XCOM 2

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1694 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,117 out of 1694
  2. Mixed: 275 out of 1694
  3. Negative: 302 out of 1694
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  1. yogibbear
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    So... this game is amazing. Oh. My. God. It's sooooo much more epic and thrilling and painful and rewarding than XCOM:EU/EW. But it's retained all the good stuff about those games while returning to a little bit more of the fear and bat **** frustration of X-COM. Where when things go wrong, they can go really wrong. But this time around you get a lot of new gadgets, and skills, and ways ofSo... this game is amazing. Oh. My. God. It's sooooo much more epic and thrilling and painful and rewarding than XCOM:EU/EW. But it's retained all the good stuff about those games while returning to a little bit more of the fear and bat **** frustration of X-COM. Where when things go wrong, they can go really wrong. But this time around you get a lot of new gadgets, and skills, and ways of dealing with things even when situations feel like they're spiraling out of control. Tactically it rewards you for considering all of these options. You'll encounter enemies the first time and be like "WTF so OP, GTFO!". Then on your third or fourth encounter, there'll be 3 of these guys and you'll be like "yo squadie, here comes some tasty XP for you! get in there son/lassie!". This is no longer the painfully boring overwatch death march steamroller simulator 9000. Instead it forcefully encourages you to engage with the game and use a little more guerrilla warfare tactics. Mission seems impossible? Objective too far away and too many enemies keep coming in? Well why not just hack that enemy MEC trooper over yonder and get him to fire his missiles on that objective and then you can keep your team nice and safe in full cover right next to the evac point. Oh the game lets you do that? Oh the game lets you 1-shot kill a sectopod? Yeah, it does. And it is soooo sweet when it happens. 11/10. P.S. I'm ~20 hrs in on veteran difficulty. Running on 770GTX at 1440P with AA & AO turned off and shadows on medium @ 55 fps.… Expand
  2. Lambo442
    Feb 13, 2016
    10
    Many people on here complaining that the missions are now time sensitive. I love this element as it stop you procrastinating and creates a more realistic situation. These kinds of ops would always be against the clock. You think you can gun down a sectoid and then stop for a cigarette? no. Also, if you complete the time sensitive part of the mission then you're released from the bondage ofMany people on here complaining that the missions are now time sensitive. I love this element as it stop you procrastinating and creates a more realistic situation. These kinds of ops would always be against the clock. You think you can gun down a sectoid and then stop for a cigarette? no. Also, if you complete the time sensitive part of the mission then you're released from the bondage of the timer and can set up ambushes galore. Lastly, the odd mission isn't time sensitive

    I haven't made it far into the game yet due to playing it on Legenday Ironman. I way up my extreme frustration with the rare feeling of delight I get when I do well.

    This is the best tactical combat game around, end of.    … Expand
  3. The_VoidX
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    XCOM 2 ist für mich eine gelungene Fortsetzung zu XCOM Enenmy Unkown /Within geworden, mit toller Guerilla Atmosphäre und Story.

    Pro: - Tolle Widerstands Atmosphäre - Fordernde Gefechte - Hoher Wiederspielwert dank zufallsgenerieten Karten - Avenger dient als Fliegende Basis - Tolle Klassen (Ranger, Grenadier, Spezialist, Scharfschütze und Psi-Soldat) - Soldaten wachsen einem ans    XCOM 2 ist für mich eine gelungene Fortsetzung zu XCOM Enenmy Unkown /Within geworden, mit toller Guerilla Atmosphäre und Story.

    Pro:
    - Tolle Widerstands Atmosphäre
    - Fordernde Gefechte
    - Hoher Wiederspielwert dank zufallsgenerieten Karten
    - Avenger dient als Fliegende Basis
    - Tolle Klassen (Ranger, Grenadier, Spezialist, Scharfschütze und Psi-Soldat)
    - Soldaten wachsen einem ans Herz dank unzähliger Individualisierungsmöglichkeiten.
    - Gute Gegnervielfalt aus altbekannten und neuen Aliens
    - Viele Forschungs- und Ausrüstungsmöglichkeiten
    - Zeitlimits passen super zur Guerilla Atmosphäre
    - Super Mod Unterstützung

    Contra:
    - leichte Performance Probleme (bei mir aber nur gelegentliche Ruckler in den Zwischensequenzen)
    - gelegentliche Anzeige Bugs (z.B. Gegner zielt nach links und trifft einen Soldaten der rechts steht)
    - Zeitlimits nicht jedermanns Geschmack, da sie auf den höheren Schwierigkeitsgraden Hektik auslösen können.    … Expand
  4. Marq
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Great game. It's a more fast paced version of the first but with more goodies and customization. Though this one has way more surprises than the first.
  5. Pipemastersven
    Feb 24, 2016
    10
    This is the sort of game that the PC community should support -- PC exclusive, workshop from day 1 and is not an Early AAAccess title like so many AAA titles being released.
    The game itself is exactly what you want from a sequel - it builds on the original from everything from visuals, customisation, features and story elements. If people didn't like the first, they probably won't enjoy    This is the sort of game that the PC community should support -- PC exclusive, workshop from day 1 and is not an Early AAAccess title like so many AAA titles being released.
    The game itself is exactly what you want from a sequel - it builds on the original from everything from visuals, customisation, features and story elements. If people didn't like the first, they probably won't enjoy this. I understand the optimisation issues people with lesser systems have had - this should be addressed, but wasn't an issue for me - so it gets a 10    … Expand
  6. mayuyuyukirin
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Welcome back commander!
    +Good combat abilities
    +More enemies
    +Mod support
    +More soldier customization
    +Better story

    -Bug
    -Performace Issues

    Score 9.5/10
  7. Woopya
    Apr 3, 2016
    10
    This game will frustrate you beyond belief. But, if you are like me then you will love the game for it. I really liked the additions from Xcom 1. This game will stay on my computer for ages.
  8. kozzy420
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Better than Enemy Unknown in every single aspect. It isn't perfect though as there are some performance issues and some bugs. Still the performance issues are just one aspect of the game, everything else is vastly improved over Xcom EU. From the improved combat, to improved base building, to the new concealment aspect and so much more. This is how you do a sequel! Improve everything!Better than Enemy Unknown in every single aspect. It isn't perfect though as there are some performance issues and some bugs. Still the performance issues are just one aspect of the game, everything else is vastly improved over Xcom EU. From the improved combat, to improved base building, to the new concealment aspect and so much more. This is how you do a sequel! Improve everything!

    Yes the performance issues suck, but this is one thing out of so many things this game does perfect. If you love turn based games or the Xcom series, pick this up ASAP or if you are on the fence maybe wait for a patch or two to come for the performance issues.

    Nothing gamebreaking but it can be annoying, especially when everything else in the game is so damn well made.    … Expand
  9. silkforcalde
    Feb 10, 2016
    10
    Potentially the best game ever made. A complete redesign of the core XCOM: Enemy Unknown experience with smarter design, tougher enemies (but better toys to take them out with) and a much more replayable set of mechanics that provides a wider arrange of potential situations to occur.

    Procedural maps mean you won't be memorizing maps like you were in EU. The dramatically improved    Potentially the best game ever made. A complete redesign of the core XCOM: Enemy Unknown experience with smarter design, tougher enemies (but better toys to take them out with) and a much more replayable set of mechanics that provides a wider arrange of potential situations to occur.

    Procedural maps mean you won't be memorizing maps like you were in EU. The dramatically improved strategic layer means you might get attacked by a UFO in the first few months, or you might have an easier time of things with different potential events.

    Plenty of missions have timers now, which is a hugely welcome change that provides a sense of urgency and punishes the overly cautious player. Never fear, if the timer runs out, you don't permanently lose a unit that didn't evac in time. They just get captured by the enemy and eventually you'll get a mission to rescue them.

    A broader range of mission types, more enemy types with much more varied behavior, a much broader set of attack options including various ammunition types and a lot more grenade types, much smarter class design, this game is a tour de force. A work of perfection. Going down in history as one of the greatest games ever made.    … Expand
  10. Skyleaf
    Feb 12, 2016
    10
    I really really love the changes they made compared to xcom! Really recommended and with great mod support also the negative people should be happy since the game will be able to adapt to peoples preferences :)!
  11. sherbz
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Quite simply the game is brilliant. It looks gorgeous, it plays very well, and it is one hell of a challenge. If you liked X COM the original, then you simply have to buy this. They have improved practically everything about the original. This feels more much more dynamic. Gone are the days of satellite spamming your way to victory. This game provides meaningful choices throughout soQuite simply the game is brilliant. It looks gorgeous, it plays very well, and it is one hell of a challenge. If you liked X COM the original, then you simply have to buy this. They have improved practically everything about the original. This feels more much more dynamic. Gone are the days of satellite spamming your way to victory. This game provides meaningful choices throughout so that you really dont know which way you want to go. And i think that many different paths to victory will be possible. I think this is probably the best looking turn based game we have ever seen. Kudos to Firaxis on a job well done. A sure contender for game of the year. The only thing that slightly spoils it are a few buggy camera angles and some dodgy hang times, but you can forgive it that as they dont spoil the fun. And it is in infinitely better shape than most games when released. But the real gem of this is the mods. Oh my goodness what a year we have in store.… Expand
  12. TOPO
    Mar 6, 2016
    10
    I'm a HUGE fan of XCOM (UFO Enemy Unkown here in Europe) since the times I played with my 286. I really like how the new XCOM changed many things that could be remembered with nostalgia from the old one but are a huge useless time sinks (item collection, Action Points micromanagement, useless bases to be managed only to use hangar and storage, primed grenade rookies to open doors... theI'm a HUGE fan of XCOM (UFO Enemy Unkown here in Europe) since the times I played with my 286. I really like how the new XCOM changed many things that could be remembered with nostalgia from the old one but are a huge useless time sinks (item collection, Action Points micromanagement, useless bases to be managed only to use hangar and storage, primed grenade rookies to open doors... the old one actually had many flaws) and now XCOM2 instead of repeating the xcom like by like (just like terror from the deep did) it removes some mechanics and dives into some new ones that really spices up the game.
    Everything is focused in the "you're the resistance" concept instead of "you're the first line of defense" from XCOM, and it really catches it... people complains about no fighters nor interceptions... but that really makes no sense in this Resistance set up. Most of the time (strategical) you are willing to make the right choices about days spent and base movement.
    About the new mechanics, both stealth and hackings works pretty well... again, there are a LOT of haters, but after a few frustrating plays... you get the feeling of it, and with a couple of leveled up commandos, you can really take advantage, forcing the attention on your heavys with sniper support while your commando rushes stealthy for the objective. Even with time limits, you can really set up everything to pop-up your cover just to achieve the mission and back to the skyranger without having to kill but a couple of aliens.
    The new installment is just great, and the addition of random generated maps result in sometimes frustrating sometimes great but always FUN and NEW sets to fight for your live and species.
    10 out of 10    … Expand
  13. birdman3
    Jun 19, 2017
    10
    The entire time I played XCOM 2, I told myself "If I could only play one video game for the rest of my life, it would probably be this one". Not because it is the funnest game I have ever played, but because it combines depth, replayability, and "wow" factor in more ways than any other game that I've played. Throughout my entire playthrough, I kept thinking about how my decisions wereThe entire time I played XCOM 2, I told myself "If I could only play one video game for the rest of my life, it would probably be this one". Not because it is the funnest game I have ever played, but because it combines depth, replayability, and "wow" factor in more ways than any other game that I've played. Throughout my entire playthrough, I kept thinking about how my decisions were impacting the future of the game, and the procedurely-created maps kept every engagement fresh. I never knew where the pods of enemies would spawn, but I really enjoyed seeing the listing of enemies on the map beforehand, which allowed me to prepare my troops accordingly. People have been complaining about the mission timers- I find this totally unwarranted. In my playthrough, I had more than enough time to defuse a bomb, recover research, or rescue a VIP, without hardly an exception. You have the option of bringing specialists to the engagement, and they can complete most of these objectives at range- why not use them? Overall, I find this game to be a fun and exciting step forward for a franchise that was already seemingly well-rounded.… Expand
  14. suneater
    Sep 24, 2017
    10
    Playing through the "original" XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I felt like it was purposefully neutered; it was like the game was designed to be as dumbed-down as possible while still maintaining hallmarks of the series. At first I thought I was because they were just trying to release it as widely as possible (you can play it on your phone at this point), but now I see it was actually a market test.Playing through the "original" XCOM: Enemy Unknown, I felt like it was purposefully neutered; it was like the game was designed to be as dumbed-down as possible while still maintaining hallmarks of the series. At first I thought I was because they were just trying to release it as widely as possible (you can play it on your phone at this point), but now I see it was actually a market test. To put it simply, XCOM 2's launch version is the game that EU should've been from the start. With the addition of DLC and now a full expansion, XCOM 2 is now essentially XCOM 2.5 and is GOTY contender two years in a row.

