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. mechagamera
    Dec 17, 2019
    5
    This game is a hot underdeveloped mess. An intriguing story and concept of a long dormant virus released from melting permafrost is wasted. The global map and games overall pacing are underdeveloped. The bases have no strategic game to them and look like place holders for real content. Maps are small and cluttered and most times you out gun the enemy except when your forced to face armoredThis game is a hot underdeveloped mess. An intriguing story and concept of a long dormant virus released from melting permafrost is wasted. The global map and games overall pacing are underdeveloped. The bases have no strategic game to them and look like place holders for real content. Maps are small and cluttered and most times you out gun the enemy except when your forced to face armored monstrosities a few hours in with no hope of beating them. Gear and Danger should escalate slowly over time. It just isn't fun in it's present form.… Expand
  2. XykyTa
    Dec 5, 2019
    3
    Глючная, сырая, скучная, безликая. Разнообразие тактик? Нет. Баланс на высокой сложности? Нет. Хотя бы экшон и графон? Тоже нет. Кто-то купил в EGS за 300р. - вот её цена, а не 1799р.
  3. drumbunny
    Dec 6, 2019
    6
    The core game is fine and fun but far from polished. The cover mechanic is broken on many maps as well as the line of sight. In such a strategic game it can break a mission if you rely on the line of sight indicator.

    Also the maps and missions get repetetive pretty fast...
  4. Klarum
    Dec 16, 2019
    5
    The game is fine. But this is an indie level game, that was crowdfunded, and it shows. So I dont understand why it is being sold at AAA pricing and exclusive on EPIC.
    Wait for it to come to Steam and at a discount. By then the bugs of the game should be fixed and they had a year to add content to the game.
  5. doristurlu78
    Dec 6, 2019
    8
    Just started and i must say the game is very good, have an old laptop so i have to play on low setting but still looks fine, but used to have sinclair so maybe graphics isnt a deal breaker for me. the game works great but some loading times. But i think most of the negative reviews are because people were just expecting too much and some people thought it would be more user friendly likeJust started and i must say the game is very good, have an old laptop so i have to play on low setting but still looks fine, but used to have sinclair so maybe graphics isnt a deal breaker for me. the game works great but some loading times. But i think most of the negative reviews are because people were just expecting too much and some people thought it would be more user friendly like the new XCOM games who are great by the way. And its the same with this game as any other game today that is its probably put out a little bit soon so we have to wait for patches and upgrades for some time and hopefully after few months it will be even better. have been playing Fallout 4 finally and its great and everything works fine and all the dlc's are good too. If you want a great turn based game then check this out… Expand
  6. seathian
    Dec 7, 2019
    5
    Before i start i have some bias from the whole steam epic store switch, but still the game is dated and has too many bugs. you can say its good for a kickstarter game or indie dev but at the end of the day they got backed by epic hard so they were no longer a kickstarter in terms of funding. the game truly deserves a 5 or 6 at this point with some polish and maybe see what they do in theBefore i start i have some bias from the whole steam epic store switch, but still the game is dated and has too many bugs. you can say its good for a kickstarter game or indie dev but at the end of the day they got backed by epic hard so they were no longer a kickstarter in terms of funding. the game truly deserves a 5 or 6 at this point with some polish and maybe see what they do in the coming months a 7 or 8 if you get over your bias for the dishonesty… Expand
  7. napocapo69
    Dec 13, 2019
    5
    After advancing further in the campaign I'm forced to tone down my previous evaluation of the game (see below). The balance is absolutely broken.
    For the readers I'll give you an example:
    In one mission (Pandora attacking one of my bases) I had 7 (quite skilled unit) against the enemy team composed of 3 Antron and 2 Sirens. The Antron is in theory a md level unit with: Defense -    After advancing further in the campaign I'm forced to tone down my previous evaluation of the game (see below). The balance is absolutely broken.
    For the readers I'll give you an example:
    In one mission (Pandora attacking one of my bases) I had 7 (quite skilled unit) against the enemy team composed of 3 Antron and 2 Sirens.
    The Antron is in theory a md level unit with:
    Defense
    - health points slightly superior to your average unit
    - armour 2 or 3 times the amount of armour of your average unit
    - shield to limit the visibility on the vulnerable parts
    Attack
    - rifle/railgun in one arm
    - grenade launcher in the other arm
    - melee attack with poison
    Along with that this "mid level" unit returns fire (if the shield is not deployed) when attacked

    The Siren has:
    Defense
    - health points significantly superior to your average unit
    - armour 3 or 4 times the amount of armour of your average unit
    Attack
    - can take possession (for the duration of 2 turns) up to 2 of the enemy units per turn (depending on the will power)
    - melee attack with poison
    Along with that this unit can recover a significant amount of will power.

    To make a long story short I started the mission with 7 friendly units vs 5 enemy units.
    After 3 turns the game was 5 vs 6; 5 remaining friendly units (of which one without weapons because the rifle was disabled) against 4 enemies (I managed to kill one Antron, but the 2 sirens were still in good shape given the insame amount of armour/health) plus two of my units siding with the enemy.
    The following turn it was 3 (2 + 1 useless unit) vs 8 enemies (4 pandora units + 4 "traitors").

    You can guess the outcome.

    With this balance the game is unplayable at veteran level.

    ------ Previous evaluation-----

    Compared to Xcom2 it shows the lack of production quality (lack of cut-scenes, poor customization options, no modding support). It is also true that it costs 50% less than the price of Xcom2 full price when it came out. There are some bugs, not many, but overall it is more polished than Xcom2 initial release. I spent over 1500 hours on Xcom2 (I played everything) and I remember the bad performance which lasted for over 1 year; but still I loved that game. In this regard Phoenix Point is quite polished and with much better performances than Xcom2, let's be fair.
    Technically is not a masterpiece but it is good; maps are fine, textures (in gameplay) are good as well the sounds, and animations are decent.

    World map is a mess and it is hard to find you own bases, but actually, the main flaw of this game so far is the balance. That must be fixed; some enemies (SHILLA for instance, with overkill skills , 1300 health points and over 400 of armour) are a way too powerful.

    So far the bad and the not so good. Let's talk about the good.

    The game mechanics are great with much more depth than Xcom2. Compared to the Xcom2 base game, you can customize the soldier loadout with much more options, there are many more classes, more weapons, more technology trees. But the main great feature of this game is the shooting mechanics that allow you to shoot a specific part of the enemy's body; you can slow down the enemy by shooting at the legs, make it vulnerable removing its armour, rip-off his arms or weapons to diminish the threat, and so on. Simply great idea and overall well executed. And there is much more.

