XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 321 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 261 out of 321
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 321
  3. Negative: 34 out of 321

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  1. Mxm0
    Jan 17, 2018
    10
    Age 34

    Fav Games - Skyrim, Witcher 3, Mass Effect Trilogy, Stellaris, Sins of a Solar Empire, Company of Heroes 2, Divinity Original Sin 1+2 *Immersion and/or Strategy for me* Xcom 2 was already a good game, worthy of 88-90 on metacritic. With all the DLC and WotC it is now one of the very best strategy games ever made (I've played just a few of them..) It is seriously fantastic    Age 34

    Fav Games - Skyrim, Witcher 3, Mass Effect Trilogy, Stellaris, Sins of a Solar Empire, Company of Heroes 2, Divinity Original Sin 1+2 *Immersion and/or Strategy for me*

    Xcom 2 was already a good game, worthy of 88-90 on metacritic. With all the DLC and WotC it is now one of the very best strategy games ever made (I've played just a few of them..) It is seriously fantastic and has so much content, so many good ideas. I'm a bit disappointed in the 7.7 user review here.. This game is now atleast as good as D:OS2 but marked harshly...

    But I believe it's all due to one thing. THE GODDAMN DIFFICULTY LEVEL!!!

    It's BIGGEST, WORST, UNACCEPTABLE MISTAKE FIRAXIS. Most people are not strategy game veterans like myself and my mates that love this game. They get hammered by Xcom's four difficulty settings. Please change the first three firaxis, people are disliking your game because your difficulty settings don't match their expectations and they are getting frustrated, this would have earned you several more points on metacritic. No one wants to select rookie difficulty, do an analysis, it's a psychological thing.

    Rookie - This is really normal difficulty in any other game - you don't have an easy mode!
    Veteran - This is the second mode, this is really hard mode
    Commander - This is insane difficulty, for someone who has over 100 hours in the game
    Legend - Only for lock-ins playing the game with a rock band controller, full back xcom tattoo and a whip setting on the bench, for when they kill their soldiers    … Expand
  2. GoneTomrrow
    Sep 14, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm very glad to see that Firaxis is still producing DLC for this game. I'm mostly very satisfied with the WOTC DLC, so if you enjoyed the base game, then it's worth the investment.

    Pros:
    1. A lot of new weapons and gear.
    2. Factions and faction orders give the game more depth, and the three new classes are fun.
    3. The Chosen themselves are fairly tough opponents.
    4. Breakthrough and inspired research give more life to that aspect of the game and the bonuses are appropriate.

    5. All previous DLC has been streamlined into the game, sparing you the extra missions and cut scenes.

    Cons:
    1. The Chosen are kind of boring and uninspired. They can be challenging in combat, but not as much as the Rulers. They talk CONSTANTLY during missions and while in the Geoscape, which is the most annoying part of the game. After defeating the Chosen, it's just back to the vanilla game. If you've beaten the game numerous times, then this is kind of a let down as WOTC doesn't span the length of the game in a meaningful way, other than adding some extra cut scenes at the end.

    2. WOTC doesn't add much story to the game at all, just a few extra cut scenes. I, and probably others, were hoping for a more interstellar scope, one which might shed more light on the Ethereals. Considering that the vanilla game drops a pretty obvious hint to possible sequels in the final cut scene, I had hoped DLC wouid go this direction, but if it's intent is still to suggest a future XCOM 3 altogether, then I'm fine with it.    … Expand
  3. Hack
    Dec 14, 2017
    9
    I've only just recently gotten into the XCOM series after my friend gifted me the first game, after putting 41 hours into that I knew I needed the second game so I grabbed the deluxe edition plus War of the Chosen as I wanted to experience everything the game had to offer. I finished the game today after putting 80 hours into it, so it was definitely money well spent.

    Overall I much    I've only just recently gotten into the XCOM series after my friend gifted me the first game, after putting 41 hours into that I knew I needed the second game so I grabbed the deluxe edition plus War of the Chosen as I wanted to experience everything the game had to offer. I finished the game today after putting 80 hours into it, so it was definitely money well spent.

    Overall I much preferred the sequel, it was improved in almost every way, with big additions, features and more subtle changes that made for a very enjoyable experience. It really felt like the devs learned a lot from the first game, and implemented a lot of fixes and changes the community wanted. One big area of improvement are the cut-scenes, they're very high quality this time around, and they run smoothly as they're videos, and not rendered in engine like in XCOM 1 (30fps videos look fine, 30fps in engine does not), they really helped to tell the story which was interesting, the voice work was also fantastic.

