Saying the word ‘XCOM’ to people tends to summon images of the 2012 series. Those who are a little older are already muttering, ‘What about X-COM?!’ While the former has seemingly influenced a small but fairly mighty set of games, the latter has gone overlooked. Xenonauts 2 is not overlooking it; in fact, it’s staring it dead in the eyes and declaring its love and affection.
Xenonauts 2 is a harsh, often cruel, force that demands the focus of anyone who sits before it. There’s a near-constant switch of momentum between victory and defeat. Every success feels earned, and every failure is impactful. It’s this axis upon which the entire Xenonauts experience pivots.
Getting to grips with the depths the game offers was a struggle in the first entry in the series. A huge challenge for any deep game is player onboarding, even more so for new blood to the genre. Xenonauts 2 has crafted a solid tutorial that informs the player without overwhelming them. This was the first sign that, despite the depth, the thought remains on every level.
Xenonauts 2 is a large game, made of many small parts. Split between the management and the strategy, everything feeds into each other in a smooth, rewarding cycle. Player begin their crusade to push out the alien menace by selecting a position for their base. Alien events can pop up across the globe, with the base’s proximity dictating how long it takes to deploy to the event.
Bases act, as you’d imagine, as the central hub of the player’s actions and decisions. From investing in new tech, crafting an armory that meets your needs, or taking time to enjoy some silly, randomly generated soldier names and nationality combos. Everything costs (well, bar the last point) both time and money. Keeping on top of your budget is just as important as tracking your hanger or squads. It’s the foundation of how a playthrough will go, lurking away in the background.
You see, the death of your men or the loss of an airship might feel like a loss within itself, but it’s the resources invested in those things that make the biggest impact. It’s a strange experience in which loss of life is no longer a separate thing, but inherently attached to the loss of assets. A cold way of thinking, but a required way…which is when you realize Xenonauts has hooked into you.
All forms of combat are governed by a point system. How far your units can move, and the actions they can perform. Each and every point matters, highlighting the importance of strategy and decision-making. Positioning your forces, advancing them, and ensuring your arsenal is well-rounded. It’s all key to a successful engagement. When a foe is spotted, several variables come into play regarding actually hitting them. Weapon type, environment, distance, skills of the soldier taking the shot, and the type of foe you’re shooting at. Every aspect takes a direct influence
A wasted point can make all the difference (the overall theme of the devil being in the detail appears once again) in what feels like a constant struggle to keep your head above water…in a good way.
That is, perhaps, the greatest strength of Xenonauts 2. Every event feels impactful. The constantly ticking doomsday clock progresses, only going back upon the successful completion of missions. Failure brings the clock forward, as does ignoring events that you will have to do as you weigh up the risk and reward of engaging with said events.
When the fight is taken to the alien forces, it becomes clear that the struggles are only just beginning. The best-laid plans can be flipped on their head by a single ambush or an unaccounted-for foe. Xenonauts is hard; you will lose troops. Even battleworn veterans who’ve accumulated increased stat points can be taken out within the blink of an eye. There’s a unique sense of satisfaction when a mission is carried out successfully with minimal casualties. When you’ve outsmarted the alien menace through a combination of tactics, understanding, and bravery, it’s hard not to feel a buzz.
The very nature of Xenoauts 2 presents itself as whether or not this is an attractive prospect or not. Base building and resource management are integral to success; ignoring them will stunt any possible progress. Managing the time allotted to the player in connection to everything else truly makes Xenoauts 2 a game of weighty decisions. This is before you even get to the combat side of things. A number of games claim to be rewarding the more you put into them, but Xenoauts 2 might be the best example of this being true. By the time a campaign hits double digits, your base is purring, your troops are geared in experimental tech, and you still feel on edge.
It may be hard, it may be deep, but it’s worth the investment. Rage quits, save scumming, 82% hit chances missing, it’s part of the DNA. You will fail, you will lose everything, and the world will end. But you’ll start again, a new strategy, a new idea, a fresh approach. And you’ll love every moment of it. Xenonauts 2 is not just a successful love letter to its inspiration, but a robust experience within its own right.
The Final Word
A slow-burning, but extremely rewarding experience that doesn’t hold back. Xenonauts 2 knows exactly what it wants to be and does it well.
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