    Taking place 20 years after the events of the first game, aliens firmly control Earth and XCOM as it was previously known is no more. While the original's atmosphere was very militaristic and coordinated, XCOM 2 is now very guerrilla and disorganized. Your supporting cast don't trust each other, everything is held together with duct tape, and your soldiers look like post-apoc cosplayers for a long time. New combat variables and mission structures, along with vastly more powerful aliens, create a dire atmosphere that makes every mission feel like it could be your last. While most missions in the base game were timed, I never felt this timer was too restrictive and the expansion adds a lot of non-timed missions to the mix. Overall there is a good variety of mission types now and most missions are flexible enough to let you bring a variety of squads (even on hard).

    While the individual DLCs are hit-or-miss (a lot of it is overpriced cosmetics), two really stand out. "Shen's Last Gift" let's you build a kamikaze robot army with their own skill trees and loadouts and "Alien Hunters" adds 3 persistent mini-bosses that spawn randomly in missions with unique powers & gear that you can obtain for your own soldiers. One DLC clearly stands above the rest: the new "War of the Chosen" expansion is impressively expansive and is well worth the asking price. The new faction system gives you access to three opposing resistance groups with their own skill trees, weapons, flavor, and backstories. The Chosen are three nemeses that mirror the class structure of the new allied factions. They will stalk your base, invade your missions randomly, kidnap your troops, and eventually will have to be assassinated with a 2-part dungeon crawl-esque mission. While one of them is clearly stronger than the other two, they are all a challenge at any point of the game and will grow in skill and strength if you do not deal with them timely. Tons of other smaller features, including new enemies, maps, and the soldier bonding system, flesh out this massive expansion. In my opinion it's worth it buying the base game just to experience the flurry of new content the game throws at you with War of the Chosen.

    XCOM 2 has grown and improved incredibly since launch. Yes, there are still some bugs and the new expansion created new ones. Yes, the game still crashes but not nearly as bad as EU. Even though XCOM 2 only crashed on me about 4 times in 100+ hours, I still wouldn't recommend playing Ironman without a backup file. If you can ignore the rare technical issues, I would still highly recommend buying this and eventually War of the Chosen after an initial vanilla playthrough. Even though it's an amazing expansion, it adds so much to the game that it would probably overwhelm and turn off new players (especially people coming from vanilla EU).    … Expand
  15. Toffenuff
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    Pre-ordered this game because I loved the first reboot of X-Com in X-Com: Enemy Unknown and Enemy WIthin and from what I had seen of the new one it was looking really good. And it does not disappoint! Better graphics, sleeker and improved UI, and basically a lot more better updates to what was already great in X-Com: Enemy Within. The biggest improvement is the surprisingly compellingPre-ordered this game because I loved the first reboot of X-Com in X-Com: Enemy Unknown and Enemy WIthin and from what I had seen of the new one it was looking really good. And it does not disappoint! Better graphics, sleeker and improved UI, and basically a lot more better updates to what was already great in X-Com: Enemy Within. The biggest improvement is the surprisingly compelling story and the way the game challenges you to keep moving and making tough decisions. You can no longer take the long route and play it super safe like you could with EU/EW. Now there's an overall campaign threat that, if you try to wait too long before tackling the bigger objectives, you'll lose, which makes it more exciting and more realistic. More character customizations, the extensive mod support, and of course the better but still very much the same gameplay is further icing on the very delicious cake.

    The biggest gripes I have, and really the only gripes I have, are: poor optimization meant that the game was sometimes choppy with dropping framerates and whatnot, which I was able to fix on my end by forcing certain graphical settings via a separate program; still a bunch of bugs, particularly graphical/visual bugs, like characters partially stepping into walls or other objects to do actions or units shooting through floors/ceilings/walls like they're not there (this was also present in EU/EW). Still, compared to the overall amazingness of the rest of the game (which now runs much more smoothly thanks to my own personal tweaking under the hood), these issues are more than bearable. Although I would love fixes, please!

    Anyway, long story short: if you love X-Com: Enemy Unknown/Within, you MUST get this game. Earth needs you back, Commander.    … Expand
  16. kmdcanada
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    One of the greatest games ever made!!! 10x better than Xcom 1. Playing at Commander difficulty (just below the hardest), I've found it the right level of very hard but not put your fist through the wall hard. Yes i've had to reload a few times after a stun lancer messed me up, but the game forces you to change strats.

    The first Xcom EU was pretty linear in research and options, but this    One of the greatest games ever made!!! 10x better than Xcom 1. Playing at Commander difficulty (just below the hardest), I've found it the right level of very hard but not put your fist through the wall hard. Yes i've had to reload a few times after a stun lancer messed me up, but the game forces you to change strats.

    The first Xcom EU was pretty linear in research and options, but this one really allows you way more freedom and many different options to explore improving your tactical or strategic progression.

    I'm absolutely loving this game, and I only hope after I finish it the first time it will still be near as fun. If you like strategy and swat team tactics this is a must buy!    … Expand
  17. v364
    Feb 24, 2016
    10
    IRON MAN MODE ONLY!!!
    This game should not be loaded!!!!!
    Saving the game is basically CHEATING and takes away from the strategy and experience of losing a beloved soldier in the field and makes you plan two fire teams in the case one gets wiped!!!
    With the PSI lab it doesn't matter if you lose a hero any way.
    Those 8 turn evac mission really get your heart going :D
    11/10
  18. tommh
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    This is a true realization of what a X Com game should be. Tense tactical games that feed into a strategy game that is constantly presenting you with tough interesting decisions.
  19. SpardaKnight
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    I can definitely recommend XCOM2, its brutal, its fun, and looks amazing. Don’t listen to all these people saying it’s too hard. XCOM is a game that will punish you for bad decisions, and it’s not meant to be easy. You’re not supposed to just run in and not care.
    Optimization issues: Yes there is some fps drops, but it only seems to be happening when you’re in the loading screen / when    I can definitely recommend XCOM2, its brutal, its fun, and looks amazing. Don’t listen to all these people saying it’s too hard. XCOM is a game that will punish you for bad decisions, and it’s not meant to be easy. You’re not supposed to just run in and not care.
    Optimization issues: Yes there is some fps drops, but it only seems to be happening when you’re in the loading screen / when the sky ranger lands and takes off, and occasionally when a short outseen happens. Let me be very clear IT IS A SMALLL ANNOYANCE THAT DOES NOT AFFECT GAMEPLAY SO CHILL THE **** OUT. The 99% of the time when you’re making moves and setting over watches it does not lag. The main issue appears to mostly be due to AA and MSAA settings. I’m sure these issues will be handled ether with a patch or driver update.
    As of this writing I already have 31 hours of gameplay and the game just came out, I’m hooked I have had to restart 3 times so far because I have made mistakes in the campaign, but I had these same thing happen when I played XCOM enemy unknown, I also have been playing Veteran With iron mode on, I’m sure I could have easily beat this game if I played normal and didn’t have iron man on. Xcom2 is a great game and you should give it a try.    … Expand
  20. Pr8Dator
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    XCOM: Enemy Unknown was what I regarded as the best xcom game ever... this is coming from someone who played all of the xcom series since 20+ years ago. Since then, I have pumped about 400 hours into XCOM Enemy Unknown. I tried looking around for a turn based strategy game that even come close to this standard and I found none... until now. Welcome back Commander! XCOM 2 surpassed XCOM EUXCOM: Enemy Unknown was what I regarded as the best xcom game ever... this is coming from someone who played all of the xcom series since 20+ years ago. Since then, I have pumped about 400 hours into XCOM Enemy Unknown. I tried looking around for a turn based strategy game that even come close to this standard and I found none... until now. Welcome back Commander! XCOM 2 surpassed XCOM EU in every single way I can imagine. From graphics to gameplay, everything is improved in what I deemed to be the best turn based strategy game in the history of mankind. On the very first day, I have already pumped in 18 hours into this game. That's something I have never done before. Everything in XCOM2 is now catered to more veteran fans of the series. The strategic game is now more complex and everything feels more "long-war-ish" now. However, the game is meaningfully complex, unlike UFO Aftershock which XCOM2 seems to be modelled upon. In that game, everything becomes tedious micromanagement that in the end have little to no impact on the outcome of the conflict. Firaxis cleverly and elegantly filtered away all the meaningless stuffs (like over 20 types of ballistic weapons? Whats up with that?). In the end, you are left with something that is not as tedious as long war used to be in XCOM EU so its more beginner friendly but still meangingfully complex enough to keep veteran players engaged. I don't know why others are giving such bad scores but this is a 10/10 for me for sure. Yeah, its difficult as hell and after 18 hours, I still had to restart the whole game... Welcome to XCOM baby!… Expand
  21. Vevo99
    Jul 26, 2016
    10
    Estou jogando e curtindo cada minuto desse game , desafiador do jeito que eu gosto , cada missão transmite a sensação que Dark Souls transmite , o jogo é difícil , se você não curte jogos desafiadores passe longe .
  22. Erlioth
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    Any shortcomings the game has can be altered to your liking yourself or through mods that are already made. Bad performance? Lower the settings if your PC is a toaster. i know people with 4 generations old hardware who are running it fine by turning off 1 or 2 settings, meanwhile im on a budget AMD build with a high end video card and it runs fine at max settings. This game adds way moreAny shortcomings the game has can be altered to your liking yourself or through mods that are already made. Bad performance? Lower the settings if your PC is a toaster. i know people with 4 generations old hardware who are running it fine by turning off 1 or 2 settings, meanwhile im on a budget AMD build with a high end video card and it runs fine at max settings. This game adds way more variety in the missions and rebalanced but otherwise familiar gameplay from 1, a better story, and infinite replayability thanks to more RNG + integrated mod/steam workshop support. In time, this game will have a ridiculous amount more variety and content added through the workshop. You would seriously have to be the most jaded gamer, or unable to get into tactics, or have a crappy computer to not like something in this game. If your argument is that it's too easy, even on the highest setting, there are already mods for that too! I just don't see how you can play it past the first missions and review it negatively… Expand
  23. walkeros
    Feb 27, 2016
    10
    To challenge the guys saying that every mission is "on timer"... you've got to be kidding me!! Maybe 50% max and if you don't feel that your soldiers can handle it you can skip the mission... it's not a tragedy. Also the timer really forces you to act strategically!! In XCOM 1 you could go one square a time with 100% of causion... Is it strategy?? Do you call it strategy.. real strategyTo challenge the guys saying that every mission is "on timer"... you've got to be kidding me!! Maybe 50% max and if you don't feel that your soldiers can handle it you can skip the mission... it's not a tragedy. Also the timer really forces you to act strategically!! In XCOM 1 you could go one square a time with 100% of causion... Is it strategy?? Do you call it strategy.. real strategy begins when you need to face the time. If you loose with time, go and evacuate your soldiers... Please note that XCOM: Enemy Witin tried to achieve the same with limited time to get MELD containers. However there you can just don't care about MELD, in XCOM2 there is no "don't care" - either you care about time, die or evacuate the soldiers. This is Strategy!

