Humanity has been defeated. Aliens control the entire world, and all that is left of the resistance is packed into a converted alien supply craft. Welcome to the world of XCOM 2, the sequel to the reboot of the popular tactical XCOM series set to be released on PC in November of 2015. The game is developed by Firaxis Games and will be published by 2K Games.

20 years have passed since the events of the first XCOM game, and the world in the sequel follows a scenario in which the aliens have won, having obtained unconditional surrender from Earth’s world leaders. With the remnants of the human resistance team XCOM scattered, the aliens are now ruling the world via an administration named ADVENT, having promised to usher in a new era of prosperity under their guidance. But beneath the veneer of progress and utopian society, something more sinister lurks in the motivations of the aliens. All dissent is either eliminated or marginalized to the remote fringes of the globe. Among the outcast are what is left of XCOM and their goal is to revive their strength and liberate humanity for good. The XCOM team helms the Avenger, a mobile former alien supply craft that now serves as their base of operations. Their mission is to travel across the globe, gaining support for humanity’s cause and turning the tide against the alien occupiers.

XCOM 2, like its predecessor, is a turn based, tactical combat game in which you move and command your units against enemy forces during missions. Notoriously challenging and deep, the gameplay is addicting. You recruit and train your combat units which come in 5 classes, each with their own skill trees which let you finely hone your liberation machine, and back at the base you command your support personnel to perform research and development on new gear, weapons, and tech. All of these upgrades can then be applied to your combat team during missions to help improve your chances of success.

I own XCOM: Enemy Unknown on both PS3 and PC and I have found it one of those engaging games that you keep coming back to. The ones that you find yourself thinking about while at work or at dinner, parsing out in your head the best way to get past a particular mission or how best to allocate your research resources. Because of the turn based nature, the game is a slower and more thoughtful exercise in tactical strategy.

Missions will now be affected by the present state of the world and in a wide range of terrain, from megacities to wildlands. Furthering the gameplay variety, the maps will be procedurally generated ensuring that no two missions will ever be the same. Support for mod creation will also be included, giving the players the tools they need to further enhance the game experience for each other. If that isn’t enough replay value, how does 1v1 multiplayer sound? Sounds like countless hours sunk to me. So until Novemeber, enjoy the Gameplay trailer at the beginning of the article and these screenshots:

Visit our X-com 2 Wiki

Check out more Game Articles

Keep an eye on the Fextralife Wiki Hub for future game wikis!