  14. daroubignole
    Dec 23, 2019
    9
    I think this game is really really good. The roots (and trunk) are XCOM(2), but there are a tons of hitherto unknown to me little mechanics sprinkled all over it. I like the troops & inventory management à la Soldiers of Fortune. I also like the eerie atmosphere that emanates from the whole package (lore, design, music, ...).

    If my understanding is correct, the dev team is basically one    I think this game is really really good. The roots (and trunk) are XCOM(2), but there are a tons of hitherto unknown to me little mechanics sprinkled all over it. I like the troops & inventory management à la Soldiers of Fortune. I also like the eerie atmosphere that emanates from the whole package (lore, design, music, ...).

    If my understanding is correct, the dev team is basically one guy, or at least one dude made most of FP. Anyway, there are a few bugs, a few problems, and some things are not clear at first glance. That said, the versatility and originality of the combat mechanics as well as the overall quality of the game in general outweighs the occasional frustration or quirkiness for me so far (about 200hrs).

    Also, the first patch that came out recently was decent and left me hopeful the the dev(s) will keep on fixing for a little wile before DLCs come out..    … Expand
  15. valir
    Dec 22, 2019
    8
    This game is something that XCOM from Firaxis does not have. Phoenix Point has atmosphere of X-COM classic. I like this game.
  16. Skrip
    Dec 20, 2019
    10
    real best game, fans of the genre I advise you to play. thanks to the developers
  17. 2fatbear
    Dec 17, 2019
    10
    It's a great game in the tradition of the old and venerable XCom (not the recent games, but the old ones from the 90s), made by the creator of that games. Its true it is made with a low budget and it shows in sound that could have been better, between scenes graphics of variable quality and some small details like that. But the problems are all in these non-essential issues. The core ofIt's a great game in the tradition of the old and venerable XCom (not the recent games, but the old ones from the 90s), made by the creator of that games. Its true it is made with a low budget and it shows in sound that could have been better, between scenes graphics of variable quality and some small details like that. But the problems are all in these non-essential issues. The core of the game, the playability, the game itself, is great. Its well thought and implemented. No clicking wrong soldier or place (unless you *really* mess it), easy to understand interface. The game itself isn't easy to master and that's a great thing, you have to think, learn, play to get the hang of it. I'm currently on my third play and already seeing I made something wrong, but still can't say precisely what. So lets go on and discover!

    One point I complain a bit about is that we could have sceneries related to the places in the world where they are. Or more variation at least. This limitation was an aspect of the original games but by then we had games on 3 1/4 disquettes, now we have much more freedom so this could have been addressed.

    Another thing I'm asking myself, will it be possible to customize things around? I mean, at least the cosmetic part? I would love to be able to recreate my team of Hollywood actors as soldiers like I did on the original XCom games! (: By then we only had the photos of faces and names to change, now it would be much more complex, but...

    All in all, I'm loving to play this game. I like a lot the new XCom, played 1 and 2 to the end many times vamilla and customized, but Phoenix Point is like returning to the *real* thing.
    Can't wait to see the DLCs!    … Expand
  18. Pinkiesbrain
    Dec 15, 2019
    9
    I was very surprised. First from the game and then from a lot of Xcom veterans here on metacritic who polarize on the game.
    To me this was one of the best Xcom experiences across the last couple of years minus a few flaws.
    At the start, and with my high hopes, i felt a little bit disapointed about the game and I thought "well, it is not very deep, only 3 character classes, and the    I was very surprised. First from the game and then from a lot of Xcom veterans here on metacritic who polarize on the game.
    To me this was one of the best Xcom experiences across the last couple of years minus a few flaws.

    At the start, and with my high hopes, i felt a little bit disapointed about the game and I thought "well, it is not very deep, only 3 character classes, and the gameplay and customization is a abit shallow"
    But then with more and more hours in the game pretty much exploded in my face and soon i almost lost the overview of all my soldiers, all the classes and builds and loadouts and so forth. And while it became a lot to care about it did not become this behemoth like LW2 where things become messy after a while. In short - the game started to shine a lot later than expected.

