XCOM 2
| XCOM 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | Firaxis Games | ||
| Publisher | 2K Games | ||
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
5th February 2016 | ||
| platform | Windows , macOS , Linux , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One | ||
| Game engine | Unreal Engine 3.5 | ||
| genre | Turn-based strategy game | ||
| Game mode | Single player , multiplayer | ||
| control | Mouse and keyboard (PC) | ||
| system advantages preconditions |
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| medium | Blu-ray Disc , DVD-ROM , download | ||
| language | German | ||
| Age rating |
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XCOM 2 is a computer game from the developer Firaxis Games and was published by the publisher 2K Games on February 5, 2016 for the Windows , macOS and Linux operating systems . It is a turn-based strategy game and is the sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown from 2012. In September 2016, corresponding implementations for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One followed . The action begins twenty years after the war against the aliens and the defeat of humanity and its military organization XCOM.
action
XCOM 2 is set in 2035 and begins twenty years after the events of XCOM: Enemy Unknown . The multinational military and scientific organization XCOM was unable to avert the alien threat. In the end, it was deceived by the tactics of the Council of Nations, which surrendered to the aliens shortly after the invasion. As a result, XCOM became an underground organization that reformed the resistance in the underground. Many former XCOM officers, such as Central Officer Bradford, preferred to oppose the new alien government and went into hiding. The earth is now controlled by ADVENT, a puppet regime, whose propaganda glosses over alien rule by calling the alien invasion a peaceful contact and branding the earthly XCOM force as terrorists.
In this scenario, the player takes on the role of a commander who awakens from stasis in an alien captivity and is rescued by Central Officer Bradford. XCOM prepares an attack on an alien convoy to steal a supply of the mineral elerium, which is the basis of alien technology. This is to be used to equip the Avenger , a captured alien ship.
The Avenger serves as the basis for operations against the alien force as the game progresses. As a result, the starting position for the course of the game is not that of a fixed military headquarters within a conventional military exchange of blows. Rather, XCOM is now operating as a colorfully mixed rebel troop, all operations are prepared on board the ship and planned with the help of the geoscape, a world map. The task is to expand the Avenger , to collect supplies, to establish contact with XCOM splinter groups or to start operations against the occupiers.
In the course of the game, individual pieces of information obtained during operations are combined to form the image of a secret alien project, the Avatar Project. XCOM scientists Tygan and Shen discover that ADVENT leaders suffer from a disease that causes their bodies to break down. In order to escape this fate, they began to create new bodies for themselves from abducted people, the so-called avatars. Under pressure from resistance from XCOM and fear of exposure, the Avatar Project is accelerated by bringing millions of people to genetic clinics under the pretext of curing all diseases. This project also acts as a trigger within the game to challenge player decisions, as it represents a countdown: the project continues in the background and when it is completed the game ends automatically. Only attacks on alien facilities delay the project and reset the countdown.
Gameplay
The scenario has a strong impact on the tactical orientation of the approach within the course of the game. Operations with initially four and later six fighters must be carried out undercover, sneak missions and ambushes dominate, and the enemy in battle can rarely be operated from a position of equivalence, as the armament of the XCOM fighters does not allow this. Despite the introduction of sneaking tactics into the gameplay, it does not replace combat or it is possible to complete a level exclusively in stealth, as ADVENT keeps sending new reinforcements. There are also faster skirmishes than in Enemy Unknown with "hit-and-run" missions, in which the units have to penetrate the alien facilities and reach their objectives quickly in order to return immediately to the starting point.
The character customization, with which players can design the personalities and the appearance of their fighters, has been expanded. This also includes gender, nationality and weapons. The "Resistance Warrior Pack" opens up further options for character design, but this is only available to those buyers who have ordered the game in advance.
Comprehensive support for game modifications ( mods ) is a basic feature as in the previous version. XCOM 2 includes the Unreal Development Kit (UDK) , which can be used to program changes to the game. The retail version already contained so-called Day-One-Mods, which Firaxis Games developed in cooperation with Long War Studios . With the addition of the Development Kit, numerous modifications from the player and developer community were available shortly after publication, including mods that directly improved playability, for example shortening the very long loading times compared to the predecessor.
Rating
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The game was received positively by the trade press and achieved a value of 89% in the month of publication in Metacritic based on 67 ratings for Windows PCs - two years after its initial publication, the game received a value of 88% in Metacritic based on 104 reviews . The "excellently presented round battles" as well as the demanding levels of difficulty of the game are emphasized, which could also be regarded as negative criticism, because the levels of difficulty could lead to frustrations for beginners at the beginning.
The game exhausted the current PC hardware on the release date in terms of graphics and physics. Accordingly, the technical review pointed to the high system requirements for the game with high resolutions and the highest level of detail as well as to the loading times, which are particularly long compared to the predecessor. XCOM 2 has also been available for consoles since September 30, 2016 . The title also achieved excellent results on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 . The English-language site Gamespot distributed 85% for the Xbox One version and on PS4Info the PlayStation 4 version achieved a total of 4 out of 5 stars including a purchase recommendation.
Web links
- Official website
- XCOM 2 at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Matthias Dammes: XCOM 2: Test, Release, Mods, Video, DLC, Season Pass and System Requirements - All information article on pcgames.de , section "XCOM 2 exclusively for PC - The reasons", accessed on February 14, 2016
- ↑ It was also ZEIT - XCOM 2 from September 6, 2016 on consoles. In: ps4info. Retrieved June 8, 2016 .
- ↑ Dalton Cooper: 'XCOM 2' Announced by 2K Games, Release Window Revealed article on gamerant.com , accessed February 14, 2016
- ↑ XCOM on Twitter Tweet from the developers about customization, accessed on February 14, 2016
- ↑ XCOM: Enemy Unknown is free to play on Steam this weekend ( Memento from January 22, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Official message from publisher and developer about the pre-test on Steam, accessed on February 14, 2016
- ↑ Matthias Dammes: XCOM 2: The best mod downloads for less waiting times, longer round limits and more options in the character editor article on pcgames.de , accessed on February 18, 2016
- ↑ XCOM 2 - PS4. In: gamerankings.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ XCOM 2 - PC. In: gamerankings.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ XCOM 2 - Xbox One. In: gamerankings.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ XCOM2 - PS4. In: metacritic.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ a b XCOM 2 - PC. In: metacritic.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ XCOM 2 - Xbox One. In: metacritic.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018 .
- ↑ XCOM 2: Metascore 89 based on 67 Reviews ( Memento from February 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ). Rating cross section of the trade press on Metacritic.com , accessed on February 14, 2016
- ↑ Peter Bathge: XCOM 2: Big Test with Video - a mercilessly good tactical game with a top design and high replay value . Article from pcgames.de , February 2, 2016, accessed on February 14, 2016
- ↑ Thilo Bayer: XCOM 2 in the technology test with benchmarks: A quantum leap with a small catch . Article from pcgameshardware.de , February 7, 2016, accessed on February 17, 2016
- ^ Survival of the fittest. Retrieved October 11, 2016 .
- ↑ XCOM 2 - The highlight of the year? In: ps4info.de. Retrieved October 11, 2016 .