XCOM 2 - The Biggest Changes

Aubrielle

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PC Gamer gives us a look at how XCOM 2 will compare with Enemy Unknown.



We recently described XCOM 2 as "more of the same, just bigger and better," but that's not to say nothing substantial has changed. In fact, quite a bit about how you play, promote characters, and upgrade your base requires a fundamentally different strategy than before. So much so that special guest Maxwell McGee of the GamesRadar+ parish decided to break down the big differences between XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its upcoming sequel. Watch the video above to see the biggest changes between the two games.

You can also watch our in-depth look at the character customization here, and the see the 10 most important things we discovered after spending time with the full game here.
More information.

More information.
 
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I recall the original X-Com had a sort of timed mission also. If you didn't investigate a UFO, or other reported sights the area would become infested with aliens.
 
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For me the biggest change is that unlike instapreordering XCOM few years ago, this time I won't touch this deliberately impaired turd even with a stick.
 
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I recall the original X-Com had a sort of timed mission also. If you didn't investigate a UFO, or other reported sights the area would become infested with aliens.

The original and the original original have timing that affects the strategic layer, but not much (if any) timed missions at the tactical layer. There's meld expiration in enemy unknown, which woudn't fail the mission. Now they seem to adding time limits at the tactical layer that can cause you to fail mission.
 
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The original and the original original have timing that affects the strategic layer, but not much (if any) timed missions at the tactical layer. There's meld expiration in enemy unknown, which woudn't fail the mission. Now they seem to adding time limits at the tactical layer that can cause you to fail mission.

Seems like you forgot about the bomb disposal and terror site missions.

I don't blame you...
 
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What part of "not much (if any) timed missions at the tactical layer" didn't you understand? Terror sites aren't time-based. Bomb-disposal mission was only one mission of many.
 
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"Each mission usually runs on some sort of timer"

I am so looking forward to this game but if it really is each ( all?) mission has a timer that will be a deal breaker for me. A few here or there I can deal with but this makes it sound as if nearly every one has a timer which I couldn't deal with.

Anyone know any specifics on this?
 
I'm not sure why so many are upset about timers in missions. It's really not a big deal from what I've seen, and I've watch quite a few videos on XCOM2, interviews the devs, etc.

You can see in videos like this by Quill18 that the timers are not in every mission and are usually just a part of a mission when they are there, and the rest of those missions is untimed.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs3acGYgI1-si_JrbPkTSC5SLllhTZQPA

Quill18 also gets massacred in comments for those videos for playing like a noob - so you can play quite joe-average style and have no problem with the timers.

All the timers do is nudge you a little, add a little tension, add a little more purpose and pressure, which I think are good things as it forces you out of your comfort zones a little.

The idea, per the devs, is to make you react and adapt (vs just clearing maps with the same routine every time).

Hype-level reaching critical mass… *head explodes*

Indeed. I've already pre-ordered and can't wait. With the more dynamic content in XCOM2 I expect to get more hours out of it than I did with XCOM. Plus the modding support is far stronger so there's a lot of potential there too, even though I generally don't base any purchase decisions on whether there will be mods or not.

I was critical of XCOM when it came out due to differences between it and classic XCOM games, but I've grown to love the new XCOM and consider it by far the best squad-based, turn-based tactical game ever made. I've put ~300 hours into it even though the replay value isn't all that crazy. Between several runs thru and getting slaughtered by Long War mod, I've played it a ton, and playing it again now as a farewell before XCOM2 hits.

XCOM 2 looks like so many improvements over XCOM - it's a glorious thing, both because XCOM as a whole is so good, and because there just aren't enough squad/tactical/turn based made (that aren't mediocre or worse).
 
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What part of "not much (if any) timed missions at the tactical layer" didn't you understand? Terror sites aren't time-based. Bomb-disposal mission was only one mission of many.

They are indirectly time based in both the originals, the slower you go the more npc's get killed.
 
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I was critical of XCOM when it came out due to differences between it and classic XCOM games, but I've grown to love the new XCOM and consider it by far the best squad-based, turn-based tactical game ever made. I've put ~300 hours into it even though the replay value isn't all that crazy. Between several runs thru and getting slaughtered by Long War mod, I've played it a ton, and playing it again now as a farewell before XCOM2 hits.

Steam says 363 for me… Just on this PC. And I haven't even tried the LW mod, yet. Wow, starting to understand why I've never been married… :thinking:
 
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