    And for those who writes that the game is hard - Have you ever played UFO: Enemy Unknown or any other UFO from old times? That game was hard. There you had even problems getting out of Skyranger gecause aliens could kill you when your head was out and you did first steps. They could shoot at you and did not know where the shoots were comming from. THAT WAS HARD. There is nothing like this in XCOM2. It simply requires more out of your brain to finish mission.... and if it is still hard than YOU HAVE THE "EASY" DIFFICULTY? Did you try it before writing that you hate the game because it is hard... so when you write that you are very good in strategy games and you played every version of XCOM and you say that XCOM2 is difficult, than I tell you this: "You did not play, but used save/load"... if you really played XCOM: Enemy Within for real (without using save/load to much) you will NEVER say that XCOM2 is super duper hard, because it is NOT... it simply prevents you from cheeting using save/load. That's all.

    About other aspects of game. I will not write the things that the others have done already. Yes - it has performance problems, but if you have them - just lower your graphics (my friend plays on LOW and says that graphics is preety good), AI is better (oposing to what some people says) - for example enemys tend to retreet when they are loosing and attack with another pack of aliens. Any other allegations? First play at least 20 missions, loose the game one time and then write your review.    … Expand
  24. Sudaro
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    I spend about 40h in game and I say: "one of the greatest games ever made! Better than XCOM I". Very good mix of strategy and tactical combat. One of must have games.
  25. metacriticfasch
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    The best game in the series by a long shot. I love the direction Firaxis has taken. The depth of the game is outstanding, and I can only imagine what will happen with mods in the near future. There are already a dozen mods (some of them very useful or interesting) within 24 hrs since release. For TBS gamers, this is the game of the year, and probably the standard for the industry for manyThe best game in the series by a long shot. I love the direction Firaxis has taken. The depth of the game is outstanding, and I can only imagine what will happen with mods in the near future. There are already a dozen mods (some of them very useful or interesting) within 24 hrs since release. For TBS gamers, this is the game of the year, and probably the standard for the industry for many years to come.… Expand
  26. luislmf
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    Awesome game, I love how there are several tactic layers interdependent. You need to decide what technologies to evolve, what missions to take, what soldiers to select to battle and on top of that you have the awesome battle tactics.
    This isnt a game for everyone, you need to think and some times to deal with frustration and keep pushing but its very rewarding.
  27. atalhaderici
    Feb 11, 2016
    10
    XCOM 2 is an amazing game

    The best XCOM ever, period.

    Good combat abilities
    More enemies
    Mod support
    More soldier customization
    Better story

    I love it...
  28. Jimmious
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    XCOM 2 is an improved version of XCOM in every way possible. More options, better strategic and tactical gameplay, everything is there.
    I guess there are performance issues, since people mention that a lot, but I didn't have any.
    A good thing to notice is how nicely the Firaxis people got the players out of the comfort zone by including the timers in many missions who need a completely    XCOM 2 is an improved version of XCOM in every way possible. More options, better strategic and tactical gameplay, everything is there.
    I guess there are performance issues, since people mention that a lot, but I didn't have any.
    A good thing to notice is how nicely the Firaxis people got the players out of the comfort zone by including the timers in many missions who need a completely different approach and this is obviously enraging people who wanted to win the game by playing it the same way, by overwatch creeping. That is not going to work anymore people, you have to think anew!    … Expand
  29. TheSon
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    This game is simply amazing in so many ways. It is like a chess game but with a great setting.
    People are complaining about the time limit on some missions. 1st of all, the time is not limited on all missions and 2nd, frankly when it is, it pushes you to be a better military strategist.
    And you still have the time to think and figure out the best approach to the mission. Like I said it    This game is simply amazing in so many ways. It is like a chess game but with a great setting.
    People are complaining about the time limit on some missions. 1st of all, the time is not limited on all missions and 2nd, frankly when it is, it pushes you to be a better military strategist.
    And you still have the time to think and figure out the best approach to the mission. Like I said it is like a chess game but more awesome!

    I agree that the camera issues and the little hang time are sometimes annoying but in no way deter you from the great experience.

    My computer enables me to run this game way above the recommended specs but I noticed a huge framerate drop as soon as I enabled the MSAA above 2X, but at MSAA 2X or below (FXAA) it is great and smooth, other than that, no issues.

    This game deserves the title of game of the year, the first XCOM was great, this one is GREATER!
    Thank you Firaxis, you still need to fix the few bugs but overall your game is OUTSTANDING!    … Expand
  30. testiq12345
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    While in need of some optimization, overall XCOM 2 is huge leap forward for the franchise that should please both new and old fans alike!

    PS Turning off MXSAA should help with FPS.
  31. Batushai
    Feb 24, 2016
    10
    I love X-Com and i'm happy to say X-Com 2 is amazing. It's not a dramatic difference, but it's still surprisingly useful things there. Timer make the game more challenging. Enemies are very deadly as always, let's just say a bit more refined this time. I love surprises like the Shapeshifters, or the new Sectopod, these things are huge! Be careful, this game can be very addictive! :)
  32. matt79
    Feb 10, 2016
    10
    This game improves significantly over the previous installment in pretty much every department. There are still some flaws in the design (timed missions too often), but this is entirely omittable as the game has a native support for mods. This and the amount of gametime (way, way over the average) I'll be getting out of this leaves me no choice but to give this a perfect 10. Firaxis - youThis game improves significantly over the previous installment in pretty much every department. There are still some flaws in the design (timed missions too often), but this is entirely omittable as the game has a native support for mods. This and the amount of gametime (way, way over the average) I'll be getting out of this leaves me no choice but to give this a perfect 10. Firaxis - you are seriously an insane time thief with XCOM and Civ franchises!… Expand
  33. GeneralGonzo
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    Maybe one of the best startegy games in years. A perfect improved XCOM with better graphics, deadlier aliens, more depth in character development, always new generated battlefields, many more options in the tactic (round based) part and more flexibility with the new flying HQ.
    All in all everything has been polished and improved since XCOM and if you have anyinterest in really good    Maybe one of the best startegy games in years. A perfect improved XCOM with better graphics, deadlier aliens, more depth in character development, always new generated battlefields, many more options in the tactic (round based) part and more flexibility with the new flying HQ.
    All in all everything has been polished and improved since XCOM and if you have anyinterest in really good strategy games, you can´t miss this.
    But beware of the difficulty - even without ironman mode on, you will be challenged hard. Nothing for rookies in this genre.
    Remember: Join us or become them !    … Expand
  34. StrategyAddict
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    Oh wow! Critics have hyped this game as an early "game of the year" and "one of the best PC games" ever. I've played it for 35 hours during the release weekend (taking almost no breaks). I say even though it has some minor technical glitches (performance, load times, physics) a rating around 90 is perfectly justified. It's superior to it's predecessor XCOM EU in every aspect and that wasOh wow! Critics have hyped this game as an early "game of the year" and "one of the best PC games" ever. I've played it for 35 hours during the release weekend (taking almost no breaks). I say even though it has some minor technical glitches (performance, load times, physics) a rating around 90 is perfectly justified. It's superior to it's predecessor XCOM EU in every aspect and that was a 89.

    So coming back to meta critic I see that it's getting mixed user reviews, seemingly for three reasons:

    1. technical issues. I say: Firaxis have done an incredible job at game design. I fully trust them to patch out the issues. Plus: we should be glad, that PC hardware is finally being utilised again.

    2. It's unlike the original XCOM. I say: Folks, get over it! There has been a pletorium of games reimplementing the original XCOM. (I have played them all, by the way.) Features missing compared to another game from another time is not a flaw. The current iteration of the XCOM universe perfectly captures the tension and challenge of the original game an surpasses all of the XCOM-alikes in many, if not all aspects.

