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. DaEzz
    Feb 9, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wont go into the technical and optimization issues, they are well known by now by anyone playing the game. I just have to accept the fact that XCOM 2 disappoints in just about every aspect of actual gameplay it is built on.

    I played the original UFO:Enemy unknown 20 years ago. This sequel tries to fill its shoes and fails miserably. Gameplay/missions are repetetive and boring, difficulty scales poorly, and the so called "strategy" layer is nothing more then you flying around constructing radio masts and picking up crates while being pulled by the nose through the story at a pace that leaves you stressed out and frustrated. Its like the Devs want to force you to finish the playthrough as fast as you possibly can and I cant really figure out whay they were thinking in their design choices for the strategical platform.

    Strategic RNG is horrible, for example you can get well and truly ganked by what missions the ALIENS get and there is virtually nothing you can do about it regardless of how well you have played so far.

    Character customization is great though. Sometimes I find my self attending to every detail of my team for 30 minutes or so. Then I send them on another mission and someone comes back promoted to Captain.

    Now I have a squad consisting of 5 Liutenants and a Captain. Cool. Or not. Oh yeah, someone got a scratch in the latest mission, lost 1 of his 16 HP. Now he is out on medical leave for 18 Days. Ah well, plenty of more Liutenants where he came from...

    Well, you get my point. But it still blows my mind how the Devs can screw up like this given that they had the 1994 UFO:Enemy Unknown legacy to guide them and the excellent prequel XCOM to build on. So sad.    … Expand
  2. 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.
  3. Tobus
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    This game is awesome. It grows on me and I feel I'm becoming attached to my soldiers in their rise of the ranks and accompanying customizations. It feels solid on both tactical and strategic level. I don't like the timers on certain missions, making you rush into certain death if you don't watch yourself. That's my personal taste though.

    My gripes are small and I'm sure to be adressed    This game is awesome. It grows on me and I feel I'm becoming attached to my soldiers in their rise of the ranks and accompanying customizations. It feels solid on both tactical and strategic level. I don't like the timers on certain missions, making you rush into certain death if you don't watch yourself. That's my personal taste though.

    My gripes are small and I'm sure to be adressed in a patch: the difference between difficulty levels is large. The manual is lacking with respect to the impacts of strategical decisions made earlier in the game. One could (I did) lose the game several months after a certain decision to something (or not) on the map.
    The game tends to stutter a little due to grapic updates since Xcom, although I've also found better performance on lower difficulty levels. Some of the aliens are a little buffed: the Codex can teleport to anywhere, outflanking your team and thus seriously undermining any tactical plan you've thought up. The Vipers can pull you from very long range through walls and doors, basically doing the same.

    All things I'm sure will be adressed in a patch. The game itself as a whole: just awesome!    … Expand
  4. Kingbingo
    Feb 9, 2016
    8
    This game easily has the potential to be a 10 out 10. But for some reason the developers decided to add timers to most maps which will often ruin the experience as it stops you being tactical. So I’m giving it 8 but if you download the timer mods from the workshop you may as well add those 2 points back.
  5. Rtheom
    Feb 8, 2016
    7
    XCOM 1 is one of my Top 5 All Time games. XCOM 2 is okay, but not quite up to snuff yet, as others have said.

    Performance is just sad. The is the first game I've really had any problems with and its sounding like it isn't actually my computer doing it. Gameplay is good, very similar to the original, but it is all new levels of punishing. I like my XCOM challenging, but a team wipe    XCOM 1 is one of my Top 5 All Time games. XCOM 2 is okay, but not quite up to snuff yet, as others have said.

    Performance is just sad. The is the first game I've really had any problems with and its sounding like it isn't actually my computer doing it.

    Gameplay is good, very similar to the original, but it is all new levels of punishing. I like my XCOM challenging, but a team wipe every mission gets old fast.

    Major plus is the ability to pre-create and share characters. I used to spend hours every game making up new characters for my team. It's fun to just create a bunch and see who gets randomly thrown in there. This is a HUGE improvement over the last game.

