Free this week on the Epic Games store X-Com 2: Should you Play it?
By: Mr Constantine
Once again, Epic Games has given out a free game, and this week it's XCOM 2. XCOM 2 is now free on the Epic Games store for about a week, which would be from April 14th to April 21st. Where you'll be able to add XCOM 2 to your library for free. If you haven't heard about the game before, XCOM 2 was developed by Firaxis Games, and is a follow up to 2012’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a reboot of the franchise. XCOM 2 is a tactical, base building, turn based strategy game that is set in the year 2035. Overall, it features a very interesting concept and you can now play it for free through redeeming it on Epic.
however, when you redeem this game on Epic, it seems that you will be only getting the base version of the game. This means that you won't be getting any of the various DLCs. If you want to get those DLCs, you have to upgrade to the collection bundle. But despite that, even if you don't play the game without DLCs, XCOM 2 is still something you should definitely check out. Especially because it's free on Epic and was praised by both critics and gamers upon release.
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One of the things that XCOM 2 was praised for is its gameplay. When you enter the game, you are given the role as the commander of the XCOM military organization as it leads a resistance against alien occupiers. Each level in the game features procedurally generated maps, and most of the missions are timed, which means that you'll be put in a lot of stressful situations, but also thrilling ones. You are pressured to defeat the enemy within a certain time frame and this makes the game both engaging and challenging at the same time. However, this game is turn-based, which means that it's similar to a board game, with turns and “dice” rolls. If you are someone who doesn't like this type of game play, then XCOM 2 may not be for you. But still, it's worth a shot, especially if you haven't tried many turn-based strategy games before.
Anyways, another reason why a lot of people like XCOM 2’s Gameplay is because you always need to have a backup plan. This is especially true if you are playing on higher difficulties. The game doesn't let you fall into repetitive patterns or habits, which means that enemies would be unpredictable and you always need a back-up plan. Especially during situations where they’ve outsmarted you. Throughout the campaign of XCOM 2, the game introduces a lot of randomness so you can’t always stick to one method to win. You have to be prepared to take multiple routes and use different strategies to take out your enemies. This means that most of the time you'll be experimenting with the different strategies you can use.
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What also makes the gameplay great is the fact that you have to utilize what you have in order to defeat the enemy. Throughout the game, you'll get random assortments of weapon modifications, stat boosts, grenades, special ammo and many more. However, the items you'll receive are random and you can't rely on anything. To win games, you have to adapt to the situation and make use of what you have. This can be very challenging, mostly for people who have never played an XCOM game before, but that is actually what makes the game fun. You also cannot rely on the maps, since each one is procedurally-generated and you won't know ahead of what mission you are tasked to complete. Basically, the gameplay is so random and allows you to be VERY experimental.
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Moving on to the next thing that XCOM2 was praised for, it's its graphics and cinematic style. XCOM 2 has pretty good graphics for its time. The game was released back in 2016 and it's safe to say that it still holds up to this day. It's not mind blowing or anything, but a lot better compared to other turn based strategy games out there. But what really makes XCOM 2 different from other tactical turn-based strategy games, is its cinematic style. When you're playing the game, at times where your character performs an action, there will be a cinematic camera showing exactly what they're doing. It makes the game feel more exciting and realistic. But the turn-based gameplay can make the scenes feel a little bit so unresponsive and slow. However, not a lot of people find it to be a big deal.
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So in conclusion, for those of you who have the question, should I play this game? Well, the answer is definitely a yes. XCOM 2 Gameplay is very unique compared to various turn-based games, and offers very flexible gameplay. Even if you're someone who has rarely ever played turn-based tactics video games, XCOM 2 is still worth a try. The game will put you in very specific situations, where you'll be able to use all kinds of strategies that you can think of in order to win. That is what makes XCOM 2 a game that you should play……Plus, it's free on Epic so why not.