    3. The game is too hard and the time limits too demanding. I say: The game has four difficulty settings, which seem perfecly balanced to me. On veteran (the second) I only got one little scratch during the first three missions. So i turned to "commander" the third and am now having a perfect struggle to stay allive. If I'm good, I can gloriously blast them before they even react, but most of the times more then half my squat will come out hurt. I even had to reload about three times because i'd otherwise lost a soldier.

    I hate timelimits. But in XCOM 2, they work miracles in forcing you to approach missions differently and in creating insane action. And still, you're not reliant on luck. There's so many special abilities to use, which mater way more then pure chance to hit.    … Expand
  35. segi
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    El rendimiento en mi caso es bueno, no he medido fps en esta primera toma de contacto, pero lo noto fluido excepto un par de rascones sin importancia en la personalización de los soldados y alguna cinemática del avenger. (i5@4.5 y 770 4Gb en la configuración alta que viene por defecto en el juego, por ahora no me apetece medir y toquetear nada). Seguramente los votos negativos vendrán deEl rendimiento en mi caso es bueno, no he medido fps en esta primera toma de contacto, pero lo noto fluido excepto un par de rascones sin importancia en la personalización de los soldados y alguna cinemática del avenger. (i5@4.5 y 770 4Gb en la configuración alta que viene por defecto en el juego, por ahora no me apetece medir y toquetear nada). Seguramente los votos negativos vendrán de las rascadas que da en configuraciones ultra, supongo digo yo.

    Los gráficos son buenos, poco necesita este juego y lo cumple de sobra, las animaciones son notables y se nota que han cuidado el aspecto con mimo. Se agradece porque ahora puedes poner distintas animaciones dependiendo del carácter como, alegre, tranquilo y cosas así, lo que me lleva al siguiente aspecto.

    La personalización es magnífica, y además ajustada a los controles del teclado, fantástico sin lugar a dudas. Perder un soldado era un dolor en el alma ahora te cae hasta la lagrimita cuando los hieren, por cierto puedes editar hasta su biografía, packs de voces...

    El metajuego o el concepto en sí, hace que no sea un digno sucesor sino que supere al primero sin lugar a dudas. Ahora somos la resistencia y lo han cuidado, el tiempo pasa mientras estamos realizando alguna acción ya sea recolectar info, buscar recursos, investigar nuevas zonas, siempre estás haciendo algo, nada de esperar a que ataquen y cada decisión cuenta. Esto me sirve para explicar otro aspecto muy positivo del juego, la microgestión.
    Ahora somos la resistencia, se nota y los recursos escasean, por lo que ya no salvamos científicos ahora salvamos al científico Manolo Becario hijo de Conchita, todo tiene nombre propio, hasta las víctimas en las misiones de terror que ahora se llaman de represalía. Como he dicho han cuidado mucho aspectos en apariencia menores pero que refuerzan la atmósfera convincentemente.

    La estrategia es otra cosa, venía confiado del Long War y me he encontrado sobrepasado en varias ocasiones, la IA es una perra y actúa según la unidad lo cual está bien, las unidades cuerpo a cuerpo se lanzarán contra ti sin pensárselo mucho pero los comandantes si se ven solos ante el peligro retroceden a mejores posiciones. Por el momento no tengo queja.
    Las habilidades para que os hagáis una idea están diferenciadas en dos caminos bastante diferenciados, podemos mezclar a gusto pero por ejemplo un especialista tendrá una rama médica y otra más orientada al combate, el explorador tiene una dedicada a mejorar el tiro de francotirador y la otra al combate cercano.

    Es más díficil, sobretodo los primeros compases, también es verdad que nos confiamos y hay muchos tipos de enemigos como el Sin Cara, cabrón joputa, así que es normal que ya desde el tutorial te recuerden que no te flipes. En lo particular me gusta la dificultad, todavía no he perdido soldado alguno pero se nota la angustia en cada misión.

    En fin multitud de pequeños detalles conforman un juego que todo amante de la estrategia jugará tarde o temprano, por criticar algo pondría que algunas superficies son engañosas y te pueden disparar a través, poco más y eso que me gusta sacarle punta a todo.    … Expand
  36. 2fatbear
    Nov 26, 2017
    10
    Being a veteran XCom player, I still miss the complete freedom we had on the original games on choosing equipment for missions and details like limited munition and caring to not shoot your friends.
    So why I give the game a 10/10? Because it is perfect on what it proposes to be. It is moderately easy on easier difficult and amazingly difficult on the top ones, with the daring Ironman    Being a veteran XCom player, I still miss the complete freedom we had on the original games on choosing equipment for missions and details like limited munition and caring to not shoot your friends.
    So why I give the game a 10/10? Because it is perfect on what it proposes to be. It is moderately easy on easier difficult and amazingly difficult on the top ones, with the daring Ironman option (you cant save while on missions) turned on.
    I have a small complain in the graphics area. I like much better the graphics on the first modern XCom game, they are more realistic. But these on XCom 2 are more effective, things are more distinct and easy to see. The point is I liked the small amount of confusion the realistic graphics created.
    Sounds and voices are great. Interface is great. And there is a ton of mods to choose and change your game to your taste, like raising the limit of that dread time limited missions (but hey, try it the default way, you will have the thrill of your life! (: ) and virtually anything you can imagine.
    Cant wait for XCom 3!    … Expand
  37. lordzzz
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    Horrible performance. Too hard missions / timer. No multi platform. Graphics are bland. Blatant failure until fixed. Dont buy or rent. Not worth it...
  38. Philsg1
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    Phenomenal sequel to a modern strategy/tactical classic. Takes everything that you loved from XCOM EU and EW and chucks out everything you hated (except the 97% miss - that's XCOM baby!)

    Reminds me of the huge jump up from the promising Mass Effect 1 to the brilliant Mass Effect 2. Fantastic replayability - tense missions and full ongoing Mod support. Day one purchase and    Phenomenal sequel to a modern strategy/tactical classic. Takes everything that you loved from XCOM EU and EW and chucks out everything you hated (except the 97% miss - that's XCOM baby!)

    Reminds me of the huge jump up from the promising Mass Effect 1 to the brilliant Mass Effect 2.

    Fantastic replayability - tense missions and full ongoing Mod support.

    Day one purchase and pre-ordered - dream game!

    Odd slow and Frame drop - but these will soon be patched.    … Expand
  39. RogalDorn01
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    Outstanding game and a truly impressive follow up to Enemy Unknown / Within. The story is great and it really gives the feeling of trying to build up a global resistance. It balances fun and stress as well. The only downside is that at the time of launch the performance can get a little chuggy during cutscenes. Also sometimes the audio gets delayed when I stream to my TV.

    I am sure    Outstanding game and a truly impressive follow up to Enemy Unknown / Within. The story is great and it really gives the feeling of trying to build up a global resistance. It balances fun and stress as well. The only downside is that at the time of launch the performance can get a little chuggy during cutscenes. Also sometimes the audio gets delayed when I stream to my TV.

    I am sure these minor technical glitches will be patched out soon. I would honestly give the game a 9/10. But so many trolls who never even played the game are giving a Zero, so I will give it a 10 to help counter.    … Expand
  40. RedWallcreeper
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    It is a very cool game with a tactical missions which makes you think strategically and think twice about every your step, This is exactly what I want to feel from a strategy. Good Job!
  41. Whitehood
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Found so many reviews speaking that this is a extremely difficult game and because of this 0/10. WTF?! Xcom 2 have same issues but it is still very good and qualitative game.
  42. RangerMiG
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    The game is a 10 and I didn't rate it that to troll with the Zero idiots! It's the perfect continuation to the XCOM series,yet it feels independent on its own and it improves so much in terms of gameplay, technicalities and story over its predecessor. The graphics are excellent in par of what you expect from turn-based tactics genre Forget about tall the negativity in some review they areThe game is a 10 and I didn't rate it that to troll with the Zero idiots! It's the perfect continuation to the XCOM series,yet it feels independent on its own and it improves so much in terms of gameplay, technicalities and story over its predecessor. The graphics are excellent in par of what you expect from turn-based tactics genre Forget about tall the negativity in some review they are either sore consolers or some MOBA freaks who never played this genre. The game has steep learning curve for newbies and punishing gameplay for veterans but it's the most rewarding game you can play on your PC right now! Now, there are few bugs like few stuttering here and then but i'm sure it's gonna be patched nothing will effect your overall gaming experience.… Expand
  43. Rockyboro
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    Only performance issues otherwise its upgraded xcom. Overall it is decent and plays very well. Only timed missions sux big time. Still its better ok for a change.
  44. vendeta
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Xcom 2 is one of the best strategies in history,the same as xcom only 20 cooler at all.Yes optimization is lame,but I think I will correct in the patches.
  45. BossZW
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    I read a lot of negative comments so far... While I can understand them from people experiencing technical problems due to poor optimisation at launch and while that type of game isn't for everyone, I really think the metacritic score based on players reviews is biaised and doesn't bring justice to the game.

    First, I am of the lucky ones for which the game runs like butter. A lot of    I read a lot of negative comments so far... While I can understand them from people experiencing technical problems due to poor optimisation at launch and while that type of game isn't for everyone, I really think the metacritic score based on players reviews is biaised and doesn't bring justice to the game.

    First, I am of the lucky ones for which the game runs like butter. A lot of folks with better configs are experiencing issues right now, while I don't with my old Phenom II, 12 go of ram and a gtx 960. Lack of optimisation at launch is irratating at best when you pay the high price for a new release, that I can understand.

    But the game, when it works, is a jewel as much as Enemy Unknown was in it's own right. Like many critics, I think the game expands on the previous iteration and really shines when it gets to immersion, squad control and personalization. I really care for my team and did put some time to choose their look, their voices and backgrounds. Those guys are bleeding, dying to save mankind and choosing the right strategies to keep them alive while doing so is intense, fun and rewarding.

    Once started, the game is hard to stop and while playing it, the time disappear: this is the sign of a great game. If you loved the first, I can't understand why you wouldn't love this one. The music, the story, the missions, gadgets... everything is there with new paths, graphics and options. A lot of mechanics have improved if you ask me, but even if you don't agree, there's a lot to love here.

    I suggest you wait for some patches if you fear of facing issues, but otherwise, go ahead and buy it with confidence as it is an easy recommandation.    … Expand
  46. Wontohn
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    It was pretty good actually. I liked the aliens, and the shooting was fun also. Above all, I love the killing parts. When you shooted the bad guys and they dropded it was pretty cool. I recomended this game to you now.
  47. brain9h
    Feb 10, 2016
    10
    Excellent game, the best X-COM so far. People are giving negative reviews because the game is hard. But that's XCOM, unforgiving.

