XCOM 2 review – Is there time to save the world?

There aren’t many games that allow you to fail the very first (non-tutorial) mission, but XCOM is the brutal exception. I failed the game’s first task, not once, not twice but three times as I bumbled my way back into the XCOM universe, discovering that a lot has changed since I left. There’s work to be done.

XCOM 2 takes place after the events of 2012’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown where it appears that the alien race that had been previously such a troublesome bunch, have now settled on Earth, joining forces peacefully with us humans to create Advent, a ruling force put in place to make our lives more peaceful and prosperous.

A likely story.

XCOM has realigned itself, transforming from defenders of the Earth to a mini rebellion, starting from nothing in an attempt to unite rebels across the globe to bring down Advent before they conquer the Earth. Nothing new here, but it’s all the motivation you’ll need.

^Failing a mission now has even more dire consequences, with aliens getting a big buff as reward for beating you

Aboard a former alien ship, now called Avenger, the between-mission portion of the game has a Firefly/Faster Than Light feel to it, although in this case the Avenger has its hands full here on Earth, never attempting interstellar travel. It’s actually very similar in layout to the underground base used in Enemy Unknown, but with its ability to hop across the globe in just a few in-game hours, this is very much a mobile base that encourages you to venture out, making contact with rebel groups, hunting for hidden resources and paying visits to the Black Market to stock up on supplies and sell items picked up on the battlefield.

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It’s all a bit overwhelming, with several resources – Intelligence, Supplies and Power – all essential but scarce in equal measure. You’re also given personnel to manage and distribute to various parts of the ship. Engineers are required for constructing new facilities on the ship, but they’re also extremely helpful for making existing facilities run more efficiently. You’ll never have enough Engineers. Scientists are required for researching new technologies faster. You’ll never have enough of them, either. The sooner you accept that your ship will never run as efficiently as you want, the sooner you’ll start enjoying the game without constant worry and frustration.

This scarcity makes each ground mission feel even more important, as failure means you’ll not only give the aliens the upper hand, it also means you’re not rewarded for your efforts, even if you’ve lost several soldiers and used up valuable equipment. Most mission failures will result in some form of ‘Dark Event’, which buffs the aliens for a period of time and helps them work towards their goal completing the ‘Avatar Project’. Your aim is to stop this project, with a persistent, ominous progress bar showing you how close the aliens are to completing it.

The story is moved along with some slick-but-cheesy, dialogue-heavy cinematics that I didn’t particularly care for, but it does at least provide some context to the objectives you’re trying to complete.

The meat of the game takes place in the ground missions, where you deploy your squad to a turn-based battlefield to accomplish a fairly basic objective, with plenty of aliens standing in the way and usually a turn limit too. Each soldier has two actions per turn. Actions include movement (one Action), dashing (two Actions), reloading (one Action), firing (consumes all remaining Actions) and hacking (one Action). Taking shots at the enemy requires thought, as positioning is vital to a successful shot. Before your soldier fires on a target, you’re shown a percentage chance of a hit, and the potential damage a successful shot can deal. For example, a soldier standing further away from an enemy who’s in cover will have a very low chance of landing a shot, while one standing at point-blank range will probably (but not always) deal damage. Similarly, positioning soldiers correctly is crucial, as a squad member who’s been flanked is much more likely to be hit by enemy fire than one that has a piece of cover between it and the enemy.

Much like a board game, there are occasional logic-defying moments where the virtual dice roll means your soldiers miss a target standing within spitting distance. This breaks the immersion somewhat and is beyond rage-inducing, but, as with a board game, this random element is important for tension and unpredictability.

^ Characters in XCOM 2 are highly customisable, with modular weapons, changeable apparel and new perks all decided by you

The more kills your soldiers rack up, the better they’ll get and the more perks you’ll unlock for them. Once a soldier has completed one mission, they’re promoted to one of four classes (Ranger, Grenadier, Specialist, Sharpshooter), giving them unique abilities that means a balanced squad with at least one of each of the classes is essential. It’s a deeply personal experience. You become attached to the soldiers who have survived several missions and when they’re killed it’s a huge loss and could even spell the beginning of the end of your campaign.

^ Your squad starts each mission concealed, meaning they can sneak around the map and only break cover when they get too close to the enemy or open fire

The aliens are brutally hard. There’s a mix of human-like soldiers with guns, mechanical warriors with heavy armour and various terrifying aliens with abilities far beyond yours. All the old favourites from Enemy Unknown have made a return, but they’re all grown-up, meaning each one is harder and more unpredictable than ever. The Sectoid, once the easiest foe in Enemy Unknown, has gained hitpoints, a creepy smile and the terrifying ability to control the minds of your soldiers from the off, making them a hassle from the very first mission. Vipers are able to use their long, lizard-like tongues to drag you towards them and then crush you with their snake-like bodies. Some can even disguise themselves as civilians, morphing into giant, gloopy monsters just as you’re about to rescue them.

There are new gameplay elements, including Hacking, which is a risk/reward system that, if you succeed, grants you mission bonuses. If you fail, the aliens get a significant buff instead.

^ XCOM 2 has a variety of environments including small towns, futuristic cities and forest highways

The pacing of the missions in XCOM 2 has changed significantly, with an emphasis put on speed this time around. Enemy Unknown players may be dismayed by move away from extreme caution at all times, but it’s much more challenging and rewarding as a result. Focusing your intentions on a single point of the map makes each mission more interesting and makes you consider each move you make, balancing risk with reward. Each map is randomly generated, too, meaning you’ll never have the same experience twice. It’s still nice to occasionally play missions where you’re able to methodically lay out your troops without any time limitations, but XCOM 2 is all the better for its renewed focus on objectives.

It’s ultimately a little unpolished, though. Your soldiers sometimes shoot through walls, the in-game camera often finds itself floating off into the distance, with actions taking place but with no way to see them. Animations can be jerky and there are numerous unnecessary pauses as animations finish or sounds finish playing. Many of these issues plagued Enemy Unknown too and it’s a shame that they’ve resurfaced here.

That said, it does little to detract from the ‘one more turn’ feeling that Firaxis games are so good at creating. It’s impossible to drag yourselves away from XCOM 2 during a mission, and while gallivanting around the ship micro managing everyone, your mind has already started planning the next assault and allocated its budget to the next big upgrade. XCOM 2 perfectly blends large-scale strategy with small-scale tactical battles, making it a worthy successor to Enemy Unknown and a must-play for strategy gamers.