    The gamplay works better for me than in the last two xcom titles, because it manages two things very well:
    1. The tactical games are much more predictable and therefore planable and "tactical"
    2. I did not need or want to save scum all the time although it was dificult every now and then. Which makes the gameply so much more fluid.

    There is one thing that is mentioned often in the critics which is "the soldiers dont have personality" which is true but i felt it to be a kind of advantage. I had loved characters in Xcom1 and 2 too. OFC.
    but this led to sad faces when the loved ones get hurt or killed.
    But Xcom has always been about exactly that: expendable soldiers, about losses and the hurt of war.
    Adn this does phoenix point manage very well the soldiers dont get too close to our heart and the skill trees are not toooo deep and this makes them expendable and taht makes the game concept work since we dont care(too much) about a soldier getting badly hurt or leaving someone in the base for a couple of days.
    Still- while I love the "new" aim mechanics so much more tahn the "old" (after some getting used to it)

    Still while this stuff worked good, and replayability is there because of the factions system there is some minor to major flaws imho.

    First , as metioned, it starts too late to develop its qualities. Second the game scales somehow strange. In the first twenty hours it was kinda (too) easy and by now it is really hard. All my soldiers have to be snipers because the storm rifle does 40 dmg max and almost all my enemies have 40 -60 armor. Ending in 0 dmg for "normal" rifles. I dont kow if I missed some research somewhere though...
    Anyways I feel extremely outdated with my weapons.
    The Story is not reeeally engaging thats true. I am not a lore guy- in fact I never in my gamer career was a guy who reads quests or backgrounds since I always found game lore very badly written even in "praised" games. But I like and need immersion and that is a little bit off in phoenix point.

    So all in all - it is a definitve recommend from my side. It is not Xcom3 but it is an awesome Xcom2.5 with great ideas and dynamics.
    And if you compare the Budget from Xcom 2 and Phoenix point - Phoenix Point CLEARLY did the better job in almost every aspect of the game.    … Expand
  19. elguru
    Dec 10, 2019
    10
    7.5 It's rough around the edges, but it's made by Gollop, one of the brightest minds of the age of computer games, with that said, the story is good, the tactics and animations better than XCOM's, the ufopedia good as usual, the only thing it needs is a bit more game options (like turning off right clicking run) and more to do on the geoscape, the inclusion of the APC is great, finally7.5 It's rough around the edges, but it's made by Gollop, one of the brightest minds of the age of computer games, with that said, the story is good, the tactics and animations better than XCOM's, the ufopedia good as usual, the only thing it needs is a bit more game options (like turning off right clicking run) and more to do on the geoscape, the inclusion of the APC is great, finally snipers are not useless compared to Firaxis version, also the random positioning of the enemies is way better and the surprise factor well done, i suggest you play on the hardest mode to enjoy it the most, music is fantastic and is based on the original scores, the game have some bugs but is mostly optimized and well done, this is probably one of the few good Unity games out there, i know the exclusivity deal with Epic games store is not cool but at least when it launches on Steam, the game will be way better.… Expand
  20. ibanghedgehogs
    Dec 9, 2019
    8
    Bloody good xcom like game, needs a bit of bug squash and better tutorial, but it's a great game regardless
  21. floatingbumblee
    Dec 9, 2019
    10
    Game is tight. Extremely well thought out. Amazing atmosphere. There's occasional stuttered animation when i jumpjet a heavy, but only rarely and only exists while jetting, could be because i have free camera on. Occasional issue with shooting the cover you hiding behind, easy work around is to look down the sights, before firing, which is a fantastic mechanic (sniping weapon arms andGame is tight. Extremely well thought out. Amazing atmosphere. There's occasional stuttered animation when i jumpjet a heavy, but only rarely and only exists while jetting, could be because i have free camera on. Occasional issue with shooting the cover you hiding behind, easy work around is to look down the sights, before firing, which is a fantastic mechanic (sniping weapon arms and shutting down annoying mutations, i sniped someones mounted rocket pack yesterday and blew them up) The inventory and customization is great. Yes people compare it to xcom, why? Because firaxis bought the UFO xcom franchise upon which they based their games (which i find so frustrating i cant play it). This game is very very good. The learning curve may be steep for some, I'm on my 4th restart and now have the hang of the game and can plan my progression accordingly. The amount of game and story content here is massive, when the dlcs become active, it's going to be even more amazing. I have a deep love for well crafted things, whatever they may be and this game gets it. Cannot understand why there is so much meh towards this game. For a 4x tactical squad based game, there is currently no equal. (I suspect that people who have a problem with the freeform narrative format struggle with their imagination, as you explore the world, the story of what happened to the previous earth and the mystery of the virus becomes clearer, dont just click through the encounter scripts... READ THEM!) There are so many different ways you can approach this game and customize units it's really so very great. I only had to look for online aid twice. Once was for the armored buggy you can stick in your ship, still dont know if it's a robot or needs a driver, but i have future plans to drive one in the midst of enemies and dump a crew of shotgun toting super mutants up their noses) game is good, it's a strategy tweakers wet dream.… Expand
  22. ergo14
    Dec 9, 2019
    8
    Snapshot delivered a good game. It builds on UFO/XCOM mechanics in a fun way and adds own twist on top of that. Geoscape is meaningful and fights are fun. Currectly there are some bugs and balacing issues here and there but nothing that can't be solved by a patch. I do like the difficullty though - it seems player has to adapt to Pandoran evolution too and it is a race with time to win.Snapshot delivered a good game. It builds on UFO/XCOM mechanics in a fun way and adds own twist on top of that. Geoscape is meaningful and fights are fun. Currectly there are some bugs and balacing issues here and there but nothing that can't be solved by a patch. I do like the difficullty though - it seems player has to adapt to Pandoran evolution too and it is a race with time to win.