    In conclusion this is a good game. If you haven't played Xcom2, play that. But, if you have played Xcom2, you should consider this game, it's fun.

    Considering the price, it is a 7 out of 10. Could be 8 if they fix the insane balance.    … Expand
  8. Ivanhoefb
    Dec 6, 2019
    5
    I’ve only played a few hours, but I enjoy the depth and variety of play. Like any complex game, it takes a bit to understand the systems, especially the range your weapons are effective and how to best level up your troops.
  9. tuffpet
    Dec 7, 2019
    8
    While some of the mission types pop up far too often (I'm looking at you scavenge missions), there is a lot of detail to get into and depth to explore.

    I prefer the movement mechanics to xcom, though they did take getting used to!

    The story is interesting and I'm currently working with the faction I least thought I would. Enjoyable fun that will keep me going for quite some time!
  10. kennel_
    Dec 8, 2019
    4
    This is still a prototype: no balance, no final UI (what i see is can not be considered as final at all), no UX.
    A very big disappointment instead of a game.
  11. 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
  12. cyberlaw4
    Dec 4, 2019
    10
    Потом напишу полноценный обзор, как пройду со всеми дополнениями, пока игра великолепна! Чувствуется рука автора оригиналов хоть и осовремененная и всё ещё нуждающаяся в развитии. Подождем-увидим.
    justlikeme, не позорься на весь земной шар! Эта игра от создателей оригинальных X-COMов 90х годов, а не той шляпы с названием Enemy Unknown, создатели которой не имеют ничего общего с    Потом напишу полноценный обзор, как пройду со всеми дополнениями, пока игра великолепна! Чувствуется рука автора оригиналов хоть и осовремененная и всё ещё нуждающаяся в развитии. Подождем-увидим.
    justlikeme, не позорься на весь земной шар! Эта игра от создателей оригинальных X-COMов 90х годов, а не той шляпы с названием Enemy Unknown, создатели которой не имеют ничего общего с оригиналом. Даже Xenonauts больше X-COM чем Enemy Unknown!    … Expand
  13. NikolasB
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    An amazing game. I'm new to the genre and feels quite difficult. Still in brings me in a very pleasant way in its dark atmosFEAR. It's quite fun to make mistakes only to find new and new things. Everything is quite beautiful with nice attention to detail. Just love what those guys have done. Keep on!
  14. 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!
  15. Revengance
    Dec 6, 2019
    4
    I have been waiting for this game for a LONG time. Too bad i didn't buy it before it migrated to epic games as if i had i would get the rest of the game for free. Now i have to spend another 30$ to get the expansions which i am sure will help this game out.

    I agree with other reviews in that, for now, Install x-com 2 and have a much better time. Perhaps the game will improve. Or    I have been waiting for this game for a LONG time. Too bad i didn't buy it before it migrated to epic games as if i had i would get the rest of the game for free. Now i have to spend another 30$ to get the expansions which i am sure will help this game out.

    I agree with other reviews in that, for now, Install x-com 2 and have a much better time. Perhaps the game will improve. Or not, and releasing it right before Christmas was a cash grab. I think this hurt them in the long run....... Long War????    … Expand
  16. huliolopez
    Dec 8, 2019
    6
    Relatively weak game. It has nice feeling of dying world with alive population counter and some good mechanics, but some bad as well. Why mist an global map looks like red outline, and not like mist? Why mist is totaly absent on tactical battelfield? Why I can't hire crew that I want, instead I have to fly from one haven to another in hope they have a sniper for hire (usually they don't,Relatively weak game. It has nice feeling of dying world with alive population counter and some good mechanics, but some bad as well. Why mist an global map looks like red outline, and not like mist? Why mist is totaly absent on tactical battelfield? Why I can't hire crew that I want, instead I have to fly from one haven to another in hope they have a sniper for hire (usually they don't, so keep flying). Why my heavy soldier sometime dies after landing? Why base managment and diplomacy are so primitive? Why there are so many controller bugs - camera flying off the screen, lists not scrolling, some skills can be called only using mouse. Naming convention - Odin? Eidolon?Acolyte? Do you gues have at least some creativity? it's not a bad game, I like it - but sometimes it feels cheap.… Expand
  17. shamix3d
    Dec 3, 2019
    10
    Much needed true successor to the original Xcom. Well done Snapshot Games!!!
  18. Robbingrogue
    Dec 5, 2019
    8
    Disclaimer: As of the writing of this review, I have played this game for 10 hours. These are my initial thoughts on Phoenix Point.

    As a long-time fan of XCOM 2 (125h in the game), I was very excited when the news about Phoenix Point dropped. But has this game, clearly a love letter to the XCOM franchise, lived up to the hype? XCOM 3? One thing is for certain, the game certainly    Disclaimer: As of the writing of this review, I have played this game for 10 hours. These are my initial thoughts on Phoenix Point.

    As a long-time fan of XCOM 2 (125h in the game), I was very excited when the news about Phoenix Point dropped. But has this game, clearly a love letter to the XCOM franchise, lived up to the hype?

    XCOM 3?
    One thing is for certain, the game certainly *feels* like XCOM. The cover system, the overworld hub, crazy alien enemies, three factions to ally yourself with, and a customizable army at your command all help with the perceiving of this game as an XCOM successor. If you're looking for anything that's remotely XCOM, you shouldn't hesitate to pick this game up. Also, I will stop saying XCOM now.

    THE BAD
    For first-time players in the genre, the first few hours of the game may feel like you being thrown in at the deep end. The tutorial throws a significant amount of information at you; action points, will points, the VATS-like targeting system, the Overwatch system, cover, base-building... The depth in the game is great (more on that later), but the easing-in of players could, in my opinion, have been done better.

    In the visual department, Phoenix Point is nothing tremendously special. The overworld globe lacks detail, and consists of hardly anything but little circle-blips indicating locations to explore and faction bases to trade with. In battle, too, the graphics seem a little outdated, and not as polished as we have come to expect in 2019. It's not *ugly*, mind you - but it could have been better.

    Some reviews I've read have talked about bugs. So far, I have yet to encounter any game-breaking bugs. Loading times on the enemy turns can be a little long, and can make you feel like something's gone wrong, but have resolved themselves every time they happened to me. The largest bug I have encountered is that of line-of-sight indicators. Whenever you select one of your units and hover over potential movement destinations, a small sight indicator allows you to see which enemies you can target from that position. It's happened to me a few times that the indicator revealed itself for a certain location, but when I move to it, the game doesn't allow me to fire on any enemies from that location. This is annoying.

