XCOM 2 review

Improvements

But XCOM 2 gives you a couple of perks that the original didn’t have. For one, you have the ability to disguise yourself. If you haven’t been seen by the enemy, you can move unnoticed, set traps and block Overwatch, a skill that allows you to save an attack action. As soon as the enemy moves during their turn, your unit has the opportunity to attack them.

The game clearly delineates which movement would alert the enemy to your presence by superimposing those squares with open red eyes. Once you’ve been noticed, you generally can’t go back to hiding. However, some units may develop specializations that will fill them later.

Another fun feature available in XCOM 2 is the looting option. Sometimes, after an enemy has been defeated, a yellow number appears on their body. This lets you know how much time you have to recover it during an already tense battle situation.

There are many other great improvements too. For example, you can carry dead or badly wounded units to revive or store the equipment you had on them. Or, say you know you are losing a round and don’t want to risk killing your team. You can request a draw at any time, thanks to your mobile defense unit. There are new and tougher alien life forms and new technologies to research and explore.

Maps

However, the most popular new feature is easily procedurally generated maps. No two maps are ever alike, adding a challenge level to every match. Defeating a mission in one run of the game does not guarantee that you will do it in the next. The integrated mapping system places random buildings or obstacles on the map in predetermined areas.

As a result, goals are often generated based on how the map is set up. If a generator tower is connected to the map, your goal may be to destroy it. But if there is a computer with essential information on the map, your goal may be to retrieve it instead.

Final verdict

XCOM 2 improves on something that was already good to start with. With new storylines, new enemies, more complicated maps, more customization, and a smoother RTS battle system, what’s not to love? And because it’s available on PC, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, almost any player should have access to it.