XCOM 2

XCOM 2 is a great game that you may get a chance of taking part in. the gameplay is very tactical and tight. The game is also very unpredictable in its nature and very dynamic too. There are lots of decisions to be made and this makes part of the wider strategy. There are the stealth options that also work quite well and a strong presentation that is cinematic. One of the cons is that the views do not always provide the information that is necessary for the game play.

What to expect

This game allows you to follow up a great reboot. This is a game that brings all the things that you may expect in this genre. There are new units, new enemies, more weapons, new features and visual upgrades that will totally blow you away. There is also a new campaign but it is also able to bring out so much more.

The sequel

The XCOM 2 game brings a great twist and it totally refines the previous gameplay. It isn’t all about reinvention but it truly makes changes that work for all kinds of players. The changes that you will see in this second version will truly keep you at the very edge of your sear. This goes to create a genre which may feel predictable and dry in all angles as is the case with most action shooter games. This is the kind of tactical game that you may have always dreamt about.

This game is also so bold and impressive. It doesn’t follow enemy within or enemy unknown where mankind is assumed to be the victor. It takes a whole new approach instead where mankind is assumed to have lost. The aliens still dominate our planet 20 years after and rule humanity under the pretext of benevolent global agency while they still kidnap people and oppress them in secret.

It is then that resistance fighters arise and wage a war against these extra-terrestrial overlords from a heli-carrier that has been captured and it is called the Avenger. There is the commander within the first game who was the protagonist and he has to be rescued from the alien lab which is very sinister.

The fundamentals

XCOM 2 doesn’t allow you to have a big budget since you aren’t a global agency. You are now a leader of a small group of people who are on the ruin and you keep on striking in any way that you can, and where you can. This is not a game where you have all military resources available to you, but rather a very small number of engineers and scientists who are hardworking and very enthusiastic about the mission at hand.

XCOM 2 just wants to make sure that you work for each and every victory in your world even though sometimes playing safe can turn out to be a disaster. Each turn that you make is all about acting as fast as you can and moving in a decisive way seizing all advantages whenever you get an opportunity to do so.

The gameplay fundamentals haven’t really changed from the predecessor. Every turn allows you to move a 4 man squad by making use of very simple controls and moving into position. It is only then, if you have some points, that you can fire at the enemy or you may choose to place them on over watch which is a state where they only fire at the enemy when they stray into their view. When you move your squad, the enemy does the same. You will need to repeat up until such a time that you meet objectives set or you will end up dead.

The difference

Urgency is the greatest difference that this game brings. Since you are the guerilla force, there is a need to make your strikes fast and capture all resources and Intel and escape to safety. You will have a number of turns to make this happen at every juncture. This means that you need to be really keen than you were when playing the original game.

The time is limited too. You don’t have too much time to scrutinize the area and even set up the ambushes while concealing the squad. However, that has to be followed by a push forward so as to make sure that all your objectives are met and then get out before the turns that you have left expire.

You may take as much time as you need on every turn so strategy isn’t compromised in any way but each turn made counts. When you take things too slowly, you may actually fail in your mission flat on the face or even end up leaving the most valued troops behind.

The troops

In XCOM 2, you have a very small pool of specialists and soldiers that you can choose from and there are many restrictions when it comes to the numbers that you need to recruit. When you take your troops for missions and leaving them exposed to combat, you actually allow them to have some experience and this makes them so much stronger and you can promote them. They will earn news skills and get new equipment too.

Your troops can also be abandoned, wounded, over stressed and even killed and this makes your work so much harder sine you need to make sure that balance is maintained. You need to make very critical decisions on whom to take on mission because there is the risk that you may lose your best men. You need to know the men that should prioritize over others and who is best to be a sniper. Command in XCOM 2 is a lot about responsibility and as the troops get promotions, nicknames and vital skills, you realize that responsibility can really suck at times.

High stakes

The combat is dynamic and the stakes are always very high in this game and this is actually one of the greatest things as you will discover in this game. The original game was very fantastic since the turnbased game felt so cinematic. However, the sequel gets even better. The models have so much more details and there are the lifelike textures and varied scenery which allows you sell all those close ups and shots making all your big moments really count.

The big moments come fast and thick. You may try moving your troops into an area that looks so safe but then realize that they have already been spotted by an enemy who is on over watch. Sometimes you may have the joy of watching as your troops take out the aliens and this is always a great joy. This tells you that as you play the game, things are never really predictable as you would expect them to be. There are the procedural maps that are generated and they make sure that each and every encounter is very personal and different from all the others.

Risks

As you take part in the game, you come to realize that there are actually so many risks that you can take and they can cost you a lot. You need to k now that your troops, all the facilities that you set up and the research items can have a great impact once you are on the battle field and this is what makes your troops even better and stronger. They are buffed with skills and this makes them so much better equipped so as to respond to the threats that keep on escalating.

As the days pass by, you will have to deal with decisions on where to go, where to scan and the resources that you need to use. When you realize what the aliens are planning, you need to make sure that they are well delayed while at the same time maintaining your objectives which are also as important. It isn’t an easy task and you may need to make multiple plays through so as to get the correct balance.

Conclusion

This game brand is tactical strategy and it may actually be based on PC gaming from the golden age. However, its sights are set on building a great future. There is a limit and you cannot rely on safe and defensive play styles. This is a game that is so tense, demanding and totally addictive especially when you compare it to other strategy games. Each and every choice that you make comes with repercussions and each and every soldier as well as victory counts. This is a game that will totally keep you riveted for months to come.