Is Xcom 2 worth it? A comprehensive review
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- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Is Xcom 2 worth it? This video provides an in depth look at the gameplay to help you make an informed decision.
If you enjoy turn based tactical shooters and saving the world from alien invasion, you may have heard of Xcom 2. But is it worth the money? Is it worth the time it would take to learn the various mechanics?
00:00 Introduction
00:30 Thirty second summary of the game
01:28 How is the tutorial and how steep is the learning curve?
02:30 What are the mechanics then?
07:30 The different game modes
07:53 15 hour summary for potential players
09:00 But how much will it cost me?
09:36 Fine, are there many DLC's?
10:57 What about MODS?
11:31 Final summary - is it worth it?!
I'm a big strategy game fan, any game with tanks, planes, and BIG BATTLES will get my attention, but is shooting an alien in the face with a shot gun enough to replace these? I've purchased the game and played it for 15 hours to help you decide, is Xcom 2 worth it? We look at all aspects of the game, the big picture, the small picture, the game mechanics and how it compares to other games such as Gears Tactics. - Hry
Beware how addictive this game can become, and that's before trying the DLC or MOD content! Have you tried Xcom 2 before? Are you tempted to pick it up in the sale? You've really no reason not to, it's an excellent game.
'Giant boss monsters to shoot at'
Ah, he hasn't touched the mods
@@ironboy3245 Haha true I haven't! I've heard that War of the Chosen is the best place to start...I don't suppose you have any others to recommend too?
@@twiglets2 the DLCs get integration into WOTC, but most of us turn it off so we don't get fucked by the rulers on the first facility mission. The alien hunter mission is a slog but being able to control when the rulers start showing up is nice
@@ironboy3245 Thanks for the advice
@@twiglets2 once you get into modding I highly recommend the Proficiency class pack, it greatly reduces the lategame demigod power of XCOM units. Try christopherodd's season...7? Playlist for a pretty challenging but fair modpack
Great review! I will say, though, there are some points that really should have been addressed in the DLC section.
1. Alien Hunters' mixed reviews are because it was an attempt to introduce more "Boss Monster" style enemies into the game, known as Alien Rulers. Alongside them was a special "boss introduction" mission and new equipment meant to assist with the Rulers and provide unique rewards to killing them.
The issue was that these Alien Rulers, once the introductory mission was completed, could appear on any mission without warning, and could easily wipe unprepared squads. Even prepared squads were at risk since these heavily armored boss units could take an action after every soldier action, making a bad engagement with the Ruler hard to recover from. While the introductory mission could wait indefinitely (or until you were strong enough to take on the Alien Rulers), it was easy for new players to trigger the bosses early and nuke an entire campaign.
War of the Chosen did an excellent job correcting this DLC. The Rulers were re-tooled (only taking actions after soldier actions within line of sight), the equipment improved (stun chances specifically meant to manage the bosses were increased), and said bosses would only appear on specific mission types.
2. War of the Chosen should honestly be expanded on in general, or be its own video. It was originally planned to be XCom 3 after all.
It adds an insane amount to the base game, including but not limited to: Faction Hero Soldiers, new missions types, new Strategy Layer options such as sending troops on Covert Actions outside normal missions, recurring and adapting bosses emulating the Shadow of Mordor nemesis system, boss loot weapons, new enemies and enemy factions, new equipment, improved skill trees and Ability Points for better soldier customization, a level-independent "Combat Intelligence" system rewarding smart play, soldier bonding mechanics, the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, mission altering "sitreps," new terrain and maps, new research mechanics in the form of "breakthroughs" and "inspiration," improvements on previous DLC like Alien Hunters and Shen's Last Gift (with the Mechanized soldier from the DLC getting some nice boosts to functionality), advanced campaign options to tweak how the campaign plays, a challenge mode for players to test their skills in tough scenarios (now located in the Legacy Hub), and a Photo Booth which lets you create posters of your soldiers which slowly spread in-game as you progress! It's frickin' insane how much you get with it, and it really should get more love here.
The only issue to note is that it expects the player to already have XCom 2 experience. For one thing, the "integrated DLC" option for campaigns actually expects that you've done the Alien Hunters and Shen's Last Gift DLC and turns off the DLC-specific missions (since those story moments are nice and it doesn't harm replayability for me, I usually just turn off the integrated option). Also, and admittedly more important, it has a STEEP learning curve, even compared to the base game. It assumes you've played XCom 2 Vanilla, and all of the features, mechanics, and things-to-do can make it overwhelming for first time players.
