Xenonauts

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Xenonauts is a single-player, turn-based strategy game set in a 1960s Earth defended against alien invasion. Players manage a military organization, completing ground missions with persistent soldiers and intercepting UFOs. With good game mechanics, graphics, and soundtrack, Xenonauts offers a wholesome and replayable experience, although some bugs and grinding may be present. Based on classic X-Com games, it aims to modernize and introduce the genre to new players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,534 reviews

story48 positive mentions

stability63 negative mentions

Faithful recreation of the original X-COM: UFO Defense with modern graphics and improved mechanics.
Engaging tactical gameplay that requires careful planning and strategy, making victories feel rewarding.
Strong modding community and support, particularly with the Community Edition that enhances the game experience.

Frequent bugs and crashes, particularly during missions, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
Unbalanced mechanics where aliens can often hit players from unseen positions, leading to unfair deaths.
Repetitive mission design with limited variety in maps and scenarios, making the gameplay feel tedious over time.

story
497 mentions
10 % positive mentions
84 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story in "Xenonauts" is set against a backdrop of a Cold War-era alien invasion, drawing comparisons to the classic X-COM series while attempting to carve out its own narrative identity. Players engage in a series of tactical missions that often feel repetitive, with a focus on capturing or eliminating alien threats, but the writing and lore are generally well-received, providing a sense of immersion despite some criticisms of predictability and lack of variety in mission types. While the game offers a compelling atmosphere and tension during missions, many players feel that the overall narrative could benefit from deeper storytelling elements and more diverse mission objectives.
- “I like the writing and story far more than X-COM; it just feels more real.”
- “The main story arc of Xenonauts was brilliant, although it's another version of what has gone before; in my opinion, it's a story which is more believable than those that have gone before it.”
- “The writing and story are fantastic.”
- “They could have put more effort into the story and could have tried to not make it a super obvious cheaply made XCOM knockoff.”
- “If you played just about any of the XCOM games, you'll be underwhelmed by the story.”
- “The story is the usual crap, but who cares, you know the drill.”
graphics
493 mentions
23 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The graphics of Xenonauts have received mixed reviews, with many players noting that they resemble outdated 90s aesthetics, often describing them as bland or primitive. While some appreciate the nostalgic art style and find it fitting for the game's Cold War theme, others criticize the visuals for lacking detail and polish compared to modern titles like XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Overall, the graphics are seen as serviceable but not a primary draw, with many players emphasizing that the gameplay experience compensates for the visual shortcomings.
- “The graphics are nice and have a distinctive animated but also 3D style that you really only see in a Joel Haver video.”
- “The graphics, while somewhat cartoony in places (notably cars), serve the art style well and convey the message of grimness throughout the game.”
- “It's a perfect remake with nice old-school graphics and even some new features like air combat.”
- “My only complaint is graphics glitches that occur when opening the battlescape, such as the terrain texture not loading.”
- “The visuals are just bad across the board and the game feels completely soulless.”
- “I was hoping this would take all of the great things from the original game and update it with a better UI and modern graphics... how wrong that hope was.”
gameplay
470 mentions
20 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Xenonauts is a blend of strategic depth and tactical challenge, closely mirroring the classic X-COM series while introducing some modern enhancements. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics, such as resource management and turn-based combat, but many criticize the game's punishing difficulty, poorly explained mechanics, and occasional bugs that can hinder the experience. Overall, while the game offers a nostalgic return to the original's style, it may feel unrefined and frustrating for newcomers or those seeking a more polished experience.
- “The blend of strategy, resource management, and combat keeps the gameplay engaging and offers plenty of room for tactical planning.”
- “Xenonauts is a turn-based strategy game that is heavily inspired by the classic X-COM series and seeks to bring back the same gameplay mechanics and style of the original games.”
