If you want to play some of the best strategy games on PC, you need to look no further than XCOM. Since Civilization developer Firaxis took charge of the series in 2012, each game has offered up some of the most tense, involved, and heart-pounding decision-making around. But before the modern reimagining, there was X-COM. This ‘90s version of the game is quite different from its modern counterpart and has even inspired its collection of spiritual successors. Of these games, Xenonauts 2 is easily one of the best, and the latest free update makes it even better.
Developed by Goldhawk Interactive, Xenonauts 2 puts you in charge of a global shadow organization tasked with eliminating an alien threat. You need to stamp out extraterrestrials as they appear, expand your network of bases, pursue advanced technology, and arm your soldiers to the teeth. Just like in XCOM, there are micro decisions to make in the heat of battle, alongside macro decisions to help you win the war.
Now, the strategy game is even better. Milestone 5 has been made available to the public, which adds a significant amount of content across the experience. There are new enemy types, missions, mechanics, and even a chance to finally beat the campaign. You can now unlock Operation Endgame, which thrusts you into a two-part mission against the alien leaders in an homage to Cydonia from the original X-COM. There’s no ending cinematic yet, but that’s coming in a future update.
There’s also the new Battleship UFO, which is the final alien spacecraft. It’s incredibly powerful, has a large multi-level area, and a huge crew to take on. If you manage to capture one, though, you’ll be given vast amounts of Alloys and Alenium to help you research and develop technology. You also have two new aliens to contend with: the Eternal is a new alien leader, and the Symbiote is a small melee creature with a limited lifespan.
There are two new plot-related missions on an alien orbital station towards the end of the game, and the all-new wave defense mission type. The campaign itself has been divided into five phases, with mechanics weaved in and out of each to show the aliens’ changing strategy.
You can also recruit supporters, each of whom provide you with specific permanent bonuses. If you can grab all the supporters in one locale you’ll also get a unique region bonus, but you’ll want to move fast because the aliens can also turn these people into Infiltrators, who will raise the panic level in that area.
Goldhawk has also made some pretty big changes to combat, too. Some aliens can now mind control your troops for a short time, so you’ll want to invest in bravery and morale to counteract this effect. You can also help civilians escape during tactical missions, but you’ll want to keep an eye on them as they run to the evacuation zone, because the aliens can take them out along the way. There are also plenty of gameplay changes and fixes to catch up on in the patch notes. As for what’s next, Goldhawk is looking forward to Xenonauts 2’s 1.0 launch.
If you’re looking for something with even more scale be sure to check out all the best grand strategy games currently on PC. Otherwise, we’ve already put together the best turn-based strategy games, too.
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