3. The Tactical Legacy Pack isn't just an expansion to War of the Chosen, it's actually a prequel explaining how XCom: Enemy Within became XCom 2. It was a free anniversary DLC to anyone with the WotC DLC.
This DLC adds four new interwoven story campaigns in the form of "Legacy Operations," which have a string of story-heavy tactical missions that act like miniature XCom campaigns without a strategy layer. It's a nice way to experiment with character builds and equipment you might not normally try in an actual campaign, and the scoring system rewards smart play without directly forcing anyone out of their comfort zone. While questionable canon (if you're into that), they are all in good fun, the last mission even being a huge love letter to the fanbase referencing particular inside-joke.
Depending on the final score of those campaigns, the missions also unlock unique weapons, armor, and cosmetics for use in your main campaigns. Visually based-off XCom: Enemy Unknown equipment, they are all slight spins on existing basic equipment at each tier, the weapons in particular just having Weapon Mods installed by default. Still, useful and good-looking additions.
Alongside the campaigns and new items, there is also the long-requested Skirmish Mode, so you can test any wild scenario that pops into your heart.
It also adds a BANGER soundtrack based off the original 1994 XCom soundtrack! And the ability to switch between the XCom 2, Legacy Pack, and XCom: Enemy Unknown soundtracks at will during play.
Wow this is amazing! Thank you for providing so much extra info for potential new players. It's difficult for me to go into this much detail on games with this much sheer depth so I'm thankful for the contribution. It'll help people make a more informed decision.
I didn't realise War of the Chosen was originally meant to be Xcom 3, that makes a lot of sense!
Oh, wow, thank you! No problem!
I like to ramble, especially about XCom. Glad said rambling helped!😄
I'm one of those passionate idiots who has put thousands of hours into the game. I always keep coming back to XCOM2. Fantastic game!
The game is brutal and constantly makes you feel you are fighting a losing battle. It's very hard to get on top of things and almost impossible to stay there. To some that will be frustrating, but I welcome it. Losses feel truly devastating.
Once you are familiar with the game, rookie is very doable, but legendary is seriously no joke.
It's interesting to hear from an experienced player. When I first started I was like WHY AM I DOING SO BADLY?! Partly it was because I'm a newbie but after a while I realised that's kind of what the game's going for haha
It will always infuriate me that an 80% shot misses, even though it's perfectly reasonable that 1 in 5 of those won't hit.
Have you ever played any of the expansions? I'm told they make the game way better / different?
@@twiglets2 Oh yeah, I'm an experienced player alright! I don't consider myself a "good" player, but I have my moments :)
It's exactly why I love XCOM2 so much. Too me it always stays challenging. Jumping into a campaign where winning is not a given is precisely what I enjoy. Even when I know winning is not an option anymore, I keep playing... I HAVE turned around a few games; those were the most satisfying/memorable wins. The opposite is true as well... when I thought I was all set, the tables turned in the snap of a finger and everything was lost.
Missing shots can be irritating, but a lot of that boils down to how you build your soldiers. Investing in aiming buffs go a long way. The enemy gets stronger, but so you do! That's why the losses are so meaningful :) You really WANT to take care of all your veterans.
War of the Chosen is basically "XCOM3" or maybe 2.5 ;) It adds SO much stuff to the game! Maybe a bit too much for new players. I think it's better to get comfortable with the base game and once you know most of the mechanics by heart, play WotC. WotC really changes a lot! I like a lot of the mechanics (like bonding for example), but I dislike the more action packed approach... gunning down hoards. I wish there was an XCOM2 WotC without The Lost. That would be my perfect game.
I play about two single player games per year. Sometimes XCOM2, sometimes War of the Chosen... depending on what I want from the game.
Don't worry about being bad :) The game is meant to humble you. Aliens are no joke (given they traveled across the galaxy) so you should FEEL that. Most games just cater a fantasy... but you never really are in danger. XCOM2 (iron man) has a different approach... It really shows you how it feels to be the underdog and when you come out on top of that, you feel like you achieved something! That's why I keep coming back... over and over again.
I'll see myself out now ;)
@@uplinkx1126 Thank you for the pep talk - I'm going to fire up Xcom 2 again then see if I fancy dipping a toe into WoTC, sounds intimidating but fun!