- “The gameplay is improved in many ways, and even if the core game was already robust enough to get 1000+ hours of entertainment out of me, the new flairs and fancies are good.”
- “The gameplay is slow and exhausting; I only play a couple of missions before quitting since you have to slowly clear each possible position, despite the low chance, since being ambushed early in the game is certain death for your unreasonably unarmored troops.”
- “The game does not have true line of sight mechanics, which makes the whole experience just bad.”
- “The ground combat line of sight and cover mechanics ruin this game for me.”
music
78 mentions
47 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities that enhance the sense of tension and immersion during gameplay. While some players appreciate the eerie and suspenseful soundtrack reminiscent of the original XCOM, others feel it lacks the same impact and variety, with a few even preferring to use mods to replace it with classic tracks. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though some users noted issues with audio balance and sound effects.
- “The soundtrack was my favorite part of the game!”
- “The music is perfect and really sets the mood for the tactical fights.”
- “The ambient soundtrack is awesome, and makes for an uneasy feeling throughout the missions.”
- “Graphics are serviceable, music and sound effects are very subpar; I usually listen to Spotify while playing.”
- “Music is very downbeat and almost puts me to sleep.”
- “Only negative is the music which makes me sleepy for some reason.”
stability
73 mentions
12 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
86 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, graphical glitches, and buggy AI behavior. Many players describe the experience as frustrating due to the game's persistent bugs, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to freezes, particularly during critical moments like mission completions. While some users note improvements with community mods, the overall consensus is that the game remains unstable and in need of significant polish.
- “Basically, it's a bug-free TFTD with enhanced UI mechanics.”
- “I have had no freezes at all during the entire 335 hours I have played the game so far, and I have used several computers to play the game.”
- “Now the game is complete and bug-free; it is one of the best strategy games you can get out there, filled with a huge amount of content.”
- “Full of bugs and weird glitches, and the game crashes frequently.”
- “Unfortunately it's just a buggy, frustrating, repetitive, tedious mess with low replay value.”
- “This game is broken do not buy frequent crashes and game breaking glitches.”
atmosphere
66 mentions
52 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke feelings of tension, paranoia, and nostalgia, reminiscent of the original X-COM series. Players appreciate the effective use of sound design, music, and art style, which together create an immersive and sometimes terrifying experience. While some critiques mention a slight decline in atmospheric quality compared to the original, the overall consensus is that the game successfully captures a gritty, engaging atmosphere that enhances gameplay.
- “The game's art style and sound design effectively create a tense and immersive atmosphere, and the alien designs are varied and interesting.”
- “The ambience and music are wonderful, and the atmosphere can get pretty terrifying (the night terror missions, oh god).”
- “The soundtrack totally enhances the threatening atmosphere and truly immerses yourself into the game.”
- “The worst thing is that the game is simply a poor imitation of X-COM and has a worse atmosphere, worse quality of life, and generally, as I like to replay old X-COM games, Xenonauts irritated and tired me.”
- “Xenonauts does a great job of capturing what we all loved about UFO defense and TFTD, but like every UFO defense clone, it has missed the mark a little on atmosphere and setting.”
- “I like that the strategic layer and overall atmosphere of the game are so much deeper and more intricate than the new X-COM, but the tactical gameplay is so painfully backward that it drains any real fun from the experience.”
grinding
61 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant drawback, often describing it as tedious, repetitive, and frustrating. While some appreciate the strategic depth and occasional rewards, many feel that the missions and combat can become a slog, particularly in the later stages, leading to player fatigue and diminished enjoyment. Despite some improvements over previous titles, the grind remains a common complaint, with many wishing for a more engaging and less monotonous experience.
- “Tedious, unrewarding, and it's already been done far better.”
- “Unfortunately it's just a buggy, frustrating, repetitive, tedious mess with low replay value.”
- “The game can get a bit repetitive and grindy in the later stages but taking my high leveled elite squad to the final battle and practically breezing through with almost my entire squad surviving and escaping was pretty satisfying.”
replayability
34 mentions
