XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 332 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 272 out of 332
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 332
  3. Negative: 34 out of 332

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  1. Mxm0
    Jan 17, 2018
    10
    Age 34

    Fav Games - Skyrim, Witcher 3, Mass Effect Trilogy, Stellaris, Sins of a Solar Empire, Company of Heroes 2, Divinity Original Sin 1+2 *Immersion and/or Strategy for me* Xcom 2 was already a good game, worthy of 88-90 on metacritic. With all the DLC and WotC it is now one of the very best strategy games ever made (I've played just a few of them..) It is seriously fantastic    Age 34

    Fav Games - Skyrim, Witcher 3, Mass Effect Trilogy, Stellaris, Sins of a Solar Empire, Company of Heroes 2, Divinity Original Sin 1+2 *Immersion and/or Strategy for me*

    Xcom 2 was already a good game, worthy of 88-90 on metacritic. With all the DLC and WotC it is now one of the very best strategy games ever made (I've played just a few of them..) It is seriously fantastic and has so much content, so many good ideas. I'm a bit disappointed in the 7.7 user review here.. This game is now atleast as good as D:OS2 but marked harshly...

    But I believe it's all due to one thing. THE GODDAMN DIFFICULTY LEVEL!!!

    It's BIGGEST, WORST, UNACCEPTABLE MISTAKE FIRAXIS. Most people are not strategy game veterans like myself and my mates that love this game. They get hammered by Xcom's four difficulty settings. Please change the first three firaxis, people are disliking your game because your difficulty settings don't match their expectations and they are getting frustrated, this would have earned you several more points on metacritic. No one wants to select rookie difficulty, do an analysis, it's a psychological thing.

    Rookie - This is really normal difficulty in any other game - you don't have an easy mode!
    Veteran - This is the second mode, this is really hard mode
    Commander - This is insane difficulty, for someone who has over 100 hours in the game
    Legend - Only for lock-ins playing the game with a rock band controller, full back xcom tattoo and a whip setting on the bench, for when they kill their soldiers    … Expand
  2. GoneTomrrow
    Sep 14, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm very glad to see that Firaxis is still producing DLC for this game. I'm mostly very satisfied with the WOTC DLC, so if you enjoyed the base game, then it's worth the investment.

    Pros:
    1. A lot of new weapons and gear.
    2. Factions and faction orders give the game more depth, and the three new classes are fun.
    3. The Chosen themselves are fairly tough opponents.
    4. Breakthrough and inspired research give more life to that aspect of the game and the bonuses are appropriate.

    5. All previous DLC has been streamlined into the game, sparing you the extra missions and cut scenes.

    Cons:
    1. The Chosen are kind of boring and uninspired. They can be challenging in combat, but not as much as the Rulers. They talk CONSTANTLY during missions and while in the Geoscape, which is the most annoying part of the game. After defeating the Chosen, it's just back to the vanilla game. If you've beaten the game numerous times, then this is kind of a let down as WOTC doesn't span the length of the game in a meaningful way, other than adding some extra cut scenes at the end.

    2. WOTC doesn't add much story to the game at all, just a few extra cut scenes. I, and probably others, were hoping for a more interstellar scope, one which might shed more light on the Ethereals. Considering that the vanilla game drops a pretty obvious hint to possible sequels in the final cut scene, I had hoped DLC wouid go this direction, but if it's intent is still to suggest a future XCOM 3 altogether, then I'm fine with it.    … Expand
  3. Hack
    Dec 14, 2017
    9
    I've only just recently gotten into the XCOM series after my friend gifted me the first game, after putting 41 hours into that I knew I needed the second game so I grabbed the deluxe edition plus War of the Chosen as I wanted to experience everything the game had to offer. I finished the game today after putting 80 hours into it, so it was definitely money well spent.

    Overall I much    I've only just recently gotten into the XCOM series after my friend gifted me the first game, after putting 41 hours into that I knew I needed the second game so I grabbed the deluxe edition plus War of the Chosen as I wanted to experience everything the game had to offer. I finished the game today after putting 80 hours into it, so it was definitely money well spent.

    Overall I much preferred the sequel, it was improved in almost every way, with big additions, features and more subtle changes that made for a very enjoyable experience. It really felt like the devs learned a lot from the first game, and implemented a lot of fixes and changes the community wanted. One big area of improvement are the cut-scenes, they're very high quality this time around, and they run smoothly as they're videos, and not rendered in engine like in XCOM 1 (30fps videos look fine, 30fps in engine does not), they really helped to tell the story which was interesting, the voice work was also fantastic.

