Xenonauts 2

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,522 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Xenonauts 2 Game Cover
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Xenonauts 2 is a strategy game where you command a global organization defending Earth from alien invasions. Manage resources, research technologies, and command troops in tactical battles. Experience improved graphics, new maps, and expanded gameplay mechanics over its predecessor. Confirmation code: 480XIWKW7H

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,522 reviews
story67 positive mentions
stability24 negative mentions
  • Improved graphics and UI compared to the original Xenonauts, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
  • Retains the classic X-COM feel while introducing new mission types and mechanics, making it engaging for both new and returning players.
  • Developers are actively updating the game and responding to community feedback, showing commitment to improvement.
  • Game is still in early access and lacks significant content, with many features and the endgame not yet implemented.
  • Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, with enemies often having higher accuracy and damage than player soldiers, leading to frequent casualties.
  • Some mechanics, such as the cover system and AI behavior, feel unbalanced and can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • story529 mentions

    The story in "Xenonauts 2" has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and variety of mission types, while others criticize it for being derivative of the XCOM franchise and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the game's attempt to introduce new elements, such as the "cleaner" storyline and different mission objectives, but also note that the execution can feel rushed or unbalanced, particularly with the inclusion of timed missions that detract from the tactical gameplay. Overall, while the foundation for a compelling story exists, players express a desire for further development and refinement as the game progresses through early access.

    • “The storyline is perfect, and that enemy of the state feel while dealing with the cleaners is realistic and fits seamlessly into the game.”
    • “The attention to detail in world-building and storytelling adds a layer of depth to the overall gaming experience, immersing players in a captivating narrative as they strive to defend Earth from otherworldly adversaries.”
    • “I especially enjoy the new twist on the alien-invasion story.”
    • “The story is a redux of the original, not a continuation which is a real shame.”
    • “The other, and perhaps ultimate thing for me is the story is predictable if you've played any of the X-series.”
    • “While the story behind them is just okay (like the rest of the game's story), what I mainly like about them is that they give an extra flair to the invasion.”
  • gameplay274 mentions

    The gameplay of Xenonauts 2 has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its blend of classic XCOM mechanics and modern enhancements, while others criticize it for being too similar to its predecessor and lacking innovative features. The tactical combat is noted for its depth and strategic demands, though some mechanics, such as line of sight and cover, have been described as frustrating or poorly balanced. Overall, while the game shows promise with its engaging gameplay and quality of life improvements, it remains in early access and requires further refinement and content expansion to fully realize its potential.

    • “The developers have crafted a captivating strategy experience that feels both fresh and deeply engaging, retaining the essence of classic tactical gameplay while adding impressive modern enhancements.”
    • “The tactical depth, the thoughtful tweaks, and the ever-evolving strategies required keep the gameplay engaging.”
    • “The gameplay is solid for what it is, and more-and-more is being added with each release.”
    • “Maybe with more work it'd be good but as of this review I can't recommend it due to shallow gameplay, awful tactical engine, and irrationally difficult missions.”
    • “The gameplay tweaks that have been added from the first iteration to here are not significant enough to justify purchasing Xenonauts 2 in its current state.”
    • “I spent about 72 hours with it until I just got so fed up with the horrible shooting mechanics that I had enough.”
  • graphics212 mentions

    The graphics in Xenonauts 2 have received significant praise for being a substantial upgrade from its predecessor, featuring improved 3D visuals, detailed environments, and a more polished user interface. While some players appreciate the modernized aesthetic and smoother gameplay, others feel that the graphics do not reach AAA standards and maintain a somewhat retro feel. Overall, the visuals enhance the nostalgic experience of the original game, though opinions vary on their impact on gameplay and atmosphere.