    Verdict: Die-hards will still be pleased. New folks should just get XCOM 1 on rebate with the expansions and wait for this one to cook a little longer.    … Expand
  6. 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
  7. TerenZ
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    I don't believe I ever reviewed a game before but this is one I will. Since I discovered XCom, and played it, I have never found any better games. With Enemy Within, things really got better - until it became "easy"; finally I discovered the mod LongWar. Now playing LongWar is tough; so I started with Veteran. I have played a total of 120 hours; have lost only 1 soldier and only haveI don't believe I ever reviewed a game before but this is one I will. Since I discovered XCom, and played it, I have never found any better games. With Enemy Within, things really got better - until it became "easy"; finally I discovered the mod LongWar. Now playing LongWar is tough; so I started with Veteran. I have played a total of 120 hours; have lost only 1 soldier and only have needed to restart a mission twice.
    This is an awesome game! And I have no idea what to expect because I have not reached the end yet.

    Graphics - comics like and beautiful.
    Sound effects - fantastic
    Strategy - far more realistic (of course it is unreasonable to believe the aliens would not be alerted an enemy is there after the first attack!)
    Enemies - Each enemy is unique and requires a different approach
    What has improved in my opinion?

    - a better use of a mixed squad
    - As with Longwar sometimes you have to sacrifice a member (not necessarily dying)
    - Timed missions add an edge; your soldiers will be hit and you need a depth of squad like Longwar
    - You need to upgrade as many soldiers as possible

    Addressing Negative Reviews

    XCom 2 is a difficult game. Not for the feint hearted. Sometimes you need to think how and from where to approach the enemy; the first ambush is critical so your soldiers do not take any damage. Try to avoid multiple sets of enemies from joining forces

    Timed missions. yes they are tough. But many succeed. As with any difficult mission; try and try again.

    Some hints which help me

    As with XCom I find that leveling up Sharp shooters is a priority. If you like using 2 snipers like me, a sniper with killing zone, and another on standby to finish one or 2 off (quickdraw)

    Unlike previous previous Xcoms it works to your advantage by spreading your soldiers yet keep them covering each other; the enemy is too adept at flanking. Having Snipers high is a risk, but can cover many units

    If you can't see the tactic, it is because you didn't think about it yet. I think Piraxis did a fantastic job for us players to think outside the box and make the game more realistic (ie when facing drastic odds what are the chances of coming out of a fight unscathed?)    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. max1c
    Feb 8, 2016
    7
    The good:
    - Art/Graphics
    - Music - Cut scenes/Voice Acting - Story - Customization options The bad: - Numerous bugs - Sluggish interface - Inconsistent mechanics - Overly Repetitive I really want to give this game an 8, but I simply can not. I'm sure once all the bugs get ironed out and some performance improvements are made this game will easily be deserving of an 8 - 8.5    The good:
    - Art/Graphics
    - Music
    - Cut scenes/Voice Acting
    - Story
    - Customization options

    The bad:
    - Numerous bugs
    - Sluggish interface
    - Inconsistent mechanics
    - Overly Repetitive

    I really want to give this game an 8, but I simply can not. I'm sure once all the bugs get ironed out and some performance improvements are made this game will easily be deserving of an 8 - 8.5 rating. The biggest problems with the game are it's poor performing interface and a very inconsistent behaviour in mechanics. AI cheats/performs moves that simply should be impossible according to the rules of the gameplay.

