XCOM 2 Collection

 Switch
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
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  1. Vooks
    Jun 29, 2020
    70
    In reality, it’s damn impressive that the XCOM 2 Collection runs on Switch at all. In spite of its visual and technical issues, there’s an incredible (and challenging) tactical experience to be had. Perhaps exercise some patience and invest in some glasses to get the best experience.
  2. Trusted Reviews
    Jun 25, 2020
    70
    XCOM 2 is a challenging and engrossing turn-based tactical shooter, and seeing it running on the the Nintendo Switch is very impressive. However, there are a number of performance issues here, including immersion-shattering frame rate drops and frustratingly long loading times. There's no doubt that XCOM 2 is best played on a PC with a keyboard and mouse, but if the Switch is your only gaming platform then this is still a worthwhile buy, albeit an expensive one.
  3. Critical Hit
    Jun 19, 2020
    70
    XCOM 2 on Switch is a functional, enjoyable port that falls prey to some of the weaker hardware offered by Nintendo. If you can look past all the performance issues and long-ish load times, XCOM 2 continues to be one of the best strategy games ever published.
  5. ZTGD
    Jun 18, 2020
    70
    Overall, the X-COM 2 Collection offers a great deal of content for a small price. But unless you don’t have any other means of playing it; or if you absolutely must play in on the go, then you and your wallet would probably be better served buying it on a different platform.
  6. Digitally Downloaded
    Jun 18, 2020
    70
    There are other XCOM-likes available on Switch, and you could argue that titles like Mutant Year Zero represent a step forward for the genre that has now left XCOM itself behind. The intensity of this game’s narrative, of the resistance against overwhelming odds and the way that the game gives you reason to celebrate even the small victories does make it worth another look, though.
  7. We Got This Covered
    Jun 15, 2020
    70
    Although far from a flawless port, XCOM 2 Collection is still a hearty dose of one of the best strategy titles of the past decade.
  8. Hobby Consolas
    Jun 10, 2020
    70
    XCOM 2 is one of the best turn-based tactical strategy games. It has a deep game system, the design is very good and it has a great sound. However, the switch to Nintendo Switch is not as good as it should be. It has a lot of bugs and graphic clippings, but if you want a strategy game in Switch, it's one of the best.
  9. GameSpot
    Jun 9, 2020
    60
    XCOM 2 Collection forces you to strategize on a tactical battlefield skewed in favor of your opponents, and that handicap is what makes it so enjoyable. However, the performance limitations on the Switch add an artificial challenge to your encounters that frustrates in a different, unwelcome way. It's lovely to be able to play one of the strategy genre's highlights on the go, but it's going to take a fair bit more work for this port to be as great as its legacy deserves.
  10. Jeuxvideo.com
    Jun 9, 2020
    65
    Quotation forthcoming.
  11. NintendoWorldReport
    Jun 4, 2020
    60
    XCOM 2 is a wonderful strategy game, but the Switch version makes it frustrating to play what can already be a pretty stressful campaign in the best of circumstances. It felt like I was spending more time waiting for the game to load or process than I was actually playing, and eventually I just ended up with a strong urge to redownload it on Steam and play it there instead. Since XCOM 2 is entirely turn-based, the poor performance doesn’t really have an effect on the gameplay, so if you can put up with it then the game is still just as good as it ever was. I couldn’t really put up with it, though, so sadly this is one Switch port that really drags down an otherwise excellent game.
  12. Vandal
    Jun 3, 2020
    70
    If you just care about the games, this is an incredible collection with some of the best turn-based strategy games ever made. However, the adaptation is far from that quality on a technical level, so you’ll have to sacrifice a lot graphics-wise for portability.

Awards & Rankings

43
#43 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2020

User Reviews

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User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 49
  3. Negative: 16 out of 49
  1. markolcious
    Jun 4, 2020
    4
    My biggest fear was that the Switch would not be able to handle XCOM 2, let alone with all of its DLC and the War of the Chosen expansion. IMy biggest fear was that the Switch would not be able to handle XCOM 2, let alone with all of its DLC and the War of the Chosen expansion. I have the PS4 version and it's problematic--Ironman is non-functional and the game constantly crashes. Yet it's one of those things I've put up with for years because you really can't get an XCOM experience anywhere else (no, not even with Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, or Mario + Rabbids). Unlike other turn-based strategy games, XCOM is an arms race against the enemy--it does not allow you to grind your levels until you are ready, and if you are unprepared, the game will punish you for it harshly, yet the game is extremely simple and easy to grasp. No other game (outside of maybe Civilization, which is made by the same people) has given me a comparable experience.

