Xenonauts 2 Review (stamasd)
First of all, don't be taken aback by my low play time on Steam. I'm a Kickstarter backer of this game and have played my pre-early access copy of the game on GOG for countless hours.
One of the first computer games I played back in the 1990s was X-COM: UFO Defense. And X-COM: Terror From The Deep. I have great nostalgia for those games, and still play them every once in a while. And the whole genre (sci-fi strategic+turn-based tactical) is my cup of tea. The earlier remake XCOM: Enemy Unknown took the game in directions I didn't like. Enter Goldhawk and their Xenonauts game, which recreated the original games in a much, mucg closer spirit to the original. I played many hours of that as well. So when Xenonauts2 was announced on Kickstarter, I jumped on board.
I won't talk of the earlier builds and the development process. This build 1.20 on the day of release is in my opinion very playable. I have probably 20+ hours of game time in the past 2 weeks (primarily since milestone 1.12) and can see the changes happen very quickly.
First of all, this isn't a game for everyone. There isn't much eye candy for the sake of eye candiness. I have seen other reviewere complain that it looks cartoonish. That is not the essence of the game though. The gameplay is however well thought out and balanced. No major gamestoppers that I have found or read about being present in the game's discord. Build your base(s). Recruit your soldiers. Build equipment. Shoot down UFOs. Respond to threats. Unravel the secrets of the Cleaners and of the Aliens. Build up for the final confrontation.
Yes the game has a rapidly climbing difficulty curve. It's not meant to be a walk in the park. I also play Dwarf Fortress, and remember from that: losing is FUN! :)
Is the game perfect? No. It's early access though, and day1 of it at that. I expect most if not all issues to be resolved. The developers are very responsive and I have seen problems getting corrected in a matter of hours. Nor do I agree in totality with all design and implementation decisions made in the game. For instance, the cover system is a bit... unfair. Also the AI cheats on higher difficulties - but then again, which AAA game doesn't have an AI that cheats on high difficulties? Live with it.
I like the game, and the company behind it. And I highly recommend it. No, I have no ties to the company other than enjoying the products. I have not received the game for free (in fact I bought it twice: once on kickstarter/GOG as a backer, and today on day of launch on Steam as well).