XCOM 2 is at its best when it’s pulling you in ten different directions at once. On any given turn, I may be juggling research assignments, weapon upgrades, and wounded troops — each one clawing at the last few coins in my meager piggy bank. Managing XCOM is an ever-evolving challenge that demands you carefully weigh every opportunity that crosses your path. Plan poorly — as I did in my first campaign — and you’ll see XCOM reduced to a militaristic Toys»R»Us: a flying warehouse filled with gimmicky gadgets and understaffed by untrained soldiers.
Planning well means finding that sweet spot between all the shiny new toys XCOM 2 throws your way and making sure the basics of research and cash flow are covered. This is harder than it sounds because XCOM 2 has more of everything — from horrible aliens all the way down to different flavors of ammo. And when you’re finally in a position to put all this newness to work, it propells the series’ signature turn-based combat to new heights.
Multiplayer
XCOM 2 lifts the same sort of multiplayer structure as Enemy Unknown. You’re given a fixed amount of points to build out a team of humans and aliens that do battle against an opposing team. It’s a simple setup that gives you an opportunity to finally take control of the enemy units you’ve been shooting at the entire game. Just don’t be the person who fields an entire team of Chrysalids.