    I enjoyed the cutscenes and the music. However, the game got repetitive and boring quickly. Overall, a good game plagued by bugs.    … Expand
  11. SYLOH
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    I love this game.
    I've been seeing alot of people complaining that the turn limited objectives make the game less tactical.
    This is a position I don't understand. That's like saying having a limited budget in a management sim less managerial. There is no real time counter ticking down, you have to be tactical in your approach to survive the turn limit. None of the missions require you    I love this game.
    I've been seeing alot of people complaining that the turn limited objectives make the game less tactical.
    This is a position I don't understand. That's like saying having a limited budget in a management sim less managerial.
    There is no real time counter ticking down, you have to be tactical in your approach to survive the turn limit. None of the missions require you to kill all of the aliens within the turn limit anyway. You have to make the tactical decisions that let you turn off the timer. You got alot of tools in your belt to get to the timer location, armor that lets you walk through walls, remote hacking with a specialist, blasting a hole in a wall with explosives, a ranger that is still in concealment while the rest of the team lays down fire, the list goes on.
    The turn limit reinforces the theme of the game and provides a link between the overworld strategy and the low level tactics. You are on the clock, humanity's days are numbered, if you take too long the aliens will win. You are a desperate and hounded resistance movement going against incredible odds.
    Another criticism is the reliance on random events. Which I define as a core feature of the gameplay. This game is all about managing risk. You don't put all your Colonels in one mission, you don't dash out max distance into the fog of war, your plans don't rely on a single point of failure. All this risk management has to be weighed against the clock, adding another layer of complexity.
    Finally there are the bugs. This I have no counter to, the game is buggy as hell. Granted the majority of the bugs are graphical, and I haven't run into anything particularly game breaking. Also the text in item descriptions and tooltips outright lies in some places. (HINT: The haywire protocol tooltip is a lie, turrets are NOT permanently under your control). This knocks it down from a 10, but it's otherwise one of the best turn based games in the current market.    … Expand
  12. Undershaft
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    Great game. If you liked 2012 XCOM (and the Long War), you should like this one just as much (or even more so).
    + sci-fi guerilla setting benefits the series, both aesthetically and regarding game mechanics
    + procedural maps offer great replay value + more options on and beyond the battlefield (greater variety of items, more choices on tactical maps) + contrary to what many people say,    Great game. If you liked 2012 XCOM (and the Long War), you should like this one just as much (or even more so).
    + sci-fi guerilla setting benefits the series, both aesthetically and regarding game mechanics
    + procedural maps offer great replay value
    + more options on and beyond the battlefield (greater variety of items, more choices on tactical maps)
    + contrary to what many people say, the frequent turn limits work great and heighten the tension without rushing you unduly.
    + customization improves identification (I hope there will be more soldier-languages soon, though)

    However, the game is not perfect (yet). Here are some of the issues I had - hopefully, most of them will be taken care of by Firaxis or competent modders in the near future:
    - long loading times and stuttering performance (apparently also on newer computers)
    - occasional problems with sightlines / melee attacks through walls
    - research tree seems a little too barren. I was hoping for more optional paths and branches
    - some of the designs are a little bit silly and don't fit with the guerilla style (3rd-tier armor, manga-hair Avatar etc.)
    - skill trees aren't perfectly balanced yet.
    - some repetitive animations (in-flight soldier gestures, contact new region sequence, etc.)

    All in all, I can only recommend this one, though. If you want to be on se the safe side, wait a few weeks/months until the bugs are mostly ironed out - but if you like tactics and strategy, you should definitely buy it.    … Expand
  13. dongsweep
    Feb 8, 2016
    6
    Last night I was playing and on my last move of the turn I moved a unit forward, from about two and a half screens away in the darkness a patrol spawned. Since it was my last move on the turn the faceless that spawned next to my guy (not the patrol, but at the same time as the patrol) pops up and smacks my guy and brings him to 1 health, the lancers from the patrol run across the entireLast night I was playing and on my last move of the turn I moved a unit forward, from about two and a half screens away in the darkness a patrol spawned. Since it was my last move on the turn the faceless that spawned next to my guy (not the patrol, but at the same time as the patrol) pops up and smacks my guy and brings him to 1 health, the lancers from the patrol run across the entire map and hit two of my other guys for half their health.

    Now I get to play my turn and I am guaranteed someone will die even if I take everyone out. This was a timed mission so you have to move forward to win but regardless, I was moving as tactfully as I could but it is ridiculous that you end your turn spawning a patrol who then gets a move for spawning (towards you) then gets a full turn to attack you. The game has a lot of great aspects but how is that fun. I save scummed and redid my move since I knew where the spawned from, kind of annoying it has to be like that. Should not be any spawns and if they are spawned they should not get a full move and a turn.    … Expand
  14. C0ncox
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    How do people not like this game? This is a true sequel to Enemy Unknown. I have not seen a single bug or glitch either and even if there were, why are you surprised that a triple A game has bugs? And so what if it's not original to the very first XCOM games. There were things wrong with those games too. **** needs to be updated. ALSO GOOD THING THERES A DAY ONE MOD FOR TIMERS IF THATHow do people not like this game? This is a true sequel to Enemy Unknown. I have not seen a single bug or glitch either and even if there were, why are you surprised that a triple A game has bugs? And so what if it's not original to the very first XCOM games. There were things wrong with those games too. **** needs to be updated. ALSO GOOD THING THERES A DAY ONE MOD FOR TIMERS IF THAT BOTHERS YOU FOR SOME REASON. The game is also supposed to be harder turn down the difficulty if you're having such a hard time.

