So XCOM 2 is out. I've already raked up five hours and I damn well love the game. It's just enemy unknown but better. The mobile base, being a resistance movement, concealment. It's all great!

Now we just need pony mods

Anyway what's everyone else's opinion on the game?

Steam says I've played 12 hours so far (yes, I did take the day off from work).

Personally, I love the ambush tactics we go through. The timer on missions is also pretty nice, and you do feel the constant pressure in this game even worse than the first one. I feel there always a ton of things to research develop, places to go to, and never enough time.

Still no free aiming mode, which is basically my only prejudice from UFO defence, but that didn't stop me from loving EU and EW.

Oh yeah, and Veteran difficulty seems too easy... next playthrough I'm jumping straight to Legend (new name of impossible difficulty)!

EDIT: oh yeah, one downside in my opinion, the memorial... I liked the previous one much more. Got 6 people in it, including a sergeant and lieutenant...

*Fully admits I have an Xcom addiction*

I'm enjoying the fluff and all the little details scattered about. Like the churches having their crosses replaced by the Advent symbol and personal crosses in peoples have been altered. So they have taken our world, our genes, and even our Gods!

Time to go mideval on their asses! Summon forth the Spanish Inquisition for all captured aliens!
(Hey at least it might get all the different faiths united. Nothing better than a common enemy. )

I just kind of wish that we could see like what has happened to famous places, see the Advent Conquered Las Vegas. The Great Wall of China turned into an Advent city/base. The UN torn down and replaced with a giant Advent monument.

Im also keeping my fingers crossed for some Command and Conquer Mods, so that we may play as the Glorious Brotherhood of Nod! And serve our master Kane!

Edit: And a Starship Troopers or Xenonauts mod would be cool

So far, I've got at least 6 hours logged in the campaign on Veteran. My biggest gripe so far is the framerate issues. My PC setup isn't the top of the line, but its got the necessary tools to run this seemingly modest game at high settings and better. Having the Skyranger chug off to missions at a few frames per second is annoying. Not that there's much difference between the high and medium settings. I guess I expected higher quality in the graphics department when this game was announced as a PC exclusive.

Also, while the characters and gameplay have me hooked more than ever, I can't help but feel this "sequel" is dropping the ball in the story department. Early game spoilers below:

So, my initial theories about why the Ethereals would keep the commander alive might be somewhat correct. The chip inside the commander's head is meant to simulate combat scenarios with the first war as a backdrop. This information is then transmitted to their high-ranking forces and leaders.

That being said, if the entirety of EU / EW and the victory scenario ends up being a Matrix-esque illusion I will feel more than a little cheated by Firaxis. This isn't Civilization where no set history needs to be established for future games. XCOM's story, although minimal, works best when it advances along with the players' discoveries and victories. Continuity and player agency should be seen as a vital tool, not an afterthought.

End spoilers. Sorry for the rant. Still having a great time with the game, and I imagine that enjoyment will only increase the further in I get.

P.S. - For all fans of Arad's Stardust series, take a look at Dr. Vahlen's dossier in the Avenger's files. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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P.S. - For all fans of Arad's Stardust series, take a look at Dr. Vahlen's dossier in the Avenger's files. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

*runs off to go and check*

Arad should totally make the Firaxis crew a bunch of Xcom representatives who convince people and ponies to join Xcom. And their tagline is "That's Xcom baby!"

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Wait... I don't remember Vahlen like that... hmm, must be because I was the Great Commandy One? That or the devs at Firaxis have read Stardust ^^

Hmm, I didn't even consider the 'matrix' possibility for the story yet. To be honest, I'm still hoping that at some point, even if during the last battle, the Volunteer teleports in. Am I the only one who'd love to see him again?

Oooh.. seven soliders lost now... One of which was my favourite soldier, and the only one for which I bothered to customize his appearance, name, nickname and even history... So the game gave him a risible death...

Exo suits on everybody OP. Screw loot and Vahlen, I have rocket launchers!

True... nothing says infiltration like 6 heavies with bigass machine guns, grenade launchers and arm rocket launcher...

On that note, you guys noticed the environments are almost completely destructibles? There's something awesome about one shooting a group of enemies from ambush with just one rocket because they were on the second floor!!!

P.S. Just found the new chrysalids... Warning, they're a lot more dangerous....

Not a huge fan of the "Skulljack objective enemy, suddenly a much tougher enemy appears" convention, but it's work-around-able.
Hacking MECs and Sectopods never gets old, though. And those brief times where you mind control a Shieldbearer are fun.

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I just kind of wish that we could see like what has happened to famous places, see the Advent Conquered Las Vegas. The Great Wall of China turned into an Advent city/base. The UN torn down and replaced with a giant Advent monument.

I kind of like the fact that those things aren't there, that every city across the planet looks the same - it shows how deeply ADVENT have tried to eliminate personal and national identity. Both erasing people's memories of the world before and giving them no icons or ideals to rally around. Now all the masses have left is those damned tasty ADVENT burgers.

Gonna beat the game on normal first, get a grasp of what the optimal build and research strategy is. Haven't had anybody die yet, but then again I save scum shamelessly. Of course my reasoning for this is that if aliens are allowed to shoot through the dang roof to hit one of my soldiers from two stories below, then I am completely justified. I think the ridiculous LOS has been fixed a bit, though, since the aliens don't seem to have x-ray vision anymore. I do love the destructible environments and fall damage. So satisfying to launch a rocket and blow a hole under an Advent squad, then watch them fall to their deaths.

I think one of the most hilarious moments for me so far is when I had to skulljack a Codex, resulting in it summoning an Avatar. Then I proceed to unload on it with my grenadier's chain shot and boom, down in one turn. Psionic god, my left foot.

They really need to do something about the framerate drop whenever you're in the Avenger facility overview screen, though.

Yep, did the same. Made quite a few mistakes, just to see how stuff works properly. And, I finally finished it (in normal). Next, legendary playthrough. My only regret is to have started psionics too late, same for advanced warfare center, I even had a few colonels by that point... Btw, game says, I landed 92.7% of my shots!!!

Skulljack removed interrogations, and I have to say, it's quite a hilarious change.

Also, have to agree, it is kinda disappointing no traces of my previous playthrough is left. Even just a few seconds at the end, even after the end, with the Volunteer popping in... Well, hopefully THIS time we won, and next game we'll get to meet whatever the Ethereals mentioned...

Also, while I have been seemingly lucky and didn't meet aliens shooting through walls, nor any kind of bugs within the game, loading took forever, and the Skyranger scenes have a massive fps drop.