    There is one area where XCOM 2 sadly falls short and that's performance, the game is not optimised well at all, you will find countless people complaining about this issue so please don't think it's just me. Any form of explosions will cause big drops in frame rate, as will anything that causes debris to spawn. Also certain mission/mob types also tank the frame rate, it's just not good enough. The game also "freezes" quite often while it calculates, something that never happened in the first game, the issue gets worse the further you get into the game as abilities and enemies get more complex. It really did hurt the game for me, so much so it went from a weak 9 into a strong 8. That being said I still obviously enjoyed it a lot and highly recommend it, just be aware it does have technical problems if you're bothered by that sort of thing.    … Expand
  4. rodericrinehart
    Jan 2, 2018
    8
    Basically XCOM 3, which is a great thing. I've really been enjoying the new mechanics, maps, and chosen. Just like Civilization xpacs, this really updates the entire game and genuinely is almost XCOM 3. It still has some minor performance issues (even on my 1080ti), and the hit percentages thing is even worse now because of the random pop-ins of super-powerful aliens that are nearlyBasically XCOM 3, which is a great thing. I've really been enjoying the new mechanics, maps, and chosen. Just like Civilization xpacs, this really updates the entire game and genuinely is almost XCOM 3. It still has some minor performance issues (even on my 1080ti), and the hit percentages thing is even worse now because of the random pop-ins of super-powerful aliens that are nearly impossible to beat.… Expand
  5. TheWaffle
    Sep 14, 2017
    8
    This is a must-buy if you enjoyed XCOM 2. War of the Chosen adds new soldier classes, technology, and missions. There are new persistent enemies in the Chosen, new retaliation missions, resistance groups that add great flavor to the world, covert operations, soldier bonds, etc. I wish they'd paced things out a bit more though, the sheer amount of mechanics introduced at the start can beThis is a must-buy if you enjoyed XCOM 2. War of the Chosen adds new soldier classes, technology, and missions. There are new persistent enemies in the Chosen, new retaliation missions, resistance groups that add great flavor to the world, covert operations, soldier bonds, etc. I wish they'd paced things out a bit more though, the sheer amount of mechanics introduced at the start can be overwhelming even for XCOM vets, and I would not recommend this expansion for your first play-through. I would have liked to see some more tweaks to the main campaign, the final 1/3rd still feels like a forgone conclusion once you get your troopers up to god-tier, especially with the new extra ability unlocks. Ironman Commander Difficulty was not much of a challenge, and where I think they made the DLC ruler aliens too OP, I think the Chosen were a little bit under-powered. More story missions involving the Lost and more diversity in the Avatar facility missions would have also been welcome. I expect the Mod community to have a field-day with all of the new changes, and new campaign options allow you to customize the game to your experience. I'll be back in another month for my Legend Ironman playthrough, wish me luck!… Expand
  6. HansV
    Sep 13, 2017
    9
    Very good game. I played it on veteran iron man and made it through, just.
    Cant wait for xcom 3.
    But please give the characters more personality, and make some of the blood real red. thx
  7. ikkan
    Sep 25, 2017
    9
    Very addictive game. This expansion utilizes the same base story from X-Com 2, but adds 3 new soldier classes (it's more like 3 heroes, as you can't train more of then), 3 bosses (The Chosen) that attacks you on missions that are on their turf on the map, a lot of new missions and mechanics. Like the TheWaffle said, the new content, along with the old, is presented too fast and you getVery addictive game. This expansion utilizes the same base story from X-Com 2, but adds 3 new soldier classes (it's more like 3 heroes, as you can't train more of then), 3 bosses (The Chosen) that attacks you on missions that are on their turf on the map, a lot of new missions and mechanics. Like the TheWaffle said, the new content, along with the old, is presented too fast and you get overwhelmed by the information, which may be hard for new players. All in all is one of my favorite games of all time, you can easily spend a great amount of time playing it.… Expand
  8. 7zebras
    Sep 19, 2017
    10
    Did you like the original? If so, you HAVE to get this DLC. They improved everything in the game. Imagine everything you always wanted in the original just got added. New weapons, new bosses, new soldier classes, new enemies, and the cream of the crop, the new ability point system. Did you ever want a sniper with all the pistol and rifle skills? You can have it now. I will admitDid you like the original? If so, you HAVE to get this DLC. They improved everything in the game. Imagine everything you always wanted in the original just got added. New weapons, new bosses, new soldier classes, new enemies, and the cream of the crop, the new ability point system. Did you ever want a sniper with all the pistol and rifle skills? You can have it now. I will admit that it does lock up and reset itself at times and that is massively annoying given how long it takes to reboot the game and load your last save. Whatever. The improvements make up for it.… Expand
  9. Jeb077
    Sep 8, 2017
    7
    Let me say first, know what you're buying. This expansion works more like a supercharged DLC than a true expansion. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of new content, but none of it extends the original ending of the game and it becomes bloated at various points in the game (more on this later). So lets get to the meat of it. This expansion is all about three new bosses (chosen) and makingLet me say first, know what you're buying. This expansion works more like a supercharged DLC than a true expansion. Don't get me wrong there is a lot of new content, but none of it extends the original ending of the game and it becomes bloated at various points in the game (more on this later). So lets get to the meat of it. This expansion is all about three new bosses (chosen) and making you hate them.

    X-Com has never been much of a game with "bosses", so it feels a little out of place, too Hollywood for a game that once was a pretty gritty and realistic strategy game. These over the top, trash talking bosses could be great if used more subtly, but Firaxis shoves them down your throat. They pop up to tell you how weak and doomed you are at any given point. They die, reappear, only to come back stronger. They would be great for a cinematic game like Metal Gear, not in a strategy game. Now lets move onto the ridiculous power of these bosses. They get to move, attack, move in battle. Can summon Advent out of thin air. They automatically hit (defense is irrelevant, they'll hit you through with smoke grenades and Aid bots). So there is the problem, a once hardcore strategy game has thrown out strategy to create drama, wanting you to hate these bosses. In a game like XCom the mystique of a powerful alien should be mystery and subtlety, I think they did it all wrong. Some new developers are on the Firaxis team for sure.

    The other main draw if the exp is the three new friendly factions. Reapers, Skirmishers, and Templars. I kind of like what they did with this. Through these new factions you get covert actions which open up some decent strategic options and unique upgrades (I love pistol specialized snipers and getting a flat +1 damage to all of them made for some fun gaming, albeit a tad overpowered :).
    The actual classes of these factions are well done, and feel distinct enough from the original classes to have a place. My rating of 7 is mostly due to these factions.

    So I have mixed feelings on WOTC. There is a lot in this expansion pack but fitting it in the original core story seems overwhelming. A new player who didn't play X-Com 2 vanilla will be lost in all the new missions the expansion throws at you. The rate of main story mission to side mission is about 1 in 10 in the expansion, where the original is more 1 in 5.

    Hopefully Firaxis will tone the bosses down in XCom 3, while keeping these factions. Give us a longer main story with time to better fit in all these new missions and upgrades. Bring back some of the mystery into Xcom. Let us stumble on a big bad boss by turning a dark corner and seeing it for the first time. And always make sure its a strategy first game over theatrics.    … Expand
  10. socokid
    Aug 30, 2017
    9
    War of the Chosen "merely" makes every aspect of XCOM 2, a great game itself, even better. It also comes with a LOT of additional content and game play that actually works well within the same base system.

