Now this is how you follow up a fantastic reboot. Read on below for Stuart Andrews’ review of the PC version of XCOM 2

It’s a game that trusts you to figure out its nuances itself, and it’s all the better for it. This lacks the vertical learning curve of many strategy games, slowly easing you in with exciting combat encounters instead of overwhelming you with walls of text. Though I’d still play on PC if given the option – because the HUD looks sharper on a monitor and it feels slightly more natural to play with a mouse – XCOM 2 is a stellar port, bringing the full-fat experience across otherwise intact.Įven if you’re not a strategy game fan, you owe it to yourself to give this a try anyway – it transcends genres.

The Xbox One version, while capped at 30fps, doesn’t have any of the frame rate issues that the PC version had at launch either, so you’re never distracted by jerkiness. XCOM 2 translates surprisingly well onto console, with the controls feeling intuitive and the map’s grid negating the need for precision mouse control – buttons act as hotkeys for certain actions. This being a slow-paced strategy game, you’ll miss neither. As for performance, if anything it’s more stable than on the PC version, thanks to a capped frame rate and fewer visual effects. Obviously an analogue stick doesn’t match the precision of a mouse when trying to choose a location for a squad member to run to, but the game does a great job of making the cursor snap to the right grid, judging by your stick inputs. Often-used commands that you can select without choosing a target – reloading and Overwatch, for example – are mapped to buttons, so you can pull them off without fuss. Give the right trigger a squeeze to initiate an attack command and you’re presented with an on-screen selection of icons. Fortunately, those mistakes won’t be down to the input method, as the former PC-exclusive’s controls transfer over to the Xbox One pad surprisingly well. Luckily, those concerns can be put aside – XCOM 2 on console is still unmissable.Īs anyone who’s played the PC version will know, any mistake or error of judgement can prove devastating. If you’d caught this messaging, you’d be forgiven for feeling cautious about the game’s console port. At the time, there weren’t even any plans to develop controller support for PC. You can also read our full review of the original PC version on this page XCOM 2 console reviewĭuring the run-up to XCOM 2’s initial release, developer Firaxis spoke candidly about its decision to keep it PC-exclusive, saying it felt more comfortable on the platform and explaining how the game’s UI – filled with on-screen information – worked better on a monitor. Available on PS4, Xbox One (version tested), PCĮditor’s Note: Below is Kirk McKeand’s review of the console port of XCOM 2.

Xcom 2 save editor ps4