    Finally, the most major thing that has irked me is the 'end-turn'-button (Backspace). It has happened to me three times already that I accidentally pressed Backspace rather than Escape to cancel a proposed action - but when this is done, you automatically skip your turn, no confirmation required. This has led to soldiers lost and angry restarts. What's worse - you can't re-bind the button to something you definitely won't use. So you're stuck worrying about possibly pressing the button and outright losing your game.

    THE GOOD
    Besides the previously-mentioned similarities to XCOM (which is a good thing), so far I am enjoying the story. Information about the world is drip-fed to you rather than being exposited all over immediately, and I am curious to see where exactly the Campaign will lead to.

    The missions are also, so far, fun to play. Enemies are varied and well-designed, and the VATS-like aiming system is great, although not *always* as accurate as it seems to me. I am enjoying the Willpower system which allows you to spend a certain number of points each mission to perform special feats, like a small extra movement for no action cost or lowering the action cost of shooting. Snipers so far are my favorite, with their high damage output and pin-point precision.

    There's plenty of depth in the game for the micro-managers, too; you'll spend quite some time assigning your favorite gear to your favorite characters, building your base from the ground up, manufacturing and scrapping new weapons, etc. Whilst the customizability can be a little confusing at some parts (I myself am not particularly keen on the dozen of different stats for each soldier) and lacking in some elements (there's no real character design customization options), it's still sufficiently deep to be enjoyed.

    CONCLUSION
    Whilst there's certainly more to come in the game that can change my verdict, so far I can say that Phoenix Point is likely to be enjoyed by fans of the XCOM franchise and strategy fans at large. Whilst there are some issues that will hopefully be solved in later patches, the game is fine to play as-is, and is certainly an enjoyable experience.

    7/10 GRAPHICS
    8,5/10 GAMEPLAY
    -1 Information overload in tutorial
    -1 Small bugs & Missing features
    +2 Combat experience (Aiming & Willpower systems, enemy variety)
    +0 Customizability (Nice and deep in some parts, lacking in others)

    TOTAL SCORE
    15,5/20 = [8-]    … Expand
  19. mistero1982
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    Big game, not only xcom clone. Gameplay choices that make it much more tactical and compelling than xcom. In general less refined than xcom but will follow patches and dlc to fix.
  20. Justme7kris
    Dec 3, 2019
    10
    Great game! I've been following the development of the game from the very beginning, and am very pleased with the game!!!
  21. 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
  22. 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.
  23. aznalan15
    Dec 7, 2019
    0
    I want to like this game, I really do. Supported them prior to release and was excited to play. This game is full of bugs, can't even get past the tutorial. Really weird as the alpha/beta seemed to be rock solid. Must be them trying to rush the game out to hit release dates...
  24. 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.
  25. 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!
  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. Sasha_kera
    Dec 5, 2019
    3
    A good add-on for XCOM2, I don’t see the creator of "UFO Defense" here. There were a lot of words, but it turned out as always!
  28. Danny79
    Dec 6, 2019
    9
    it's a really great games, i played arround 7 hours of it, if you like the xcom series you will like this.
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. Generalgameman
    Dec 9, 2019
    2
    A bug filled mess! This could be as good as Xcom2, but it seems to have been rushed out when clearly it needs at least another 6 months work (or there was zero play testing or the testers need fired!).
    Look back at this game in 6 months or maybe a year, and hopefully it will be on sale!
  32. rammsteks
    Dec 12, 2019
    1
    Ужасная игра. Столько багов, что я с трудом могу припомнить где я такое видел. Гвоздем программы так сказать стал баг с которым я не смог пройти игру, а заново перепроходить 20 часов игры..... Ну уж нет. Очень скупой левел дизайн и анимация.Ужасная игра. Столько багов, что я с трудом могу припомнить где я такое видел. Гвоздем программы так сказать стал баг с которым я не смог пройти игру, а заново перепроходить 20 часов игры..... Ну уж нет. Очень скупой левел дизайн и анимация.
  33. riley794
    Dec 13, 2019
    1
    This game is at war with itself and it is losing, badly!
    Let me start with the good. The story and the fractions are great. The aim system which lets you target body parts make the game more engaging.
    The issue is simple, each campaign and battle is randomized which can make each campaign and battle vary between hard and impossible. However, the steps you have to take to advance the    This game is at war with itself and it is losing, badly!
    Let me start with the good. The story and the fractions are great. The aim system which lets you target body parts make the game more engaging.
    The issue is simple, each campaign and battle is randomized which can make each campaign and battle vary between hard and impossible. However, the steps you have to take to advance the story and upgrade your gear are exactly the same. The impact of this as sometimes you may have missions needed to advance the story and improve your equipment that are on the opposite side of the world. As a result, by the time you complete story missions and improve diplomacy, in order to upgrade your gear, enemies will be OP. As a result they will either overrun you or one shot you. This leaves you two options: restart and hope the game does not screw you again, or save scum over and over again until you can hit that once and a life time shot from across the map and at least save one of your teammates. I should add that even on the easiest difficulty level, and being an experienced Xcom player, this game will make you rage quit. I know I should just "Get Good" but I am a grown man and have 99 problems but this poor excuse for an Xcom reboot is not going to be one. I can only prey that the developers and moders can take action and fix this thing. Here is some stuff to do that would vastly improve the game.
    At least on easy put the story missions for each fraction close to the players first base.
    Also on easy please mark where other base locations are, I spent half of my failed campaign flying form one side of the world to the other.
    Speed up weapons manufacturing.
    Fix the inventory, once I have a better weapon I don't ever want to look at the crappy version in manufacturing menu again!
    Speed up some of the animations, I stopped flying my heavy because I got tired of watching the cut scene.
    Don't make tech development directly tied to diplomacy and capturing enemies.

