There are two camps when it comes to XCOM: those who prefer the modern games from Firaxis, and those who long for the ’90s charm of the original X-COM releases by MicroProse. If you’re of the latter – we do not acknowledge fence-sitters – Xenonauts 2 is something that should be on your radar, especially with the chunky new update.
In Xenonauts 2, the eponymous multinational division must prevent invasion by extra-terrestrial forces. Acting under a veil of secrecy, the strategy game has you lead ground operations, pushing the enemy back through combat and setting up bases around the world to provide global safeguards. The war game is set in an alternative 2009 where the Cold War is still going on, so the political climate is something to keep in mind, too.
Xenonauts 2 wears its inspirations on its sleeve, with the isometric, grid-based maps immediately calling to mind RTS classics of the mid-’90s. The world map and other menus for research and kitting out your soldiers are a little sleeker, but you can forgive that in the name of being easier to read and understand.
The experience has gradually improved since developer Goldhawk Interactive first released the game on Steam Early Access in July 2023. Updates both big and small have gradually made it more well-rounded and enjoyable, and the latest makes for a good jumping on point if you’re new, as well as an excellent reason to dive back in.
Milestone 5.8.0, as it’s called, starts with a new threat: Mind Control. Certain alien soldiers with enough Psi-Strength are now able to nab one of your troops for a whole turn. Success relies on distance as well as the Bravery and Morale of the target, so getting up close just got riskier.
Supporters have a protection level now. This can be normal, high or low, the latter two impacting the cost of recruitment or elimination. Strategic Operations get small daily increases to their value for every day they aren’t used, resetting to normal every time you make use of them.
There are numerous gameplay tweaks, broken down into strategy, air combat and tactical categories. Some narrative-heavy scenes have been altered to be more understandable, and Phase 1 now has a third month that involves Destroyer UFOs.
A noteworthy change is that explosive damage is now tiered, from 100% to 50%, depending on your range to the explosion. Another is that Xenonaut aircraft don’t use fuel when fighting in the air any more, something that apparently caused annoyance in the rare instance it came up.
You can find out more, including all the bug fixes, in the complete patch notes. It’s worth noting if you’re booting Xenonauts 2 back up, you’ll need to start a new campaign to enjoy these latest alterations, meaning if you’ve a mid-campaign save on 5.7.0, it won’t carry over. You can still access and play the previous version through the Experimental Legacy branch, though.
Xenonauts 2 is available on Steam Early Access now. Have a look at our lists of the best space games and the best robot games for other ways to protect mankind.