    Just think "XCOM 2" with more to do and think about, without missing any of the things that were great with XCOM 2.
  11. PlayorNaygames
    Sep 7, 2017
    7
    If you haven't played X-Com 2 yet, you owe it to yourself to try the base game + this expansion. There are still quite a few bugs with crashes and camera issues for in-game cutscenes, but overall this is a solid game and a big improvement over the base game.

    The dialog/story is still a bit campy/cheesy and the new posters for solider bonds (think Fire Emblem/Disgaea bonds) are    If you haven't played X-Com 2 yet, you owe it to yourself to try the base game + this expansion. There are still quite a few bugs with crashes and camera issues for in-game cutscenes, but overall this is a solid game and a big improvement over the base game.

    The dialog/story is still a bit campy/cheesy and the new posters for solider bonds (think Fire Emblem/Disgaea bonds) are ridiculous. A lot of the new customization options for soldiers are funny, but don't fit the tone of the game imho. Some people will love the new options though.

    The story doesn't really get much better here. They added some new story missions regarding the new resistance factions and Chosen. The story is still very silly IMHO (bordering on stupid) and imho it loses a bit of tension it had before because of the Chosen being goofy. It's hard to believe the aliens would run the world the way they do. For example, why wouldn't the aliens simply build a ton of SAM missile batteries/anti-air ships/UFOs over the past 20 years to control any resistance? As powerful as they are, it's a bit hard to buy into.

    X-com 2's greatest strength is the smoothing of the campaign difficulty and progression. New players will find the game much easier to start than the base game, as the new maps are better designed with less randomization frustrating you. There are still old story missions weaved into the game, and it's a bit jarring to go back to them, for many reasons.

    There's new enemies, solider classes, abilities, armor, weapons, buildings, ect. which are welcome additions that consists of the other big chunk of the expansion content. I feel like they added a lot in that regard. The new Chosen enemies are neat, but a bit out of character compared to X-Come lore, as they will taunt you constantly from your base and show up constantly. It's weird to kill something in X-Com many times and not be dead and it's weird tonally for them to talk the way they do.

    Overall X-Com 2 War of the Chosen is a great game, provided you can deal with a few bugs, cheesy story, and retreading many old missions. I recommend it. Thanks for reading.

    *I did not use any mods while playing the game for this review, however, X-Com has a great mod community and that can enhance you experience greatly, depending on your tastes.*    … Expand
  12. op8
    Aug 30, 2017
    10
    The bar has been lifted.
    XCOM 2 was great, now with WotC it's an epic masterpiece.
    A no-brainer 9.5/10 (only because nothing can ever be truly 10/10).
  13. Cameirus
    Sep 26, 2017
    4
    Wanted to like this, loved Xcom 2, and looking at the features it looked great.

    However, on loading it up and jumping in, I just got annoyed really quickly, the map is just too busy, too much crap shouting for attention, too much clutter, rather than feeling fun it felt like the game was constantly hassling me, and not in a "its a dangerous race to save the earth" kind of way...in a    Wanted to like this, loved Xcom 2, and looking at the features it looked great.

    However, on loading it up and jumping in, I just got annoyed really quickly, the map is just too busy, too much crap shouting for attention, too much clutter, rather than feeling fun it felt like the game was constantly hassling me, and not in a "its a dangerous race to save the earth" kind of way...in a "lets just keep bugging the player endlessly" kind of way.

    It was so annoying, just quit. And everytime I go to log in....I just cant bring myself to. Its killed Xcom for me.    … Expand
  14. Hohum
    Sep 7, 2017
    10
    The icing, on what was already a delicious cake. WotC adds a whole lot of new layers to the existing XCOM 2 experience and tries to deal with the issue of late-game repetition, resulting in a rounder and more rewarding game.

    Many encounters are made more challenging by the appearance of a Chosen, and they're a constant thorn in your side until dealt with. The Chosen work in much the    The icing, on what was already a delicious cake. WotC adds a whole lot of new layers to the existing XCOM 2 experience and tries to deal with the issue of late-game repetition, resulting in a rounder and more rewarding game.

    Many encounters are made more challenging by the appearance of a Chosen, and they're a constant thorn in your side until dealt with. The Chosen work in much the same way as the Avatar Project - forcing the player to choose between trying to take them on earlier and potentially suffer heavy casualties, versus leaving them alone until the later game, by which point it may be too late.

    As mentioned, the addition of some new enemy types, map layouts and game modes will keep most XCOM fans happy for a long while.    … Expand
  15. thatboisuper
    Sep 13, 2017
    10
    Great expansion. Dont listen to the few reviewers saying this isnt worth the price. This expansion completely changes the game. If youre an xcom fan try it for yourself. Thats all i can say.
  16. SRKNZ
    Sep 2, 2018
    4
    Its always amazing how generous these so called critics are in their praise of these mainstream games. I can but assume they spent a quick half hour on the titles in many instances. XCom War of the Chosen can best be described as a "hot mess". Basically it takes the chaotic, disorganised game play of Xcom 2 and for the most part adds in more adversaries in general and "boss" characters youIts always amazing how generous these so called critics are in their praise of these mainstream games. I can but assume they spent a quick half hour on the titles in many instances. XCom War of the Chosen can best be described as a "hot mess". Basically it takes the chaotic, disorganised game play of Xcom 2 and for the most part adds in more adversaries in general and "boss" characters you have to defeat. The absolute lack of balance makes for annoying game play not helped by the incessant cut scenes and prattling interruptions from your second in command and goading skype style calls from the Chosen.

    Its aggravating stuff that at times leaves you wondering why you are playing at all. 4/10 from me.    … Expand
  17. Mandulum
    Oct 9, 2017
    8
    Five Word Review: A great thing made greater.
    Favorite Thing: The Chosen and a nice component and challenge to otherwise standard missions.
    Least Favorite Thing: Very little changes to the base game, story, etc.