    There is one area where XCOM 2 sadly falls short and that's performance, the game is not optimised well at all, you will find countless people complaining about this issue so please don't think it's just me. Any form of explosions will cause big drops in frame rate, as will anything that causes debris to spawn. Also certain mission/mob types also tank the frame rate, it's just not good enough. The game also "freezes" quite often while it calculates, something that never happened in the first game, the issue gets worse the further you get into the game as abilities and enemies get more complex. It really did hurt the game for me, so much so it went from a weak 9 into a strong 8. That being said I still obviously enjoyed it a lot and highly recommend it, just be aware it does have technical problems if you're bothered by that sort of thing.    … Expand
  4. rodericrinehart
    Jan 2, 2018
    8
    Basically XCOM 3, which is a great thing. I've really been enjoying the new mechanics, maps, and chosen. Just like Civilization xpacs, this really updates the entire game and genuinely is almost XCOM 3. It still has some minor performance issues (even on my 1080ti), and the hit percentages thing is even worse now because of the random pop-ins of super-powerful aliens that are nearlyBasically XCOM 3, which is a great thing. I've really been enjoying the new mechanics, maps, and chosen. Just like Civilization xpacs, this really updates the entire game and genuinely is almost XCOM 3. It still has some minor performance issues (even on my 1080ti), and the hit percentages thing is even worse now because of the random pop-ins of super-powerful aliens that are nearly impossible to beat.… Expand
  5. TheWaffle
    Sep 14, 2017
    8
    This is a must-buy if you enjoyed XCOM 2. War of the Chosen adds new soldier classes, technology, and missions. There are new persistent enemies in the Chosen, new retaliation missions, resistance groups that add great flavor to the world, covert operations, soldier bonds, etc. I wish they'd paced things out a bit more though, the sheer amount of mechanics introduced at the start can beThis is a must-buy if you enjoyed XCOM 2. War of the Chosen adds new soldier classes, technology, and missions. There are new persistent enemies in the Chosen, new retaliation missions, resistance groups that add great flavor to the world, covert operations, soldier bonds, etc. I wish they'd paced things out a bit more though, the sheer amount of mechanics introduced at the start can be overwhelming even for XCOM vets, and I would not recommend this expansion for your first play-through. I would have liked to see some more tweaks to the main campaign, the final 1/3rd still feels like a forgone conclusion once you get your troopers up to god-tier, especially with the new extra ability unlocks. Ironman Commander Difficulty was not much of a challenge, and where I think they made the DLC ruler aliens too OP, I think the Chosen were a little bit under-powered. More story missions involving the Lost and more diversity in the Avatar facility missions would have also been welcome. I expect the Mod community to have a field-day with all of the new changes, and new campaign options allow you to customize the game to your experience. I'll be back in another month for my Legend Ironman playthrough, wish me luck!… Expand
  6. HansV
    Sep 13, 2017
    9
    Very good game. I played it on veteran iron man and made it through, just.
    Cant wait for xcom 3.
    But please give the characters more personality, and make some of the blood real red. thx
  7. ikkan
    Sep 25, 2017
    9
    Very addictive game. This expansion utilizes the same base story from X-Com 2, but adds 3 new soldier classes (it's more like 3 heroes, as you can't train more of then), 3 bosses (The Chosen) that attacks you on missions that are on their turf on the map, a lot of new missions and mechanics. Like the TheWaffle said, the new content, along with the old, is presented too fast and you getVery addictive game. This expansion utilizes the same base story from X-Com 2, but adds 3 new soldier classes (it's more like 3 heroes, as you can't train more of then), 3 bosses (The Chosen) that attacks you on missions that are on their turf on the map, a lot of new missions and mechanics. Like the TheWaffle said, the new content, along with the old, is presented too fast and you get overwhelmed by the information, which may be hard for new players. All in all is one of my favorite games of all time, you can easily spend a great amount of time playing it.… Expand
  8. 7zebras
    Sep 19, 2017
    10
    Did you like the original? If so, you HAVE to get this DLC. They improved everything in the game. Imagine everything you always wanted in the original just got added. New weapons, new bosses, new soldier classes, new enemies, and the cream of the crop, the new ability point system. Did you ever want a sniper with all the pistol and rifle skills? You can have it now. I will admitDid you like the original? If so, you HAVE to get this DLC. They improved everything in the game. Imagine everything you always wanted in the original just got added. New weapons, new bosses, new soldier classes, new enemies, and the cream of the crop, the new ability point system. Did you ever want a sniper with all the pistol and rifle skills? You can have it now. I will admit that it does lock up and reset itself at times and that is massively annoying given how long it takes to reboot the game and load your last save. Whatever. The improvements make up for it.… Expand
  9. socokid
    Aug 30, 2017
    9
    War of the Chosen "merely" makes every aspect of XCOM 2, a great game itself, even better. It also comes with a LOT of additional content and game play that actually works well within the same base system.