    The customization is my personal favorite part of the game because it was very lacking in Enemy Unknown. The character pool is great as well.

    This game is a classic. Runs great on my PC btw.    … Expand
  15. 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!
  16. MrFelix
    Feb 8, 2016
    0
    if you like to to watch loading screens because you die in an unfair game with no tactical depth this one is for you!

    i really wanted to like this game but... -for a game that costs 50€ an looks like 2005 this game hast serious performance issues. i have a decent computer witch plays new games just fine just played rise of the tomb raider on high settings no problem. on this i    if you like to to watch loading screens because you die in an unfair game with no tactical depth this one is for you!

    i really wanted to like this game but...

    -for a game that costs 50€ an looks like 2005 this game hast serious performance issues.
    i have a decent computer witch plays new games just fine just played rise of the tomb raider on
    high settings no problem. on this i have to use the lowest of the lowest settings on my macpro.
    why no clue. would be ok with me but...

    -nearly every misson has a timer, and that sucks so much. i can´t enjoy this game at all. no matter
    how hard i try. if you like a tactical approach you are wrong here. you have to rush like a mad man to
    get everything done. if you like to keep you soldiers and do things carfeully not a chance. i even
    lowered my difficulty to veteran and it´s still not possible not to loose anyone. i have to reload all the
    time which i never did in xcom. it just feels unfair.

    i played the game for 16 hours, so i tried to like it.
    i would be fine if the game does not look top notch...but unfun, unfair, unpolished game NO.
    don´t understand how this got such good critics, all bought i guess

    don´t buy    … Expand
  17. Trypsinogen
    Feb 8, 2016
    6
    I beat a campaign run with about 45 hours of play time and played on veteran difficulty with some save scumming.

    The Bad: 1) Terrible performance/optimization. The game run terribly for a lot of people (if not everyone) even if you have a good rig. I have a GTX 970, i7 3.4ghz, 12GB RAM. I could even turn all of the graphical settings to the absolute bare minimum and even though the    I beat a campaign run with about 45 hours of play time and played on veteran difficulty with some save scumming.

    The Bad:
    1) Terrible performance/optimization. The game run terribly for a lot of people (if not everyone) even if you have a good rig. I have a GTX 970, i7 3.4ghz, 12GB RAM. I could even turn all of the graphical settings to the absolute bare minimum and even though the game looks ugly it STILL would not run completely smoothly and would have FPS dips. Also, every time enemies are triggered there are awkward ~3 second pauses which ruins the flow of things. This is the worst problem for me because it affects your enjoyment of everything.

    2) Line of sight issues. Some walls, floors, and roofs in the game do not properly block line of sight. This is especially evident in the urban city maps when you are trying to be on roofs. Firaxis should not have release the game with these issues in place.

    3) Chrysallids aren't the only bugs that will make you have a bad time. The game has numerous bugs and glitches. Some are as bad as completely ruining saves SO DO NOT TURN ON IRONMAN MODE (just do honest man instead). Others include animations not playing, damage numbers not showing, and etc.

    4) Some questionable/bad design choices: For example, you'll get voice over messages from a person during missions. He will say the exact same thing every mission and he says these things very often and the whole time he's talking you aren't allowed to do anything. So you have to sit there waiting, doing nothing while he says the same thing you've heard him say or the 20th time. Another example, the new HP bars are inferior to Enemy Unknown.

    5) Debatable: the music is worse than EU. This is of course subjective and some people think the music is good or is fine, but I'm pretty sure more people would agree that EU's music was superior.

    6) Debatable: the majority of missions involve timers or scenarios that force you to rush/run and gun. I'm on the fence on this issue. Some people say they're fine and people need to "git gud and not rely on overwatch crawling". I agree that XCOM should be very difficult and the round limits did make for some exciting escapes. I think though I would've preferred that instead of the vast majority of missions being about being fast and praying you don't trigger 3+ pods, that there be more missions with more lenient timers but with some other kind of difficulty that isn't rushing against the clock.