    Date Completed: 2017-09-30
    Playtime: 60h (100% research)
    Enjoyment: 8/10
    Recommendation: If you haven't played XCOM 2 before or it has been a while, yes.
  18. Streps
    Sep 5, 2017
    4
    This is the biggest Con-Job I have been dumb enough to be fooled by. Lets be clear here, this DLC is $40usd, for that I could buy Watch Dogs 2, Rocket League and FLT and still have some change. So for $40usd you get a "New Story to play though", NO! You don't, what you get are 3 new skins, 1 new room to build in the Avenger, 2 new alien types which are just re-hashed version of what isThis is the biggest Con-Job I have been dumb enough to be fooled by. Lets be clear here, this DLC is $40usd, for that I could buy Watch Dogs 2, Rocket League and FLT and still have some change. So for $40usd you get a "New Story to play though", NO! You don't, what you get are 3 new skins, 1 new room to build in the Avenger, 2 new alien types which are just re-hashed version of what is already in game, and a pinched idea form Shadows of Mordor. Which are 3 alien bosses that pop into random mission and talk to much. So to re-cap, no new, innovative content, no new story, no new tech to build, ohh hang on, it now has white zombies, cause that's innovative, zombies in a PC game, so all they could come up with was white zombies for $40usd

    Anyone that claims this is worth $40 is delude and anyone that claims this adds hours upon hours of new and exciting content is an idiot. If you feel the need to waste money on seeing a few new skins then go ahead but my advice is to WAIT till this rip off of an DLC is $5-$10. The free mods on steam workshop are better than this pile of crap. Oh, also it is still riddled with bugs.    … Expand
  19. riley794
    Sep 15, 2017
    0
    First of all I only give 10s for worth it and 1s for not worth it. At the launch price of $40 this is not worth it. I did enjoy my time with WOTC but it is basically just a basic DLC. I am actually very disappointed in TB whose recommendation encourage me to purchase this basic DLC at launch. It;s fun but compared to what you receive from the basic game plus what modders have providedFirst of all I only give 10s for worth it and 1s for not worth it. At the launch price of $40 this is not worth it. I did enjoy my time with WOTC but it is basically just a basic DLC. I am actually very disappointed in TB whose recommendation encourage me to purchase this basic DLC at launch. It;s fun but compared to what you receive from the basic game plus what modders have provided it is worth no more that $20. If money is not an issue and you want to play Xcom 2 with more variety then absolutely buy this game, However, if you value your money wait for a 50% off sale.… Expand
  20. NinerJonny
    Aug 31, 2017
    10
    Wow...takes XCOM2 to an even higher level then it already was. This 'upgrade' will keep me playing this game for a looooooonnnnngggg time. Fabulous job, folks...thank you...seriously.
  21. Tautologen
    Sep 4, 2017
    10
    I´m biased, I loved the first two games to death, flaws and all. XCOM 2 was a bit too visually ridiculous for my taste, but since I plowed 200 hours (some of it LW) into it I was obviously ready to overlook it. WOTC goes some way to correct this, introducing dark and abandoned sewers and lost cities, but it also introduces even more psychedelic artistry and marvel-esque characters. ThisI´m biased, I loved the first two games to death, flaws and all. XCOM 2 was a bit too visually ridiculous for my taste, but since I plowed 200 hours (some of it LW) into it I was obviously ready to overlook it. WOTC goes some way to correct this, introducing dark and abandoned sewers and lost cities, but it also introduces even more psychedelic artistry and marvel-esque characters. This doesn´t matter that much though, since what have been the sole reason to play xcom all along have been the gameplay on the tactical maps in conjunction with the research and construction in between the skirmishes. I´m not exactly sure WOTC so much improves as reinvents, but since I already loved the gameplay, making the game feel fresh and surprising again is enough for me. I would probably recommend that new players start with xcom 1 with DLC before jumping into WOTC. This feels like an expansion created for people who have put lots of time into the old games and wants a reason to go back to them. This is the xcom game that I want to play, but I have been very much schooled into thinking this way by the former games.… Expand
  22. id0815
    Sep 22, 2017
    10
    One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-) One Word, Excellent! for me. :-)
  23. sherbz
    Sep 4, 2017
    9
    WOTC is a superb "dlc". I use that in brackets because there is so much content its practically a new game. It reinvents what was an already superb title and things look very good on the horizon if they are using this as the base idea for XCOM3. It has a few elements of Shadows of Mordor and the nemesis system as the chosen hunt you down, which is backed up by narrative as they refer toWOTC is a superb "dlc". I use that in brackets because there is so much content its practically a new game. It reinvents what was an already superb title and things look very good on the horizon if they are using this as the base idea for XCOM3. It has a few elements of Shadows of Mordor and the nemesis system as the chosen hunt you down, which is backed up by narrative as they refer to other game elements that you have been doing in the meantime. All this adds to a much grander narrative that fleshes out the middle part of the game. Which if the original had any faults, aside from new alien types and the odd boost to your technology, it could turn into a bit of a grind fest as you relentlessy ground out victory after victory in the same 3 or 4 mission types (albeit an excellent one). Now theres all sorts you can be doing. Variety really is the spice of life.