    I'm happy to report that the Switch version of XCOM 2 is far more stable than the PS4 version, enough so that I would feel comfortable starting an Ironman campaign. It has a few graphical downgrades (lighting and textures), but I can't imagine anyone plays XCOM for its graphical fidelity. Load times on Switch are far shorter than on other consoles, although I notice that people are still upset by the load times--obviously, this isn't going to run like a high-end PC on Switch, but I assure you it's far better here than on the PS4. I've played 20 hours so far and I've only had one crash (my save game was not deleted, as it often was in the PS4 version after a crash, hence why Ironman was unplayable). The worst problem I've had is that the saved character pool gets deleted whenever you start a new game, which I'll admit is a big issue as I like to populate my XCOM game with friends and family.

    Really, the biggest draw is that you're playing XCOM 2 handheld. There are occasional bugs and framerate dips, and the graphics are downgraded, but all of the content is there in full. If you require a stable FPS and a pristine coat of polish, your best bet is the PC game, but as far as console versions go, the Switch version feels much better optimized than the PS4 version.

    EDIT: I have confirmed that the Sharpshooter class has a bug with the Squadsight ability not activating unless you save and reload the game. This is a passive ability that comprises the entire purpose of the Sharpshooter class, and it's frankly an inexcusable issue. I've reduced my score from a 9 to a 4 in light of this bug--I still recommend XCOM 2 on Switch for people like me that will put up with bugs to play their favorite games, but this particular bug needs a patch ASAP. I'll put my score back to 9 if and when the bug is patched.    … Full Review »
  2. Unknighted
    May 30, 2020
    8
    This is XCOM 2 on a handheld. That alone is worth the price of admission. Let alone the bargain of War of the Chosen on this as well. If youThis is XCOM 2 on a handheld. That alone is worth the price of admission. Let alone the bargain of War of the Chosen on this as well. If you enjoyed Mario and Rabbids then this is way more intensive. So many bells and whistles in XCOM it'll make your head spin. Highly recommend for any Fire Emblem and M+R fan.

    Only two things take away from this experience. Loading times and frames. Yes the graphics are heavly downgraded as this is a current gen game after all. But the frames still dip massively during cutscenes. Which is weird as they are prerendered so it shouldn't dip like that. It is most likely loading in the background and taking a hit while it does this. So it does take away from the "moment" when these scenes happen. Hopefully a patch comes out to fix it?

    The biggest sacrifice is the loading times. Sooooooooo looong. If you loaded up a mission and started reading this review. I'm sure it'll still be loading by the time your done. Fastest I've seen is 40 seconds and that's rare. Close to 2 mins on average for each mission. Granted this is on handheld and not on the dock so maybe it's faster. This game isn't for everyone. If you're not a turnbased guy run away. This is literally turn based: the game. It's tactical like Fire Emblem/M+R. But if you didn't like those this won't change your mind. It's way more advanced (in my opinion) than the other two games mentioned so this won't convert people. But for those who love this style you are in for hours and hours and hours of gameplay and massive amounts of replayability. I've clocked in around 200 hours on steam and soooo happy it's out for Switch. I'm fine with the frame dips and contempt with the loading times. As this is XCOM 2 on the go    … Full Review »
  3. abcdef_fake
    May 31, 2020
    9
    amazing game if you're into turn-based stuff. i am so i love it.
    the switch version doesn't run perfectly, there is some pop-in and other    amazing game if you're into turn-based stuff. i am so i love it.
    the switch version doesn't run perfectly, there is some pop-in and other glitches, but nothing game-breaking. load times are comparable to the ps4 version if not slightly better (it might just be wishful thinking, the point is it's bearable, at least ca. 10 hours in). framerate drops are very frequent, especially in the more "crowded" missions - if that bothers you then the rating should be appropriately lower for you.    … Full Review »
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