56 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag among reviewers. While many praise its depth, strategic options, and mod support for providing high replay value, others criticize its short campaign and lack of alternative game modes, leading to limited replayability for some players. The consensus suggests that those who enjoy tactical gameplay and variability will find significant replay value, while others may feel less inclined to revisit the game after completing it.
- “The 'alternate history' backstory is thoughtfully done (including a background novella), the art has character and consistency, the structure of the tech tree adds lots of replay value, and the random nature of the encounters means that every attempt represents a new challenge.”
- “It's fun, challenging, and highly replayable, with more emphasis on strategy and tactics, more room for creativity and variation in how you tackle the challenges, and has more of the goodness that made the original X-COM so special.”
- “Exceptional game with both depth and replayability.”
- “The biggest problem is that the campaign is fairly short, and with no alternative game option or Steam achievements, there is zero replay value.”
- “Unfortunately, it's just a buggy, frustrating, repetitive, tedious mess with low replay value.”
- “I can't really see any replay value after such a long playthrough, so I probably won't play this game again anytime soon.”
humor
25 mentions
92 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of combat situations, such as comically disastrous soldier deaths and the humorous interactions between the science and engineering departments. Many find the ability to rename soldiers after friends and family adds a layer of tragic comedy to their fates, while funny mod options and quirky in-game reports enhance the overall lighthearted experience. Despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics, the humor consistently shines through, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
- “While they allowed for some fun tactics, they made the game extremely difficult until the player got his own psi squad, then it became hilariously easy.”
- “I must say, it can be downright hilarious at times, especially when the scientist mentions the engineers.”
- “And the thing that makes a real XCOM game: absolutely hilarious and dramatic soldier deaths, situations that escalate quickly, missions that end up in absolute disasters and horror.”
- “But soldiers who are unable to throw grenades 6 meters away or throw them against a 1-meter high fence so you kill yourself is not funny.”
- “Not funny.”
emotional
12 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a deeply emotional experience while engaging with the game, often feeling a strong connection to their squad and experiencing highs and lows that evoke tears of joy and heartbreak. The gameplay fosters intense moments of risk and reward, making decisions feel impactful and personal, reminiscent of classic titles like XCOM. Despite some graphical limitations, the emotional depth and tension of the gameplay create a compelling and immersive experience.
- “11/10 would cry again.”
- “This game makes you want to cry in joy every time you successfully finish a mission without losing too many troops.”
- “It was really quite heartbreaking.”
optimization
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
43 % negative mentions
The optimization of Xenonauts is widely criticized, with players reporting issues such as shooting through walls, invisible enemies, and significant performance degradation, particularly in late-game scenarios. Many users have resorted to external fixes like OpenXcom to address bugs and stuttering, highlighting the game's overall poor performance and frustrating mechanics.
- “Late-game sentinel armor causes cumulative performance degradation, owing to its 360-degree vision, for some reason.”
- “This means that in order to get a new base, you need to raid about 15 UFOs with near-perfect performance, not considering the cost of buildings, staff, and maintenance.”
- “Unfortunately, the optimization of Xenonauts leaves much to be desired.”
- “I downloaded UFO Defense, read the manual while it was downloading, and went through the long process of installing OpenXcom in order to fix all the bugs and performance issues.”
- “The game's performance is frankly embarrassing at times.”
monetization
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as exploitative, with users labeling it a cash grab that detracts from the quality of the experience. Many express a desire for a version free from microtransactions, DLC, and other monetization tactics, suggesting that the developers prioritize profit over player satisfaction.
- “Like an actually good quality game with no monetization (microtransactions, DLC, gambling, etc.), politics, or woke culture?”
- “This game is a scummy cash grab by the developers to copycat the beloved XCOM franchise.”
- “I think Squad needs to drop KSP, give the community the code, and move on to a KSP2 that has the DLC options and microtransactions that Squad's overlord Take-Two desires.”