XCOM2 is what XCOM should have been from the start. No more aliens appearing out of nowhere with no warning, and you have a few more options on how to approach situations even from the start of the campaign. There is even more room for maneuver. Unfortunately, like all Firaxis titles, it is full of gamey mechanics, for example: you have to do research so you can remove weapon mods without destroying them. It is very cool that the weapons have mods and everything, but anything that could be turned into a game mechanic, to make the game look more complex, got turned into a mechanic. In addition, it’s a bit silly that not all soldiers have handguns.
XCOM2 the campaign is funneled through the story so it may appear that you don’t have as much agency as you expected. Don’t worry though, the game is full with options and there is plenty to do. The main DLC adds even more and overall the game feels complete and satisfying.
Like all XCOM titles, the game is at its best when played in Ironman mode (no “scum saving”). But there are so many game mechanics and things that you could greatly benefit from knowing in advance, not to mention the occasion bug, that pure Ironman might be very time consuming. So maybe a solution to this might be a self-imposed Ironman where you can only load saved games when you encounter new game mechanics.
Rating: High ground
Article date: 02-Jul-2019
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