These changes are solid, but that's not to say XCOM 2 is superior to its predecessor since many of my previous issues have carried over, and some new things are worse. It's satisfying to kick off a massacre by having someone run in and chop enemies with a sword before gunning the alien scumbags down as they try to flee. This concealment expires the moment a shot is fired or if someone gets discovered, but it does aid in wiping out some bad guys before they have a chance to get ready. Enemies can often be caught unaware of troop insertion during missions, allowing the chance to set ambushes. Something else that's new is the ability to scout. Firaxis did a good job in shaking up the classes without changing them beyond recognition. Support class members are now Specialists, and carry nifty little drones to crack encryptions, steal resources and hijack mechanical foes from a safe distance. Most of the upgrades are disappointingly similar to those in the previous game, but there's a ton of snazzy customization options so soldiers can be visually distinct and easily recognizable on the field.Īs for gameplay, it's business as usual, although the skills in each class have been given an overhaul, with the Ranger being my favorite-they might as well have been called Ninjas given that they now carry swords around for up-close-and-personal conflict resolution. When not in active combat, the war effort has to be bolstered through weapons, research and technology production to give troops on the ground a fighting chance. The Avenger takes the place of the standard home base from Enemy Unknown, but most of its capabilities are similar. If humanity doesn't want to get rendered into DNA-flavored goo, they need to strike back at the alien occupiers by setting up a guerrilla network across the globe that can wreck their colonization plans with the aid of a flying mobile base of operations, the Avenger. Benevolent on the surface, there are shady goings-on behind the scenes. A peacekeeping force known as Advent now rules mankind. Second time's the charm!īased on this beginning premise, things have changed somewhat on Earth. Of course, it's tough to keep a good (read: awful) commander down, and it's not long before the new, significantly diminished XCOM project is up and running again. For example, XCOM 2 is clearly based on the results of my Classic Ironman run from the first XCOM-everyone got their asses handed to them in short order and the Earth ended up under alien control. It's nice when a developer provides a personalized experience in their games. WTF My entire squad missing every shot during a perfectly-planned ambush. LOW The current PC build is a technical horror show. HIGH Dashing across the map to chop up alien scumbags with the Ranger's Reaper ability.

Xcom 2 pc controller cursor slow