    The Good:
    Aside from the above, the game improves on EU in most every other aspect. The game could've been a real work of art if it didn't suffer from these issues.    … Expand
  18. 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
  19. Carewolf
    Feb 8, 2016
    7
    Very addictive game, but buggy as ....!!

    it has several mechinics issues, some it inherited from its predecessor, but many new. In tactical combat, there is now only two states: Either the AI knows where you are, or they don't. You usually start concealed, but once unconcealed all AI that you can see will be omniscient and can find all of your members. The AI is also suicidal and    Very addictive game, but buggy as ....!!

    it has several mechinics issues, some it inherited from its predecessor, but many new.

    In tactical combat, there is now only two states: Either the AI knows where you are, or they don't. You usually start concealed, but once unconcealed all AI that you can see will be omniscient and can find all of your members. The AI is also suicidal and will rush any position to do any kind of damage without trying to protect themselves. Added to that is that melee now has twice the range than most "ranged" weapons, means suicidal melee fighters (half of all AI) can sprint from out-of-range to melee and make a full attack (which is 100% to hit and deadly) in a single turn. This means the only way to protect your troops is by playing as cheasy as possible. Abusing the mechanics that the AI only knows where you are if you can see them, so the best approach is to NEVER scout, since knowing anything triggers the AI.

    Overwatch is mostly broken. You only get one shot and only at longest range where you are sure to miss, and many enemy actions does not even trigger overwatch. For instance some AI can teleport right up next your soldiers and shoot them, but an enemy teleporting into the middle of your squad does not trigger overwatch.

    Also there are turn timers on more missions than I like, but they are not really a problem, only how common they are. Whenever there is a timer snipers are useless beause they take time to setup. On top of scouting being negative, it reduces the usefulness of most characters in most missions.

    Finally I had one great mission where I had to hack a computer. I managed to get all the way in without being noticed (by cleverly avoiding noticing any AI) hacked the computer and got out. The game considered that a mission fail because I didn't kill anyone!!.. The game really doesn't give a **** about strategy.

    Still I find the game addictive, and can find amusement in twisting the games stupid design decisions against it.    … Expand
  20. Czar
    Feb 8, 2016
    8
    If you enjoyed XCOM then this is a no-brainer. Now with MOD support it will be even better. I have pt in 12 hours so far and found the campaign to be challenging. I typically have to reload most missions as my team gets mascaraed. The game looks great and runs smooth on my system, 980GTX. My only gripes are the timer in some missions. And the biggest is no Skirmish mode. I would love to beIf you enjoyed XCOM then this is a no-brainer. Now with MOD support it will be even better. I have pt in 12 hours so far and found the campaign to be challenging. I typically have to reload most missions as my team gets mascaraed. The game looks great and runs smooth on my system, 980GTX. My only gripes are the timer in some missions. And the biggest is no Skirmish mode. I would love to be able to load a map with operatives and enemies and just play the tactical game only.… Expand
  21. Vasot
    Feb 8, 2016
    6
    Most promising but also it's very buggy, unbalanced and very unoptimised. Even a GTX980Ti struggles which is ridiculous !! A lot of missions have a timer which puts me off personally. Anyway game has some great ideas but feels rushed i suggest you wait until the company releases some patches before buying it
  22. axxiusdecius
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    finally a game not just as good as the first, but better, because it is much more complex, with many new layers added. What I mean: now there is a good dose of stealth, but not so much as to get annoyng; there is looting and plenty of different gun upgrades; the environment is destructible (need a door? make yourself a hole in the wall!); movement on the strategic map, Risk style; eventsfinally a game not just as good as the first, but better, because it is much more complex, with many new layers added. What I mean: now there is a good dose of stealth, but not so much as to get annoyng; there is looting and plenty of different gun upgrades; the environment is destructible (need a door? make yourself a hole in the wall!); movement on the strategic map, Risk style; events that influence the game for a while;
    Also, great graphics, new soldier classes, a better/darker atmosphere, more cyberpunk, the new feeling of fighting not a war, but a resistance guerilla against a pseudo-Communist dictatorship. And no more annoying dr. Vahlen voice (damn, I hated her!!!)
    On the minus side, a little less enemy variety (but some of them more remarkable); smaller battle maps; the scientist/engineers are now recruited through a quite unclear process. And what I really dislike, you are rushed in many battles by a turn countdown which takes away some of the planning.
    Overall, a 9,5 of 10 for me!
    And thank the Firaxis people for doing a good job this time, unlike the lame Beyond Earth and the dumbed-down Civ 5.....    … Expand
  23. masterhoodwinke
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    Incredible game, if you enjoyed the previous Xcom you will love this one. There are a few minor bugs, they will be resolved soon. I will be playing and enjoying this game for years. Graphics are fantastic, attention to detail is exceptional. Read the PC Gamer review.