    All that said, I do think the asking price was a bit steep for what was supposed to be a "dlc". But i feel it justifies its price, although i am going to knock a mark off as unless you are a fan of the game, then you might want to wait for a sale before you pick it up. Which is a shame, as what you get for your cash is really rather good.    … Expand
  24. ChosenOne
    Sep 13, 2017
    0
    Original Xcom 2 had so many issues on my PC, so I couldn't play it. Freezes, weird sound glitches, constant crushes... This is the only game that works so bad on my PC. Only!
    When DLS was out I decided to make another try on this game. Nothing fixed! Even infamous crush after tutorial is still there! Just great.
  25. sonofdiablo48
    Sep 10, 2017
    0
    The X-com series went to garbage after the did WITHIN; X-Com2 is nothing but repeated garbage with timed missions now. If it's anything I hate it's timed anything. I want to be free to make tactical decisions without being rushed by a timer. This is what ruined Dungeoneering and this is what ruined the X-Com series after WITHIN.
  26. BLADELING
    Nov 14, 2017
    0
    The only strategy here is to play with the phone while the numerous enemies make their long turns through numerous, and repetitive, cutscenes. Really: it's boring.
    The other "small" problem is that - after waiting - you have little to reason because almost every mission has limited turns.
  27. whatever523
    Feb 12, 2019
    0
    When you install both XCOM 2 and War of the Chosen, WotC is deactivated by default. I'd really like to know who's genious idea that was. I noticed it like 10 hours into the game. **** you for wasting players' time like that.
  28. ustag_
    Sep 22, 2017
    9
    This expansion makes XCOM2 harder and more unforgiving, giving also so much content with the new factions and the choosen messing around.

    the new training system, the soldiers which buddy together and get special bound abilities make the strategic dimension of this game even larger than before. New Enemies make the game harder, your soldiers will die. a lot. to be mentioned the    This expansion makes XCOM2 harder and more unforgiving, giving also so much content with the new factions and the choosen messing around.

    the new training system, the soldiers which buddy together and get special bound abilities make the strategic dimension of this game even larger than before.

    New Enemies make the game harder, your soldiers will die. a lot.

    to be mentioned the new options, when you start a new campaign, to double the avatar project meter and the mission timers, since the game gets harder, i really suggest to do so.

    nice compatibility with the precedent must-have expansion Shen's Last Gift and the one of the Vahlen superaliens. you can choose to have a simpler experience by adding the extra content (sparks, weapons and the three alien kings) without having the dedicated missions.

    that's good, after all, since the experience would be extra hard if not made so.

    All and all, a phenomenal must buy game and expansion.    … Expand
  29. Wiebe
    Feb 27, 2020
    5
    This expansion didn't fix the problems of the base game for me, I preferred the build up and design of the first game.
  30. tomasjoad
    Nov 8, 2019
    8
    War of the Chosen brings a whole new concept to the game but unfortunately the rest of the game is quite similar and repetitive once you've gone through the initial changes. If you've played xcom2 vanilla, you might find too many thing's that are pretty much the same.
  31. jaco111
    Jul 3, 2020
    8
    Had not much luck with my recent shopping and i'm really tired of giving 0 scores. Tried some new games some old ones and finally i got lucky. I found the story surprisingly good, but i may be easy to please at the moment after seeing the TLOU 2 mess. After the first missions i was thinking about quitting and going back to XCOM 2 with Longwar thinking it has more to offer. Then i had theHad not much luck with my recent shopping and i'm really tired of giving 0 scores. Tried some new games some old ones and finally i got lucky. I found the story surprisingly good, but i may be easy to please at the moment after seeing the TLOU 2 mess. After the first missions i was thinking about quitting and going back to XCOM 2 with Longwar thinking it has more to offer. Then i had the first story mission and it was quite a positive surprise. It was different compared to the usual mission types and i had no idea what would happen. That's what i like in a game, good entertainment. And afterwards the game got more complex and the urge to go back to longwar is gone. Don't think i should compare those two anyway. I feel it's kind of a different experience and both are good in their own way. Would be a 10 for me without the trouble i had installing mods. Steam Workshop worked without problem, but installing other mods was a pain. Seems you have to put them in both mod folders xcom and wotc to get them working with the default launcher and it was several hours of searching the internet and a lot try and error until i had everything running.… Expand
  32. AJCk19
    Oct 5, 2022
    8
    Extremely difficult, but fun, and there are a lot of mods out there for it. Has unlimited replay ability.
  33. pongkrit03
    Jan 19, 2020
    6
    Hi I am Xcom veteran player. I finished Xcom 2 long ago just have chanced to play WOTC. I would say I really liked it at first but then, many things started to annoy me.

    First of all, Lost (zombies) are boring. It requires very few same strategies to handle, like stay away, keep your gun full and unload them all in one turn. Those zombies are only fun for first few missions, then it    Hi I am Xcom veteran player. I finished Xcom 2 long ago just have chanced to play WOTC. I would say I really liked it at first but then, many things started to annoy me.

    First of all, Lost (zombies) are boring. It requires very few same strategies to handle, like stay away, keep your gun full and unload them all in one turn. Those zombies are only fun for first few missions, then it become tiresome to deal with.

    Second, Bondmate (why ?), this system , again, seems interesting at first. Then later, you will notice that you have spent too much time for this matchmaking. Because of its good benefits, everytime bringing solider, you will likely to check who his bondmate is, or has good compatibility with him, if his bondmate is still tired, then should we wait or ..... bla bla bla thinking. In the end, does this system make the game more fun ? NO, it is quite opposite. Moreover, compatibility is RNG, something you cannot control. When you start the game and have team that has bad compatibilty with each others, you gonna feel like WTF, should I restart my campaign or what ?.

    Third, the new three classes, though everyone feel creative and fun to play. You are limited to have only one of each. (and later, another one) so total is only 4. Seriously, why ?? . why can't we just recruit them like normal soliders. In WOTC, there is tiring system so you need like 3 teams (6x3 = 18 guys) to play this game efficiently. 4 (and only 1 per class) is not enough at all.

    Fourth, AP system. Why did they add this ? if you want to reward player for good flanking skill, just give XP bonus is enough. AP system is powerful tool, but again this based on RNG ! every solider can have different skill and YET also different in talent (RNG again). Why did you make too much RNG happen ? moreover this AP system can crossover skill of other classes, with mod in, you can make your soliders substitute some class entirely, like Ranger that can use shreder + chain shots skill of Grenadier, which become quite OP. I think the good part of class system is that everyone has his role, but now you destroyed it with this AP system, also destroyed the balance.

