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. 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
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Hayward1066
    Feb 7, 2016
    8
    A very well done successor. If not the for the mod support i would of actually given it a 7 as many of the things i found irritating in the first game are still included such as small squad size and simplified base choices for example.

    I would take some of the low review scores from some people with a grain of salt as well (angry console players?). The most common complaint is the timed    A very well done successor. If not the for the mod support i would of actually given it a 7 as many of the things i found irritating in the first game are still included such as small squad size and simplified base choices for example.

    I would take some of the low review scores from some people with a grain of salt as well (angry console players?). The most common complaint is the timed missions removing the "tactical approach", no they dont, they just stop you cheesing the game with overwatch traps. You are in occupied territory of course there is going to be a response hence the timer. If its that much of a problem go into the core files and change it, or download a mod (there are several) from steam. The games "guts" are already fairly open and there are many things you can do to alter balance. I have already made several tweaks, its really easy.

    Another is the "unfair" % to hit system. Sorry your suffering from conformation bias. It can be maddening but that's why every action you take has a fall back plan, avoid last ditch attack scenarios like the plague. And the Psy operative's inspire is a literal life saver, use it as an "oh $£"$" button.

    I have experienced 1 CTD so far, and some slight slow down issues, not bad, but you may want to wait a week or two so Firaxis can role out an optimization patch as other people seem to having some problems. I have also not seen the shoot through walls bug, but i am just lucky i think.

    Overall its a very good game, with the same strengths and weaknesses as firaxis's first effort, however it is the modding community and the tools that are really going to extend the games life.    … Expand
  5. Tryium
    Feb 7, 2016
    9
    /! People need to stop whining about new features such as the "timer" to finish missions. AND PUT A F*CK*NG 0 BECAUSE OF IT /!

    WHY ? Because it's simply a huge improvement on tactical options. Even though you can't finish a mission with only 4 or 5 turns left ahead, it made EVERY decisions you made more important as ever. Each turn as to be think, like a CHESS GAME. Yes, like a    /! People need to stop whining about new features such as the "timer" to finish missions. AND PUT A F*CK*NG 0 BECAUSE OF IT /!

    WHY ?

    Because it's simply a huge improvement on tactical options. Even though you can't finish a mission with only 4 or 5 turns left ahead, it made EVERY decisions you made more important as ever. Each turn as to be think, like a CHESS GAME.

    Yes, like a chess game, because it's basically what XCOM2 is about : Measuring each turn, anticipating each situation. This is what i love in XCOM2, even though i'm more like a **** casual player who like perfection (definitly not here for the Iron Man Mode or whatever) and i'll reaload each turn where i've made a huge mistakes to understand what went wrong.

    BUT NOT EVERY MISSIONS ARE TIMED.

    Only most of the side missions, you have plenty of time to do your **** in most of campaign missions, and that's still pleasant.

    [END OF TIMED TURN MISSIONS REVIEW]

    For the whole game, well, it feels great to be back in the XCOM saga. The scenario is wayyyy better than the first one (which was more like a succession of non related missions). The new HQ system is just great and feel more realistic. The graphics are pretty good BUT it's not optimized yet, AT ALL. So handle to your patience. Even though it should have been done since the begining. It's still very pleasant to play, the game mechanics feels the same, with more props destructions. The new skill tree is just well balanced and so did the new customization system (even though it could have been great to have more masculin faces).
    The map management is more accessible and there's no more panic system (due to scenario reasons) which is a RELIEF (and i aint seen people talking about that). And you have now good reasons to let's the days flow.

    So far i've played 10H, and would played it for days...

    I'll give a 9 to re up the score a bit, but so far it would be a 7.5/10 because of the bad optimization.    … Expand
  6. 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.
  7. 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...
  8. garhent
    Mar 7, 2016
    9
    I've got 186 hours played and beat it on ironman commander. It was difficult to pick up on the rules for kill priority in mobs to take down (hint Advent is your real enemy, then mechs then aliens) because it was counter intuitive. The game will make you think and force you to play it safe. This is the only xcom game that I've abandoned missions because it was better to lose the missionI've got 186 hours played and beat it on ironman commander. It was difficult to pick up on the rules for kill priority in mobs to take down (hint Advent is your real enemy, then mechs then aliens) because it was counter intuitive. The game will make you think and force you to play it safe. This is the only xcom game that I've abandoned missions because it was better to lose the mission than lose your squad. Its not a perfect 10 but its close. You will get your moneys worth and it will be a challenge.… Expand
  9. karmasleeper
    Feb 12, 2016
    7
    The game would deserve a higher rating, even with the massive performance issues most mainstream reviews ignored, if it weren't for the turn limits on most missions.

