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[Gonzito]

I've been playing this game for the past few days and I am having the time of my life

What an incredible experience this is. To give you some context, I am playing War of the Chosen on pc and I can't put the controller down. Its exciting and I am constantly engaged

The amount of options, customization, management, missions and things to do in this campaign are overwhelming, in a good way. The music is fantastic as well, Michael McCann never disappoints and I love the tactical combat. You have to think and plan your moves which is refreshing coming from traditional action games

The graphics still hold up pretty well, I am playing with DLDSR on pc and it looks clean and crisp. The art style is great and I really appreciate the variety of environments

I loved the previous XCOM when it came out in 360 and when XCOM 2 came out I played on ps4 I played it, but the crashes, bugs and extreme loading times killed my enjoyment. I could see how good the game was underneath but these problems ruined my enjoyment

Ten years later and I am now on pc, playing with DXVK which is a vulkan wrapper that basically eliminates loading screens or any sort of crashes and gives a good boost in performance and I am enjoying this very much

Seriously, for anyone who has never tried this franchise, please play it. I am not exaggerating when I say that it's one of the best games I have played ever, you will thank me for the recommendation and honestly, skip the vanilla campaign and go directly to War of the Chosen which enhances the vanilla campaign in a way that it's hard to go back

Cheers

 

[Nowa]

Never tried this series. If I start with 1 first, do I need to play enemy unknown or enemy within?

 

[Aurelius]

I personally liked XCom Enemy Within slightly better. But a great game for sure. Shame we never got a remake of Terror from the Deep.

 

[HRK69]

I couldn't get past how slow it felt. Even with certain mods, it's still painfully slow, in my opinion.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Great game, but too hard for me. I always ended up left behind tech wise and getting my squad wiped out.

 

[Froggo]

As long as you mod it to remove the stupid timer then yeah it's amazing. Although I'm still annoyed they removed the mechs that there in the first one.

 

[Gonzito]

As long as you mod it to remove the stupid timer then yeah it's amazing. Although I'm still annoyed they removed the mechs that there in the first one.

In War of The Chosen, you can do the convert ops which basically slow down the Avatar Project.

It's quite manageable to be honest.

Never tried this series. If I start with 1 first, do I need to play enemy unknown or enemy within?

Play Enemy Within first and learn how to play these types of games. I think it's a fantastic game as well although I prefer this one better

 

[amigastar]

I love XCOM Series. One of my fav game franchises. At this moment i have over 115 hours of gametime in XCOM 2, thats pretty big for me.

 

[Senua]

Xcom 3 plz

 

[WhamBamThankYouMaam]

I liked XCom a LOT. Xcom 2 never clicked with me.

 

[archangelmorph]

Why they went from this to that shitty spin off follow up, to completely abandoning it I will never know.

This game was sooooo fucking good.

I hope XCOM3 sees the light of day someday

 

[Chukhopops]

Yeah it's one of my favorites, and I love how WotC mixes up the gameplay with the new classes and mechanics.

It's also the strategy game with the best animations and combat feel, the tension, etc.

Why they went from this to that shitty spin off follow up, to completely abandoning it I will never know.

This game was sooooo fucking good.

I hope XCOM3 sees the light of day someday

Midnight Suns is completely different but it is also really good.

Midnight Suns flopping is the reason why we'll never have XCOM 3 btw.

 

[ClanOfNone]

Play og UFO Defense if you really wanna feel the pain.
Cruise ship terror missions in Terror From The Deep were a real punch to the balls too.

 

[Hudo]

 

[ClanOfNone]

Yeah it's one of my favorites, and I love how WotC mixes up the gameplay with the new classes and mechanics.

It's also the strategy game with the best animations and combat feel, the tension, etc.

Midnight Suns is completely different but it is also really good.

Midnight Suns flopping is the reason why we'll never have XCOM 3 btw.

I disliked Midnight Suns, especially when compared to the Xcoms.
The card based combat was fun enough, but the social stuff was torture.

 

[owandeseis]

Yes it is, and fuck Marvel for almost killing Firaxis and wasting their time BUT:



Keep an eye on this game, coming in just a bit over a week (early access tho, but with a good amount of content), the previews from the Demo (playable right now on Steam) are very very good, a lot of people saying it's the most exciting tactic game since XCOM 2.

Hopefully it'll be one of the sleepers this year, and one of my fav games since i also loved XCOM series

 

[MidGenRefresh]

Hit chance 95%. Proceeds to miss 6 times in a row.

 

[bender]

Play og UFO Defense if you really wanna feel the pain.
Cruise ship terror missions in Terror From The Deep were a real punch to the balls too.

My first XCOM game. Teenage me:

 

[Dynomite]

Missing with a 99% chance to hit made me uninstall.

 

[Lorianus]

The loadout music before the mission is made of 200% hype

 

[Gonzito]

Yes it is, and fuck Marvel for almost killing Firaxis and wasting their time BUT:



Keep an eye on this game, coming in just a bit over a week (early access tho, but with a good amount of content), the previews from the Demo (playable right now on Steam) are very very good, a lot of people saying it's the most exciting tactic game since XCOM 2.

