XCOM 2: Review

Written by: Adam "ManKorn" Korenman, CC2K Video Games Editor

It is Gorgeous, and Functional

Let’s get this out of the way early. I’m operating on a Macbook Pro for my work and gaming needs. 

(Boo! Hiss! PC Master Race!)

I was able to play most of last year’s games with no problem thanks to my shiny toy. XCOM 2 comes loaded down with all of the latest and greatest graphical touches, and I wasn’t able to crank everything to the max. It still looks better than the original game, and plays well enough that I never worry about performance (with the exception of load times, which have tripled since Enemy Within). 

XCOM 2, among other things, is a beautiful game. Character models have been revamped, particle effects and shading have been polished, and the whole presentation feels fresh and updated while maintaining the character of the original. The environments have received the biggest boost, with more destructability and interactivity. Cover looks and feels more realistic, which immerses you more into the game world. In one instance, I had a sectoid firing at my team from the second-floor of a building. My grenadier blew out the floor and the alien came crashing down. That kind of tactical destruction opens up new avenues of approach for your controlled violence in missions. 

Your soldiers have received a decent enough face lift, although I would have enjoyed a few more options for faces. Personality types can now be assigned (in an in-depth character creator) so not every Joe on the battlefield acts the same in each situation. As anyone who has played the series knows, you come to care for the grunts on the field more than the voiced actors back at home base, so these little touches do more for bringing the game to life than any amount of graphical performance.

In addition to improvements in soldiers, your Engineers and Scientists now have names and stats as well. This takes what used to be a simple game of numbers and puts a face to them. I cared about the lives of my workers almost as much as my soldiers. Not equally, as they did not take the fight to the aliens directly, but it made the entire Avenger ship feel more like a home.