    Technically, game runs smooth and has little bugs compared to other major games released.
  48. Acronymous
    Aug 14, 2018
    10
    What can i say, i love the tactical, turn-based games. After playing a lot of XCOM with my friends i just had to try XCOM2 and was not disappointed. Everything is better in this installment (except for a Chance to hit) although i'm not a big fan of forcing player to rush with the turns-left counter.

    All in all it's a great game and i simply love it.
  49. Flendomo
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Absolutely one of the best games I've played in three years.

    I will not derate a game over minor bugs on launch (Almost every game has some problems at start) This is a fresh blow of air in the right direction, the gameplay is stunning, the new mechanics is stunning, the story is stunning. All in all, 9/10¨ Whether or not you find this useful, try remembering that prejudice over    Absolutely one of the best games I've played in three years.

    I will not derate a game over minor bugs on launch (Almost every game has some problems at start)

    This is a fresh blow of air in the right direction, the gameplay is stunning, the new mechanics is stunning, the story is stunning.

    All in all, 9/10¨
    Whether or not you find this useful, try remembering that prejudice over simple quirky bugs upon release day is rather foolish as there has hardly been one game without flaw upon release these past years.    … Expand
  50. Pech_SOG
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    Incredible game. Best game of the last ten years, quite possibly of the last twenty. A joy to play, incredible depth. From the small details to the big picture it is a masterpiece. Ignore the performance issues. This is is very dependant on settings and pc config. Patches will fix any lingering issues. I am 30 hours in and no save or game breaking bugs. 3 crashes to desktopIncredible game. Best game of the last ten years, quite possibly of the last twenty. A joy to play, incredible depth. From the small details to the big picture it is a masterpiece. Ignore the performance issues. This is is very dependant on settings and pc config. Patches will fix any lingering issues. I am 30 hours in and no save or game breaking bugs. 3 crashes to desktop early on but that is all. 30 hours and still on my first campaign at 3rd highest difficulty. Game runs smooth as silk after I tested different graphic settings. Looks gorgeous also.

    Marvelous!!    … Expand
  51. sickysickybrah
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    Alien attacks my soldier and causes him to panic.
    My soldier turns around and throws a grenade blasting his squadmates and blowing their cover.
    Enemies finish off my squad. It's ironman mode and I am now doomed and must restart. How I love XCOM! 11/10 will die again Game is awesome-If you like XCOM 1 or tactical turn based strategy, it's a must have. Compared to XCOM 1:    Alien attacks my soldier and causes him to panic.
    My soldier turns around and throws a grenade blasting his squadmates and blowing their cover.
    Enemies finish off my squad.
    It's ironman mode and I am now doomed and must restart.
    How I love XCOM!

    11/10 will die again

    Game is awesome-If you like XCOM 1 or tactical turn based strategy, it's a must have.

    Compared to XCOM 1:
    -improved graphics
    -better story
    -more and better cutscenes
    -same edge of your seat difficulty
    -new soldier types and upgrades
    -tons of facility improvements and research
    -more destructible environments (i.e. threw a grenade at an enemy on the roof and roof blew apart making him fall to first floor)

    I have not experienced any performance issues that many are giving bad ratings for. My rig is: i7 4770k, 7970 ghz card, 16gb ram. It runs great at max settings.

    I honestly feel the game deserves a 9.5/10. It's almost perfect in my opinion. Tactical strategy games are my favorite genre, so YMMV    … Expand
  52. obamonkey
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    If you take a look at the bad reviews, they're mostly by console gamers who're enamored with COD and BF, and who're complaining that this game is punishing. This game isn't a first person shooter. This game is also going to be difficult. If you're expecting to walk over the enemy AI, you're going to have a bad time.

    Pros: - Complex strategic layer - Amazing randomized map generation    If you take a look at the bad reviews, they're mostly by console gamers who're enamored with COD and BF, and who're complaining that this game is punishing. This game isn't a first person shooter. This game is also going to be difficult. If you're expecting to walk over the enemy AI, you're going to have a bad time.

    Pros:
    - Complex strategic layer
    - Amazing randomized map generation
    - Solid story
    - Good/Not great graphics
    - Extremely moddable
    - Difficult and challening

    Cons:
    - Small bugs here and there that should get patched in the next couple of days    … Expand
  53. ihab86
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    What astounds me about XCOM 2 is how often it’s not **** With such high stakes and so many intertwining systems constantly pushing the player forward, it could easily have devolved into a hair-trigger, save-scumming frustration fest. It doesn’t. XCOM 2 masterfully creates the illusion that the odds are completely against you, while giving you numerous opportunities to Rocky your way backWhat astounds me about XCOM 2 is how often it’s not **** With such high stakes and so many intertwining systems constantly pushing the player forward, it could easily have devolved into a hair-trigger, save-scumming frustration fest. It doesn’t. XCOM 2 masterfully creates the illusion that the odds are completely against you, while giving you numerous opportunities to Rocky your way back to the top. You’ve just gotta stay nimble. You’ve just gotta think.… Expand
  54. Grimm345
    Feb 5, 2016
    10
    Xcom 2 feels exactly how the sequel to Xcom 1 should. It has everything i loved in the first game and just more added on to it. The stealth mechanic is fun and adds diversity especially when using some higher tiered soldiers who can duck in and out of stealth. The new found overlay map adds a lot to the decision making process of what type of supplies i need at the moment

    This is not    Xcom 2 feels exactly how the sequel to Xcom 1 should. It has everything i loved in the first game and just more added on to it. The stealth mechanic is fun and adds diversity especially when using some higher tiered soldiers who can duck in and out of stealth. The new found overlay map adds a lot to the decision making process of what type of supplies i need at the moment

    This is not a "perfect game" but it is a perfect xcom game. Bugs are occasional and are always going to be around on launch (What little there is)

    It seems to me the majority of negative comments don't like the difficulty or the fact that numerous missions are timed. Unfortunately for those people they must not know Xcom because the pure fact that it is difficult, grueling, and punishing is what makes it shine. You will never forget those soldiers who fell under your command. I don't think I've ever been so torn up with deaths in a strategy game.
    The percentage system (Thank god) seems overhauled from the original in that over 70% is pretty guaranteed a kill so no more standing with your shot gun up someones bum and watching your man hit the ceiling.
    There is much more i can say positive about this game but if you are honestly still reading this review and haven't scoffed at-least 3 teams at my remarks you should just go out and buy it. Its like the old Xcom's but better!    … Expand
  55. rami12
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    great game. best in the series. every review that says otherwise is bullsh**. pc master race. i will play this game for weeks for sure. i hope everyone buys it.
  56. cca1977
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    A brilliant concept coupled with smart design choices results in a hugely rewarding game that over-delivers in almost every area. best strategy game ever.
  57. james1231
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    XCOM 2 review: Best-in-class tactical battles with a new sense of style
    Sequel greatly improves on character and setting without ruining the gameplay..
  58. spain1234
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    The Good

    Familiar, superb tactical combat
    Great character customization
    Strong setting means a more distinct style
    Setting also makes gameplay choices more coherent

    The Bad

    Difficulty and progression don’t work well enough together
  59. dexter2345
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    While the tactical core of XCOM 2 is only slightly altered from the original, most of the changes are clear improvements. The biggest change is that almost every mission now has a timer attached to it. For example, aliens are attacking a transmitter and you have to get to it before it gets blown up, or a laptop with critical data needs to be hacked before time runs out. These are largelyWhile the tactical core of XCOM 2 is only slightly altered from the original, most of the changes are clear improvements. The biggest change is that almost every mission now has a timer attached to it. For example, aliens are attacking a transmitter and you have to get to it before it gets blown up, or a laptop with critical data needs to be hacked before time runs out. These are largely good ways to push players out of over-careful play—most missions in 2012’s XCOM could too easily be manipulated by just having squaddies wait in Overwatch. Here, you have to actually move.… Expand
  60. sergio223
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    Pros

    Tight tactical gameplay
    Dynamic and unpredictable
    Wider strategy full of tough, meaningful decisions
    New stealth options work in well
    Strong cinematic presentation

    Cons

    Views don’t always provide necessary information
  61. ChadMan25
    Feb 6, 2016
    10
    One of the best games I have played! a robust strategy game that somehow delivers on visuals and gameplay in a way that makes every moment both tense and satisfying!
  62. ppoulsen2007
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    Good mix of strategy and tactical combat. Love the timers, which forces you to take chances. Best game in a long time, that are not nerfed down to children level.
  63. mightyprometeus
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    This is the one and only game if you are a fan of turn based tactical combat. There is nothing compareable in complexity, challange, depth, quality, storyline, atmosphere, customization aso..
    Everything in this game is made with so much enthusiasm and love for detail. I was playing XCom, and all sequels of it. Loved XCom Enemy Unknown and hey XCom2 is OMG i will play this the next 10    This is the one and only game if you are a fan of turn based tactical combat. There is nothing compareable in complexity, challange, depth, quality, storyline, atmosphere, customization aso..
    Everything in this game is made with so much enthusiasm and love for detail. I was playing XCom, and all sequels of it. Loved XCom Enemy Unknown and hey XCom2 is OMG i will play this the next 10 Years!
    There was a game i always dreamed of and finaly Firaxis made it!

    Cons:
    1) Yes i think its released too early. It took me half a day to fix starting crashes and I'm pretty sure there will be more.
    2) Yes you need very good hardware. (Going to buy a new graphix card)

    Fazit: Little bit dissapointing they released it unpolished. I'm game developer myself and I know its always difficult to make a game really polished and perfect within the time and budget you have and you cannot always choose your release date. So I'm sure they will deliver a patch soon fixing all stuff that needs to be fixed.

    Love this game!
    BUT:
    - Its like XCom Enemy Unknown but improved in every single aspect.
    - Incredible graphics, camera animations,    … Expand
  64. Praxeti
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    A sinply amazing game from what i have played so far. Its such a vast imporvment on the last one - a constant sense of tension and dread is added howoever.
    I also think its great how challenging it is (many people seem to dislike this, lowering their score because they couldnt pass the initial slaughter) and the procedural maps make the game a lot better.
    Going by enemy within, the    A sinply amazing game from what i have played so far. Its such a vast imporvment on the last one - a constant sense of tension and dread is added howoever.
    I also think its great how challenging it is (many people seem to dislike this, lowering their score because they couldnt pass the initial slaughter) and the procedural maps make the game a lot better.
    Going by enemy within, the difficulty and rng is one of the reasons the game is so fun - you never know if you will truly aucced.
    Would definitely recommend.    … Expand
  65. aasmodeaa
    Feb 7, 2016
    10
    I have played 6 hours and I can say that I don t met any bug until now. It is true that sometimes my Pc feels a little overload by the game but I have just 4 gb memory. The tactical part of the game is ok the only thing is that the AI of the enemy feels sometimes little week: there are two enemies attacking and almost all members of my squad is exposed (4 men) and just a few square fromI have played 6 hours and I can say that I don t met any bug until now. It is true that sometimes my Pc feels a little overload by the game but I have just 4 gb memory. The tactical part of the game is ok the only thing is that the AI of the enemy feels sometimes little week: there are two enemies attacking and almost all members of my squad is exposed (4 men) and just a few square from the enemy and instead to shut on my men they are just staying in over-watch or turning their back to me ..… Expand
  66. saintch
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    An improvement in every aspect. I encountered no bugs, game is well paced, the timers in many missions add to the atmosphere, and are generously even with a defensive play style time was never an issue.

