GRcade

So time keeps ticking in XCOM 2, and the best we can do is make the right choices when we have the chance. XCOM 2 imparts the weight of those decisions, and that's what makes it extraordinary. It's mathematical, emotional, and thoughtful all at once. It's exhilarating, even in the face of failure. It's compelling, even though we often lose. Victory is the goal, but that's just an afterthought here--it's the complex journey that counts.

With a focus on variety and replayability, this sequel has an answer to most of my complaints about 2012’s excellent XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and aside from some mostly cosmetic bugs, it comes together brilliantly. Thanks to a new spin on the same great tactical combat, plus unpredictable maps and randomized objectives and loot, XCOM 2 is an amazing game I’ll easily put hundreds of hours into.

DESPITE A ROUGH FINISH, XCOM 2 IS THE SERIES AT ITS BEST

In spite of a few glaring technical issues, XCOM 2 represents a high water mark for the entire franchise. Firaxis successfully tells an evocative story. It treats players with respect and includes so many small quality of life improvements over the original they are simply too numerous to mention. It is challenging enough at its basic difficulty level to feel like a complete experience. Despite the bugs, it's still the best-looking, most exciting turn-based tactical game I've ever played.

Back of the box stuff. Looks good, but does it really make much of a difference? Moment to moment, the thing that makes this astonishing game truly sing is the way in which it's managed to respond to the bad habits we picked up last time around. Move faster, it urges. Take more risks. Become a more interesting player.

XCOM 2 isn't a reworking of the original game, then - it's a genuine response to it. A response to us. Turns out Firaxis was on overwatch all along.

Falsey wrote:yeah we havent had a pc game now for like

4 years

Falsey wrote:I am not getting into this discussion because I value my time too much

Im gonna go watch videos of people falling over

NickSCFC wrote:A simple list would have sufficed.

Trelliz wrote:

NickSCFC wrote:A simple list would have sufficed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PC_exclusive_games

Sort by date and go from mid-2010 onwards.

jiggles wrote:I loved what I played of Enemy Unknown, which wasn't much. It was kind of a "yes, I get it. I will put this on my pile to enjoy later" situation, and I never got around to it.

This changes... NOW.

That's not a growth wrote:XCOM is my favourite game I never competed. I was terrible at it yet probably got about 80 hours in it. Will give this a look if I can find a decent price.