    I think the backers of this game are strong and the developers should have enough dirty money to polish it up. I can't wait to delete this negative review and replace it with a good one. Hopefully sooner than later. (Are epic exclusives just the new beta test?)    … Expand
  34. Orras
    Dec 14, 2019
    3
    Bad xcom clone. Tedious and stupid. Has some good parts, but the mechanics are broken. Example: in missions where you need to extract a high value target, the enemy goes right past your soldiers and shoots directly at the civilian, killing him after one turn, no matter the cover. The AI has much better aim than your team, and they usually overwhelm you with numbers. The lack of aBad xcom clone. Tedious and stupid. Has some good parts, but the mechanics are broken. Example: in missions where you need to extract a high value target, the enemy goes right past your soldiers and shoots directly at the civilian, killing him after one turn, no matter the cover. The AI has much better aim than your team, and they usually overwhelm you with numbers. The lack of a comprehensive tutorial and the steep difficulty curve means that you will get stuck at some point in the game (haven't tried it on easy though). Not recommended.… Expand
  35. FreelancerAB
    Dec 4, 2019
    10
    10/10 Игра очень понравилась. (наиграл часов 8) Есть плюсы и минусы. Будут сравнения с ХСOM 2 ибо в нее играли, и ближайший аналог
    + Интересный геймплей в себя включает стрельбу по частям тела, разрушаемость, на карте можно почти все подорвать к чертовой матери. В Х2 это все было стерильно.
    + Огромная возможность костома у персонажей. + Графа не убивает глаза учитывая что ее делали на    10/10 Игра очень понравилась. (наиграл часов 8) Есть плюсы и минусы. Будут сравнения с ХСOM 2 ибо в нее играли, и ближайший аналог
    + Интересный геймплей в себя включает стрельбу по частям тела, разрушаемость, на карте можно почти все подорвать к чертовой матери. В Х2 это все было стерильно.
    + Огромная возможность костома у персонажей.
    + Графа не убивает глаза учитывая что ее делали на коленках.
    + Сюжет средняк, но нужен ли он в тактической игре
    Минусы
    - Баги, но какие игры сейчас без багов. Вон редредемшион 2 вовсе вылетает, хотя ее делали за овердофига милионов
    - Не интуитивный интерфейс, иногда не понятно что нужно сделал ради чего либо
    - раздражающие мелочи такие как нужно производить патроны для солдат, которые иной раз делаются долговато, так же с оружием тратим ресурсы так еще и время на ее производство.    … Expand
  36. sherbz
    Dec 5, 2019
    6
    IMO Phoenix Point does everything that XCOM does, but does it worse. And the other game to compare it with - Xenonauts - it only manages to beat it on a handful of occasions. Thats not to say it is a bad game - because it is not. But honestly i was expecting more. One area it falls down in dramatically is in sound. The soldiers sound like their recordings were done in vacuum tubes.IMO Phoenix Point does everything that XCOM does, but does it worse. And the other game to compare it with - Xenonauts - it only manages to beat it on a handful of occasions. Thats not to say it is a bad game - because it is not. But honestly i was expecting more. One area it falls down in dramatically is in sound. The soldiers sound like their recordings were done in vacuum tubes. The music is there, but not tied to the script. It basically has a lot of good ideas and the germ of a good game is there, but it really lacks overall execution. Which is a real shame (im a backer btw). I dont begrudge my backing. But i dont think this will be taking the title of best turn based squad game from XCOM anytime soon. Firaxis's offering is smarter, better designed, and just better in all facets. If you want to play a polished game of a similar ilk then play xenonauts. If you are willing to wait, then Phoenix point may end up surpassing it. But that time is not now. For the vast majority of people, there is not really much to see here. Go play XCOM you fools.… Expand
  37. 4ever
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    +
    Game from one of the creators of original xcom/ufo series
    Simply best aiming in xcom history Grim setting Pretty tasty storytelling Imho Various opponents - Weak graphics Small squad size and problem with soldiers rotation (every soldier should me maximally cared) No terminator mode Not a big options for various base upgrades    +
    Game from one of the creators of original xcom/ufo series
    Simply best aiming in xcom history
    Grim setting
    Pretty tasty storytelling Imho
    Various opponents
    -
    Weak graphics
    Small squad size and problem with soldiers rotation (every soldier should me maximally cared)
    No terminator mode

    Not a big options for various base upgrades
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    For those who compaining about cover system, look, there is no percents like in firaxis games, its not like if you are shooting someone in cover you will always have less than 50% hit chance . Its more like real life , with proper aiming you will be able to shoot visible part of your opponents body ! Such aiming is one of the biggest upgrades for modern xcom games!    … Expand
  38. Gamerjohn
    Dec 9, 2019
    0
    Disappointed, the game keeps crashing. After failing to load, I decided to get a refund. FIX YOUR DAMN GAME and I'll redo this review.
  39. Joote
    Dec 5, 2019
    10
    I have been waiting for a game like this forever. The new Xcom 1 and 2 was okay but came with to little depth to scratch that Xcom itch. Phoenix point on the other hand comes with great tactical and strategic mechanics, similar to the original UFO_EU/ Xcom apocalypse and Laser squad.

    This game was made by the creator of Xcom so he knows what he's doing. I bought it on release and    I have been waiting for a game like this forever. The new Xcom 1 and 2 was okay but came with to little depth to scratch that Xcom itch. Phoenix point on the other hand comes with great tactical and strategic mechanics, similar to the original UFO_EU/ Xcom apocalypse and Laser squad.

    This game was made by the creator of Xcom so he knows what he's doing. I bought it on release and have not stopped playing since. It has a few bugs but nothing game-breaking bugs that you would expect on release. They are busy making a patch so no worry's there.

    Phoenix point it your true Xcom baby and is a fantastic game.    … Expand
  40. Zerg82
    Dec 9, 2019
    5
    Скорее, не понравилась.
    Интерфейс, как из задницы. Хотел бы я посмотреть на того умника, кто его спроектировал.
    1) Самое ужасное - в игре нет процента попаданий. Его тупо не показывают. Показывают только возможный урон, который, как правило, сильно отличается в одну из сторон. А процента попаданий нет. То есть, выбирать одну из нескольких целей, как мы это делали в XCOM, останавливаясь    Скорее, не понравилась.
    Интерфейс, как из задницы. Хотел бы я посмотреть на того умника, кто его спроектировал.

    1) Самое ужасное - в игре нет процента попаданий. Его тупо не показывают. Показывают только возможный урон, который, как правило, сильно отличается в одну из сторон. А процента попаданий нет. То есть, выбирать одну из нескольких целей, как мы это делали в XCOM, останавливаясь на той, в которую проще попасть - здесь нельзя. Это так разрабы избежали типа претензий за промахи при 95%.

    2) Солдаты не вызывают сочувствия. Вообще никаких эмоций к ним нет, как в Total War, какой-нибудь. Какие-то безликие существа, с которыми у тебя нет никакого душевного контакта. В XCOM было иначе. Там мы брали их из академии, потихоньку прокачивали, изучали кто как выглядит. А тут они почти все в масках - лиц не видно. Боты, которых не жалко отправить на убой.

    3) Врагов видно сразу, как только начинается бой, хоть они на другом конце карты. Они тебя видят тоже сразу. Никакой интриги, и тупо толкотня на маленьком пяточке.

    4) Мини-боссы Сирены, если нападут сразу по 3-4 штуки - всё, начинай сначала. Победить их можно только по одиночке, максимум по 2 штуки. Но то как они бегают - от тебя не зависит, поэтому если Сирены бегут толпой к тебе - перезагружайся.

