How does Firaxis’ sequel fare on consoles?
Strategy games and consoles haven’t always been the best of friends, they usually end up being a better experience on a PC and some console ports aren’t utilised properly, while mapping commands to a controller is also a difficult task for teams. The original XCOM and it’s expansion were the first ones that I felt had truly mastered all of these areas where others had failed. But the big question is if it’s sequel can achieve the same thing?
The game is set 20 years after the first game. Humanity has surrendered to the aliens and the XCOM team has been disbanded. There is a small resistance that aims to create a full rebellion against the alien rule over the planet once and for all, which is just as well since the remaining XCOM forces work to achieve such a goal.
If you played either of the past games, you’ll know what to expect in this turn-based action strategy game. You move your characters around a grid to possible locations and either attack the enemy or dig in to defend against incoming attacks. It’s not an easy game by any stretch, it will test you to get the right strategy to overcome your foes. As with the past games, the controls are easy to get to grips with and issuing commands to your team is too. I’ve never been that good at games like these, but even I was able to get to grips with it.
It’s definitely a stronger campaign than the original, it’s more memorable and more in-depth than before. It may not be as original or groundbreaking as it is the sequel, but it’s more than surpassed it’s predecessors. That’s not to say everything is perfect…the framerate does tend to drop now and then, while the load times are a bit on the long side as well. Other than that, it’s mostly a smooth performance.
Visually, it’s a nice looking game as well…sure it’s not as nice to look at as the PC version, but it’s still pretty good. The cutscenes and voice-acting are much improved over the original games, making for a more believable plot. The soundtrack isn’t too bad either, so all in all…it’s a good package.
The Verdict
XCOM 2 improves upon it’s predecessors in pretty much every way possible. It’s a better campaign, the controls feel natural and fluid and the overall performance is impressive…despite a few framerate and load issues. As far as sequels go, this is pretty hard to top.