Xenonauts 2 review: old school XCOM-like doesn’t pull punches

Despite XCOM being a near-famous name at this point (Mario and Warhammer 40,000 are certainly eye-catching), few games have so openly mimicked the series’ origins as 2014. Xenonaut. As a love letter to 1994 X-COM: UFO Defenseadded even more complexity to its already grueling turn-based formula, weaving in branching tech upgrades and tense tactical skirmishes. Xenonaut 2 It continues that tradition by doubling the depth, nuance and difficulty of both. Xenonaut And the game that inspired it.

the premise of Xenonaut 2 It’s 2009, the Cold War isn’t over, and society is beginning to unravel. Unfolding alongside global geopolitical tensions, the growing UFO activity has reached a boiling point. You command a multinational special forces team dedicated to defending the planet and eradicating invaders. The technology at your disposal (including the M16 and M9 Beretta) seems somewhat outdated, as if without peace the world cannot make any visible progress. Things change quickly when you start assimilating and adopting alien products. Narratively, its tone is captivating, oscillating between silly and decidedly brooding.

Never played Xenonaut — for that matter, even in XCOM games — No need to run away in fear. One of the sequel’s great strengths is how well it conveys the inner workings of its overlapping systems.where first Xenonaut It was a grueling experience with very little hands-on experience, but this new version features detailed tutorials as well as a nice nested tooltip mechanism to quickly identify keywords and processes in the UI. There is so much to understand here, especially since it is so difficult that you will have to refer to the text through several campaigns.

of Xenonaut 2, there is an ongoing and intense sense of tension maintained by a dual layer of local squad-based combat and global map overarching strategy. Half of the game is spent in the operations room at the base. There, they monitor a geoscape, a map of the world that highlights alien activity and displays the reach of the headquarters’ sensors. He has a chance to scramble a fighter plane and shoot it down as UFOs fly through the monitored airspace. Success is not guaranteed and often there are more targets than new units to engage.

This macro-level combat system is automated. Combat outcomes are randomized, with technology, skill, and the amount of air reaction taken into account when determining the outcome. There are options for a more in-depth approach where automated combat can be observed in real time from a two-dimensional overhead display, but as developer Goldhawk Interactive points out, it’s not yet fully functional in the Early Access version. Because it is difficult to determine the depth of the feature at the moment. For now, it’s just a long automation where you can observe the evolution of abstracted encounters. Still, the game doesn’t dwell on these dogfights for long, so this lack of deciding power isn’t too much of a concern. Instead, the majority of play focuses on more intimate tactical ground combat.

Image: Goldhawk Interactive/Hooded Horse

All systems in the game are built around squad-based conflicts. All the time you spend back at base managing your troop roster, upgrading your equipment, and deciding which research projects to pursue will be reflected in this readiness phase of turn-based combat. It’s satisfying to plan for upcoming tactical challenges while back at base, but once you’re in the tactical layer, you’re faced with disorienting and exhilarating scenarios.

Of course, the emphasis is expected to be on line-of-sight, cover, and percentile probability of hitting alien targets. However, there are also many additional features that encourage a flexible approach. Terrain, for example, is completely destructible. You can destroy walls and create new passages across the map. The action point system is very granular, allowing each weapon to be fired in one of several ways to optimize efficiency and quality of fire. Whether you rely on low-percentage snapshots to save action points, take more deliberate aim shots, or relax and attack in full auto to hit multiple targets. Judging can be nerve-wracking. We must also consider the morale and panic of the military, and the civilian population of the neutral nations that must be protected or defended from time to time.And these are the wrinkles that can occur Simple Mission.

Image: Goldhawk Interactive/Hooded Horse

Different mission types add more texture to combat. A typical scenario would be the aforementioned hunt, followed by the capture of a UFO shot down by a fighter squadron. This allows you to be creative as a commander, as victory can be achieved simply by eliminating all enemies on the map or finding an alien ship and holding it for several turns in a row. Other mission options will appear over time during the campaign, some of which progress the “main story”. These include investigating and raiding “Cleaner” outposts, lairs of secret human factions operating against your cause. Sometimes you need to steal data from servers or eliminate VIP targets. It’s all varied and compelling, combined with the versatility of different maps to continuously transform the campaign until a (hopefully favorable) conclusion is reached.

Diversity and unpredictability are the crucial differences between the two. Xenonaut 2 and the original game. There are even more alien types, additional equipment, numerous new research options, and new scenario types. Importantly, the skirmishes in the sequel also take place in a fully 3D environment. You can rotate the camera. This is more than just a simple novelty, it can help you find new perspectives or capture previously obscure target beads.

But that’s the problem.These improvements are welcome, but over time whoosh As a result, they feel flat.For better or worse, the overall loop is Xenonaut 2 A striking resemblance to the 2014 title.gold hawk poke Xenonaut 2‘s graphics in a modern direction, with vivid character models and sharp special effects. Various systems and subsystems maintain their complexity and guts. The story is a rough rehash. People who are content to spend hours on the original title and are looking for something markedly different, such as the leap they see between the next titles. XCOM: Unknown Enemy and xcom2again XCOM 2: Battle of the Chosen Then you won’t find it here.

Image: Goldhawk Interactive/Hooded Horse

Also, I should reiterate that this is a very early access title. In addition to the incomplete aerial combat layers detailed, in certain sections of the story entire pages of text are missing, instead conspicuous “[placeholder]However, this is less frustrating because the reason you jump into this title is the fun turn-based combat that feels well-featured and powerful. Xenonaut 2in its current form, struggles to smooth out rough spots throughout the campaign.

Xenonaut 2 Not a revolutionary release. This is a conservative modernization of an old-fashioned tactic. It fits right into its odd little niche as a sequel to the classic ’90s love letter. Improved diversity and demanding scenarios may not push the boundaries any further than in 2014, but we were already in great shape from the start.

Xenonaut 2 Coming July 18th on Windows PC. This game was reviewed using a pre-release download code provided by Hooded Horse. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, but Vox Media may earn a commission on products purchased via affiliate links.discoverable Additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy can be found here.