I got this game as a gift from a friend, and man, it did not disappoint. I’ve finished it multiple times on both PC and iPhone. The replayability is excellent, even after several years — something you don’t see in many games. The story is very engaging: you’re fighting off an alien invasion while simultaneously trying to keep your technological progress and research on par with the enemy. The overall gameplay is well balanced, from difficulty levels to its RPG elements. The DLCs are also worth it, and the price is very reasonable considering how much time you can spend in the game. Some downsides might be the slightly cartoonish graphics. I personally got used to them and even started to like them after several playthroughs, but they might discourage some players. Also, compared to XCOM 2, there are fewer features — such as customization options, fewer characters, and less depth in RPG mechanics. However, I was still able to enjoy this game multiple times even after playing XCOM 2, which says a lot.

Pros:
Game length and replayability
Well-balanced gameplay in every aspect
Awesome DLCs
Variety of enemy types

Pros or Cons:
Voice acting – sometimes great (especially soldiers’ reactions when someone dies), but base dialogues can feel a bit cringy
Graphics – slightly cartoonish; may appeal to some players but not others

Cons:
Customization (especially cosmetic options; more weapons and equipment would be welcome)
Some bugs

The achievements in this game were great and sometimes really challenging. The game doesn’t have an achievement progress tracker, so it’s best to complete the time-consuming ones during your playthroughs. And now for the worst part — you need to complete the game starting from every region, which means at least five full playthroughs. If you’re planning to go for 100% and want to avoid unnecessary extra runs, you can check out my guide.

Glitched achievements: YES (the last mission sometimes needs to be replayed due to a bug)
DLCs needed: YES (all except the Elite Soldier Pack)
Multiplayer achievements: YES (2 and still doable in 2026)
Time-consuming achievements: YES
Collectible achievements: NO
Multiple playthroughs needed: YES (at least 5)
Time to 100%: 90–150 hours
Hardest achievement: Our finest hour (beat the game on impossible difficulty)

All in all:
Game: 8/10
Achievements difficulty: 7/10

[h1] Game review [/h1] I got this game as a gift from a friend, and man, it did not disappoint. I’ve finished it multiple times on both PC and iPhone. The replayability is excellent, even after several years — something you don’t see in many games. The story is very engaging: you’re fighting off an alien invasion while simultaneously trying to keep your technological progress and research on par with the enemy. The overall gameplay is well balanced, from difficulty levels to its RPG elements. The DLCs are also worth it, and the price is very reasonable considering how much time you can spend in the game. Some downsides might be the slightly cartoonish graphics. I personally got used to them and even started to like them after several playthroughs, but they might discourage some players. Also, compared to XCOM 2, there are fewer features — such as customization options, fewer characters, and less depth in RPG mechanics. However, I was still able to enjoy this game multiple times even after playing XCOM 2, which says a lot. [b] Pros: [/b] Game length and replayability Well-balanced gameplay in every aspect Awesome DLCs Variety of enemy types [b] Pros or Cons: [/b] Voice acting – sometimes great (especially soldiers’ reactions when someone dies), but base dialogues can feel a bit cringy Graphics – slightly cartoonish; may appeal to some players but not others [b] Cons: [/b] Customization (especially cosmetic options; more weapons and equipment would be welcome) Some bugs [h1] Achievements review [/h1] The achievements in this game were great and sometimes really challenging. The game doesn’t have an achievement progress tracker, so it’s best to complete the time-consuming ones during your playthroughs. And now for the worst part — you need to complete the game starting from every region, which means at least five full playthroughs. If you’re planning to go for 100% and want to avoid unnecessary extra runs, you can check out my guide. [h1] What you need for 100% [/h1] Glitched achievements: YES (the last mission sometimes needs to be replayed due to a bug) DLCs needed: YES (all except the Elite Soldier Pack) Multiplayer achievements: YES (2 and still doable in 2026) Time-consuming achievements: YES Collectible achievements: NO Multiple playthroughs needed: YES (at least 5) Time to 100%: 90–150 hours Hardest achievement: Our finest hour (beat the game on impossible difficulty) All in all: [b] Game: 8/10 [/b] [b] Achievements difficulty: 7/10 [/b]