    Just think "XCOM 2" with more to do and think about, without missing any of the things that were great with XCOM 2.
  10. op8
    Aug 30, 2017
    10
    The bar has been lifted.
    XCOM 2 was great, now with WotC it's an epic masterpiece.
    A no-brainer 9.5/10 (only because nothing can ever be truly 10/10).
  11. Hohum
    Sep 7, 2017
    10
    The icing, on what was already a delicious cake. WotC adds a whole lot of new layers to the existing XCOM 2 experience and tries to deal with the issue of late-game repetition, resulting in a rounder and more rewarding game.

    Many encounters are made more challenging by the appearance of a Chosen, and they're a constant thorn in your side until dealt with. The Chosen work in much the    The icing, on what was already a delicious cake. WotC adds a whole lot of new layers to the existing XCOM 2 experience and tries to deal with the issue of late-game repetition, resulting in a rounder and more rewarding game.

    Many encounters are made more challenging by the appearance of a Chosen, and they're a constant thorn in your side until dealt with. The Chosen work in much the same way as the Avatar Project - forcing the player to choose between trying to take them on earlier and potentially suffer heavy casualties, versus leaving them alone until the later game, by which point it may be too late.

    As mentioned, the addition of some new enemy types, map layouts and game modes will keep most XCOM fans happy for a long while.    … Expand
  12. thatboisuper
    Sep 13, 2017
    10
    Great expansion. Dont listen to the few reviewers saying this isnt worth the price. This expansion completely changes the game. If youre an xcom fan try it for yourself. Thats all i can say.
  13. Mandulum
    Oct 9, 2017
    8
    Five Word Review: A great thing made greater.
    Favorite Thing: The Chosen and a nice component and challenge to otherwise standard missions.
    Least Favorite Thing: Very little changes to the base game, story, etc.

    Date Completed: 2017-09-30
    Playtime: 60h (100% research)
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: If you haven't played XCOM 2 before or it has been a while, yes.
  14. NinerJonny
    Aug 31, 2017
    10
    Wow...takes XCOM2 to an even higher level then it already was. This 'upgrade' will keep me playing this game for a looooooonnnnngggg time. Fabulous job, folks...thank you...seriously.
  15. Tautologen
    Sep 4, 2017
    10
    I´m biased, I loved the first two games to death, flaws and all. XCOM 2 was a bit too visually ridiculous for my taste, but since I plowed 200 hours (some of it LW) into it I was obviously ready to overlook it. WOTC goes some way to correct this, introducing dark and abandoned sewers and lost cities, but it also introduces even more psychedelic artistry and marvel-esque characters. ThisI´m biased, I loved the first two games to death, flaws and all. XCOM 2 was a bit too visually ridiculous for my taste, but since I plowed 200 hours (some of it LW) into it I was obviously ready to overlook it. WOTC goes some way to correct this, introducing dark and abandoned sewers and lost cities, but it also introduces even more psychedelic artistry and marvel-esque characters. This doesn´t matter that much though, since what have been the sole reason to play xcom all along have been the gameplay on the tactical maps in conjunction with the research and construction in between the skirmishes. I´m not exactly sure WOTC so much improves as reinvents, but since I already loved the gameplay, making the game feel fresh and surprising again is enough for me. I would probably recommend that new players start with xcom 1 with DLC before jumping into WOTC. This feels like an expansion created for people who have put lots of time into the old games and wants a reason to go back to them. This is the xcom game that I want to play, but I have been very much schooled into thinking this way by the former games.… Expand
  16. id0815
    Sep 22, 2017
    10
    One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-)
  17. sherbz
    Sep 4, 2017
    9
    WOTC is a superb "dlc". I use that in brackets because there is so much content its practically a new game. It reinvents what was an already superb title and things look very good on the horizon if they are using this as the base idea for XCOM3. It has a few elements of Shadows of Mordor and the nemesis system as the chosen hunt you down, which is backed up by narrative as they refer toWOTC is a superb "dlc". I use that in brackets because there is so much content its practically a new game. It reinvents what was an already superb title and things look very good on the horizon if they are using this as the base idea for XCOM3. It has a few elements of Shadows of Mordor and the nemesis system as the chosen hunt you down, which is backed up by narrative as they refer to other game elements that you have been doing in the meantime. All this adds to a much grander narrative that fleshes out the middle part of the game. Which if the original had any faults, aside from new alien types and the odd boost to your technology, it could turn into a bit of a grind fest as you relentlessy ground out victory after victory in the same 3 or 4 mission types (albeit an excellent one). Now theres all sorts you can be doing. Variety really is the spice of life.