Another passionate idiot here; i find legendary ironman almost friendly on xcom2 but god have mercy on my soul for anything above classic ironman in XCOMEW, the first one just goes way above my poor brain capabilities, i always cry. Can't save all country no matter how hard i try and how many tutorials i check
@@giovannidinunno4855ironman in EW "defeated" me 2 times due to save corruption. Unfortunately these games, both basic EU and expansion ver of EW, on PS3 were a total mess concerning bugs, glitches and save system. Nonetheless, I still find EW as my favourite instalment in the entire series.
War of the Chosen is basically mandatory.
It's what turns a solid game in a timeless classic.
Exceptional review! Thank you for your honesty and thoroughness!
Thank you! I hope you found it useful :)
I got it recently and barely touched it (alongside the previous game). I kinda like it, but sometimes the RNG is so impactful that i cant help to savescum or just ragequit the game
You can highly limit (almost turn off) the RNG in settings (built-in mods section) prior staring the game.
Would be nice to see your endeavour in previous Xcom instalments, especially my beloved and favourite - Enemy Within which is a great bridge between Xcom1 and Xcom2 having atmosphere from first installment (earth defense, politics in the background) and similar mechanics which appeared in Xcom2 (unit modifications).
I've not tried Enemy Within, I'm going to check it out, thanks for the recommendation!
Very cool chanel & quality content! Waiting for more:)
Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, I hope you enjoy the future content too :)
I love how even though I was 20+ hrs into the game it still kept surprising me with new enemies.
IMO is fixed alot of what made Xcom: Enemy Within unbearable, great sequel
Glad to hear you've enjoyed it so much! Personally I struggled to get really into it. The vibe was great and the gameplay was fun, but I swear the game hates me sometimes!
10$ on Xbox store with all the base dlcs right now. Installing now! Loved wasteland 3 hopefully I can tackle this one, I know it’s gonna be a more difficult-extremely difficult.
Excellent deal - let us know how you get on!
So basically Darkest Dungeon, but in a sci-fi setting? Sounds fantastic! On a related note, if you haven't tried it yet, you should definitely give Darkest Dungeon a try. I can definitely recommend the first one. Haven't yet played the sequel, so I can't comment on it, besides it's still unfinished in early access.
That looks like an awesome game, I can't believe I've never heard of it - thanks for the heads up!
@@twiglets2 bruhhh, i assumed you knew the title and just didn't get around to playing it yet, so glad to be the one telling you about it; Xcom 2's gameplay loop sounds really similar to that of Darkest Dungeon, so i am pretty sure if you liked Xcom 2 you will also really enjoy Darkest, especially since there's the added bonus of the stress mechanic in it that adds another layer of strategy and drama. If you ever decide to try the game and make a video on it, you can hit me up, I've been playing the game for quite a while and I'd love to help, since i really like the style of your reviews and i really like Darkest Dungeon 😁
@@RedeemerNDestroyer that's amazing thanks bud, I look forward to it going on sale so I can pick it up!
Although I deeply love both Xcom(s) and Darkest Dungeon, I would not call them to be similar. Xcom is tactical game including unit movement, DD on the other hand is turn-based jrpg-like combat system.
Although, there are some common points obviously e.g. building, developing and maintaining the base; equipping squad for a fight; etc., there are many important differences; for instance, in DD your squad got mutual equipment/inventory bag they all can access and use.
Being on a mission in Xcom means just to achieve completeness requirements for this mission e.g. kill all opponents, save someone, etc., whilst for DD it means also to explore location, find goods/gold, take care of your to way wider extent than "just" being wounded or dead as it is the case in Xcom.
DD is also random to a wide extent, for instance there are diseases, virtues, quirks, etc., whilst the only randomness in Xcom is bound to shot accuracy (hit, dodge, miss, etc).
Thanks for this review. XCOM 2 is probably the best game I own. I go back to it time and time again. I play with the Star Trek Soldier pack, that has all the voices from STTNG etc. I don't think I have ever finished the single player campaign. But that doesn't matter.
Thank you for taking the time to watch it. I didn't realise there was a Star Trek Soldier pack, you've given me a reason to pick up Xcom 2 again!
@@twiglets2 Yes, they are on the Steam Workshop. Character pools and voice packs for STTNG, DS9 and Voyager. Its quite funny listening to Wesley Crusher moaning lol. I have the Aliens and Predator character pools too. But no voices with those, as far as I know.
I have this with the "Chosen". I received this game with a game deal and thought I had been ripped off because I saw it on a Steam deal for a few dollars. The game is great and with the Chosen added on it really is an amazing and exciting game. The Chosen really added a lot of excitement for me and is highly recommended.