    When a low turn limit requires you to rush forward to reach an objective on the other side of the map you can't take the extra turns setting up ambushes requires with the new stealth system. You can't cautiously make your    The game would deserve a higher rating, even with the massive performance issues most mainstream reviews ignored, if it weren't for the turn limits on most missions.

    When a low turn limit requires you to rush forward to reach an objective on the other side of the map you can't take the extra turns setting up ambushes requires with the new stealth system. You can't cautiously make your approach always sticking to full cover and creating overlapping cones of overwatch fire. You absolutely must rush ahead to get there in time. When the majority of missions have a timer, whatever sense of urgency you feel the first few times you play them evaporates quickly. It soon becomes a repetitious formula.

    Other than this, the game is upgraded Enemy Unknown and is a worthy successor. New classes are fun, stealth mechanic is a lot of fun when you aren't restricted by time to set up the perfect ambush, and the new overworld mechanics with the resistance and flying mobile base are a welcome addition.

    My only other gripe would be that attacks still fly through cover (even full cover) and world geometry as if they weren't there. Part of this may be due to the fact that everything is procedurally generated this time around. A new class also has melee attacks that can hit enemies through windows and the adjoining wall, often completely destroying the structure as if a bomb went off. Enemy melee attacks will also connect in physically impossible ways completely destroying immersion and your carefully laid plans.

    Wait for a sale. There will probably be great mods and performance improvements by then.    … Expand
  10. GoneTomrrow
    Feb 24, 2016
    7
    First of all, I'm one of those guys who cite the original 90's XCOM game, but I do it for good reason. In short, this latest XCOM installment is a very good game and will satisfy anyone who has at least played the previous XCOM:EU. The tactics, resource management, reverse engineering, are all there.

    However, as stated, I must compare this game to the original released so many years    First of all, I'm one of those guys who cite the original 90's XCOM game, but I do it for good reason. In short, this latest XCOM installment is a very good game and will satisfy anyone who has at least played the previous XCOM:EU. The tactics, resource management, reverse engineering, are all there.

    However, as stated, I must compare this game to the original released so many years ago. One huge element that XCOM:EU lacked, and that XCOM 2 severely lacked is the dark and scary tone. There is no mystery; we have a sequel to the previous where the aliens have a foothold and now rule the earth, but why? What made the original game so great was the fear of an alien invasion, not some sci-fi series inspired plot where the aliens rule humans.

    One minor element, the music, sums it all up. The music for XCOM 2 is very stock. You want better atmosphere? Turn it off. Please do yourself a favor and Youtube the original game's music - it's absolutely spellbinding even 20 years on. Take a lesson from Infrogrames Firaxis because you have underestimated the value of creepy music.

    I also must briefly address the most common gripe in other reviews: the frequency of timed missions. It's a fun challenge to occasionally encounter, but I must say that the majority of missions have turn-based time limits. Thank Bog for mods.

    Despite the above gripes, XCOM 2 is very engrossing. If you're a long time fan, don't hesitate. The spirit of the original is, albeit tenuously, there.    … Expand
  11. BigDegs29
    Sep 12, 2016
    8
    As much as I enjoyed the original XCOM, this one still improves. Somehow they managed to make everything easier to do, while also adding additional depth to the game. That's a difficult balance to get right! The game is highly addicting.

    Here's a caveat; it's been over 6 months since the game release, so I'm reviewing this based on the game after several patches. As far as I can    As much as I enjoyed the original XCOM, this one still improves. Somehow they managed to make everything easier to do, while also adding additional depth to the game. That's a difficult balance to get right! The game is highly addicting.

    Here's a caveat; it's been over 6 months since the game release, so I'm reviewing this based on the game after several patches. As far as I can tell, most of the bugs have been ironed out. The only bugs I seem to encounter is that sometimes the mouse jumps from tile to tile without your input.

    The other "bug" is more serious. As with its predecessor, the "hit probability" appears to be inaccurate at times. Not a lot of the time, but in a game where you rely heavily on the hit probability to make up your strategy and where the life the death of your squad is determined, it's incredibly important to have accurate information.