    Lastly, Resistance ring are powerful new facility, but it is about based management and it does not really add fun to gameplay. I am ok, but I feel like we don't need it. Vanila Xcom2 's base management is already complicated as it is. There is no need to add further.

    *** By the way, what I like about this DLC is the New chosens. Those three guys are very fun to fight against and they were geniusly intergrated into gameplay. New enemies and new maps are also welcome. ***

    In sum, War of the chosen added a lot of stuff in the game, which worth calling expansion and those things were intregated well in gameplay too. However, most of them does not make the game better, rather it makes the game more RNG and more base management. I am sad to see XCOM2 in this state. They should just add chosens and three new class availiable for normal recruit and new enemies new maps that should be enough.    … Expand
  34. 2fatbear
    Nov 26, 2017
    10
    When I played XCom 2 I was worried at how modders could change enough the game to make it worth playing again (and having surprises and not knowing what would come ahead). Was expecting something like Long Run was for XCom 1. But then the makers came with this addon that seems almost like another game (some are calling it XCom 2.5) with the introduction of a few very well thought elements.When I played XCom 2 I was worried at how modders could change enough the game to make it worth playing again (and having surprises and not knowing what would come ahead). Was expecting something like Long Run was for XCom 1. But then the makers came with this addon that seems almost like another game (some are calling it XCom 2.5) with the introduction of a few very well thought elements. The Choosen are great! The missions are way improved, it is a new game. I only was a bit disappointed with the last mission, its too much like the first one. But hey, they have to save some ideas for XCom 3!… Expand
  35. KoKop0
    May 4, 2020
    8
    if you like xcom games or fan of strategy and tactics games this is THE PERFECT game for you!
  36. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
  37. Archound
    Oct 26, 2017
    8
    Jagged Alliance 2 is still better. It is surprising, that this game still have some technical issues like: freezes, weapons' electro dance after enemies death (due to bad collision system). It should also have better system to speed up or skip shooting animations etc. as it gets dull and time consuming after hours of gameplay. Overall, still lots of improvements to make, devs has to focusJagged Alliance 2 is still better. It is surprising, that this game still have some technical issues like: freezes, weapons' electro dance after enemies death (due to bad collision system). It should also have better system to speed up or skip shooting animations etc. as it gets dull and time consuming after hours of gameplay. Overall, still lots of improvements to make, devs has to focus more on the story, story missions and unique maps design. Players like procedural generation, but it is still not enough (the container with a car that crashed on one of its wall in every abandoned city map...).… Expand
  38. eeDymon
    Nov 2, 2017
    8
    Beautiful, technical and brainstorming game, especially on hard mode. To me it was fairly addictive so you may want to check the clock in time to time. The only downside is that I would've preferred it to be longer.
  39. GarethB
    Nov 2, 2018
    9
    This elevates the base game with a host of new features and enemies that further enhance an already amazing game!
  40. gentlebenno
    Jan 27, 2022
    10
    There's nothing quite like needing that one critical shot, and you tune up the alien and the green blood is spraying everywhere. It's a wonderful feeling. I love this game.
  41. SilverOrlov
    Jun 17, 2020
    9
    I decided to write a separate reviews on the game in general and an DLC about the chosen ones.
    So, about the chosen ones: An excellent additional test of your skills for the main game, which is organically inscribed in the main game, without distortions of balance and adding, in a way, three mini-bosses. The plot justification of these chosen ones, their characters, their strongholds with    I decided to write a separate reviews on the game in general and an DLC about the chosen ones.
    So, about the chosen ones: An excellent additional test of your skills for the main game, which is organically inscribed in the main game, without distortions of balance and adding, in a way, three mini-bosses. The plot justification of these chosen ones, their characters, their strongholds with "last battles", everything is just wonderful. This DLC gets from me a "good" rating, as I am still disappointed that the percentage randomness still does not take into account logic and context in 2020 year(the shotgun comes close to the enemy with 80% of the hit, and you still miss).    … Expand
  42. Elkay_Gaming
    Mar 19, 2019
    8
    Xcom 2 was great. War of the chosen is perfected. It's almost as if the devs had to rush out Xcom 2 in order to make a publishing date. Then after Xcom 2 release, they sat down and decided that they can now give Xcom 2 the polish they believe the game deserves. Once they completed this polish it was released as DLC named War of the Chosen. i honestly believe that War of the Chosen is theXcom 2 was great. War of the chosen is perfected. It's almost as if the devs had to rush out Xcom 2 in order to make a publishing date. Then after Xcom 2 release, they sat down and decided that they can now give Xcom 2 the polish they believe the game deserves. Once they completed this polish it was released as DLC named War of the Chosen. i honestly believe that War of the Chosen is the game the Devs wanted to release when first embarking on the Xcom 2 development journey.

    War of the Chosen is amazing. The best tactical, turn based game i've played.    … Expand
  43. Lucky_Nike
    Oct 28, 2022
    9
    With mods game is super 9, otherwise score 8 is more appropriate.

    I have finished game 5x. Twice without mods, 4x with "tired" mechanic and once without "tired" mechanics include quality of life mods, 3x speed upgame and this deserved 9. Its turn based strategy game, which has its rules and few wtf moments, which you have to get through to learn mechanics. Learning curve is therefore    With mods game is super 9, otherwise score 8 is more appropriate.

    I have finished game 5x. Twice without mods, 4x with "tired" mechanic and once without "tired" mechanics include quality of life mods, 3x speed upgame and this deserved 9.

    Its turn based strategy game, which has its rules and few wtf moments, which you have to get through to learn mechanics. Learning curve is therefore rather steep and mistakes are unforgiving. Start of the game is very hard. Later, when your soldiers gain levels and when you get better armor, game starts to be much less stressful and much more "arcade fun" and that makes smile on your face, when your sharpshooter one hit kill robot across whole map, or when ranger smashes all attackers with blade when he is in front line. Specialist heals and gives defense bonuses and made my soldiers "invincible" many times. There are few more types: psio has most abilities, reapers make game nice tactic battle etc..

