From earning my achievement for finishing the tutorial in 2017 to finally completing XCOM 2 in 2026, it has been quite a journey.

While I enjoyed the first game much more, there’s no doubt about how solid the XCOM 2 experience is. It’s one of those games that eventually goes on deep sale and, while it may be sitting in many people’s backlogs, it’s absolutely worth diving into. With only 30% of players completing the final mission, there are still many who have yet to experience everything the game has to offer.

It’s a game of patience and trial and error, where achieving victory brings guaranteed satisfaction. It will punish you if you take too long making decisions or if you fail to make them at all. You must constantly push new research and secure better weapons and armor, because the enemies will only grow stronger.

Its audio and soundtrack are fantastic, creating constant tension while maintaining a cinematic feel. The graphics still hold up very well and are beautifully presented. The maps are highly detailed, from the raindrops to the moving leaves, everything feels carefully crafted despite the isometric perspective.

This is not a game that really needs a review in 2026, but after finally finishing it, I felt it was worth mentioning once again for those still on the fence, or for those with the game sitting in their backlog thinking, “Today is the day I’ll finally start it.”

I’m not sure if we’ll ever get XCOM 3. The first game felt nearly perfect, while XCOM 2 made strategy both incredible and, at times, frustratingly limited due to the timed missions that force you to rush toward objectives whether you like it or not. XCOM: Chimera Squad was an interesting but very different take on the formula, so here’s hoping XCOM 3 happens one day. If it doesn’t, there are still plenty of hours of great gameplay to enjoy here.

updated on aspects from enemy unknown. good 40 hours in it.

Two of my soilders were dead, extracted with only 3 member. Toxic game -10/10 will