    It saddens me to see so much negative hate for a beautiful and clearly heartfelt development effort by 2k. Its not    Incredible game, if you enjoyed the previous Xcom you will love this one. There are a few minor bugs, they will be resolved soon. I will be playing and enjoying this game for years. Graphics are fantastic, attention to detail is exceptional. Read the PC Gamer review.

    It saddens me to see so much negative hate for a beautiful and clearly heartfelt development effort by 2k. Its not perfect, but what have you done that was?

    For those reviewers giving 5 or less... a few things I'm noticing. Either you don't know how to play this game effectively, or your PC hardware isn't strong enough to handle it. Experiencing very low frame rates? Your graphics card is most likely out of date. Experiencing tough AI? Go back to the drawing board and revise your strategy bro! But please, do not throw this game under the bus. It deserves better.    … Expand
  24. Silverflame
    Feb 8, 2016
    4
    "Hey, Commander! I recently bought this new strategy game. It is called Chess - The X-Com 2 Edition!"

    "An X-Com 2 edition of chess?" the commander replied. "What's different about it, Colonel?" "I'll teach you. You can be the white knights of X-Com, I shall be the black Advent aliens." They started playing. "Ha, I've got you now!" the commander said, grinning, as his knight    "Hey, Commander! I recently bought this new strategy game. It is called Chess - The X-Com 2 Edition!"

    "An X-Com 2 edition of chess?" the commander replied. "What's different about it, Colonel?"

    "I'll teach you. You can be the white knights of X-Com, I shall be the black Advent aliens."

    They started playing.

    "Ha, I've got you now!" the commander said, grinning, as his knight attacked the colonel's bishop.

    "Not so fast! First we need to spin this." The colonel pointed to a roulette wheel that came in the box. "You see, whether a piece can take another piece is random! Fun!"

    The commander seemed unsure about this concept. "That makes no sense," he said. "My knight is clearly right in front of that bishop, and he is well trained, so why would he not succeed? Ah, whatever, just spin the damn wheel."

    A few minutes later, the commander's peasant moved close to the colonel's queen. Quickly, the colonel moved several pieces out of the way and placed a new knight on the board, which defeated the commander's peasant. The colonel was so into the game that he did all this in slow motion, like a kid playing with action figures.

    "What the hell did you just do, soldier?!"

    "Oh, that's a rule," the colonel said excitedly. "The black advents get free moves while it's your turn to play, and some newly appearing pieces even get to hit your pieces without the roulette wheel most of the time!"

    "Are you kidding me?!" the commander said, an incredulous look on his face. "This is not a strategy game if you have random events like this. And in a turn-based game, pay attention to whose turn it is! Oh, and for the love of advent burgers, stop with the slow motion and killing animations already! You're wasting my time!"

    "Sorry, commander, but these are the rules! You chicken? If you'd like, you can just reload your piece and try the same turn again until the outcome suits you. Hmm, come to think of it...basing a game on a probabilistic scheme should always lead people to reload, which means any such system ends up being tedious and no fun for most players. Ha! This is pretty dumb game design, ha ha ha!" The colonel beamed anyway, pretending it was just difficult and challenging.

    "I don't need no frickin reload!!"

    They continued playing, the commander getting more and more frustrated with the strange rules of the game. Despite all odds, he ended up devising an ingenious strategy, circumnavigating the defenses of his subordinate, when suddenly ...

    "Ooh, well," the colonel said. "You lose."

    "What?"

    "It has been 15 turns, and you have not defeated me yet, so you lose," the colonel explained. "Didn't I tell you? The white knights of X-Com only get a few turns to win the match. I already cheated on your behalf and gave you 7 more turns than normal."