    Love the game, love the atmosphere.
  67. Pleiadesu
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    For all of you who are complaining about how the game rushes you and how that's not tactical-
    That's the whole point of that setup. You must rush as quickly as you can WHILE utilizing tactical cover to hide your forces while your enemies attack you. Great gameplay mechanic in my opinion, great job there Firaxis.
    Next comes the story. I feel that the story ties in well with the gameplay    For all of you who are complaining about how the game rushes you and how that's not tactical-
    That's the whole point of that setup. You must rush as quickly as you can WHILE utilizing tactical cover to hide your forces while your enemies attack you. Great gameplay mechanic in my opinion, great job there Firaxis.

    Next comes the story. I feel that the story ties in well with the gameplay mechanics, and while it's not something stellar like The Last Of Us it works well enough for a game like this.

    Now, the cover/aiming system. Yes, the fact that even a 99% shot can miss is annoying at times, but unlike games where every shot flies true to a straight, horizontal line from the barrel, the soldiers in this game actually have to aim.

    If I had anything to complain about, it'd be the fact that you can't utilize vehicles anymore- probably one of the only flaws I saw so far, although it might be related to the whole 'renegade' scheme.
    Thankfully, I haven't seen any bugs yet, and the game runs fairly well on my multipurpose laptop.    … Expand
  68. lassek1981
    Feb 8, 2016
    10
    This game is sooo cool! I am like another gamer and reviewer a veteran in the series.. played since child in DOS and later Xcom and Xcom EU...

    While the gamer suffers from missing performance optimizations and has some bugs here and there it is fully playable and never crashed on me one single time in the 4 days in a row 15 hours plus every day I played to complete it! I CANNOT    This game is sooo cool! I am like another gamer and reviewer a veteran in the series.. played since child in DOS and later Xcom and Xcom EU...

    While the gamer suffers from missing performance optimizations and has some bugs here and there it is fully playable and never crashed on me one single time in the 4 days in a row 15 hours plus every day I played to complete it! I CANNOT remember when I sad up playing 15 hours straight since I was a boy.. I mean its very addictive.

    I love everthing about it and it is really a 10/10 game!

    However I think allthough the music, sfx and is great! there could be more music score like XCOM EU, that soundtrack was epic.. they should have hired them again for sound! :)    … Expand
  69. rainymatt
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    I suggest not listening to the all the x com: UFO defense fanboys that plague these reviews because they give such bias reviews that are total BS, talk about stuck out of time
  70. Morguewolf
    Feb 9, 2016
    10
    I just want to write this as a counterweight to a lot of the misguided negative reviews for this game. Because a lot of people seem to hate this game because it's either too hard and they want games to be easy or because it's different then the past games in the series. If you don't like challenging games then obviously don't play this, that first point is obvious. And if you don't like itI just want to write this as a counterweight to a lot of the misguided negative reviews for this game. Because a lot of people seem to hate this game because it's either too hard and they want games to be easy or because it's different then the past games in the series. If you don't like challenging games then obviously don't play this, that first point is obvious. And if you don't like it because it's different from the original that's fine but that doesn't make it a bad game. This game, if judged by it's own merits, is fantastic. Especially in a direct comparison to Enemy Unknown, which is the game this is a sequel for.

    A lot of people seem to be irked by optimization issues as well which I don't understand because this game runs flawlessly for me so, again this is a personal issue on the purchasers part.

    Another complaint seems to be about bugs and working issues, which again I haven't faced any of and on that note a lot of game's aren't 100% at the top of the release so to rate it a zero for that is absurd. This game is completely functional.

    If you want to see all the positives of this game you can easily read the critics reviews because they are all spot on. This is more or less just a review to dispel the ridiculous complains people are levying against a game I consider to be amazing.    … Expand
  71. Tanesis
    Feb 10, 2016
    10
    X:com 2 is brutally difficult. Spend hours customising soldiers to watch them die in seconds.

    The skills learnt as your cannonfodd...erm soldiers advance in rank are better than EU and allow for more tactile flexibility, especially when you have you guys synergise with each other. Though this works both ways as the aliens are more dangerous now and have a new arsenal of skills, some of    X:com 2 is brutally difficult. Spend hours customising soldiers to watch them die in seconds.

    The skills learnt as your cannonfodd...erm soldiers advance in rank are better than EU and allow for more tactile flexibility, especially when you have you guys synergise with each other. Though this works both ways as the aliens are more dangerous now and have a new arsenal of skills, some of which are pretty awesome.

    The maps are an improvement with far more variety both in setting and in layout. Enjoying the missions though there could be a few extra mission types to mix things up as they can get a little bit repetitive, especially as there seems to be way more battles than in EU in terms of storyline progression.

    Initially didn't like the idea of timed missions but after about 20 hours of playing through I think they've made the tactical battles far more enjoyable. You have to make educated guesses about when to creep and when to scurry forward. The main reason I enjoy the timer though is the new conceal mechanic.

    You can use concealment to lay ambushes which tend to be pretty fun and the Ranger being able to avoid breaking concealment allows some interesting scouting/flanking opportunities.

    The Strategic aspect of the game such as base building, R&D etc I think has been slightly improved. Some are quality of life improvements over EU whereas others are I think outright mechanical improvements.

    The graphics are fairly good (but definitely not standout) and I like the use of colour though there are some serious clipping issues on the action cut scenes. Additionally after some of the cut scenes the game does seem to freeze for a second or 2 and its often at these points that there is a drop in frames. Also loading screens seem a tad lengthy.

    Will appeal to anyone who enjoyed X:Com EU and likes a challenge. Will not appeal to people who did not like X:Com EU, who dislike RNG or who dislike difficult games.    … Expand
  72. Ninjaneer
    Feb 11, 2016
    10
    Reasons why you probably shouldn't play this game:
    1. You can't handle losing missions or worse, losing your soldiers AND the mission they died on.
    2. You're trapped in the past and insist on comparing this game to the original XCOM, circa last century. 3. You're rig is older than 3 years old and you still insist on running this game on max. video settings. 4. Timers on missions    Reasons why you probably shouldn't play this game:
    1. You can't handle losing missions or worse, losing your soldiers AND the mission they died on.
    2. You're trapped in the past and insist on comparing this game to the original XCOM, circa last century.
    3. You're rig is older than 3 years old and you still insist on running this game on max. video settings.
    4. Timers on missions raise your blood pressure to unhealthy levels.
    5. You simply can't fathom that a 95 percent chance to hit strangely enough means a 1 in 20 chance that you will miss, and bad things may result.

    Reasons why you SHOULD play this game:
    1. You thoroughly enjoyed playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown (EU) but want new enemies, new skills, new maps, more customization options, and a greater challenge.
    2. You like that, while in EU you could pretty much blow through the entire campaign with one squad, always using the same skills and gear, in this game you find that different squad composition and proper load-out decisions are essential to surviving various missions.
    3. You understand that some missions have timers, which changes the mission parameters, and you can accept that you might not always beat those timers, or you might have to leave a soldier behind in order to complete the mission (note: soldiers left behind get captured, and become the objective of a rescue mission at some point later in your campaign)

    Hope that helps. I've just about completed one play-through with minimal lag or bugs. I can't wait to start a second campaign, knowing what I know now about proper builds and load-outs. And I can't wait to play in Iron Man mode and weep for my poor, fallen troops.    … Expand
  73. awinters86
    Feb 11, 2016
    10
    I just finished the game moments ago for the first time, and I am incredibly impressed. It is very similar to the previous game, but with a great deal of improvements.
  74. MentalDraco
    Feb 15, 2016
    10
    Awesome game, barely managed to stop playing, the negative reviews are just ppl complaining about the game being to hard .... yea that is the point like dark souls i don t want an easy game. All in all grate game had a ton of fun.
  75. FilifionkaSopot
    Feb 15, 2016
    10
    You need to give the new Xcom some time, but once you get familiar with the new mechanics, it feels great. People complain that it's hard, that the timer on some missions feels unfair. But you now have access to so many new and powerful abilities, that getting things done is not only possible, but also exciting. The trick is to adapt to these new mechanics. And that's just pure Xcom. YouYou need to give the new Xcom some time, but once you get familiar with the new mechanics, it feels great. People complain that it's hard, that the timer on some missions feels unfair. But you now have access to so many new and powerful abilities, that getting things done is not only possible, but also exciting. The trick is to adapt to these new mechanics. And that's just pure Xcom. You can't aspire to be a good tactical commander, if you are unwilling to change your habits. This game makes you think and that's what makes it so great. Surely, Xcom 2 has it's share of technical problems, but they are more of an annoyance, than a seriuos flaw. I have not experienced anything game breaking in my playthrough. On the whole, this game is demanding, but it was expected to be. I give it a 10, even with all the minor bugs.… Expand
  76. wpdaisley
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    Phenomenal game. Good soldier classes that accomplish different things and strategy to challenge the player.

    The people complaining about the turn limits and the modding them out misunderstand guerrilla warfare and are ruining the game. You are guerrilla fights so you have limited time to get in, complete your objective, and get out; otherwise you would be crushed. If you mod the    Phenomenal game. Good soldier classes that accomplish different things and strategy to challenge the player.

    The people complaining about the turn limits and the modding them out misunderstand guerrilla warfare and are ruining the game. You are guerrilla fights so you have limited time to get in, complete your objective, and get out; otherwise you would be crushed.

    If you mod the turns out then you ruin the game. Without the turn limits, the game would be so easy. Why not just inch up every turn and put your squad on overwatch so you can ambush and shred the enemy every time before they can do anything? What is the strategy in that? If you dislike the turns so much then you are turtling too much and need to confront the strategy head on.