@Cavebeast8765 Awesome! Could you give a little more detail on why Chosen adds so much? It would be useful so potential new players could understand!
I was an addict to this game. Then didn't play for years. Now tried long war of the chosen mod and I am addict all over again.
I haven't tried that mod yet, does it completely change the game like I've heard?
@@twiglets2 It does. So much so that it feels like a sequel. I highly recommend.
@@monkeytime9851 Thank you, I shall take a look!
I just bought xcom 2. Should I play with shens gift and alien hunter for the first time? or disable everything the first time and then enable it the second time along with war of the chosen?
I don't think there's a right or a wrong way of doing it personally. I would suggest playing the base game and then adding on the DLC's / War of the Chosen as they really enhance the experience so will give you much more gameplay but hey, if you want to get stuck into Shens last gift and war of the chosen go for it and let me know what you think!
If you don't mind a random guy's advice, I would say Alien Hunters and Shen's Last Gift are fine for a new run of the game. That said, be careful!
The DLC both introduce new story missions, and they ABSOLUTELY ROCK, but both are ABSOLUTELY BRUTAL too, if you take them unprepared. The Alien Hunters one in particular introduces Alien Rulers who can not only show up on other missions, but wipe even prepared squads if the get the drop on you.
The trick is that the DLC missions can be postponed indefinitely (they never fall off the Geoscape until you complete them), so you can wait until the mid-game when you have the Magnetic weapons and Tier 2 Armor needed to take them safely. You can try to do the missions early to unlock powerful gear (The Spark, a Mech Soldier unlocked in Shen's Last Gift, is particularly strong if accessed early game), but it's a risk not normally advised for new players.
Heck, when Alien Hunters first came out, plenty of new players accidentally nuked their campaigns by unleashing nigh-invincible Alien Rulers. 😅
So, yeah, if you have the DLC, I'd definitely keep them on, but only play the missions after you have a squad or two of decked-out, top-tier bad asses.
War of the Chosen is a bit less straight forward. It's effectively XCom 3 (XCom: Forged Alliance?😆), and it adds a ridiculous amount of features that are honestly overwhelming for first-time players.
I would definitely try my hand at a Vanilla Campaign (with the other DLC) first to get a handle on the base mechanics. Then, try War of the Chosen, and revel in the masterpiece. 🤣
I have a serious love/hate relationship for this game and xcom enemy within! But I do love it! I told myself after I played it on xbox360 im done with it mad and now I have it on mobile(to lazy to dig out the 360)
picked this gem.up for 7 bucks recebtly. absolutely a top 10 game
@turkN9NE excellent deal! Definitely check out the mods as they are awesome!
Couldn't get on with it myself. I got the learning curve down got all the mechanics. But the Doomsday timer just added too much pressure that meant I felt I couldn't enjoy the game how I wanted.
Adding to the fact that I was 5 or six missions in and got some troops at 95% to hit and the still missed 50% of the time. Plus the basic aliens feeling like they can randomly 1 shot your strongest/best trooper from 6 miles away it just wasn't fun.
Might give it a go and remove the Doomsday timer, that way I can take my time and enjoy the levels and the gameplay.
The one shot from a basic bitch trooper is THE MOST ANNOYING THING!
how do you turn off the doomsday timer?
@@PhinsBlazers there's a mod in the steam workshop that can remove the doomsday timer (I'm told). Sorry I don't know which one it is but maybe a search for the mod will yield some results for you!
@@twiglets2 im out of luck because im on console 😭 thanks though
@@PhinsBlazers ah man that timer is so annoying! I know its part of the game and all but it's stressful enough as it is! I hope you enjoy it still buddy
One of favorite games of all time.
I'm glad to hear it! Are there any games that have been released lately that come close to Xcom2? Just curious
@@twiglets2 Phoenix point.
@@Mustang46liters Thank you!
[Dated 6/29/2024] Base game 95% off in the Steam summer sale, $2.99
Bargain!
Best tbs game ever imho.
I`ve only played 350 hours. But I really like it.
Only?!
Have you tried War of the Chosen? I've heard very good things about how it develops the game.
@@twiglets2 yes, of course. A great expansion. Lots of fun. Although it is easier to reach the breaking point in it. Once you get the covert ops it's basically free experience with no risk.
Xcom 2 kicks ass!
@shredder3485 Such a great game!
Honestly base game is good, but war of the chosen is such a good expansion that changes the base game so much.
@spark1539 I've heard a lot about war of the chosen. Is there anything in particular about it that changes the game?