    All that said, I do think the asking price was a bit steep for what was supposed to be a "dlc". But i feel it justifies its price, although i am going to knock a mark off as unless you are a fan of the game, then you might want to wait for a sale before you pick it up. Which is a shame, as what you get for your cash is really rather good.    … Expand
  18. ustag_
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    This expansion makes XCOM2 harder and more unforgiving, giving also so much content with the new factions and the choosen messing around.

    the new training system, the soldiers which buddy together and get special bound abilities make the strategic dimension of this game even larger than before. New Enemies make the game harder, your soldiers will die. a lot. to be mentioned the    This expansion makes XCOM2 harder and more unforgiving, giving also so much content with the new factions and the choosen messing around.

    the new training system, the soldiers which buddy together and get special bound abilities make the strategic dimension of this game even larger than before.

    New Enemies make the game harder, your soldiers will die. a lot.

    to be mentioned the new options, when you start a new campaign, to double the avatar project meter and the mission timers, since the game gets harder, i really suggest to do so.

    nice compatibility with the precedent must-have expansion Shen's Last Gift and the one of the Vahlen superaliens. you can choose to have a simpler experience by adding the extra content (sparks, weapons and the three alien kings) without having the dedicated missions.

    that's good, after all, since the experience would be extra hard if not made so.