    Итог: сыро как на морском дне. Такое впечатление, что это даже не бета, а альфа. В игре нет душевности, и тупая система стрельбы. И никакими патчами это не исправить. В общем, надеялся на большее, а получилась посредственность.    … Expand
  41. 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.
  42. 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.
  43. 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
  44. 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.
  45. 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.
  46. 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.
  47. 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
  48. 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
  49. Skrip
    Dec 20, 2019
    10
    real best game, fans of the genre I advise you to play. thanks to the developers
  50. 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.
  51. 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.
  52. 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
  53. Biberattacke
    May 1, 2020
    7
    Julian Gollop als einer der Erfinder der UFO/Xcom Reihe hat versucht Xcom von Fireaxis Konkurrenz zu machen. Wir nehmen die Grundfrage Vorweg: Ist Phoenix Point das bessere Xcom. Antwort: Nein! Aber es macht ganz viel richtig! Die Taktikkämpfe sind herausfordernd und selten unfair. Die Gegner sind sehr abwechslungsreich, und jeder erfordert eine andere Taktik. Die Waffen und Utilities dieJulian Gollop als einer der Erfinder der UFO/Xcom Reihe hat versucht Xcom von Fireaxis Konkurrenz zu machen. Wir nehmen die Grundfrage Vorweg: Ist Phoenix Point das bessere Xcom. Antwort: Nein! Aber es macht ganz viel richtig! Die Taktikkämpfe sind herausfordernd und selten unfair. Die Gegner sind sehr abwechslungsreich, und jeder erfordert eine andere Taktik. Die Waffen und Utilities die man seinen Teams mitgeben kann ergänzen das Spiel sinnvoll. Die Strategiekarte mit den einzelnen Basen ist.. naja OK. Vielmehr war bei Xcom 2 diesbezüglich aber auch nicht drin! Das Spiel ist also recht gut, aber warum nur eine 7/10? Bietet es doch so noch so viel mehr wie verschiedene Fraktionen, eine solide Storyline, die auch zum mehrfachen durchspielen anregt. Die Antwort ist: Es zieht sich wie Kaugummi! Mein Gott Walter, warum ist das Endgame so künstlich verlängert? Ständig sich wiederholende Missionen und im letzten Viertel machen ein gutes Spiel mit sehr guten Ansätzen zum Sisyphosarbeit. Schade! Sehr Schade, denn das Potential den Genrekönig Xcom 2 vom Thron zu stoßen war in Ansätzen vorhanden.… Expand
  54. 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
  55. Nartau
    Nov 2, 2021
    7
    Great game in terms of mechanics and best shooting for X-COM clones out there, but man micromanagement of items gets tedious over time and just unbearable in the late game.
  56. MadclownJack
    Apr 8, 2020
    6
    Love it so far. It's reasonably easy to get into, easier if you're versed in micromanagement from earlier UFO games. It contains enough new mechanics to distinguish itself from its equivalents, but also contains enough familiar mechanics so as not to appear repellent to anyone. Enemies have interesting designs, and so do player characters, and playable factions (in the form of theLove it so far. It's reasonably easy to get into, easier if you're versed in micromanagement from earlier UFO games. It contains enough new mechanics to distinguish itself from its equivalents, but also contains enough familiar mechanics so as not to appear repellent to anyone. Enemies have interesting designs, and so do player characters, and playable factions (in the form of the occasional recruits). Huge fan of the mutated sea creatures (lovecraftian horrors)! I do hope, however, that there's no timer mechanic present, because i am currently having a lot of fun just finishing random missions, if only to study the enemy behavior (and have their AI study mine, apparently) and to accrue necessary materials/loot. The mission variety is similar to that of the last XCOM games, with a twist towards eldritch horror, rather than science fiction alone. I think this is a worthy addition of the turn-based sci-fi horror genre. I am not a backer, and i got the latest build of the game, and again, so far, it's been very stable. No crashes, bugs, nothing. Every XCOM/UFO fan owes it to themselves to play this. 9/10

    Edit. After a full week of playing i found out that i often had to resort to save scumming to be able to progress due to the game being terribly unbalanced. On top of that, Bosses just destroy everything in their path and trample anyone found under them just by moving. Why? I mean the game is fine as is, why resort to such cheap, borderline unfair mechanics? Are they really going for realism THERE? So great, it's a tank. Fully armored, highest HP in the game, shoots literal nukes. Why the trample mechanic? Such a detriment to an otherwise great game. Insult to injury, i managed to kill set boss but had to evac because an enemy got stuck behind an indestructible wall becoming unkillable, making all my effort a waste of time. Also why am i stuck with the crappy weapons and armor while the pandorans are evolved to hell in like 10 missions? The Sirens kind of feel cheaper than the rest and multiple ones in the same mission just isn't fun or fair. I can deal with one of them, but again, savescumming. Also, i feel as if i'm bottle necked to lose the campaign because i feel no progress in research, or armor and weapons upgrades.That said, Had to detract two points from grade. Must be re-balanced and fixed stat. Still good, just not as good as previously thought. 7/10

    Edit 2. Just had a mission with two Sirens. Mind-controlled 4 of my 6 characters in one turn. It's worth mentioning that they are fully armored and can't be killed by anything less than 3-4 subsequent attacks. I can't pretend this is any sort of fair anymore. I'm all for learning to play but this is clearly not that. I'm also starting to feel that this is somehow by design, to prevent players from reaching an end point to a game that is in reality unfinished. 6/10

    Edit: Apr 04. Updated to hell, STILL has weird difficulty spikes. Sirens still spawn 2 at a time. Still able to hijack two soldiers in one turn. On the side of new things BioArmor looks nice. The Pure are just another unnecessary stumble you're set to slip on. Weapons still feel waaay too slow to research, forcing you to either steal or slowly grind diplomacy missions. It's like, there's a ton of choices and stuff to do, but all of them leading to the realization that the leaders in this world are illogical narcissistic caricatures of men/women, inevitably bent on mutual self-destruction. God i want to like this game, i really do. It's got great, GREAT ideas. Some of them well executed even. But it's just not for me. Guess i just want a coherent tactical turn-based strategy that'll let me win every once in a while, without giving me anxiety and forcing me to choke the HDD with saves. Also, why do my characters still miss shots at unobstructed targets a literal FOOT in front of them? What sort of RNG is this exactly?    … Expand
  57. karlito31
    Mar 5, 2021
    5
    This is not a poor man XCOM. Oh, no. This is a raped, beaten and starved poor man Xcom. Absolutely everything in this game, from the look and presentation to the content and the gameplay screams budget playing straight from the early 2000s. Something appropriate to gather dust on the 2$ specials on Wallmart’s shelves.
    Just a couple of hours in the game, and I’ve already opened the    This is not a poor man XCOM. Oh, no. This is a raped, beaten and starved poor man Xcom. Absolutely everything in this game, from the look and presentation to the content and the gameplay screams budget playing straight from the early 2000s. Something appropriate to gather dust on the 2$ specials on Wallmart’s shelves.
    Just a couple of hours in the game, and I’ve already opened the Modbuddy for the first time in
    months. Here, at least some benefit.
    Just because of that and out of respect for Gollop, 4 stars.