    I was playing a location and it came to a critical point where I had to make a short, otherwise several of my characters would die. The probably showed 60%, so I made the shot...missed. Normally I don't reload saves unless something catastrophic happens, but the death of half my squad and the impending failure of the mission made me reload. Again, I took the shot...missed. I reloaded again, and again, and again. All the same result: missed. I did this fifteen times in a row to see if the game really was screwy. All misses. Finally hit the 16th try.

    Now, that is statistically possible, but the odds are 1in 931323 that it happens.

    I've run into these situations numerous times. It's virtually impossible that those stats are completely accurate. It seems to me that the game sometimes misrepresents the hit probability to the player. For whatever reason. The game loses a point for this rare, but critical flaw.

    Another point is lost through repetition. One, timed missions are annoying unless used infrequently. The game is dominated by them. I modded them out. Two, they have limited number of mission types. Rescue the VIP, abduct the VIP, hack the terminal, plant charges, and kill all enemies. Hack and plant charges are basically the same type of mission, and rescue and abduct the VIP are basically the same. So three main types. But the biggest fault of them all: too many missions require that you completely neutralize alien forces, even in missions where it doesn't make sense. This undercuts their "concealment" mechanic, which is a great addition to the game. You should be able to complete missions in a variety of ways. If you're required to always kill all aliens, that type of gameplay gets boring after awhile.

    Other than those two gripes, the game is fantastic. I'm sure I'll end up putting 100 hours or so into it.    … Expand
  12. geschaftsreise
    Mar 26, 2016
    7
    I think that the price of failure and success is too high and this diminishes the experience.
    Darkest Dungeon has a better balance of this sort of thing. It should be ok to fail and learn a lesson.
    Dark souls and Darkest Dungeon don't go easy on us, but they provide room for risk taking and mistakes. One big foul-up in XCOM means restarting or restarting and a discontinuity of    I think that the price of failure and success is too high and this diminishes the experience.
    Darkest Dungeon has a better balance of this sort of thing. It should be ok to fail and learn a lesson.
    Dark souls and Darkest Dungeon don't go easy on us, but they provide room for risk taking and mistakes.
    One big foul-up in XCOM means restarting or restarting and a discontinuity of experience.

    Game players like me don't want things to be easy but we want to be immersed, while we're having our head bashed in.    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. Bob68
    Feb 7, 2016
    4
    No Pad Support it's a Joke....My pad Xbox 360 don't work...lol
    And just a bugged game with Constant fps drops, hangs, graphical glitch
    unskippable cut scenes andd more...
  15. BGGCriticalMass
    Feb 24, 2016
    8
    Sadly this game is several huge steps backwards from EU and EW. Performance, game design, game balance, pacing all worse than the predecessor. And for what? An attempt at improved graphics which has failed horribly in its execution (and not just the bugs - customisation is really disappointingly lacking - eg none of the faces look remotely asian many of the faces have the same features andSadly this game is several huge steps backwards from EU and EW. Performance, game design, game balance, pacing all worse than the predecessor. And for what? An attempt at improved graphics which has failed horribly in its execution (and not just the bugs - customisation is really disappointingly lacking - eg none of the faces look remotely asian many of the faces have the same features and most voices are almost the same), an attempt at a an interesting story but it has so little development among the very repetitive and poorly designed levels (yes the procedural maps are not really an improvement- what small gains they have in variety they lose in lack of realism and continuity) that the games development is painfully drawn out. None of the problems of the previous games have been dealt with effectively.
    Most damningly I haven't even finished the game once and I am have lost interest in it. I am having more fun going back to playing three different other games - something that never happened during EU or EW.    … Expand
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. heizendrat
    Feb 19, 2016
    9
    X - com erased all the flaws of the first episode and made ​​the experience even better , fabulous graphics, no concessions were made ​​to make the experience even more intense.

    This is in my opinion the best game of the year, Pro -S on GDC are in PLS especially Nightkin and its glorious Mongolian friends.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. Schuback
    Feb 26, 2016
    9
    Xcom 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy game. Xcom EU was one of the best PC games I've played. So how does Xcom 2 compare? Let me cut to the chase.

    Pros: - An overall improvement in terms of UI, gameplay, graphics. - Better squad customisation (spent hours editing their looks) - Challenging but can be ridiculously unfair at times (especially at the start with just 4 members    Xcom 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy game. Xcom EU was one of the best PC games I've played. So how does Xcom 2 compare? Let me cut to the chase.