Hopefully it'll be one of the sleepers this year, and one of my fav games since i also loved XCOM series

It doesn't seem to have controller support right? I know many people love to shit on people like me, who play strategy games with controller but I play games in my sofa and I can't do it woth KB and Mouse

 

[TanDad25]

What's the gentle verdict on the Switch 1 version?

 

[TintoConCasera]

For those that really, really dislike the % chance on hit, maybe check out WH40K Mechanicus, kinda similar in gameplay but attacks always hit.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

I also recommend playing XCOM1 Enemy Within first and then XCOM2 War of the Chosen. No vanilla versions. Both games are really made by their DLC, it's essential imo. I was actually pretty disappointed in XCOM2 until I got to play the dlc on pc, Just like op. Vanilla XCOM2 is lacking and dlc is unplayable on PS4.

Another thing, it might sound crazy but the most fun way to play these games is Ironman mode. Ironman means permadeath for your soldiers - you can't load an old game, the game autosaves your choices as you progess so all your decisions matter and have a lot of weight. This means you can fail a mission and even the game, but it also makes a turn based game thrilling and hype. Winning feels so much more satisfying when you aren't save scumming your way there.

Keep an eye on this game, coming in just a bit over a week (early access tho, but with a good amount of content), the previews from the Demo (playable right now on Steam) are very very good, a lot of people saying it's the most exciting tactic game since XCOM 2.

I'll keep an eye on menace.

But over the years I've often watched youtube videos that say "15 games that are just like xcom" or something to that effect. I've played many of them, some of them are good but none of them are really that similar to xcom. Can't beat the real thing I guess.

 

[Touch fuzZy. get BizZay]

What's the gentle verdict on the Switch 1 version?

switch 1 version on switch 2 is enhanced I hear but haven't tried. Switch 1 version on switch 1....well, you know what they say about 3rd party ports on switch 1

 

[LectureMaster]

Absolutely.

The gameplay loop is just satisfying as fuck. Going into fields do deep tactic combat - going back to base to do resource/time management - going back to fields with stronger gears. Never gets old.

We desperately need XCOM 3.

 

[Froggo]

Never tried this series. If I start with 1 first, do I need to play enemy unknown or enemy within?

You'll probably have more fun with the first

 

[MMaRsu]

Especially Modding it and putting in folks like the Deep Space Nine crew etc..

 

[Durin]

Absolutely.

The gameplay loop is just satisfying as fuck. Going into fields do deep tactic combat - going back to base to do resource/time management - going back to fields with stronger gears. Never gets old.

We desperately need XCOM 3.

I fear it won't happen with Jake Solomon leaving, and Midnight Suns not selling that well.

Hope I'm wrong though

 

[Gp1]

It's one of the rare cases where a sequel improves the formula of the first one to a point that it becomes obsolete.

The 1 remake fells like a bland diluted copy of the first (93) game, Xcom 2 is better even than the Original because its a different and modern game.

Play on offense as opfor is immensely more fun than the cover all corners of the remake.

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

Xcom enemy unknown is my favorite. They are all wonderful games.

 

[amigastar]

I fear it won't happen with Jake Solomon leaving, and Midnight Suns not selling that well.

Hope I'm wrong though

Yeah, i was so pissed when i heard that Jake Solomon was fired (or was he?) and left Firaxis.

 

[Durin]

Yeah, i was so pissed when i heard that Jake Solomon was fired (or was he?) and left Firaxis.

If I remember right, Jake Solomon did say he was getting less interested in simulating combat, and wanted to do more life sim stuff, which Midnight Suns mixed more of that stuff in.

Now he's got an indie company he's doing, making some life-sim that could be more of a small town version of The Sims. I assume we'll find out in the next year or so, but he also could be pivoting after Midnight Suns didn't do well.

 

[scydrex]

Damn is the hit change so fuck up? It's cheap but that is awful.

 

[Rentahamster]

You have good taste, OP.

XCOM 2 is an incredible game, and even more so to tactical turn based enjoyers. It's one of the highest hours played in my Steam library for a reason. Jake Soloman is the man, and I am still dismayed that we probably won't see an XCOM 3 anytime soon.

 

[dgproject]

It is a masterpiece.

I played it a lot a few years back on my ipad, it worked amazingly well for portable gaming.