    Edit 5.3.2021.
    A large number of patches through 2020 have improved the game somewhat, so I’m raising the initial rating of 4 to 5.
    With some really serious modding, it could turn out to be a solid game. Unfortunately, there is no official modding support.    … Expand
  58. Mandulum
    Aug 26, 2020
    5
    I loved the new XCOM games. I played each of them twice, which is rare for me. I'm not completely sure what's turning me off with Pheonix Point. It might be the repetitive gameplay, there's not much variety. Or maybe it's the geoscape with the constant allies under attack. I also don't much like how the story is doled out.

    Date Dropped: 2020-08-10 Playtime: ~ 10h Enjoyment: 5/10    I loved the new XCOM games. I played each of them twice, which is rare for me. I'm not completely sure what's turning me off with Pheonix Point. It might be the repetitive gameplay, there's not much variety. Or maybe it's the geoscape with the constant allies under attack. I also don't much like how the story is doled out.

    Date Dropped: 2020-08-10
    Playtime: ~ 10h
    Enjoyment: 5/10
    Recommendation: It didn't do it for me, so no.    … Expand
  59. Alixon
    Nov 11, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unbalanced. In Late game bored. Last mission is crazy and buggy. I play Last mission About 10hour and no kill boss, because enemy still resurection. Boss have all 4 shields up. **** the game!… Expand
  60. iseeall
    Mar 15, 2023
    7
    A game in the XCom style which tries to improve on the 2010s versions by adding back features from the 1990s versions. However, it's mired with poor camera controls, glitches and lags

    Good: - the 4AP system is closer to the original 1990s XCom and is a major improvement compared to the 2AP system which sadly became so common in the more recent squad-based tactical games - extensive    A game in the XCom style which tries to improve on the 2010s versions by adding back features from the 1990s versions. However, it's mired with poor camera controls, glitches and lags

    Good:
    - the 4AP system is closer to the original 1990s XCom and is a major improvement compared to the 2AP system which sadly became so common in the more recent squad-based tactical games
    - extensive character customization and classes taken from the later XComs are good
    - the story is nicely written, it's higher-quality sci-fi with at least no obvious logical inconsistencies. Factions with their ideologies are believable
    - music is great and deserves a download for listening when not playing the game
    - graphics and sfx are good
    - the tutorial does a good job showing you all the numerous game systems
    - the aiming system is a good idea (borrowed from Fallout New Vegas), it works better than I'd expect

    So-so:
    - like in all newer XCom games, overwatch is still king. You can put a few snipers on constant overwatch in the corner of the map and that's it. The game tries to discourage this by putting resource barrels which the enemy will destroy if you don't rush forward - but I guess a bit of lost loot is still far better than a dead soldier. Btw in the original 1990s XComs there was the same issue: there you could just skip 35 turns, the aliens will rush forward to find you, and you put a line of crouched soldiers with laser rifles - the game turns into a shooting practice. The real solution to this was offered by JA2 with its mix of real-time and turn-based modes + interrupts (based on wisdom stat and soldier's line of sight).
    - the game shows approx locations of enemies which makes the game a bit too easy. The original XComs had this tension where you could never know where the next alien will come from - that's lost here

    Bad:
    - can't reconfigure key bindings. E.g. I'd want to flip Q/E, T/G and mouse wheel but that's not possible. Rotating the camera was a constant pain for me. Instead of Q/E, camera should be freely rotatable, say, with middle mouse button, since it's a 3D game. Also, I was constantly trying to zoom out to see where the enemies are - in vain. The camera just refuses to be controlled properly. Most likely, it's because this game was made for consoles first, not PC first. So, everything is optimized for controllers, not mouse and keyboard
    - there are missions where you need to reach a location or pick an item - even after all enemies are dead you still have to move each soldier in turn-based mode
    - performance is bad: even at "low" gfx preset, my gaming laptop with NVidia GTX1100 had noticeable lags. When you move around the cursor, it aparently runs pathfinding all the time, so there are delays when all those lines and borders of movement are shown. This creates a laggy experience overall and takes out much of the fun
    - vehicles are a nusiance. They drive through scenery objects including barrels, explode them and take damage. Instead, vehicles should only enter objects if you explicitely tell them to go there. Or maybe hold "shift" while clicking to move

    Try it if you're into the newer XCom releases. I'll just wait for Xenonauts 2 instead.    … Expand
  61. Maitrify
    Jul 31, 2022
    0
    Not even a finished game. Massive swathes of the game have features missing. (Case in point: When attempting to change video resolution, all the options literally say 'NEEDS TEXT'.)

    It's like the game didn't even have a Quality pass to check for basic **** like this. Don't waste your money on this trash.
  62. Duloth
    Mar 30, 2021
    6
    What would you get if you built a total conversion mod for X-com 2, wherein you were dealing with a Zerg invasion of earth, with a slowly expanding creep from which colonies of the organic invaders would swarm out to attack nearby cities, and then tacked on a faction system where mid-tier equipment was gated based on allying yourself with one of three groups of survivors?

    Phoenix    What would you get if you built a total conversion mod for X-com 2, wherein you were dealing with a Zerg invasion of earth, with a slowly expanding creep from which colonies of the organic invaders would swarm out to attack nearby cities, and then tacked on a faction system where mid-tier equipment was gated based on allying yourself with one of three groups of survivors?

    Phoenix Point. Its clearly an unfinished game, where some aspects that may have been considered early on were changed and removed with their legacy remaining in the game, never quite balanced out properly, and with a fair number of bugs still held over well after release.

    And when Is say Zerg, I mean Zerg; one of the alien units looks like a more detailed version of a Hydralisk, and the entire faction follows an alien/insect/crustacean aesthetic that means every creature you run into would fit in well with the swarm, including infested terrans. Couple this with an aesthetic on one of the factions that resembles blue-armored starcraft space marines, and this seems like a Starcraft total conversion for X-com.