    There are a few minor bugs and glitches but I am sure those will be resolved in the coming months with patches and updates and nothing neared making the game unplayable.    … Expand
  77. lslbryan
    Feb 16, 2016
    10
    All those giving zeros for their review are either extremely biased, looking for ezmode games, or too noob/lazy to manually optimise their graphics settings. Not to mention there are a whole lot of mods to resolve most of the main complaints such as rush timers, and UI imperfections

    This game is far perfect but it is fun enought. My honest rating would be a 7 but given that there are    All those giving zeros for their review are either extremely biased, looking for ezmode games, or too noob/lazy to manually optimise their graphics settings. Not to mention there are a whole lot of mods to resolve most of the main complaints such as rush timers, and UI imperfections

    This game is far perfect but it is fun enought. My honest rating would be a 7 but given that there are too many useless zero ratings I will give it a 10 to to offset the zeros.

    Please, how can any game be zero unless it is not totally working. I respect those who give their objective views (such as 4/10 and stating the reasons why). The number of senseless, non-objective zero ratings just turns me off and not just for this game, degrading the credibility of the user rating and painting a distorted picture of the quality of any game.    … Expand
  78. Godwrath
    Feb 26, 2016
    10
    I would give the game a 8/10 until they fix the optimization problems (for many people, they are real). But i can't do that because there are plenty of dumb people underscoring for no real reason than their own inability to play the game. When you read people playing what would be classic, and complaining about stuff like "the % is not real" withouth even having a look at the .inis, youI would give the game a 8/10 until they fix the optimization problems (for many people, they are real). But i can't do that because there are plenty of dumb people underscoring for no real reason than their own inability to play the game. When you read people playing what would be classic, and complaining about stuff like "the % is not real" withouth even having a look at the .inis, you know they went full retarded.

    One of the biggest fails of XCOM is probably that their players, specially the ones at the lower brackets of difficulty, tend to overestimate their capabilities, and Jake Solomon didn't find a way to not give those players the satisfaction of finishing the game on a upper difficulty just because, like many other games would. So you will see a lot of people complaining about timers, RNG and the like. Truth is, if you are good player none of those matter. Good players can finish up missions on legendary with 2+ turns left (my fastest was 7 turns left on an evac mission, or grabbing objective by turn 3 with 5 left). So here is the thing, if you want challenging and engaging gameplay, XCOM 2 managed to do that. If what you want is play always at your own pace, this game is for you, if you mod it, which takes about 2 clicks to do.

    Classes, while still an improvement from XCOM EU, need work in some skills which aren't optimal, ranger sword being a joke, and abilities like deadeye carrying too big penalties. Overall tho, most abilities have their niche and are useful.

    Optimization is bad, you may not suffer from it (it doesn't matter how good your PC is) and the workarounds won't make it work flawlessly. Take this into account as it is fine to not buy until Firaxis fix this, but it's certainly an enjoyable game and being turn based makes it less of a pain in the ass. No justification, it still needs to be addressed.

    TLDR:
    - Game is good if you enjoy tactical challenge.
    - Most user reviews say complete made up lies about it, specially negative ones, which show a total lack of knowledge, just to satisfy their ego to justify their failures within the game.
    - Mod the game to your own tastes.
    - Optimization is crap and needs to be fixed.    … Expand
  79. Jimsin
    Mar 7, 2016
    10
    I'm dismayed by some of the negative reviews here. I've been a fan of XCOM since the original, and this is by far the best incarnation of the game. The developers have listened to all the feedback from XCOM EU, and created a thing of beauty. People are complaining about the timers, but they make missions exciting & force you to take risks, not just sit there chin-stroking. Short of someI'm dismayed by some of the negative reviews here. I've been a fan of XCOM since the original, and this is by far the best incarnation of the game. The developers have listened to all the feedback from XCOM EU, and created a thing of beauty. People are complaining about the timers, but they make missions exciting & force you to take risks, not just sit there chin-stroking. Short of some optimisation problems I'm sure will soon be fixed, this is the game I've always dreamed of.… Expand
  80. cordiquasso
    Mar 22, 2016
    10
    I created the account to tell you that the game is awesome and I have no idea how you can rate it as low as 7. Most of the negative user reviews are unfounded and misleading, and I’m afraid you just don’t understand and can’t properly use the game mechanics if you say the game is too difficult or not fair.

    In short: Definitely play it! If you loved XCom:EU you’ll love this one as well.    I created the account to tell you that the game is awesome and I have no idea how you can rate it as low as 7. Most of the negative user reviews are unfounded and misleading, and I’m afraid you just don’t understand and can’t properly use the game mechanics if you say the game is too difficult or not fair.

    In short: Definitely play it! If you loved XCom:EU you’ll love this one as well. Despite some performance issues the game gives tons of fun and instant satisfaction with every successful mission. The new mechanics works great, new skills are inventive, missions challenging and new alien species won’t let you get bored. It’s insanely rewarding and you’ll forget about the world around you.

    My specs:
    rig: i5 3570, 16GB RAM, GTX 970, SSD
    game difficulty: Veteran (normal)
    play style: completionist
    missions won: 44 (25 flawless, 0 dead soldiers)
    patch: minor and later in game major
    game time: 60h

    Let’s have a look at most discussed issues:

    Performance:
    Yes, the game is poorly optimized. On my pc at full HD with AA off I get around 70fps. The rest of the settings is on high. Which is good but there are drops in frame rate now and then, especially during mission loading screen. Last mission also caused some fps drops. Having said that, it doesn’t affect the gameplay but leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Lazy work Firaxis.

    Bugs/glitches:
    During my 60h playthrough I didn’t have a single crash or a hang-up. Action camera works fine. There are some occasional screen obstructions here and there. Also, the final mission was a glitch-o-rama, but a save reload fixed it. Nothing even remotely game breaking. But it could be better.
    Story: Nothing to complain about. Nothing to be ecstatic about either.

    Difficulty/turn timers:
    Too difficult, not fair, no room for strategic gameplay, mindless rushing? Bollocks. If you know the game mechanics, can use the skills at your disposal, know how cover works and how to disable it, use a healthy composition of your squad than you should have no problems at all. At least on Veteran difficulty. Don’t overuse overwatch. Yes, you will use save/load frequently, just to probe the ground and maybe count for a better roll, but that’s a part of the game. In fact, after completing the game it says ‘average turns left on mission timers’ 2.74. I deliberately stalled the evacuation of my team just to wait for more alien reinforcements (=more exp).

    Load times:
    On my SSD mission load screens between instant and 15sec. No complaints at all. Saving the game is instant and loading takes about 5sec. (tip: delete old saves in game folder to speed up saving).

    Ridiculously not fair hit %:
    To be honest, I can’t complain. It was fair to me, I guess. Not even a single 100% miss. 90%? Yes, sometimes, but very rarely. Just flank your enemies, destroy their cover and boost aim stat. Use weapon upgrades, PCS and abilities. Remember that overwatch has some hit penalty.

    Concealment:
    Great new mechanics. Works perfectly. When you know how to do it. Use a scout (some abilities are useful here) to find enemies, put everyone (except 1 shooter) on overwatch, use the shooter (preferably grenadier) to throw a grenade or shoot at the group of enemies. They take damage and run for cover. As they run your team shoots from concealment overwatch (no penalty). Profit. Just use your head and you’ll use this mechanics to your advantage. Again, don’t criticize something if you don’t know how it works.

    Enemies see and attack through the walls:
    Ummm….what?

    No height advantage:
    Yes, there is.

    Music:
    Very strong point in favor of the game. Just love it. It’s tense when it should be (team loadout screen!). Although after 40h it can get repetitive and a bit boring. More tracks would be welcome. Still listening to it after having finished the game.

    To sum it up, after reading many negative user reviews I thought the game would be rubbish. It is not. It’s pure gold. So I decided to do it justice. Definitely one of the best games I’ve ever played. So rewarding and immensely addictive. It puts a big smile on your face and pats you on the back after every successful hit. Good job, commander.    … Expand
  81. thel4mb
    Mar 31, 2016
    10
    Yes, the design has changed, but it is still xcom - only better. I love the time limit in certain mission, it really forces you to pick a different strategy, depending on the mission - over are the "always on overwatch and waiting for things to happen" missions.

    Some are complaining about the difficulty and that the game is unfair: It is not - with the right strategy you can master    Yes, the design has changed, but it is still xcom - only better. I love the time limit in certain mission, it really forces you to pick a different strategy, depending on the mission - over are the "always on overwatch and waiting for things to happen" missions.

    Some are complaining about the difficulty and that the game is unfair: It is not - with the right strategy you can master every mission. Of course some things depend on luck, but that's life.

    I played the game now for around 90 hours on commander ironman. Restarted it about 7-8 times. You will get better - and its a lot of fun. Overthink your strategies: The first 2-3 times I got wiped at the first retaliation mission, now I can manage it flawless. Or, if you are weak on manpower, don't do missions where you can't evac, you might get wiped.

    If you play it right it's a facinating story, don't expect to excel on every mission. You will lose soldiers, maybe fail in a misson, but other times you will succeed with the last possible second. So take the earth back, commander!    … Expand
  82. xf100t
    Apr 7, 2016
    10
    XCOM 2 is different, and it's challenging. Like for real challenging, if you play at Legendary difficulty. For once in your gaming life the hardest level of difficulty offers you no hope of eventually prevailing if you just power level or whatever. You actually have to play well. If the difficulty is too high for you, go down a level until you've mastered the mechanics (there is no shameXCOM 2 is different, and it's challenging. Like for real challenging, if you play at Legendary difficulty. For once in your gaming life the hardest level of difficulty offers you no hope of eventually prevailing if you just power level or whatever. You actually have to play well. If the difficulty is too high for you, go down a level until you've mastered the mechanics (there is no shame in playing rookie mode to learn the ropes, that's where I started), and then go back up. The game isn't unfair, and it's hardly unwinnable, you just have to learn how to size up a map and how to utilize skill sets effectively. I don't know what the heck some of these reviewers are whining about when they say that there is "only one way to win". False, you just don't know how to play, or you get impatient. I just finished a legendary game where I played almost the entire thing with first tier weapons and armor because I was going for the quick game completion achievement on steam, and I already had finished an ironman legendary run through.

