XCOM® 2

The XCOM games by firaxis both contain some extremely cohesive art and action which help take a genre with a lot of downtime and still make it exciting. Ontop of this, the systems in XCOM 2 WOTC are great. Not insanely deep but broad causing nuance to every start and midgame.

It is a shame this game is currently rated below 4 stars and sold for SO cheap, you might think it's some utterly failed crap. While I can't judge the GOG version itself (I own it on Steam), I can say it is a great game. It continues what the Enemy Within expansion did for XCOM 1 and gives you many ways to customize your soldiers with equipment and skills. A major component of XCOM 2 is, that many mission need to be fulfilled within a given limit of turns (which was also stronger emphasized in the XCOM 1 EW). People have mixed feelings about this. I personally like the time limits, as it forces you to take risks by quickly advancing instead of playing it safe by slowly advancing with overwatch. This is balanced with a slightly more generous health pool of your soldiers and the fact, that there are more skills which allow you to kill several enemies with one soldier per turn. This requires a proper setup and can really turn the battle around. So satisfying when it works! The War of the Chosen expansion even changes up the smaller DLCs previously released and incorporates them into the expansion. The lord aliens offer a unique challenge, as they get an additional move for every action a soldier takes. "Free" actions and stun items thus become much more useful. The Chosen have each unique abilities and random strength and weaknesses each time you start a new game. They can randomly appear in any mission and can kidnap your soldiers, which keeps you on your toes. If you can defeat any lord or Chosen, you are rewarded with powerful unique gear. Because you get only one of each, you better be careful not to lose them if your soldier gets downed, kidnapped or did not evacuate! In general, XC2 forces you to think much more about how you spend or collect ressources and puts limits on everything. Even if your soldiers are not injured on the mission, they become tired and you have to rotate your roster. And the "propaganda" storyline is more topical than ever!

This game is an age old favourite for me, all the way back to playing the original one.It still holds up graphic wise considering it's age. Even if you beat it to death on all difficulties, it's still got life because it's very easy to mod to your liking. 8 thumbs up! Strongly recommend!

It is fun, story rich and immersive tactical squat shooter with strategy elements. Tip: Save before each mission!

I played all of the original xcoms as a kid and really enjoy this update. It has everything that made the original game great but also has an updated and modern feel.