    All and all, a phenomenal must buy game and expansion.    … Expand
  19. tomasjoad
    Nov 8, 2019
    8
    War of the Chosen brings a whole new concept to the game but unfortunately the rest of the game is quite similar and repetitive once you've gone through the initial changes. If you've played xcom2 vanilla, you might find too many thing's that are pretty much the same.
  20. jaco111
    Jul 3, 2020
    8
    Had not much luck with my recent shopping and i'm really tired of giving 0 scores. Tried some new games some old ones and finally i got lucky. I found the story surprisingly good, but i may be easy to please at the moment after seeing the TLOU 2 mess. After the first missions i was thinking about quitting and going back to XCOM 2 with Longwar thinking it has more to offer. Then i had theHad not much luck with my recent shopping and i'm really tired of giving 0 scores. Tried some new games some old ones and finally i got lucky. I found the story surprisingly good, but i may be easy to please at the moment after seeing the TLOU 2 mess. After the first missions i was thinking about quitting and going back to XCOM 2 with Longwar thinking it has more to offer. Then i had the first story mission and it was quite a positive surprise. It was different compared to the usual mission types and i had no idea what would happen. That's what i like in a game, good entertainment. And afterwards the game got more complex and the urge to go back to longwar is gone. Don't think i should compare those two anyway. I feel it's kind of a different experience and both are good in their own way. Would be a 10 for me without the trouble i had installing mods. Steam Workshop worked without problem, but installing other mods was a pain. Seems you have to put them in both mod folders xcom and wotc to get them working with the default launcher and it was several hours of searching the internet and a lot try and error until i had everything running.… Expand
  21. AJCk19
    Oct 5, 2022
    8
    Extremely difficult, but fun, and there are a lot of mods out there for it. Has unlimited replay ability.
  22. 2fatbear
    Nov 26, 2017
    10
    When I played XCom 2 I was worried at how modders could change enough the game to make it worth playing again (and having surprises and not knowing what would come ahead). Was expecting something like Long Run was for XCom 1. But then the makers came with this addon that seems almost like another game (some are calling it XCom 2.5) with the introduction of a few very well thought elements.When I played XCom 2 I was worried at how modders could change enough the game to make it worth playing again (and having surprises and not knowing what would come ahead). Was expecting something like Long Run was for XCom 1. But then the makers came with this addon that seems almost like another game (some are calling it XCom 2.5) with the introduction of a few very well thought elements. The Choosen are great! The missions are way improved, it is a new game. I only was a bit disappointed with the last mission, its too much like the first one. But hey, they have to save some ideas for XCom 3!… Expand
  23. KoKop0
    May 4, 2020
    8
    if you like xcom games or fan of strategy and tactics games this is THE PERFECT game for you!
  24. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
  25. Archound
    Oct 26, 2017
    8
    Jagged Alliance 2 is still better. It is surprising, that this game still have some technical issues like: freezes, weapons' electro dance after enemies death (due to bad collision system). It should also have better system to speed up or skip shooting animations etc. as it gets dull and time consuming after hours of gameplay. Overall, still lots of improvements to make, devs has to focusJagged Alliance 2 is still better. It is surprising, that this game still have some technical issues like: freezes, weapons' electro dance after enemies death (due to bad collision system). It should also have better system to speed up or skip shooting animations etc. as it gets dull and time consuming after hours of gameplay. Overall, still lots of improvements to make, devs has to focus more on the story, story missions and unique maps design. Players like procedural generation, but it is still not enough (the container with a car that crashed on one of its wall in every abandoned city map...).… Expand
  26. eeDymon
    Nov 2, 2017
    8
    Beautiful, technical and brainstorming game, especially on hard mode. To me it was fairly addictive so you may want to check the clock in time to time. The only downside is that I would've preferred it to be longer.
  27. GarethB
    Nov 2, 2018
    9
    This elevates the base game with a host of new features and enemies that further enhance an already amazing game!
  28. gentlebenno
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    There's nothing quite like needing that one critical shot, and you tune up the alien and the green blood is spraying everywhere. It's a wonderful feeling. I love this game.
  29. SilverOrlov
    Jun 17, 2020
    9
    I decided to write a separate reviews on the game in general and an DLC about the chosen ones.
    So, about the chosen ones: An excellent additional test of your skills for the main game, which is organically inscribed in the main game, without distortions of balance and adding, in a way, three mini-bosses. The plot justification of these chosen ones, their characters, their strongholds with    I decided to write a separate reviews on the game in general and an DLC about the chosen ones.
    So, about the chosen ones: An excellent additional test of your skills for the main game, which is organically inscribed in the main game, without distortions of balance and adding, in a way, three mini-bosses. The plot justification of these chosen ones, their characters, their strongholds with "last battles", everything is just wonderful. This DLC gets from me a "good" rating, as I am still disappointed that the percentage randomness still does not take into account logic and context in 2020 year(the shotgun comes close to the enemy with 80% of the hit, and you still miss).    … Expand
  30. Elkay_Gaming
    Mar 19, 2019
    8
    Xcom 2 was great. War of the chosen is perfected. It's almost as if the devs had to rush out Xcom 2 in order to make a publishing date. Then after Xcom 2 release, they sat down and decided that they can now give Xcom 2 the polish they believe the game deserves. Once they completed this polish it was released as DLC named War of the Chosen. i honestly believe that War of the Chosen is theXcom 2 was great. War of the chosen is perfected. It's almost as if the devs had to rush out Xcom 2 in order to make a publishing date. Then after Xcom 2 release, they sat down and decided that they can now give Xcom 2 the polish they believe the game deserves. Once they completed this polish it was released as DLC named War of the Chosen. i honestly believe that War of the Chosen is the game the Devs wanted to release when first embarking on the Xcom 2 development journey.

    War of the Chosen is amazing. The best tactical, turn based game i've played.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2017
49
#49 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
35
#35 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    90
    War of the Chosen introduces tons of new mechanics along with various improvements. It refreshes the original game so thoroughly that the campaign is truly worth replaying and the whole package deserves to be called XCOM 2.5. [11/2017, p.36]
  2. 4P.de
    Oct 18, 2017
    85
    An enormous expansion that adds a lot of interesting new features, but also takes the turn based combat to its limit.
    Read full review
  3. PLAY! Zine
    Oct 12, 2017
    90
    In an age of small DLCs to see a full old school expansion is a really refreshing sight. War of the Chosen enriches the original experience on a whole new level and it's a must for fans of the XCOM series.
    Read full review
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