    There are numerous mods that give you new tactical options that can help you a great deal without unbalancing the game too much, if that's a problem for you, and the community here is incredible. Do you want to know why it's incredible? Because if you take the time to learn something difficult, you'll be more dedicated to it. I've logged 400 hours playing this game, and with constant new mods with new enemies, maps, weapons, and other things, I have way more to come back to compared to what XCOM EW gave me. If you don't like the mission timers, take them out, it's not hard, you click "subscribe" to a mod in the workshop that gets rid of them. Frankly, the constant overwatch tactic was just getting really annoying from the first XCOM, and players' over reliance on waiting out the aliens in the first game was a huge crutch that many just couldn't get over when the game's designers decided to throw a wrench in their plans. "We can't plan tactically!" they whine. Sure, if by not playing tactically you mean "I can't overwatch my enemies to death!" Coming from playing the Long War mod of XCOM 1, XCOM 2 was an adjustment, but a welcome one. IT'S OK TO LOSE SOLDIERS SOMETIMES, IF THIS IS CHESS, YOU WILL LOSE PIECES, GET OVER IT!

    Another thing on mission timers, there is a mod called "True Concealment" that changes gameplay so that said timers won't start until you are revealed, making stealth and strategic movements all the more important. Combined with a mod that keeps troops patrolling after you reveal them (when stealthed), much of the whining and complaints you've read about the game fall away. Underneath is a highly tactical and highly moddable game that has been worth its money and then some. I am running almost 300 mods at this point, nothing else I've played recently even comes close to this kind of community support, let a lone for a turn-based strategy game.

    There is a reason why there is a large disparity between the reviewers and the users for this game, and I think much of it has to do with skill level. If that makes me an elitist, so be it, but hear me out. Many people really do just suck at these type of games to begin with. Mastering game mechanics are the key, but short of reading a lot of guides or watching other people play, there isn't really a replacement for experience. At first. I didn't like that the game punished me sometimes for my mistakes. I started several Legendary Ironman campaigns before I finally started getting some momentum and was able to finish. But guess what? I love the game for it. It made me think much harder about balancing risk and reward, and it gave me a real challenge, not just endless waves of enemies that will inevitably fall before an army of alien slayers (though the end game somewhat becomes this, even on Legendary).

    Thank you Jake Solomon, for creating a truly challenging game in a world of mediocrity and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Also, thanks for trying to make games like this accessible for a public that would never have the patience for the original XCOM series anymore,. I played the old X-COM and it is NOT accessible to people that didn't grow up on CIV of Sim City. Also, to the haters that say certain things aren't "realistic", this is turn-based strategy. Since when is Chess "realistic"?

    At this point, the only real thing I would change/add is to create more balanced options for the tech tree. Right now you just get to the end of it about when you hit end game for the most part, where as with XCOM EW there was always a trade off; one part of the game was easier vs. another portion depending on what you researched. You axed the air game, understandably, but you can't just axe that out and then leave the rest of the tech tree pretty much the same, what about some kind of ground resistance war at the macro level?

    10/10 (probably only 9/10, but I feel it necessary to balance out some of the bogus reviews)    … Expand
  83. Medare
    May 17, 2016
    10
    Best tactical game I ever played. It have nice graphic and addictive gameplay. You totally should buy it. Best game of the year or maybe of century...
  84. vevo00
    Jul 26, 2016
    10
    Eu amei esse jogo , ta que o pariu , as analises negativas são desses noobs chorões , o jogo é dificil é sim , mas vale a pena , aquela sensação de Dark Souls a cada missão feita , valeu a pena ter comprado . Jogão , se você é noob e acha tudo difícil volte pro seu COD
  85. Dragonblooden
    May 29, 2016
    10
    I normally give good games around 7-9, but because their are people who give this game a "0-3" I have to give it a "10". Go with metacritic not user review's at leased for some of them.
  86. Cbcibryant
    Aug 29, 2016
    10
    This is one of my most favorites games. It is a tactical turn based strategy game. The critics are right: it can be unforging of mistakes. It is difficult. It takes a lot of patience. But if you spend time with the game it is absolutely addicting. You are always at a disadvantage. You are always juggling priorities. You are always worried to advance too fast or advance too slow. But thatThis is one of my most favorites games. It is a tactical turn based strategy game. The critics are right: it can be unforging of mistakes. It is difficult. It takes a lot of patience. But if you spend time with the game it is absolutely addicting. You are always at a disadvantage. You are always juggling priorities. You are always worried to advance too fast or advance too slow. But that what makes the game so fun. This is not a game that requires any dexterity. It is a game that requires a lot of thinking and creativity. Not everyone's cup of tea but it is certainly mine.… Expand
  87. HansV
    Jan 22, 2017
    10
    Very very very good game. Good mix between time based missions and free missions.
    Comparing this to Jagged Alliance (very old), two points could maybe be changed: it would somewhat add to the experience if your enemies would include not only aliens and mutated humans but "real" humans and you could decapitate them with a head-shot and the like; sounds gruesome but killings in JA2 are more    Very very very good game. Good mix between time based missions and free missions.
    Comparing this to Jagged Alliance (very old), two points could maybe be changed: it would somewhat add to the experience if your enemies would include not only aliens and mutated humans but "real" humans and you could decapitate them with a head-shot and the like; sounds gruesome but killings in JA2 are more satisfying than in XCOM2 - sorry. Secondly, if your soldiers would be more characterized from the start, it would increase your attachment to the team-members and any loss would hurt extra.    … Expand
  88. Sekhyt
    Jul 14, 2017
    10
    Really brilliant game, amazing immersive battles, very challenging difficulty level, also very interesting and atmospheric outside battle management - the research, engineering etc, I just wish there was more time to travel all over the world and pickup stuff. Many very interesting things that can't be found in other games.

    There is one obvious issue with the game freezing all over the    Really brilliant game, amazing immersive battles, very challenging difficulty level, also very interesting and atmospheric outside battle management - the research, engineering etc, I just wish there was more time to travel all over the world and pickup stuff. Many very interesting things that can't be found in other games.

    There is one obvious issue with the game freezing all over the cinematics on pc - the optimisation of this part really failed, but that doesn't affect the gameplay.

    Other cons ? Hmmm, maybe if you play on ironman and you get bad luck sometimes you lose very experienced unit without even a chance to do anything.    … Expand
  89. uVimOvil
    Jan 24, 2017
    10
    un 10 como una catedral mejora muchisimo a xcom original al que ya eche sus 100 horas, este x-com 2 me ha conseguido enganchar mas de 200 horas increiblemente adictivo y como te piques con los logros buff vas a sufrir aparte de disfrutar
  90. Rock3nh3im
    Mar 22, 2019
    10
    Geniales Strategiespiel. Da stimmt fast alles, bis auf paar Bugs. Abwechslung hat man zu 100%, Kämpfe sind fordernd, auch ist das eins von den Spielen wo man gerne Stirbt oder die Mission nochmal spielt oder Neustartet um einen anderen Weg zu versuchen.
    Auf jedenfall, ist das Spiel jedes Geld wert und noch so viel mehr...
    Viel Spass an denjenigen wo sich das Kauft. Du wirst es sicher    Geniales Strategiespiel. Da stimmt fast alles, bis auf paar Bugs. Abwechslung hat man zu 100%, Kämpfe sind fordernd, auch ist das eins von den Spielen wo man gerne Stirbt oder die Mission nochmal spielt oder Neustartet um einen anderen Weg zu versuchen.
    Auf jedenfall, ist das Spiel jedes Geld wert und noch so viel mehr...
    Viel Spass an denjenigen wo sich das Kauft. Du wirst es sicher nicht bereuen.    … Expand
  91. Mazisky
    Apr 25, 2020
    10
    One of the best strategy games ever created for PC.

    -Awesome tactical layer
    -Procedural maps and a lot of environments
    -Character creation and personalization
    -Many different enemies
    -Intriguing Narrative and cool main characters
    -Lot of meaningful strategictactical decisions to make
  92. X-comfan18
    Apr 27, 2021
    10
    The best turn based UFO Defence game that I've played.

    XCOM was Great. XCOM has further built up on it's strengths and created an even better product with Updated Graphics and Campaign. Every single DLC had a profound impact on gameplay and refined it even further.

    Grab the complete XCOM2 bungle for best experience.
  93. Zski
    May 2, 2021
    10
    This is what a strategy game should be. Multiple layers of decision making, consequences that ripple across all layers of the game, and the feeling that you’re constantly fighting a losing battle against an enemy stronger than you. It’s pretty much an arms race against the aliens, and you are at a disadvantage. I think iron man should be the default mode in the game, otherwise it takesThis is what a strategy game should be. Multiple layers of decision making, consequences that ripple across all layers of the game, and the feeling that you’re constantly fighting a losing battle against an enemy stronger than you. It’s pretty much an arms race against the aliens, and you are at a disadvantage. I think iron man should be the default mode in the game, otherwise it takes away the huge sense of risk vs reward. This is easily one of my favorite strategy games - I have finished it for the fifth time now across three different platforms. I always come back to it.… Expand
  94. Durgrim
    Jun 3, 2021
    10
    One of the best (if not the best) strategy games of this decade. If you like turn based strategy / tactics games you need to try this.
  95. ultimat3
    Jul 14, 2021
    10
    good game with great combat, dk why the reviews are so bad ...

    xcom foreverrrrrr
  96. Woolee
    Sep 29, 2021
    10
    I fell in love with this game when I first started playing it, but then something went horribly wrong. If you only intend on playing the game once or maybe twice then this game is a fantastic gem; a great experience. If you want to play more than that then it has some surprises in store. First of all the UI and controls are ok but they could be so much better on the PC. Every once in a
  97. AliceGross
    May 6, 2022
    10
    Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо Харашо
  98. Talibamn
    Aug 15, 2022
    10
    An instant classic that refines, evolves, and redefines the ideas that came before. Strategy perfection
  99. BladeWise
    Dec 31, 2022
    10
    A great game, both visually and in terms of gameplay. Even after 6 years, it is still one of the best in its genere.
  100. socokid
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    Super fun game. I've been playing for almost 12 hours without one issue. I am also not staring at an FPS counter just waiting for something to be angry about... *eye roll*

    Enemy Unknown was a wonderful game. This is EU on steroids. Virtually every aspect has been upgraded and refined. I am having a blast, and back to the game!
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Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2016
6
#6 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
19
#19 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 104 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 97 out of 104
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 104
  3. Negative: 1 out of 104
  1. Wccftech
    Apr 22, 2016
    80
    Firaxis managed to improve upon the already great Enemy Unknown in almost every way, with the exception of multiplayer. Unfortunately, the shockingly bad performance prevents XCOM 2 from reaching the status of a true masterpiece.
    Read full review
  2. High-Def Digest
    Apr 10, 2016
    90
    It is a tactical experience without peer, better even than its predecessors. It is draining and agonizing, but in a good way. The high difficulty may turn off some gamers, but it’s worth every second.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Denmark
    Apr 6, 2016
    90
    XCOM 2 is a gem. There is more story in the game, and the ending does not feel as abrupt as it did in the first game.
    Read full review
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