    Strongest side of game is imo fact, you are commander and your soldiers are counting on your commander skills, so you want them to not only finish mission, but you also want them return home uninjured and alive. That wants you to be better in the game. Its fun and you see on yourself progress in that matter. Actually in last game I have lost only two soldiers, otherwise be prepared to loose much more of them.

    Game has some for me strange mechanics when enemy can pull you through wall, but you can not shoot them, sometimes robots can go through wall or appear from nowhere. It happens like 3x per game, so ironman, is not for me, nevertheless I was able to finish game without loading game though.

    Graphics is pretty and thanks to customization menu, you can make soldiers be indentified in game by colors - blue is ranger, red is sniper etc.

    I was using all mods for speed up game and quality of life. Without those game is frustrating and makes you wander what you can sell, which soldiers can be bond, who is intelligent most etc. Without mods its a mess and very frustrating.

    I have also removed "tired" mechanics in 5th playthrough in .ini file and game is much more fun and better. With "tired" I have enjoyed game only once, its only prolonging game and make game rather tedious and slower in its pace.

    Super fun game with mods 9/10 especially 3x speed game, otherwise its good for experience 8/10. I would even consider give 9, but "Lost" in the game is just killing it.

    Good luck Commander!

    OLED + 110" screen, surround.    … Expand
  44. Soullex
    Nov 29, 2022
    9
    Üff bu ne böyle aman ya rabbi..............................................
  45. RogueV
    Dec 5, 2019
    9
    They could have added 20% more content than this and called it XCOM 3 and I would have heaped praise on it. The fact that an expansion does so much to augment the experience, and does it all so right, I have no words. If you enjoyed XCOM at all you're in for a treat. If you've never played it, this is the right place to hop on, because WOTC really takes XCOM into a place where it can beThey could have added 20% more content than this and called it XCOM 3 and I would have heaped praise on it. The fact that an expansion does so much to augment the experience, and does it all so right, I have no words. If you enjoyed XCOM at all you're in for a treat. If you've never played it, this is the right place to hop on, because WOTC really takes XCOM into a place where it can be talked about with the all time greats in gaming like Age of Empires and The Witcher 3.… Expand
  46. voolproov
    Jun 21, 2021
    8
    This is one of the very few games I come back to again and again. For me it has more replayability than any other game I've ever played (except maybe the Dark Souls games, but it's not even close). This comes down to a few main reasons.

    Firstly, the tactical squad gameplay hits some kind of sweet spot for me. I love turn-based games because they give me time to think about my decisions,    This is one of the very few games I come back to again and again. For me it has more replayability than any other game I've ever played (except maybe the Dark Souls games, but it's not even close). This comes down to a few main reasons.

    Firstly, the tactical squad gameplay hits some kind of sweet spot for me. I love turn-based games because they give me time to think about my decisions, which allows depth without getting hectic. At the same time it's not too complex for me. In comparison to the original X-COMs, I prefer the two-phased action system to the original action point system, and also the streamlined inventory.

    Secondly, each campaign offers enough unpredictability for me to draw me back in. With the optional ironman mode, which prevents save-scumming, I can find a difficulty setting that gets me into that precious flow where I feel competent, but things can still go awry or even end in catastrophic failure. The procedurally generated maps are varied enough that you won't feel deja-vu, without making the locations a jumbled mess of random tiles.

    While the overarching campaign progression is the same every time, you get randomized events and research opportunities, and a plethora of new mechanics and soldier classes introduced by the various DLCs. All in all, it mixes everything up nicely and nudges you to do things differently than last time.

    That said.. without exaggeration, you can get a whole new game when you install the Long War 2 mod (https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=844674609), which changes almost everything. Not for the faint of heart, but highly recommended!

    Thirdly, every XCOM operative you lead into battle can be customized by classes which have different stats, and with combat experience upgrade within at least two skill branches. Also, every soldier is a named individual with their own looks and backstory. They can be randomly generated, or you can create your pool of soldiers yourself, or import whole sets of popular characters from movies, games, and cartoon franchises.

    If I want to be critical, I would have liked a bit more freedom in the strategic geoscape layer. But if I have to choose between the complete freedom of the original X-Com and the slightly rail-roaded system of XCOM 2, I take the latter. While I don't like having to arbitrarily choose between three missions, I hated floundering about in the old games deciding if and when and where to build another base that I then could not staff and equip sufficiently. But that's just me not liking too much complexity, I guess.

    So, if you have even a passing interest in tactical turn-based games, I think you will like XCOM 2 very much.    … Expand
  47. PaladinCode
    May 29, 2019
    4
    (Ironman: 1 Move 1 Save, *prevents save scumming*
    (LOS: Line of Sight)
    Time spent with the game: -Logged in 1000+ hours over the span of 2 years Finally summary of XCOM 2 WOTC: -At its core wonderful masterpiece, the best turn based strategy game I have ever played. -Glitched to the nines with 0 fixes. -Losing is a part of the game, which I am fine with on Legendary difficulty,    (Ironman: 1 Move 1 Save, *prevents save scumming*
    (LOS: Line of Sight)

