War of the Chosen - Best Expansion @PCGamer

PCGamer have selected XCOM 2: War of the Chosen for best expansion of 2017.

PC Gamer's Best Expansion of 2017 is XCOM 2: War of the Chosen, as selected by our global team. Below, its biggest fans on the team offer some commentary on their experiences with the game. Find the rest of our 2017 GOTY Awards and personal picks here.

Tom Senior: In just five years Firaxis has successfully resurrected XCOM and explored a bunch of different takes on the formula. War of the Chosen is the most inventive yet, filling out the world with new friendly resistance factions and bitter rivals in the form of the Chosen themselves. The blue bad guys are obviously a focus point, but I love the resistance heroes even more, though, for their amazing, almost game-breaking abilities. The reapers get the cool long coats, but I came to love the templars the most because they look like they’ve dived out of Mass Effect to stab everything with electricity.



Bo Moore: War of the Chosen took one of the best games of 2016 and made it even better—by adding campy, moustache-twirling villains that mock you at every turn. The titular Chosen give a voice (more than Simlish-like gurgling) to your alien adversaries, and in that voice, the game's enemies finally have some personality. It feels awful when they ambush your squad, taunt your forces, and kidnap your soldiers. But it makes vanquishing them all the more sweeter.

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I enjoyed the expansion well enough, but I have to say I was quite disappointed considering the massive hype surrounding it.

To me, it felt like the exact same game with a few neat enhancements - and I have no idea how Firaxis "almost" considered it to be X-Com 3.

Oh well, I guess there aren't that many proper expansions to compete with this.

I loved the expansion but can't really comment on how it compared to other expansions

Was there even other games with expansion (or just content DLCs) this year on PC?

Outside MMOs, I can't think of any.

Originally Posted by NewDArt
(…)

To me, it felt like the exact same game with a few neat enhancements - and I have no idea how Firaxis "almost" considered it to be X-Com 3.

(…).

@NewDArt, this is my hope for an XCOM-3: Firaxis, knowing the expansion doesn't have enough content to be a proper sequel, ditched the idea, in favor of releasing a more meaty XCOM-3.

Or so I hope…

What a horrible junk and they dared to name this game XCOM 2. Even XCOM EW was way better than this abominable trainwreck. Anyone who wants real fun should check out XPiratez!

I liked the game, I'd give it 9/10

Originally Posted by NewDArt
I enjoyed the expansion well enough, but I have to say I was quite disappointed considering the massive hype surrounding it.

To me, it felt like the exact same game with a few neat enhancements - and I have no idea how Firaxis "almost" considered it to be X-Com 3.

Oh well, I guess there aren't that many proper expansions to compete with this.

So it's really not much different at all? I had heard that it was, and I was planning on playing X-Com 2 by itself first so I could experience the changes. It sounds like I might have to rethink that.

While you are entitle to your opinion I believe not many would agree.

Originally Posted by mercy
What a horrible junk and they dared to name this game XCOM 2. Even XCOM EW was way better than this abominable trainwreck. Anyone who wants real fun should check out XPiratez!

Originally Posted by JDR13
So it's really not much different at all? I had heard that it was, and I was planning on playing X-Com 2 by itself first so I could experience the changes. It sounds like I might have to rethink that.

I'd say it's ok for an expansion and it adds some neat features that does make the game more interesting. My favorite parts are the new classes and stuff you can research.

I quite hated "The Chosen", though.

But the word around release was that it added "so much" that it was practically a new game.

Personally, I strongly disagree with that perception. It felt nothing like a new game - and very much like the same old with new stuff added.

I couldn't even finish a single game before getting tired of more of the same - and the changes that were supposed to change the strategic layer "fundamentally" were little more than gimmicks to my mind.

The weakest part of these new X-Com games is the strategic layer - and I still think it feels more like an abstracted boardgame than a proper strategy game in that way.

I would recommend getting a deal on X-Com 2 + the expansion - unless you think you're likely to become a major fan, in which case playing the expansion later on might be worth it to squeeze it for all it's got.

Personally, I don't think I'll be playing X-Com 2 again. One playthrough with vanilla was enough for me.

The tactical layer is great fun - but I can only stand so much samey grindy fighting before I've had enough.

Incidentally, the expansion was particularly painful in terms of forced drawn out battles.

Some people love that - as the "Long War" mod popularity shows. I don't.

How long would you say an average game of vanilla X-Com 2 lasts?

I spent 40+ hours on a single playthough of X-Com EU with no mods. Is X-Com 2 comparable?

Originally Posted by JDR13
How long would you say an average game of vanilla X-Com 2 lasts?

I spent 40+ hours on a single playthough of X-Com EU with no mods. Is X-Com 2 comparable?

That very much depends on your playstyle - I would say.

I think I completed vanilla X-Com (the new one) in around 25-30 hours. For X-Com 2 - it was closer to 45-50 hours.

If you like to see it all and do everything - I'm sure you could extend that even more.

Ah ok. I didn't think it was that long, so I'm glad I asked.

It doesn't seem like it would be worthwhile to do separate playthroughs with and without the expansion.

If you're a casual fan, I would say you're right about that. Get the expansion and you'll have a great time and quite a long game.

There are a lot of mods available if you feel like multiple playthroughs and messing around - but stick with the pure experience at first, I would say.

I liked X-com two but really found it just too easy. I plan on grabbing the expansion at some point, but haven't played that as of yet.

Yea it was pretty easy. The expansion is also pretty easy. There will be a difficulty spike in the middle but by the end it is extremely easy.

I think the game is more difficult if your rush it as you are less powerful so that is one option to increase the difficulty.

Originally Posted by Carnifex
I liked X-com two but really found it just too easy. I plan on grabbing the expansion at some point, but haven't played that as of yet.

Originally Posted by you
While you are entitle to your opinion I believe not many would agree.

Mercy is like Mikey, he hates everything.

Haven’t played this yet but it’s on my list.

I've spent 73 hours on the base game but haven't got the expansion yet. I've enjoyed it and initially found it challenging until I worked out that you can meander a bit getting upgrades and what not until your ready to strike. Hopefully the Christmas sale has a significant discount on the expansion.

Silver that sums up my experience too, in the area of 80 h to the game but I tried to do all the upgrades. It was a good game but don't know if I will replay it.

Originally Posted by Terry
Silver that sums up my experience too, in the area of 80 h to the game but I tried to do all the upgrades. It was a good game but don't know if I will replay it.

The thing I'm not sure about with the expansion are the Chosen. Either I will love or hate them I guess. I am intrigued by the lost through.