    "What in the absolute hell?!" the commander yelled. "That is the dumbest thing I've heard since the incident with the microwave casserole at Black Mesa! On the one hand, I am supposed to devise a strategy to avoid your stupid rules, but on the other hand, you give me no time to do so and waste half of that with roulette! This is not chess, this is not a strategy game, this is a casino!"

    The colonel frowned and took a closer look at the box of the game. "Warning: May cause gambling addiction," he read. "Oh, so that's why I'm so hooked on this thing... Anyway, this casino-chess-simulator comes with a story, but it consists of many, many nearly identical matches like this, more time limits and forced gameplay, and I will also be compelled to explain your goal in every match as if you didn't know it already." The colonel smiled brightly. "We can try that, if you like -- you know, for the benefit of the story!"

    The commander sighed. "Is the story any good, at least? Proper characters that grow and change as the plot unfolds? A fine ending with a shocking twist, a clever idea at its base and an emotionally significant boss battle?"

    "Hmm..." The colonel's face fell a little. "Actually, at the end, I'm just going to throw a large number of pieces on the board for you to defeat, after which I shall act out a meaningless cutscene. The characters have as much personality as a sea slug and come from the planet of hats. Nothing else to it, I'm afraid. On the bright side, these chess pieces and the board are visually really impressive!"

    At that moment, a piece glitched through the table and fell in a stuttering motion to the floor.

    "Alright, that's it!", the commander yelled as he stood up. "I've had it with you and your badly designed games! We are going to use this one for target practice tomorrow! Star Wars Battlefront - The Board Game Edition, is relieved of this position immediately!"

    "Aye, aye, sir!"    … Expand
  25. thaylonsen
    Feb 8, 2016
    8
    Great game, an evolution to the original. There are a lot of timers but there are also new tactics like remote hacking to help you along. All in all very pleased and the timers improved the game, not detracted from it.
  26. 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.
  27. Kurt_Rivera
    Feb 8, 2016
    5
    Из плюсов, которые я успел обозначить для себя за те пару часов, на которые меня хватило в игре, могу обозначить лишь графику. Смотрится все зрелищно. Анимация, стрельба - приятно. Более чем достаточно для того, чтобы адекватно воспринимать тактическую игрушку, даже если ты не самый большой фанат тактики.
    Минусы: оптимизация игры отвратительна. Моя конфигурация такова: i7 3770k, GTX 780,    Из плюсов, которые я успел обозначить для себя за те пару часов, на которые меня хватило в игре, могу обозначить лишь графику. Смотрится все зрелищно. Анимация, стрельба - приятно. Более чем достаточно для того, чтобы адекватно воспринимать тактическую игрушку, даже если ты не самый большой фанат тактики.
    Минусы: оптимизация игры отвратительна. Моя конфигурация такова: i7 3770k, GTX 780, 8GB оперативки. Ведьмак 3 идет на ультра, с выключенными Nvidia волосами и верт. синхронизацией.
    Здесь же сплошные проседания. При чем в таких моментах, где их вообще не ожидаешь увидеть. В меню редактирования персонажа, например. Странно.
    Что по настоящему взбесило, так это рельсы. От игр этой серии прежде всего ожидаешь свободы. Случайно генерируемые задания в зависимости от решений на тактической карте, исследований ну и тд. Здесь же я на протяжении первых двух часов просто ехал в тележке по рельсам. До смешного. Ты не можешь выбрать отсек на базе, который тебя интересует сейчас. Выбрать исследование. Да вообще ничего не можешь. Не игра, а затянувшийся поинтклик. Бесконечное обучение. Бесконечные речи и заставки. Хочешь поиграть? Да пошел ты. Смотри, какие мы подготовили заставки. В них так много драматизма. Смотри. Смотри, сука, мы ведь так старались как можно дальше оттянуть тебя от геймплея.
    Сама тактика безбожно примитивна. Минимальный набор. Сдобренный глюками от души. Стрельба сквозь стены, самосожжения персонажей, которые решают пройти сквозь огонь, а не обойти рядом.
    Совершенно неадекватная камера. Ты делаешь ход, решаешь поразить противника. И тебе в упор на протяжении всего действа показывают дуло твоего автомата, вместо цели. Ты даже не знаешь, чем закончилась стрельба. Попал ты, или нет. Ты смотришь в сраное дуло автомата.
    Вообще на каждом углу как следует намазано оказуаливанием. Всего и вся. Допущение на допущении. Даже трупы не надо выносить никуда. Хотя в обучении нас этому учат. Завершил миссию и вуаля. Все, что там было - у тебя на базе. Нет никаких одиночных выстрелов, или стрельбы очередями. Никаких прицеливаний в голову, или ноги. Короче - вообще ничего, что могло бы разнообразить тактическую игру. Одни декорации. Тычут и тычут тебе ими в бороду, чтобы прикрыть банальный гейплей.
    И как вишенка на торте - в каждой второй миссии ограничение времени. Не дай взорваться генератору за 8 ходов. Не дай еще чему нибудь произойти за 6 ходов. Все это еще больше заставляет тебя ехать по рельсам, уготованным разработчиками. Потому что для успешного завершения задачи в 8 ходов есть лишь 1, максимум два сценария действий. Враги будут вот тут, а потом пойдут сюда. И ты должен подготовить засаду. Хочешь придумать что то свое? Да флаг в руки. Но у тебя 8 ходов, так что скорее всего ты пойдешь на хрен со своей инициативностью.
    Короче, как и 90% современных игр - XCOM2 не представляет ценности для будущих поколений. Подойдет лишь очень непритязательным игрокам. И упаси вас бог включать голову и хоть на йоту начинать относится к этой игре, как к тактике.    … Expand
  28. Tieger
    Feb 8, 2016
    9
    finally decided i needed to create an account, just to counter some of the pointlessly negative reviews, for what is really a highly enjoyable game.

