"Faithful X-COM tactics, undone by a peace ending nobody asked for"
About
Xenonauts 2 is a turn-based tactical strategy game in the mould of the original X-COM. You run a covert paramilitary force resisting an alien invasion, splitting your time between two layers: a global map where you build bases, research alien tech, manufacture weapons, and scramble fighter wings to intercept UFOs, and the ground battles where your squad fights aliens cover to cover. A doomsday clock and an Operation Point economy push you to spend limited resources where they matter most. Decisions in research and manufacturing carry through to which soldiers survive the next deployment.
Verdict
Goldhawk set out to rebuild classic X-COM without the rough edges, and on the tactical layer it mostly succeeds: cover, overwatch, and the grind of researching your way out of a tech disadvantage all land the way veterans want them to. The friction is real, though. Reaction fire and hit-chance swings will feel either bracing or unfair depending on your tolerance for randomness, the late game runs thin on enemy and mission variety, and a peace-treaty ending undercuts the existential threat you spent dozens of hours fighting. Add crashes and save-breaking bugs that some players hit, and you have a strong tactics engine wrapped in a package that isn't fully finished. Worth it if the geoscape-to-battlefield loop is your thing and you can forgive the wobble.
You'll like it if …
- +You want classic X-COM friction preserved rather than smoothed away
- +You enjoy juggling base economy, research priorities, and squad loadouts under a ticking clock
- +Permadeath and harsh RNG read as tension, not punishment
You'll dislike it if …
- −Missed overwatch shots and hit-chance swings make you want to alt-F4
- −You want named characters and a story that pays off its premise
- −You expect a release-day build free of crashes and broken saves
Breakdown
- +Tactical combat keeps the punishing, deliberate feel of classic X-COM
- +The geoscape loop of intercepting UFOs and managing bases ties cleanly into the ground battles
- +Destructible cover and smoke give each firefight real positional stakes
- −Overwatch reaction fire and hit-chance variance split players hard on fairness
- −Cover effectiveness feels inconsistent to a vocal share of reviewers
- −Endgame battles settle into repetition once the surprises run out
- +Research and manufacturing choices carry real weight against a superior foe
- +The Operation Point economy forces genuine trade-offs across the campaign
- +Multiple bases and air combat broaden the strategic layer
- −Enemy and mission-type variety thins out in the mid-to-late game
- −Soldier customization barely goes beyond stat differences
- +The invasion premise and worldbuilding set a serviceable backdrop
- −Soldiers and command staff have no names or personality to latch onto
- −The peace-resolution ending contradicts the alien threat the whole game built up
- +Clean art direction that puts information clarity ahead of spectacle
- +A clear visual step up from the 1990s template, with solid animations
- −Frame-rate instability and severe stuttering reported on some setups
- −Music and sound do the job without leaving an impression
- +Tidy UI with nested tooltips and quality-of-life fixes over the first game
- +Comprehensive autosave eases the sting of permadeath
- −The tutorial stays vague on core systems and leaves players confused mid-campaign
- −Crashes, file corruption on updates, and overwritten configs surface for some
- −UI pop-ups pile up more than they need to
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