    Time spent with the game:
    -Logged in 1000+ hours over the span of 2 years
    Finally summary of XCOM 2 WOTC:
    -At its core wonderful masterpiece, the best turn based strategy game I have ever played.
    -Glitched to the nines with 0 fixes.
    -Losing is a part of the game, which I am fine with on Legendary difficulty, but there is nothing more frustrating then playing and investing over 20+hours into a Ironman run and losing the game because of a glitch.
    Glitches as follows:
    -Enemy LOS broken, enemy randomly sees through walls, engage you while in concealment even tho you have not broken line of sight the computer will glitch and say you have been revealed when you have not touched the LOS squares.
    -Lancers LOS broken, enemy can attack players without having LOS, 1 shot kills
    -Played until the end, almost beat it, over 50+ hours invested, game crashed, Ironman save at crash point, no way to recover, game breaking bug, Developers KNOW and are AWARE of this issue have done nothing
    -Mandatory missions, that last over on some maps 2+ hours, game feels like a hard grind that never gives you a break
    -Graphics are excellent, Story Line is amazing, lead stars from Star Trek Generations as voice overs, over all the game is superior in every way shape and form, but due to game breaking bugs that make the game unplayable, this game gets a 4.
    -Simple patches, to fix the game breaking bugs, is all that would be required. *good enough* mentality no longer is acceptable. We pay BIG money for AAA games, we expect the iron upon the shirt, we expect the full service. Send a message to the gaming companies, hold them to account, let us stop paying $$$ for garbage errors.    … Expand
  48. Nerevarinho
    Jul 19, 2020
    9
    Would reload savegame again.
    ..................…...........................
  49. MadJim61
    Feb 2, 2020
    9
    I enjoyed XCom 2 when it came out, but felt that the game finished a bit too quickly. I had to move swiftly to the endgame before I'd finished a lot of research, to stop Advent completing the Avatar project. I waited until WOTC was on sale at Steam before giving it a try, and (as others have said), it really re-invents the game. Now more challenging, more varied and more enjoyable. ThereI enjoyed XCom 2 when it came out, but felt that the game finished a bit too quickly. I had to move swiftly to the endgame before I'd finished a lot of research, to stop Advent completing the Avatar project. I waited until WOTC was on sale at Steam before giving it a try, and (as others have said), it really re-invents the game. Now more challenging, more varied and more enjoyable. There are still a few niggles that stopped me giving it a straight 10: missions are a bit repetitive; dialogue even worse; and there are some odd annoyances -- such as Dark Events that threaten you with increased Chosen activity even after you've eliminated them all. But, overall, it's a lot of fun. If you're too slow (and too old in my case) for real-time strategy and games that rely entirely on quick reactions, this is for you. it's a game that makes you think and has enough depth to make it more than just blasting aliens. Highly recommended.… Expand
  50. talus151
    Jun 14, 2022
    8
    My second most played game on steam with a unholy amount of hours played.
    Truly top class.
  51. Turin_18
    Aug 10, 2020
    10
    Juego perfecto en su genero, muy personalizable, con muchisimos mod, historia profunda, varios modos de juego, muy divertido.
  52. Zski
    Oct 30, 2022
    9
    This is an expansion done right. Originally priced at $40, this DLC literally doubled the content of the original game and added and entirely new campaign that is equally as long as the first. Beyond that, it added tons of cool new features including new classes, new cosmetics, new mission types, new enemy types, and other cool features like creating propaganda photos. This was somethingThis is an expansion done right. Originally priced at $40, this DLC literally doubled the content of the original game and added and entirely new campaign that is equally as long as the first. Beyond that, it added tons of cool new features including new classes, new cosmetics, new mission types, new enemy types, and other cool features like creating propaganda photos. This was something closer to XCOM 2.5 more so than a DLC. It completely revised the campaign structure into a whole new overarching gameplay element and plot. I still highly recommend playing the original first because it’s fantastic, and because you really should experience the vanilla game to get an understanding of the fundamentals as this game is far more challenging and punishing. I gave the vanilla game a 10/10, I am giving this expansion a 9/10 because it breathes so much life on the already incredible vanilla game. With that being said, I love it because it’s more XCOM 2. I found the campaign to be a little worse, instead of the arms race against the aliens, now there are a lot of characters and story arcs thrown in. Some people may prefer that, but I liked feeling like humanity’s last hope was in your hands instead of a Hollywood story. I personally think this style of a campaign just makes it feel like any other game.… Expand
  53. julian_apostate
    Jul 10, 2021
    10
    Play it. I don't care how old it is, nor what games you usually play.

    Shut up and play it, you'll love it.

    PS: I'm an old fart so my opinion may be skewed, but I feel like anything I would give a 10/10 would end up being a 6/10 for the mass market. So its at least okay.
  54. tontonac
    May 16, 2022
    8
    I find that this DLC is too much, campaign feels overcrowded. Still, a lot of what they added is good.
  55. Woolee
    Sep 29, 2021
    10
    Fav Games - Skyrim, Witcher 3, Mass Effect Trilogy, Stellaris, Sins of a Solar Empire, Company of Heroes 2, Divinity Original Sin 1+2 *Immersion and/or Strategy for me* Xcom 2 was already a good game, worthy of 88-90 on metacritic. With all the DLC and WotC it is now o
  56. archangel1
    Dec 19, 2021
    10
    It's one of the funniest games ever.

    This is the most immersive expansion pack that complements the deficiencies of the existing XCOM 2.

    Numerous supported mods make it even more fun.
    Numerous supported mods make it even more fun.
  57. aecsuter
    Feb 10, 2023
    10
    Jogo excelente. Muito divertido, e a expansão trouxe quase que um jogo novo. Vale testar novas jogabilidade vom os mods tbm!
    Recomendo demais!

Awards & Rankings

8
#8 Best PC Game of 2017
50
#50 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
36
#36 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 16, 2017
    90
    War of the Chosen introduces tons of new mechanics along with various improvements. It refreshes the original game so thoroughly that the campaign is truly worth replaying and the whole package deserves to be called XCOM 2.5. [11/2017, p.36]
  2. 4Players.de
    Oct 18, 2017
    85
    An enormous expansion that adds a lot of interesting new features, but also takes the turn based combat to its limit.
    Read full review
  3. PLAY! Zine
    Oct 12, 2017
    90
    In an age of small DLCs to see a full old school expansion is a really refreshing sight. War of the Chosen enriches the original experience on a whole new level and it's a must for fans of the XCOM series.
    Read full review
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