XCOM 2 Reviewed at RPS

[Con]

My current dog still has his balls and is currently playing through the last mission of the original XCOM. Unmodded.

Sooo the balls on your mantle are the ones you wife neuterd off you?

[bbmike]

What exactly is a "timed" mission? Is it when it says something like "you have 4 turns to get to the landing zone"?

[IronX]

What exactly is a "timed" mission? Is it when it says something like "you have 4 turns to get to the landing zone"?

Pretty much, although it's often disarming something within several turns.

[Capn Darwin]

A number of missions are a secure this item, destroy this item, or rescue and extract a vip. You have 8 to 12 turns to get in and get out. It's a covert strike into highly controlled enemy territory. I think for those who hate the timer should get a mod that removes them, but once detected the enemy drops reinforcements every three turns with hard hitters showing up over time. That's realistic and would do the same thing. 

[Gusington]

Balls are from my first dog, RIP.

[Jarhead0331]

I'm still early on in the game, but so far I'm not overly loving it. I was concerned from the get go about being in a position of leading a ragtag group of rebels on the run. That whole plot line never appealed to me. I want to lead a professional military force...not a bunch of guys with ponytails and a hodgepodge of uniforms who have to scrounge for gear.

I'm also thinking that the game is not very well optimized. It runs well enough, but some of the animations seem a bit jumpy...not really sure how to describe it. The graphics are in some ways better, but in some ways, not as appealing to me. Everything is much brighter and much sharper, but that somehow makes it feel like it has a little less "soul"? I also wasn't entirely thrilled with the opening cinematic...just felt a little silly and a little last generation.  Again, it's hard to put my finger on exactly what is bothering me, but I'm not 100% sold yet.

Like I said, very early on and it obviously has not opened up really at all. I have no doubt the experience will improve, but it just hasn't blown my doors off, or made me feel like it's a tremendous advance over the original...in fact, I'm definitely going to keep the original on my HD.

[JasonPratt]

Having played the first couple of missions, it is definitely more of the same so far. Things haven't opened up yet, of course. But I can carry EITHER one (1) grenade OR (1) one med kit.

Which is the kind of ridiculousness the first game was rightly critted for.

But I already knew that going in, and dealt with it (teeth gnashing) in the previous game. I am not yet unhappy, all things considered.

Can I say it's worth paying opening night price for, when Enemy Within can be picked up on sale (plus Long War for nothing), and even The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (which I liked a lot more than I was expecting, although I wish they had kept the 50s G-man look much longer in the game?) No, i couldn't in good conscience say that yet. But it's early.

[JasonPratt]

I'm also thinking that the game is not very well optimized. It runs well enough, but some of the animations seem a bit jumpy...not really sure how to describe it. The graphics are in some ways better, but in some ways, not as appealing to me. Everything is much brighter and much sharper, but that somehow makes it feel like it has a little less "soul"? I also wasn't entirely thrilled with the opening cinematic...just felt a little silly and a little last generation.  Again, it's hard to put my finger on exactly what is bothering me, but I'm not 100% sold yet.

Well, it is last gen: it's still Unreal 4, right? ;)

Note to self: remember to disable to dirty camera lens filter, which I hate on anything I see with the passion of a thousand burning lens flares. (Example: the production team which makes Arrow/Flash/Supergirl/Legends. The simulated lens dirt is, at best, distracting, especially once I realized it wasn't even randomized but exactly the same across all four shows, every time it's used. Sometimes, especially in dark sfx scenes, it outright obscures whatever the heck it is I'm supposed to be watching. They might as well not even bother animating the Firestorm fx in a night shot, just shoot reaction shots from other characters and light them with flashy glows.  ) At least they make it optional. Although I somewhat suspect it'll still be on the transition/plot shots.


The gameplay feels a lot like a console port which forgot to fully add console controller functionality. I played the original XCOM remake (including EW) on my PS3, and got used to the console controls pretty fast. Technically my controller works on this, but I can never be sure what command I'm fixing to give (perhaps irretrievably), and I can't figure out how to make some things work at all. Even the mouse/keyboard controls assume you're making intuitive correct guesses sometimes, such as for canceling or backing out of some windows. The designers need to beef up the UI substantially. Take some cues from Mordheim, or better yet from the console versions of the previous game.  :P

What exactly is a "timed" mission? Is it when it says something like "you have 4 turns to get to the landing zone"?