    That being said... while it wasn't well-designed or balanced, they certainly weren't lazy about it either. A truly ridiculous number of options for equipping and customizing your soldiers by the end, some of which are more useful for fighting specific enemy types, and some vehicles which are incredibly overpowered early on, and later only useful for gimmick tactics.    … Expand
  63. Borreh1973
    Oct 22, 2022
    4
    I tried to like this game. I really tried. I bought a lot earlier, a long time ago. I started and tried to get this to work before they hit DLC, hoping it would get better, but it got worse and worse.
    "Festering Skyes" was the death of it for me, with a shovel of lime thrown over a stinking corpse.
    DLC FS is an idiocy that sadly resembles a very bad old Atari game using a recent GPU. In    I tried to like this game. I really tried. I bought a lot earlier, a long time ago. I started and tried to get this to work before they hit DLC, hoping it would get better, but it got worse and worse.
    "Festering Skyes" was the death of it for me, with a shovel of lime thrown over a stinking corpse.
    DLC FS is an idiocy that sadly resembles a very bad old Atari game using a recent GPU. In fact, those were better because they were what they could be. This one, october/2022, lacks control and speed, each upgrade has to be tested and it's expensive, very expensive, everything is very expensive.
    There is no balance of costs and earnings on missions.
    Attending the factions of idiots who are trying to kill themselves while the world is under terror is the biggest of the stupidities that leads to think better monsters win because these humans really deserve to die, unwilling to help one or another faction.
    It's the end of this game for me.    … Expand
  64. tyr8338
    Feb 18, 2021
    5
    Phoenix Point is a pretty descent game of that I`m certain after playing for around 15-20 hours. It dosn`t had huge budget and you can feel it but there is enough depth to enjoy it.

    After spending more time with it I must say it gets extremally repetetive unfortunatelly, X-com games offer much more interesting missions and story elements.
  65. 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
  66. Man-Rata
    Jun 19, 2021
    4
    There is a lot of hate for the story, etc., but the main reason this game isn't worth it is the speed of the combat.

    They've decided to make combat physics based, which sounds good, but once you're a little into the game, enemy turns quickly takes between 5-10 min., and it cannot be sped up in any way. It makes the game mind-numbingly dull. Also the levels are often too small, making    There is a lot of hate for the story, etc., but the main reason this game isn't worth it is the speed of the combat.

    They've decided to make combat physics based, which sounds good, but once you're a little into the game, enemy turns quickly takes between 5-10 min., and it cannot be sped up in any way. It makes the game mind-numbingly dull.

    Also the levels are often too small, making it so enemies can see you from your entry point, making stealth nearly pointless. AI is dumb as hell, and instead of improving it, they just pour in more enemies, and make them VERY tough. Combine that with the slow turns, it just becomes dull.

    If they could fix this somehow, this could be a descent game, though the story is really non-existant.    … Expand
  67. SexiPlexi
    Jan 18, 2021
    5
    The campaign could of been good if there was 80% less receptive stuff like constant defending, to find lairs, and citadels...would of been at least an 8/10 if you didn't have to do 100s of repeat levels just to get to citadels maybe 5 would of been acceptable, it just overwhelming and extremely depressing, that repetition ruined my mood and ruined this game......most people would preferThe campaign could of been good if there was 80% less receptive stuff like constant defending, to find lairs, and citadels...would of been at least an 8/10 if you didn't have to do 100s of repeat levels just to get to citadels maybe 5 would of been acceptable, it just overwhelming and extremely depressing, that repetition ruined my mood and ruined this game......most people would prefer a quality game that lasts only 10-20 hours but only 5% repetition, so many producers just stretch everything out too long, it just gets boring.… Expand
  68. Boros
    Mar 12, 2020
    5
    Aporta algunas ideas más al Xcom2, pero también comete muchos errores en mi opinión.

    Por el lado estético: La dirección de arte y el diseño de menús y demás es horrible, hasta las letras se pixelan si haces zoom. Técnicamente (texturas, iluminación...) no aporta nada, cumple y ya está. En serio los menús y la interfaz son muy feos y anticuados. Por el lado jugable: Añade ciertas    Aporta algunas ideas más al Xcom2, pero también comete muchos errores en mi opinión.

    Por el lado estético: La dirección de arte y el diseño de menús y demás es horrible, hasta las letras se pixelan si haces zoom. Técnicamente (texturas, iluminación...) no aporta nada, cumple y ya está. En serio los menús y la interfaz son muy feos y anticuados.

    Por el lado jugable: Añade ciertas mecánicas como las clases dobles, los vehículos y las criaturas que me parecen muy adecuados (de ahí el aprobado), de resto el juego está desbalanceado, el diseño del tutorial y el inicio del juego es muy poco imaginativo y horrible, muy poco orgánico, con flechas amarillas enormes que te indican donde picar, como el típico juego casual malo de la PlayStore.

    Vamos que el juego es durito en sus primeras horas. Si soportas más horas te llevarás algunas alegrías, pero realmente es un juego de 5-6 de Nota, incomparable con el X-COM 2 que fue un juego con una calidad y unos añadidos excepcionales.    … Expand
  69. 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.
  70. eded9999
    Mar 8, 2021
    6
    Very good unfulfilled intentions.

    The aiming system, the action points and the real ballistic instead of RNG **** is the way to go for this kind of game in the future. But as a game PP need more work, more content: maps, ENEMIES, different kind of missions, maybe bosses...? Because the game feels unfinished and a bit grindy sometimes, making the same havens defence again and again.    Very good unfulfilled intentions.

    The aiming system, the action points and the real ballistic instead of RNG **** is the way to go for this kind of game in the future. But as a game PP need more work, more content: maps, ENEMIES, different kind of missions, maybe bosses...? Because the game feels unfinished and a bit grindy sometimes, making the same havens defence again and again. Also, on release the game is way too buggy.
    Ending needs more work too. They feels a bit disappointing.