 

[BennyBlanco]

It really is. I wish the series wasn't dead. The gameplay loop is so incredibly good and there are some outstanding mods.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I've been playing this game for the past few days and I am having the time of my life

What an incredible experience this is. To give you some context, I am playing War of the Chosen on pc and I can't put the controller down. Its exciting and constantly engaged

The amount of options, customization, management, missions and things to do in this campaign are overwhelming, in a good way. The music is fantastic as well, Michael McCann never disappoints and I love the tactical combat. You have to think and plan your moves which is refreshing coming from traditional action games

The graphics still hold up pretty well, I am playing with DLDSR on pc and it looks clean and crisp. The art style is great and I really appreciate the variety of environments

I loved the previous XCOM when it came out in 360 and when XCOM 2 came out I played on ps4 I played it, but the crashes, bugs and extreme loading times killed my enjoyment. I could see how good the game was underneath but these problems ruined my enjoyment

Ten years later and I am now on pc, playing with DXVK which is a vulkan wrapper that basically eliminates loading screens or any sort of crashes and gives a good boost in performance and I am enjoying this very much

Seriously, for anyone who has never tried this franchise, please play it. I am not exaggerating when I say that it's one of the best games I have played ever, you will thank me for the recommendation and honestly, skip the vanilla campaign and go directly to War of the Chosen which enhances the vanilla campaign in a way that it's hard to go back

Cheers

I FUCKING knew you were good people, haha.

Amazing game! One of my faves. GG OP. I'm due another play through!

 

[The Cockatrice]

Not exactly a masterpiece, it has a ton of flaws, especially in performance/bugs department and some other questionable decisions, but yes, it's a great game overall, and it's a tragedy we're not getting another. I should replay it one day.

 

[Nocty]

yes, it's wonderful.

It's tough though, and the first playthrough even on lower difficulties is brutal. I still to this day havent managed to beat it on the max difficulty.

 

[ClanOfNone]

My first XCOM game. Teenage me:

Yeah, the learning curve was a cliff, and before the internet too boot. It was the original "git gud."

Lmao, I skipped school to go buy this at a Babbages, and my car died on the way back so I got busted. Worth it for Xcom.

 

[JayK47]

Loved the first game. The DLC ruined the balance and the main game. Got Xcom 2 for free and hated it. Just brutal and I feel like I am losing out the gate and see no point in continuing. I liked the simplicity and difficulty of the base first game. Phoenix Point is also great.

 

[Lee49]

How's the performance on ps5? Heard it was very bad on ps4. Been tempted to play Xcom 2 recently and this thread might get me to finally do it. Already got the dlc in my cart as its on sale but still got concerns about the performance issues.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

I have it installed. Got the full package - Xcom 2 Collection.

Still waiting to start this, hopefully sooner.

Was planning to do two runs, vanilla, then War of the Chosen.

 

[GraveX1]

Also try Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

 

[Sentenza]

Tell me something I don't know.
I've been shilling this game for years.

The first was decent and made slightly better by the expansion.
The second was an improvement....

But War of the Chosen is what perfected the formula and made this a modern classic.

 

[Sentenza]

As long as you mod it to remove the stupid timer then yeah it's amazing. Although I'm still annoyed they removed the mechs that there in the first one.

Fuck this guy and his garbage suggestions, by the way.

 

[Sentenza]

Hit chance 95%. Proceeds to miss 6 times in a row.

"Shit that never happened and people who post it"

Damn is the hit change so fuck up? It's cheap but that is awful.

Only clueless wankers cry about missing shots in XCOM 2.
Weapons that when used properly have always 100% chance to hit, sure-hit abilities, psychic powers or explosives that always land, etc, etc.
Past the first couple of missions where you are bringing spastic rookies, the system becomes basically entirely deterministic. The moment you are relying on a "lucky roll" to achieve something you are basically already making a newbie mistake.

 

[Froggo]

Fuck this guy and his garbage suggestions, by the way.

I felt that the restrictive timers ruined a lot of the more tactical stuff. In the first game you could hunker down in a good position and fight more patiently. In 2 every mission was just a clumsy rush to the objective.

 

[Sentenza]

I felt that the restrictive timers ruined a lot of the more tactical stuff. In the first game you could hunker down in a good position and fight more patiently. In 2 every mission was just a clumsy rush to the objective.

You felt wrong and you have no clue of what you are talking about.

The "timers" (which aren't real timers but just turn countdowns) are there for a specific reason and they do nothing but IMPROVE the gameplay experience.
Putting aside that just a fraction of the missions comes with a "timer", they are at the same time forgiving enough to leave the player plenty of leeway on how to act and pressing just enough to not let anyone sleep on his turns turtling in a corner with overwatch.

If someone needs to "mod out the timers" to enjoy the game he's probably playing like a spastic.

EDIT - Here's an example of how a "strictly timed" mission usually goes:



If you know what you are doing, you typically finish them with plenty of turns to spare.
And when that's not the case and you are pressed to act faster because you wasted a lot of time before, that only ADDS to the excitement and to the thrill of the action.
I say this as someone who already complete this game at its hardest difficulty (Legendary) more times that I could count.

For those that really, really dislike the % chance on hit, maybe check out WH40K Mechanicus, kinda similar in gameplay but attacks always hit.

If someone liked XCOM, WH40K Chaosgate DaemonHunters would be a far safer bet than Mechanicus, frankly.
Both are valid games in their own right, anyway. Even if I wouldn't really say that either is AS GOOD as War of the Chosen.