    • “Graphics in Xenonauts 2 are a huge step up from the original Xenonauts.”
    • “Visually, Xenonauts 2 impresses with its detailed environments, character designs, and alien creatures, all brought to life with modern graphical fidelity.”
    • “The improved graphics and animations contribute to a visually appealing and immersive experience.”
    • “The game is raw, has many quality of life flaws and the graphics are, well, a bit outdated.”
    • “If this game had the same graphics as War of the Chosen, it would be very cool.”
    • “Unfortunately, Xenonauts 2 is also a carbon copy of Xenonauts and therefore apart from marginally fancier graphics, I am not sure what I am getting for my £35, and why the devs thought to release it at this stage other than to cash in.”
  • music35 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, evoke nostalgia, and create a sense of tension and immersion, reminiscent of classic titles like '90s XCOM. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with some even nominating it for best soundtrack of the year, while others express a desire for more variety and the inclusion of tracks from previous games. Overall, the sound design and musical score significantly contribute to the game's engaging experience, despite some mixed opinions on specific tracks and sound effects.

    • “The music makes the atmosphere, really bringing you back to the '90s XCOM games.”
    • “Furthermore, the game's sound design and musical score enhance the overall atmosphere, effectively capturing the tension and drama of intense combat encounters.”
    • “The music was fantastic, eleven tracks, 3 per day mission, 3 per night missions, 3 geoscapes, but it all tacked on and honed in on the starkness of the scenario; it was a horror game within a strategy game.”
    • “You focus a lot on the visuals and gameplay, but the old games that you are replicating were loved because of the atmosphere and sensation, the fear, the unknown, darkness, and music (or simple sound effects rather) not because of the amazing graphics or super-tight gameplay mechanics that you are putting right front and center.”
    • “Managed 30 minutes and realized that this was not fun at all. The game seems soulless, and where's the haunting music from the classic UFO? Worst of all, the controls... why do I need to use the keyboard to pan around? It's so clunky.”
    • “All that's missing is the old X-COM music.”
  • atmosphere26 mentions

    Xenonauts 2 is praised for its atmospheric qualities, effectively capturing the tension and drama reminiscent of classic XCOM games through its sound design, music, and detailed environments. However, some players feel it lacks the depth and immersive qualities of its predecessor, with a more cartoonish tone and a less engaging strategic layer. Overall, while the atmosphere is generally well-received, there are mixed opinions on its ability to fully replicate the eerie and intense ambiance of earlier titles.

    • “Xenonauts 2 has a really good atmosphere that makes the game world feel real.”
    • “The music makes the atmosphere, really bringing you back to the '90s XCOM games.”
    • “Detailed surroundings, great art, and an atmospheric soundtrack.”
    • “The strategic layer of the game and atmosphere feels somehow empty, unlike in Xenonauts 1 where the invasion was constantly ramping up and it felt as if humanity was under attack; the aliens are just kind of 'here' and doing 'something' in Xenonauts 2.”
    • “I wish they had done something like XCOM: Terror from the Deep, which changed the whole atmosphere and introduced new monsters.”
    • “The atmosphere isn't engrossing.”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with many players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and occasional freezes, particularly affecting gameplay mechanics like movement and mission engagement. While some users noted that they encountered no game-breaking issues, the overall consensus is that the game is currently too unstable for a smooth experience, especially in its early access state. Players recommend waiting for significant updates to address these stability concerns before diving in.

    • “It's not bug-free, but it's already in a very solid state.”
    • “The game runs smoothly with minimal crashes, making for a stable experience.”
    • “I've encountered very few issues, and overall, the stability is impressive.”
    • “Too buggy to play at the moment; I'd wait for a couple of major updates.”
    • “It's a buggy, unbalanced mess that is totally not worth 40 bucks!”
    • “Supposedly released as a polished example of the first half of the game, (as opposed to an unpolished example of the whole game), it's still quite buggy.”
  • optimization14 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization shows significant improvement over its predecessor, with better performance and fewer crashes reported. However, players still experience some performance issues, particularly on Linux, including stuttering during gameplay and long loading times. As it is in early access, some users note that balancing and further optimization are still needed to enhance the overall experience.