    Pros:
    - An overall improvement in terms of UI, gameplay, graphics.
    - Better squad customisation (spent hours editing their looks)
    - Challenging but can be ridiculously unfair at times (especially at the start with just 4 members carrying poor weapons and armours)
    - Game encourages using your brains (most games don't these days)
    - More cutscenes / close up action scenes that look awesome
    - Story is better (not great but still better)
    - Good variety of enemy types
    - Chryssalid not as annoying this time
    - You get that satisfying feel when you win an unbalanced map
    - Mod support (Xcom EU mods were crap!!)

    Cons:
    -Bad performance (gtx980)
    - Very confusing at the start managing bases or keeping pace with the Alien's progress
    - Unfair battles at times (very frustrating when your squad misses even though they are standing in front of enemy with 90% hit rate. wtf)
    - You are always poor at start, then by mid till end you become to rich with nothing to invest in
    - Ugly face options (Hopefully mods will fix this soon)
    - Squad gets injured frequently and becomes unavailable for too long.
    - I use to enjoy visiting science lab in EU. Well not anymore this time.
    - Sectoids aren't cute anymore
    - Timers in lots of mission (WHY????)
    - Forced to proceed with missions and therefore speeding up gameplay time. Game is quite short and this makes it even shorter.
    - There are very few main missions. (It's mostly research this research that, then occasionally a battle in the main campaign). Why can't they make it like Civ 5 where you can play indefinitely???
    - Missions can get repetitive (VIP, bomb defusal, download data, eliminate all hostiles, destroy artifact)

    Overall, these problems are minor compared to what Xcom 2 has to offer. A very good game. And I truly enjoy playing it.    … Expand
  22. dkaizer
    Mar 15, 2016
    9
    Thoroughly enjoyed this second release in the franchise as it ironed out a lot of the issues in the first game and improved on many other gameplay aspects. Frame rates dipped now and then but it did not draw my attention away from the fantastic gameplay and customization offered to your soldiers.

    Liked the first game in 1994. Enjoyed the reboot in 2012. Loved the sequel in 2016.
  23. chronoT
    Mar 22, 2016
    8
    Besides a few setbacks XCOM 2 is fun to play and brings back some memories of the Final Fantasy Tactics days. The customization and building of your ship and team is spot on and I love how I can formulate a group from all over the world. A few annoyances though include the countdown timer on most missions, which can be disabled with a mod. Also, the game can be quite difficult andBesides a few setbacks XCOM 2 is fun to play and brings back some memories of the Final Fantasy Tactics days. The customization and building of your ship and team is spot on and I love how I can formulate a group from all over the world. A few annoyances though include the countdown timer on most missions, which can be disabled with a mod. Also, the game can be quite difficult and punishing, one wrong move and a major party member can die permanently, and many times you get screwed on percentages of landing attacks. lastly I believe Project Avatar builds up too fast and causes you to rush around in certain instances. Overall though I am glad I gave XCOM 2 a try because it offered something different that requires a bit of cleverness.… Expand
  24. theirrelephants
    Mar 7, 2016
    8
    Meet the new XCOM, the same as the old XCOM. Solid turn based shooter. With only two irritating things that keep it from being a 9/10.

    Pros: Better looking. New ayyys to kill. Story still good. Can customize soldiers and make them unique. Cons: Turn limit timer for nearly every mission, it blows. Equipment upgrade system dumbed down (once you get cool armor/weapons, every    Meet the new XCOM, the same as the old XCOM. Solid turn based shooter. With only two irritating things that keep it from being a 9/10.

    Pros:
    Better looking.
    New ayyys to kill.
    Story still good.
    Can customize soldiers and make them unique.

    Cons:
    Turn limit timer for nearly every mission, it blows.
    Equipment upgrade system dumbed down (once you get cool armor/weapons, every soldier gets them, it's stupid)
    You CANT SKIP COMBAT ANIMATIONS (that's why it's an 8 instead of a 9).
    Those customized soldiers die just like all the other ones, resulting in bad feels man.    … Expand
  25. Sjalka
    Mar 14, 2016
    8
    XCom 2 plays it safe - maybe a little too safe. The gameplay and presentation - and most of all the feeling of XCom 2 is 99% identical with XCom EU; which is both a good and a not so good thing. It is good, because XCom EU is a very good game and it is not so great, because XCom 2 feels like an expansion pack - sort of.