@@twiglets2 a lot, in my opinion,
Class wise: the new classes add a lot of versatility for one, reapers being king at ambushes, Templar’s being a rolling stone that gets more powerful as they kill, and my favorite (the advent one forgot the name) is probably the most versatile able to shoot twice, and grapple to a position or grapple an enemy to them.
Gameplay: a decent amount of new mission types, and new locations for map gen. Some mission have new modifiers that affect the game such as lost being present on a map, (new zombie type enemy that attack everyone aliens included.) they also added covert actions, think like espionage missions to send troops on, it there is a chance of them getting ambushed thus a frantic two man team dash to evac with a chosen on your tail. That was fun. You also juggle faction relations with these and as you grow with a faction that can give buff that you slot in each pay cycle, these can range from better levels of recruits from purchase, to damage buffs on flanked enemies.
And the chosen: just that last sprinkle of chaos to any mission. Each plays vastly differently than the others, and can appear in any mission at random. They often have map wide abilities like the zealot summon psi zombies. So there is no avoiding them. They grow im power along with xcom getting new powers and buffs. You need to complete a series of covert actions to find there base to kill them once and for all. If you don’t they will appear in the final battle.
The chosen give the aliens a bit more personality, the constant quibbling from the hunter, the preaching of the zealot, the seriousness of the hunter. they will talk to you in missions and in the over world commenting on a fight or mocking you for abandoning a soldier they captured, then rage at you freeing the soldier. (Yes this can happen in game, they capture soldiers to build up a find the avenger meter, when they get it to full they launch an attack that you need to defend from).
@@spark1539 You have single handedly persuaded me to install it - thank you!
I'm sorry but I can't play this game purely down to the aesthetic. It looks like XCOM - Power Rangers Edition. I'm a big fan of gritty realism and sci-fi horror, this game looks like the target audience is 8-12 yr olds.
Detailed review? This beginners review.
3 free DLC? Have you gotten them? They are not free. they are just part of resistance pack. You cant just "take" them. Thats just not informing yourself with content. Gameplay? You review game after 15 hours? I had 40 hours after doing FIRST playthrough, had to start over few times but so do many other players 30-40 hours is reasonable time to experience the game. That matters because that is MAIN part of the gameplay loop and what game really is. At start you dont have manpower, levels, gear or anything to help you in missions. So even 80% shots seem unfair, add to that that new enemies come quite often and you have quite challenging start where you need to figure out game starting multiple times. If you pass the mid point of the game where enemies are strong but you also start to get your research done, in late game nothing can hurt you and you dont have real challenge until last mission.
Its not real downside as everyone seems to claim. Challenge is early and mid game where you must advance and match aliens but late game you get that satisfaction of being OP and destroying massive enemies where one of them could destroy entire squad while now one of your guys kills 3 of them.
Honest review of review? Steam about page of the game that is narrated.
Thank you for your feedback!
Ah, XCOM2, how I tried to love you but failed miserably. Even on the lower difficulties the RNG just felt too crushing for me. That and most of my turn based tactics experience comes from japanese games like Front Mission, FF Tactics, Fire Emblem and Valkyria Chronicles. Those games ingrained it in my mind that casualties = bad and always avoidable, meaning that getting half my squad absolutely blasted to a random alien reinforcement felt too frustrating to me. And good heavens does this game throw aliens at you by the spades. But who knows, I didn't refund it so one of these days I should probably give it another go.
It was pretty soul destroying at times, but then the game has such a passionate following! I can't decide whether to give War of the Chosen a try, it's just that much more expensive than the base game but it has great reviews!
@@twiglets2 I hear the Xbox version of this game is screwed especially with that DLC installed ):
@@awesomeruben that sucks, you'd like to think they'd release something relatively stable but oh no, often it seems rushed to make a quick buck! I mean, I don't know if that's what's happened, but it seems to all to often!
@@twiglets2 true like cyberpunk ):
@@awesomeruben The biggest waste of money I have ever spent! 😂 To be fair it sounds like they've spent 18 months repairing it so maybe it's worth playing finally 🙄
The UI in this game is so damn shitty, it makes the whole experience painful. It is just not playable. WOTC is not fixing anything but instead overloading everything and destroying any balance. Too many things happen randomly or surprisingly and destroy everything you built.
I can't find an answer, and I doubt you'll see this but, I'm convinced to buy it now however I can't find out how often it goes on sale on xbox. I have Game Pass Ultimate, if that helps.
It’s 10$ right now on Xbox store with all the dlc’s…I’m downloading it now.