    so lets address a few of their complaints: Game runs badly - I'm guessing this is on AMD cards, notorious for their driver requirements. regardless, its been fine for me (on an AMD card, and AMD cpu) and my friends I've spoken to (one of    finally decided i needed to create an account, just to counter some of the pointlessly negative reviews, for what is really a highly enjoyable game.

    so lets address a few of their complaints:

    Game runs badly - I'm guessing this is on AMD cards, notorious for their driver requirements. regardless, its been fine for me (on an AMD card, and AMD cpu) and my friends I've spoken to (one of them on a 4 year old machine), so this issue isn't as prevalent as people would have you believe.
    I've had it crash on me twice, but both those times have been when I've come back from tabbed out or sleep mode, so I've stopped doing that.
    loading also takes a bit long sometimes.

    Game forces you to rush all the time - no it doesn't. it does on missions where it makes sense within the story, but that's it. I've also never had a problem killing all the enemies and still getting to the objectives in time (maybe people are forgetting that Gremlins can hack objectives, so you don't need to physically run up to it?).
    people also say this kills the usefulness of people who aren't rangers... I disagree, all classes can be mobile as required. I've never once (in 20+ hours of gameplay) had a mission where, say, I couldn't afford to use my grenadiers/sharpshooters because they were too slow.

    Game doesn't introduce new enemies properly - why should it? are you expecting an NPC to say 'omg, that's a something! I hear you kill those by doing this. whatever you do, don't let it do whatever!'? deal with it. hide, shoot, hack it, whatever - and if you lose someone, chalk it up to experience, and remember for next time.

    '95% chance shots shouldn't miss!' - why not? that's a 1/20 chance of missing, it should happen occasionally - the same as I've sometimes hit with 20% shots.

    starting enemies are too hard - no they're not. oh no, they've mind-controlled someone?! well, guess you better kill them then. its not that hard to work out.

    now, is it quite what i wanted? well, no. I'd prefer it to be a bit less 'forced pace' for the strategic layer. i'd prefer it if R&D took longer and you had to spend time building the gear (so you'd appreciate the tech more when you get it). i'd prefer it if there were more than 3 tech levels (or, hmm, experimental weapons perhaps, as a 4th tier, that had to be built individually rather than for the group? like with the armour.). i'd prefer it if the Avenger could be stationed somewhere doing something, and the Skyranger sent out to missions around the world (come on, this is an upgraded Skyranger and it can't fly round the world?!).
    however... is it fun? definitely yes.
    does it work? yes.
    will i enjoy replaying it? yes.
    will mods eventually fix the issues i have? almost certainly yes.    … Expand
  29. 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
  30. 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
Page:

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.
    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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