    You get more maps, slightly more HD graphics, more equipment and a    XCom 2 plays it safe - maybe a little too safe. The gameplay and presentation - and most of all the feeling of XCom 2 is 99% identical with XCom EU; which is both a good and a not so good thing. It is good, because XCom EU is a very good game and it is not so great, because XCom 2 feels like an expansion pack - sort of.

    You get more maps, slightly more HD graphics, more equipment and a few new mission types - kind of the characteristics of an expansion pack.

    In terms of tactics however - it does fall short compared to XCom EU (although that is very subjective). While XCom EU gives you a timed mission every now and then to spice things up ... XCom 2 gives you timed missions almost all the time. Tactics suffer from that kind of mission, because you cannot position yourself properly or advance cautiously anymore - instead you have to compromise and at least half rush into the action.

    The feeling of fighting a guerilla war as an underdog evaporates a little too quickly - and missions feel just like XCom EU after a short while in terms of balance of power.
    Equipment and customization feels more varied that time, but not bigger or better balanced than XCom EU.

    In terms of optimization - XCom 2 runs surprisingly poorly considering it does not look significantly better than XCom EU, nor does the AI seem to be different in any way. Maybe there is more destructible terrain that time that might affect frame rate and so ... but i do not really see a reason why it runs noticably worse than XCom EU.

    All the ranting aside - XCom 2 is a wonderfully excellent game that will provide turn based tactics lovers with hours and hours of joy. Just because it is quite similar to XCom EU just means that you get a new story and a new shiny coat for an already great game.

    ps.: and for people like me - that do not like all the timers, there are mods that adjust or turn them off completely.    … Expand
  26. anotherplayer
    Feb 27, 2016
    8
    Although the game has some issues like annoying pauses after each action and does not run smoothly all the time on a GTX970, it is definately a very good game with interesting new features compared to previous xcom. Good level of soldier customization is surprisingly fun. If you liked previous XCOM, you will also enjoy this one.
  27. Alaskimo
    Feb 8, 2016
    7
    If you liked the first one you will like this one. i'm only about 5 missions in, but already have seen some of the annoying things about the first one( overwatched squaddies shooting the same guy at same time) improved upon. It is in some desperate need of optimization and bug fixes though. Wait for the patches guys. Can't comment on difficulty or game length, but i'm staying optimistic.If you liked the first one you will like this one. i'm only about 5 missions in, but already have seen some of the annoying things about the first one( overwatched squaddies shooting the same guy at same time) improved upon. It is in some desperate need of optimization and bug fixes though. Wait for the patches guys. Can't comment on difficulty or game length, but i'm staying optimistic. ill give it a 7 for now.… Expand
  28. ravenned
    Mar 16, 2016
    9
    The gameplay of XCOM 2 is as awesome as ever, with improved animation and graphics compared to XCOM 1. Some may complain of the lacking visuals compared to the standards we have today, but they are more than decent, especially for a turn based strategy. The complaints of the other reviewers are legitimate, where the overuse of turn based missions destroy enjoyment of the gameplay. However,The gameplay of XCOM 2 is as awesome as ever, with improved animation and graphics compared to XCOM 1. Some may complain of the lacking visuals compared to the standards we have today, but they are more than decent, especially for a turn based strategy. The complaints of the other reviewers are legitimate, where the overuse of turn based missions destroy enjoyment of the gameplay. However, the number of turns available is strategically set, where you would've used the around the same number of turns even if the counter wasn't there anyway. I played the game on commander and the counter only slightly irritated me. There are also still a few bugs after patch 2, such as minor pauses during loading, or during change of turns and bad camera view. Overall, the game is still as awesome, if not more, and deserves a 9/10.… Expand
  29. GreenBastard
    Feb 23, 2016
    9
    Once again, an excellent game seems to be getting a great deal of hate on this site. If you loved Enemy Unknown and Within, you will love the sequel. Its difficult, as it should be, and there are some bugs to be quashed. But Firaxis has given us a gem that I hope they will continue to support, and even if they don't, modders have already proven that they will keep it fresh for years toOnce again, an excellent game seems to be getting a great deal of hate on this site. If you loved Enemy Unknown and Within, you will love the sequel. Its difficult, as it should be, and there are some bugs to be quashed. But Firaxis has given us a gem that I hope they will continue to support, and even if they don't, modders have already proven that they will keep it fresh for years to come.