Pretty much, although it's often disarming something within several turns.

I didn't like those in the original game either; and I like them less here. They completely screw with proper approach tactics, which kind of works when they start appearing mid-campaign, when you're using a seasoned team that might be able to handle risky gun-running. The first few missions have been 2/3 timer missions (all the first missions I've played so far except the scripted tutorial prologue), and while the first one wasn't too horrible, since the game gives you time to rush a long distance safely and then set up for ambushing, the second mission was designed to fail the player semi-randomly on any attempt (not even counting whether troops get killed, which is a normal risk for games like this).

I am enjoying it, despite my gripes; I'm about to go back in, soon, after checking on the folks (and griping here ;) ). But I can see why other people might be pissy. The early missions (at least) amount to a limited variance skin-and-map pack, designed to teach players bad habits in a schizophrenic fashion (while tutoring good habits).

I would praise the new Concealment system, but I'm unsure so far what it really brings to the table other than making it clearer under what circumstances the enemy will detect you. That would be, and is, helpful by itself; but the designers seem to be making it out to be more important than that, like maybe you get first strike bonuses if you use it to set up and trigger an overwatch ambush on the enemy. Which would be good, but I can't really see that that's happening for sure. (I mean the bonuses; I've triggered an overwatch ambush each turn just fine so far.)

[Arctic Blast]

Well, the first attempt is always bit exploratory. Lesson learned : play fast and loose and you will get royally worked over.  :-[

Preparing Operation 'Start Over'.  ;D

[Grim.Reaper]

One thing I wished the game had (unless I am missing it) is some kind of skirmish/individual missions and random battle generator, without having to play the campaign.  I really love the tactical battles, but not as big of a fan in playing the campaign because I suck at knowing what to research, build, investigate, etc.  Would rather just play a bunch of battles without having to worry about the rest.

[tgb]

One thing I wished the game had (unless I am missing it) is some kind of skirmish/individual missions and random battle generator, without having to play the campaign.  I really love the tactical battles, but not as big of a fan in playing the campaign because I suck at knowing what to research, build, investigate, etc.  Would rather just play a bunch of battles without having to worry about the rest.

You're not missing it-that's never been part of XCOM (or X-Com)

[Grim.Reaper]

One thing I wished the game had (unless I am missing it) is some kind of skirmish/individual missions and random battle generator, without having to play the campaign.  I really love the tactical battles, but not as big of a fan in playing the campaign because I suck at knowing what to research, build, investigate, etc.  Would rather just play a bunch of battles without having to worry about the rest.

You're not missing it-that's never been part of XCOM (or X-Com)

That's what I thought......it would really add a lot of shelf-life for me if it did.

[Zulu1966]

One thing I wished the game had (unless I am missing it) is some kind of skirmish/individual missions and random battle generator, without having to play the campaign.  I really love the tactical battles, but not as big of a fan in playing the campaign because I suck at knowing what to research, build, investigate, etc.  Would rather just play a bunch of battles without having to worry about the rest.

You're not missing it-that's never been part of XCOM (or X-Com)

That's what I thought......it would really add a lot of shelf-life for me if it did.

Totally agree with that. Cant think why they haven't added it. Though it seems they have done next to nothing with the multiplayer aspect in any case. Like the game. Hate the timed missions. Geoscape is a bit confusing as yet to what I am meant to be doing exactly.

[Huw the Poo]

Grim, that's exactly how I feel about the first game.  I'm pretty good at the tactical battles and love doing them, but I can't stand the strategic layer.  Too much stuff to juggle, I always end up losing too many countries no matter what I do.

[Grim.Reaper]

Grim, that's exactly how I feel about the first game.  I'm pretty good at the tactical battles and love doing them, but I can't stand the strategic layer.  Too much stuff to juggle, I always end up losing too many countries no matter what I do.

Yep, I stink at that stuff too...I understand it is an important part of the game, but still would love the option to just generate random battles...heck, I would even purchase a DLC/Add-On to get it:)

Just had my first disaster with timed missions...had my most experienced crew on the ground conducting a mission.  Completed the actual objective of the mission but couldn't find the stupid extraction zone.  When I finally did, I was on the other end of the map and could not make it to the zone before the timer ended.....lost my entire skilled crew:(   ......that sucks!

Certainly my fault for not figuring out how to get out of there, but a very high price to pay....