    • “Like UFO Defense, you build all on one flat plane as opposed to just down and to the sides, and building similar buildings boosts their overall performance, which is good, and definitely an improvement over UFO Defense.”
    • “Plays much nicer on my hardware; I tended to hard-crash towards the late game in the original, but I've had almost no performance issues or bugs with the sequel.”
    • “I haven't encountered any bugs I've noticed and the performance is pretty solid, minus some small stuttering when some objects come into vision (I haven't found a consistent pattern).”
    • “If you decide to get it right now, just be aware that currently the campaign is not finished and - as you can expect from a beta version - there are performance issues and bugs.”
    • “Also, performance issues persisted like loading times over 30 seconds when you try to load a save.”
    • “This is basically Xenonauts 1 with better graphics, but so badly optimized my computer almost caught fire during the play - and I played only for an hour.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    Xenonauts 2 offers significant replayability, with diverse maps, enemies, and gameplay strategies that encourage players to experiment with different approaches. While the game has improved during early access, some players desire procedural map generation to enhance replay value further. Overall, it has a strong foundation for replayability, reminiscent of the original X-COM series.

    • “What I love most about Xenonauts 2 is its replayability.”
    • “There are more than enough maps, enemies, and variants in early access already to give a good replayability value, so I can't wait to see what the devs will come up with for the finished game!”
    • “It's just fascinating to see things evolve organically and gives Xenonauts 2 almost endless replayability.”
    • “On the downside, I have not noticed any procedural map generation yet, and I would like to see that because it added a lot to the replayability and adventure of the original game.”
    • “Great foundation for a game that could be modified to have a ton of replayability.”
    • “Initially, Xenonauts II was just Xenonauts with bugs, a tendency to crash to desktop, and some painfully slow menus, but over the course of early access, it's been gradually picking up features and getting more playable.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in the chaotic AI behavior, such as teammates accidentally shooting each other and civilians running into danger due to poor scripting. While some appreciate the dark humor in character interactions and the absurdity of the situation, others feel that the scripted quips lack wit and fail to enhance the game's narrative. Overall, the humor often stems from unintentional mishaps and the absurdity of the characters' actions rather than clever writing.

    • “It's unbelievable how accurate the AI is, but your guys will be lucky to shoot in the right direction, usually deciding it would be funny to instead blast a teammate in the back of the head with a shotgun... which admittedly was pretty funny the first few times, but it's a lot less funny when two seconds later your head gets taken off by a sectoid with a pistol from 600 miles away.”
    • “Turns out that more bullets outperform rockets as far as environmental destruction is concerned; please do not nerf this, it is hilarious.”
    • “Name your soldiers after your friends and loved ones to make their deaths that much more tragic/hilarious.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while some tedious micromanagement has been alleviated, grinding remains a significant issue, particularly in combat scenarios where players face frustrating mechanics and punishing design choices. The tech tree is criticized for being overly complex, often leading to a loss before players can effectively level up. Overall, the game attempts to balance tactical depth with enjoyable gameplay, but many find the grinding elements detract from the experience.

    • “Also, the tech tree is too tedious; by the time you level up, you lose the game.”
    • “Combat feels tedious.”
    • “You will still spend a tedious amount of time opening and closing UFO doors, trying to get snapshots at aliens hiding inside who will reaction fire at your troops unless you spam flashbangs at them.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    Players express a mix of emotions regarding the game, noting a grounded and wholesome experience despite some quality-of-life issues. While some felt their time investment was not fully rewarding, others appreciated the emotional depth, suggesting a strong narrative connection that may resonate more deeply than flashier titles.

    • “It's a wild ride and though not as flashy as XCOM 2, it has a more grounded feel that XCOM made me feel.”
    • “A wholesome conclusion.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in Xenonauts 2 is currently limited, particularly for aircraft, which players hope will be addressed in future updates. While the game excels in visual design and offers RPG elements for personalizing soldiers, some users feel that the character design lacks depth, leading to emotional disconnect during gameplay. Overall, the blend of strategy and tactical elements is appreciated, but character development remains a point of contention.

    • “The perfect blend of game elements like grand strategy, research and development, mystery, tense tactical battles, cool guns, awesome explosions, and RPG character development for my own private army, a taste of shock and grief after losing all 9 soldiers in one mission.”
    • “There is no character development for aircraft, which I assume is a future feature.”
    • “Poor character design... makes a guy cry.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as a cash grab, which may undermine its long-term appeal and player engagement.

    • “I just feel like this is a cash grab of sorts.”
    • “Great if you're just doing a cash grab, I guess, but it's a good way to burn the longevity of your game.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

14hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
5-27hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 14 analyzed playthroughs

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