    R.I.P. to the 13 soldiers I lost on play through one, ye shall not grow old.    … Expand
  30. shinyary2
    Feb 24, 2016
    8
    Wow, this game has really divided the fan base. Personally I really liked it (as I'll explain in my review), but I can understand why some people didn't and I wonder if Firaxis made some huge mistakes.

    To establish credibility, I have completed two runs: one on Veteran (Normal), and one on Commander (Hard) with Iron Man turned on. I would like to address the following: timed    Wow, this game has really divided the fan base. Personally I really liked it (as I'll explain in my review), but I can understand why some people didn't and I wonder if Firaxis made some huge mistakes.

    To establish credibility, I have completed two runs: one on Veteran (Normal), and one on Commander (Hard) with Iron Man turned on.

    I would like to address the following: timed missions, difficulty curve, and what I can only call terrible design decisions.

    - Timed missions
    The timer forces you to spend a lot of time on every turn planning out the most efficient possible way to use every character in your squad. If one character is out of position and you can't wipe out the current pod of enemies in a few turns, you are probably in trouble. Flanking is incredibly important in this game, as is getting a bigger squad and getting the right offensive tech to give you enough firepower to very quickly overwhelm the aliens.

    This is different from Enemy Within, and I understand that it's a change a lot of people don't like. Yes, it does limit what decisions you can legitimately make and still expect success. Does that make the game worse? I suppose it depends on your point of view. For me, the answer is no; it makes the game better, because in a way I never felt in Enemy Within (one of my favorite games, ever), I felt an incredible weight behind every decision, knowing that if I don't make a good decision, my game could end very badly.

    - The difficulty curve
    This one's sticky business, and one of the reasons why I'm giving the game an 8 instead of a 9. In my opinion the difficulty curve is almost inverted in this game. The first mission is incredibly difficult on Commander and Legend difficulties and I felt very much at the mercy of the RNG in a way that the second mission and on simply didn't. Aliens can and very often do hit you even if you are behind full cover and they should supposedly have very low odds.

    As I said before, the game is about efficiency. You will absolutely not survive an extended battle against a pod of aliens without a scratch (until you have better armor), but on the first mission your classless soldiers give you nearly no options for finding a more efficient strategy for killing your enemies. This is the only mission where I felt that the only way to survive intact was to save scum. It's really too bad, as once all of my soldiers were promoted at least once, I don't think I ever felt that something bad happened to me that wouldn't have been avoided with a better overall strategy. It's a particularly awful problem on Legend, where they throw a mind-controlling Sectoid at you on the first mission with no chance of getting the items that counter them.

    Then again, maybe I am simply doing something wrong.

    - Terrible design decisions
    This is a catch all category as there are a number of really bizarre design decisions in this game.

    The worst one is the fact that the game is constantly pressuring you to make bad decisions. You absolutely should not rush to complete the story objectives; you should mill around, doing random missions, collecting resources, and leveling up your squad. The global game timer does not count up as quickly as the NPCs want you to think it does, and what this does is force people to lose because they were playing the way the game tells you to play. I understand that the devs wanted to create an atmosphere of tension, but it's a problem when the only way (as far as I could tell) to enjoy the game is to ignore everything it tells you.

    This problem pops up again where if you build base structures in the order the tutorial tells you, you will probably lose.

    There are also numerous other random issues, such as arbitrary "wait" times added to nearly every action (they are clearly unnecessary because there is a mod that removes all of them, making the game far better). When you return from a mission the game sits there "loading" for 30 seconds to a minute no matter how good your hardware is, and if you hit caps lock it will just skip immediately (thanks Reddit for this amazing time saving tip!). So, it was obviously unnecessary.

    I would also like to mention that most of the intro logos are skippable and the ones that aren't are quick. If you are really annoyed by them there is a launch option to get rid of them. Every cutscene in the game except the final one is also skippable if you hit the Escape key.

    - Final remarks
    I really loved this game. It is unfortunately plagued by a few issues, but the bottom line is: if you like the idea of spending every turn thinking about how to get maximum efficiency out of every squad member, you will love the game and should buy it now (if you have a computer that can get around the poor optimization). If you would rather try to create intricate strategies that take a lot of turns to set up and execute, maybe give this one a pass or use the timer removal mods.    … Expand
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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

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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.
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  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.
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  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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