    I liked the game a lot better than first XCOM and at least on par with XCOM2/Xenonauts.    … Expand
  23. Varrgas
    Dec 9, 2019
    8
    First, this game didn't deserve a Mass Dislike and review bombing like that...
    For a AAA like BL3 or else i can understand, but not a Kickstarted Indy game...
    If people want to play Xcom from Firaxis, just do it, don't ask a game to be an other one, it's useless. My opinion after some hours, didn't finished the main campaign yet: Good: - Combat are strategics - The 3D visual is    First, this game didn't deserve a Mass Dislike and review bombing like that...
    For a AAA like BL3 or else i can understand, but not a Kickstarted Indy game...
    If people want to play Xcom from Firaxis, just do it, don't ask a game to be an other one, it's useless.

    My opinion after some hours, didn't finished the main campaign yet:

    Good:
    - Combat are strategics
    - The 3D visual is nice and is really well optimized (60FPS at 1080p with a PC: i7-4790K no-OC + GTX 980 no-OC )
    - There is many way to play, many classe and combo
    - The Ui who is clean, not a mess, easy to understand
    - An in game PhoenixPedia for more info
    - Mechanics are well explained and easy to understand, but not easy to mastery
    - Really cool looking Artistic direction
    - The Real Aim Sight Mechanics !!!! it change A LOT the game play, it's amazing and totally change the feeling from game like this one.
    - The story who seems amazing and very interesting but...

    Bad:
    - ... the Story is not nought present, to mush in the back, why ???
    - The music are to shy, and i think they was composed before the game loosed his horror atmosphere, that why sometime the music seems more dark than what happen in game and doesn't suit well.
    - Combat music have to be a little more punshy, more energetic i think, but it's personal feeling.
    - No cinematic effect during combat, or cut Scene, like when you One shot someone from far away with your sniper, as we can see in Trailer Video, there nothing like this in game.
    This point isn't that important maybe but it add a lot of fun and help the player to feel the grinding of his team and when he grow in power. There isn't to be all the time, but just sometime, when great action happen.
    It's nice to see the effect of our strategy in action in a nice looking scene.
    - Maybe not enough class and different equipment
    - No PvP online :/

    Special case:
    - The lost of the Horror Side of the game.
    I can understand why for this point, this is a niche game and with an horror background and story, maybe too mush people will let the game on the side and look for something else.
    But the game had to be sell one day and earn some money, we musn't forget this, even if it's fan made from people who love video game and what they done, even if it's a kickstarter, there people who need to feed there family behind this game !
    I a saying all of this and i not even backed the game xD

    Well, whatever, the game is nice, interesting, need some adjustment and there will be some before the end of the year with a free DLC.
    Give it a chance, even later, if you like this kind of game.