    It's rough around the edges, but with future work it could be a good game.    … Expand
  71. Mukirana
    Dec 9, 2020
    10
    Player over 40 hours on the first week alone. Extremelly addictive. Stay away.
  72. Rkshz
    Dec 28, 2020
    5
    small maps
    no balance
    few content on game
    few types of enemies
    few types of weapons
    random useless skills second tier
    no tactical placement of units
  73. Prometheus1241
    Jan 1, 2022
    5
    Game requires a lot of work: firstly, it is fixing terrible balance. Secondly, soundtrack is quite poor, comparing to such strategies as, for example, XCOM or Divinity. Buges, lags, and other things that require fixing, Nevertheless, developers just keep adding new DLCs without fixing that problems. I understand that they need money, but it is simply terrifying to see this. Overall, gameGame requires a lot of work: firstly, it is fixing terrible balance. Secondly, soundtrack is quite poor, comparing to such strategies as, for example, XCOM or Divinity. Buges, lags, and other things that require fixing, Nevertheless, developers just keep adding new DLCs without fixing that problems. I understand that they need money, but it is simply terrifying to see this. Overall, game has really great ideas, but execution is simply bruh. I hope developers will find the way to fix it all and give the game what it deserves.… Expand
  74. whamtheman
    Jan 26, 2020
    4
    The game has the makings of a great X-COM reboot, harkening back to the good old days, but it stumbles in several key areas and lacks some key features. It is also incredibly alarming to see some of the core X-COM features from the old games, such as interception, stripped away and sold off as DLC.
    The game, while potentially great fun and challenge, is unfinished, unpolished, technically    The game has the makings of a great X-COM reboot, harkening back to the good old days, but it stumbles in several key areas and lacks some key features. It is also incredibly alarming to see some of the core X-COM features from the old games, such as interception, stripped away and sold off as DLC.
    The game, while potentially great fun and challenge, is unfinished, unpolished, technically clunky. It feels like a beta rather than a full release. As I write this in January 2020, I'd advise people to hold off for another 6-12 months and seeing if the game has been finished to a complete state by then.    … Expand
  75. napomocht
    Sep 28, 2020
    5
    Au bout d'un moment on s'ennuie a mourir. Ça devient répétitif les missions ne sont pas variées , l'histoire n'avance pas, il y a trop d'armes différentes pour que ce soit stimulant d'en choisir une plutôt qu'une autre et de spécialiser les équipes d'intervention en fonction de la mission. Les attaques de bases se succèdent sur un modèle toujours absolument identique.. C’est rasoir..
  76. Paul_L
    Mar 11, 2021
    6
    Can Phoenix Point bring you a proper amount of hours of intense fun ?

    Honestly, the pitch is awesome. Promising. The lore is great, it really did catch my interest. The factions & dialogue are wonderful, you really feel involved with those and want to serve their interests, or burn them to the ground (looking at you Anu). The game design has a nice value proposition. Compared to what    Can Phoenix Point bring you a proper amount of hours of intense fun ?

    Honestly, the pitch is awesome. Promising. The lore is great, it really did catch my interest. The factions & dialogue are wonderful, you really feel involved with those and want to serve their interests, or burn them to the ground (looking at you Anu).
    The game design has a nice value proposition. Compared to what we usually witness in turn-based strategy games involving shooting, Phoenix Point chooses the simulation of ballistics, for the good and the worse, but it's overall pretty fun.

    However, it is flawed.
    It. Is. Slow. Bugs and overall design don't ease one big disadvantage that turn-based strategy has: it's so slow. Your turn often times takes long minutes to strategize and play in the right order, and the enemies turn, computer-driven, also takes so long to unfold. Fights are long. And sadly, they also are MANY. From what I've understood, your goal is to manage to defend the population, concentrated in fortresses belonging to faction. You do pursue side-stories and quest, but your goal is that of an alien counter-force. However, not every fight holds a worthy challenge, and it's deceiving to have to have to invest minutes into a fight that won't bring you much fun or resource for the sake of the %age of living humans left.
    Another aspect of the game that turned out to be disappointing, is the goal. There seem to be a main quest to pursue, while you do alien-countering on the side, but it does not take much place, neither does it take much of your time, and you just feel left like you have a day-to-day job. Shooting aliens, but still routine.

    So yeah, Phoenix Point has really great arguments thanks to its lore, design and faction. They better be likeable, given the time you'll spend doing the alien police without much challenge. The fights are slow, the progression is slow. There is room for funnier fights, using more verticality that is already in the game design, and some kind of mechanic for dodging easy fights could be so beneficial too.

    However, for the time being, you could spend much time on Phoenix Point without seeing the end of it, but "intense" isn't the word for it from my experience.    … Expand
  77. YordanYanakiev
    Jun 8, 2021
    7
    A game which dividing me is rare.
    Absolutely great ideas, great graphics, great gameplay, great story.. but well - why should be this pushing up from the monsters over taking the planet. It's feels like absurd pressure which is with a predicted doom over your small world. This result killing the fun and practically ditching the game.
    Absurdly wrong decision for such a gem. I really hope    A game which dividing me is rare.
    Absolutely great ideas, great graphics, great gameplay, great story.. but well - why should be this pushing up from the monsters over taking the planet. It's feels like absurd pressure which is with a predicted doom over your small world. This result killing the fun and practically ditching the game.
    Absurdly wrong decision for such a gem.
    I really hope that it will be reconsidered in the next episode. ;)    … Expand
  78. Imoen
    May 11, 2022
    7
    It would be a very good game if not a HUGE number of unnecessary actions that developers add every DLC. For example, what they did with a seemingly good DLC about the weapons of the ancients is simply infuriating. Or an DLC where a Behemoth makes an already difficult game to regret that you yourself are not a mutant with 5 hands. This game deserves a better rating than 7, but so far it isIt would be a very good game if not a HUGE number of unnecessary actions that developers add every DLC. For example, what they did with a seemingly good DLC about the weapons of the ancients is simply infuriating. Or an DLC where a Behemoth makes an already difficult game to regret that you yourself are not a mutant with 5 hands. This game deserves a better rating than 7, but so far it is the only one.… Expand
  79. maximtemplar
    Nov 19, 2021
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have been playing these types of games, on board and on computer for over thirty years. Never has a game wasted so much of my time. On the plus side, the general setup is good, even if it is just Xcom with tweaks. The backstory is good. Animation is average for these days. Loading times, for these days, are abysmal, especially on the console version. On the minus side, there are many problems which can be solved by patching, some already have been. The console version has been rushed out and crashes regularly ruining hours of gameplay. So much so I have given up on it until its updated. Latest nonsense on PC was fighting a large creature on a long and difficult game. Only to find its corpse was blocking my troops from leaving the map. Poor playtesting there, troops can climb over things you know, they even sit on tanks. Overwatch continually fails to activate, and sometimes when it does the shot is taken when the target is behind cover. There are all sorts of advanced laser and gauss weaponry available to the troops, but no smoke grenades. Grenades can only be thrown overarm. Why? Don't know. For a game that boasts real ballistics it has some very stupid drawbacks. Great idea, but very, very disappointing. I shall be dropping it for a few months, I've had enough of its non thought out nonsense. Stuff your DLC, try getting the basic game right.… Expand
  80. Fryr
    Aug 29, 2022
    6
    the graphics wasn't that good and the animations were too slow made the game not as fun
  81. Nrhej
    Oct 12, 2022
    6
    this game is alright but the pace is too slow and some may find it not engaging enough
  82. Hreha
    Nov 17, 2022
    5
    there are some technical flaws and bugs but overall it has managed to be an enjoyable game
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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.
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