Review: XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is based twenty years after the reboot, long after the world has seceded control to the alien menace. Despite what players may have done in the original game, the in-canon story is that XCOM lost the fight after losing council support in 2015, and has been relegated to a resistance force operating with guerrilla tactics ever since. This means players will face many timed operations and will find themselves orchestrating ambushes, rather than coming in to combat zones guns blazing. Unlike the last game, players won't have to worry about repetitive maps either, thanks to the title's new procedural generation syst


The helmets in particular allow players to use any part of any headpiece and mash them all together to create truly individual looks. The combinations are endless. Some can be silly, some can be fierce. It’s all up to the player and their boundless imaginat

The story takes place decades after the XCOM: Enemy Unknown with the cannon conclusion being the so called "bad" ending. Humanity, as one would expect, suffered an unmeasurable loss being that it was unable to stop the alien invasion and has since been taken over, but not necessarily to the degree a lot of fiction tends to lean towards. This isn’t aliens downright enslaving humanity, but instead helping it off the ground by introducing new and improved technology, among other things. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though, as there are always conspiracies, and being an alien force, their intentions aren’t entirely for humanity’s sake. We liken them towards Nazis in that it’s a far more controlled and brutal way of ruling where, if someone steps out of line, they won’t hesitate to end them, whereas if you’re contributing member of society, they will leave you alone for the most part. They also don’t really have much of a regard for human rights or casualties where they’re willing to experiment on people without any regard for their wellbeing. Because of this new line of dictatorship from the alien invaders, there is a rebellion that has formed. Unfortunately, the sect you become a part of is small, very small, so it’s difficult to make a meaningful impact like you did in the original game. Your resources are limited, your time is short and your man power is usually understaffed. It’s a grueling situation, and for that, the story feels far more intriguing as you progress.


One of the three hero classes added in XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, the Skirmisher class consists of defective ADVENT soldiers that are hellbent to take revenge. These characters have some melee damage and low-ammo weapons, making them a seemingly upgraded version of your close-range Rang


Story-wise, we found the strings that weaved the plot together were a little far-fetched, but then again the series was never based on a completely believable storyline. As is always the case in an XCOM title, humanity is forced to adopt alien technology and use it against the occupying force, eventually leading to a one-chance strike that can bring the aliens to their kn


In what has to be one of the greatest examples of fan service in the history of games, Firaxis has drastically expanded the customization options for soldiers within XCOM . Whether it's changing their nationality, gender, or even giving them a custom backstory, there isn't much players aren't able to do to model their soldiers exactly how they want to. As these soldiers rank up, more cosmetic apparel options will become unlocked, and players will soon find themselves buried in items like baseball hats, monocles, and Slg Advanced strategies even a Duke Nukem -esque cigar . That's XCOM , b

Firaxis has created a great environment for modders, too. The studio worked hand-in-hand with some of the original game's best modders to ensure a selection of optional mods would be available at launch, and it didn't take long for other intrepid modders to ply their trade once the game was out. With over 200 mods released in the game's first week on the market, it looks like gamers will have plenty to look forward to. Players also have the option to purchase downloadable content called the Reinforcement Pack, which will provide twists to the core gameplay in the coming months, much like Enemy Within


This isn't to say they can't have some great offensive builds, particularly if you enjoy using their Hacking abilities and want to make any robot opponent's day a nightmare. Just because they have versatility, though, doesn't mean you'll be as overwhelmed by their abilities like your offensive clas

We really wanted XCOM 2 to be something amazing, but unfortunately it falls short. From highly customizable characters to deep and meaningful combat that has been improved over its predecessor, there’s a lot here to like, at least on paper. Unfortunately, this is only when it all comes together properly. We ran into far too many technical issues to count that taints the experience and puts even more frustration on an already stressful campaign. If the game wasn’t so demanding in its design, then a lot of these issues wouldn’t be a huge concern, but that would require cutting out what makes XCOM so appealing in the first place. Unless you plan on save scumming your way through the campaign, the outcome will ultimately end poorly. XCOM 2 truly has the makings of a great game, but it’s hidden in the bloated technical issues that drag it down.