    But stop Review bombing, it's stupid, Epic or not !    … Expand
  24. valda
    Dec 9, 2019
    10
    Amazing Game. If you liked classic XCOM or even the newer version, you will love this game. I can see it being a classic for years to come. It's a life stealer though. Set some time aside.
  25. markelphoenix
    Dec 9, 2019
    10
    Extremely enjoyable game with a long developer commitment for continuous content and support! Can't wait to see what comes next!
  26. BritneysJourney
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    It's revolutionary game for the XCOM genre, you can shoot whatever you want, no matter if it's environment or enemies or even friends. There is no logical abstraction with random chances of the shooting, the randomness comes only from the weapon's spread angle. You can make yourself a hole on the wall and shoot whatever you see through that whole... but it can also shoot you back, it'sIt's revolutionary game for the XCOM genre, you can shoot whatever you want, no matter if it's environment or enemies or even friends. There is no logical abstraction with random chances of the shooting, the randomness comes only from the weapon's spread angle. You can make yourself a hole on the wall and shoot whatever you see through that whole... but it can also shoot you back, it's hilarious, I've never seen such freedom in a turn based game. Yeah it has some bugs, the AI is "thinking" too slow sometimes (which is normal I guess, having in mind this freedom I'm talking about), but It's a first official build after all, we all know how developers launch first, fix bugs later now days.… Expand
  27. LordKiRon
    Dec 8, 2019
    9
    Initially I gave 6/10 to this game, but after playing for couple of days changed to 9/10.
    My problem is that I expected something like X-COM or better yet X-COM with modern graphics and maybe a bit different firing system, the game is not it .
    However, its a great game, I started to love it ! On the bad side there still rather uneventful, blend, research and the learning curve is    Initially I gave 6/10 to this game, but after playing for couple of days changed to 9/10.
    My problem is that I expected something like X-COM or better yet X-COM with modern graphics and maybe a bit different firing system, the game is not it .
    However, its a great game, I started to love it !
    On the bad side there still rather uneventful, blend, research and the learning curve is unpleasant, also the “switch” from “everything is too easy and world is small” to “damn, I can’t pass any mission and the world is huge” is just too sharp.    … Expand
  28. TimRad
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    Лучшая пошаговая стратегия, за последние лет 10, продуманная и глубокая. И самое главное минимум ТУПОГО РАНДОМА. Почти шедевр. Желаю разработчикам финансового успеха и сам куплю игру и все дополнения.
  29. 2ICKYT
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    Game is flawless! Similar to Xcom, but way better! Everything Xcom lacks this game has. Way more forgiving than Xcom. Must play!! Support Spattercatgaming on YouTube. Buy through his link please!
  30. Stormcastle499
    Dec 7, 2019
    10
    First time - Low budget boring game.
    Second time - strategic orgy.

    Who loves XCOM2, must play. This game needs time for understanding. I recommend.

    XCOM2:
    better graphic
    more complex

    PHOENIX POINT:
    similar to old XCOM
    more interesting enemies
    interesting ideas
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Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
97
#97 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 48 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 48
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 48
  3. Negative: 0 out of 48
  1. GameCritics
    May 7, 2020
    80
    Even with all its technical flaws and strategic hiccups, Phoenix Point manages to pull together some of the best aspects of classic and contemporary turn-based tactical design and, in doing so, it somehow leaves me wanting more. It’s not a recommendation that comes without caveats thanks to the bugs and hiccups, but the struggle is worth it.
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 28, 2020
    80
    In some ways, the game may look simple, but the opposite is true. Thanks to the difficulty and intriguing environment you will spend dozens of hours playing the game. [Issue#301]
  3. Games.cz
    Feb 28, 2020
    80
    This is a true spiritual successor to X-Com games. The tense atmosphere and terribly lopsided fight to save humanity make this a wonderful strategic experience.
    Read full review
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