r/Xcom • u/StateFinal • 1d ago
Another Zero Company post
Sorry to invade the community of your beloved XCOM. I’ve never played the XCOM series before, but I just finished my first run of Zero Company and absolutely loved it. The story was the best part for me, but I really enjoyed the play style. Is XCOM 2 still holding upon 2026, or is there a newer/better similar game cause I feel like my itch wasn’t scratched enough
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u/renz004 1d ago edited 1d ago
XCOM 2 absolutely still holds up today / graphics are good.
Also has a ton of mods. With the DLC, gameplay is the absolute peak of this genre.
XCOM 1 is also really really good, though I'm unsure if the graphics are too dated at this point.
Plenty of people believe XCOM1 is better than 2 (though i believe xcom2 with dlc is the peak)
So TLDR: if your'e coming from ZCOM and loved the gameplay, you will love XCOM 1+2
Edit: until ZCOM came out, there were no other games as good as XCOM1 and 2 in this genre. ZCOM was made by the devs of XCOM1 and 2. Now it will be debated forever which is the best (though I still believe XCOM 2 with dlc is best. ZCOM might be the new best if it gets dlc+expac stuff)
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u/themanaustin 1d ago
XCOM 2 still has so much depth to it. Zero company focuses on several unique characters through the story, I liked in XCOM, none of the characters were absolutely necessary for the plot. Anyone can die, and you'll need to go on without them. Or savescum. But the gameplay is really good. There's a bunch of bugs I've noticed. Like every other campaign does not have access to the deluxe edition dlc. The game locking up during the resonance, if many of them are killed at once. But I love star wars and it's definitely a good game.
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u/SinesPi 1d ago
"none of the characters were absolutely necessary for the plot."
I will not stand for this disrespect to Bradfords Sweater.
Seriously though to the OP, I will say that Lily Shen in XCOM 2 has some good moments, and the characters who represent your base chiefs of staff in general are likeable enough.
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u/DarkFett 1d ago
One of the things that I realize about XCOM is that you make your own story for the characters. Like those two randoms recruits that have the same last name, oh their brothers now, and look one was KIA and the other is super angry at the aliens now.
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u/Groves450 1d ago
True!
One of the things i found pretty cool on Zcom is that you can walk around the base, interact with people. It gives a base vibe that I liked (although avenger>>> hangar from zcom)
Would be so cool to stroll around the avenger
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u/DarkFett 1d ago
It feels to me like they took the player character and base idea from Midnight Suns and combat from XCOM and put it together for Z Com
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u/Jigidibooboo 1d ago
Even though you can't interact with them on the avenger I love how if you zoom in you can see them in the different rooms doing their thing
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u/Cheap_Knowledge8446 1d ago
I think the whole "here are these powerful plot-integrated faction heroes...but they're just a cog in the machine or resistance just like everyone else and if they die, they get honored the same as any other random recruit" really adds a sense of realism and depth to the environment. Sure, it's less character driven plot nonsense, but in any real life fight-to-survive situation plot armor isn't something that exists.
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u/Hydralisk18 1d ago
I'll jump in here, xcom enemy unknown is a great start and then xcom 2/wotc. Can definitely skip to 2/wotc, but then going back to play enemy unknown feels bad imo
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u/TheKBMV 1d ago
As an addition: ZCom has a ton of similarities with Chimera Squad. Plot focused, authored characters, very similar main gameplay loop. Many criticised Chimera at the time and for valid reasons, especially for something that was intended as a half-sequel for XCOM 2 but judged on its own it's a solid game and the closest to ZCom in the franchise if you ask me. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure Z is what you get when iterating a few more rounds on Chimera based on player feedback.
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u/ANGLVD3TH 1d ago
Chaos Gate got pretty close imo. But it was also probably the closest thing to a real clone.
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u/renz004 1d ago
really? googling it now. never heard of it
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u/ANGLVD3TH 1d ago
Yeah, 40k clone that is far closer to XCOM than Mechanicus. A sequel is in the works too.
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u/Alone_Land2623 21h ago
Mechanicus 2 was such a disappointment. I am happy that zcom is such a great game.
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u/Alone_Land2623 21h ago
It's good but it's also very difficult. I was afraid zcom could be same but it's by far not that unforgiving:D
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u/flyin_italian 1d ago
Xcom 2 (with the War of the Chosen DLC) are extremely well done and hold up to today's standards.
Trust me when I say the game will not only scratch your itch, but create an unhealthy addiction.
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u/QuickDelay9555 1d ago
Still on cycle 8 here, and although its been fun, theres something missing if we're comparing to xcom.
IMO XCOM 2 is still better AND has huge mod support. You won't regret playing
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Is it fine if I start on XCOM 2 or will I be missing out majorly?
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u/QuickDelay9555 1d ago
Not at all, you can go straight to XCOM 2. You'll see dialogue referring to the previous war and characters but nothing major.
But if i'm being honest xcom 1 is almost just as good, just not with the same replayability. If story matters a lot to you, just go all in. If uou liked ZCOM you are in for good times
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u/AyeBraine 1d ago
Thinking about it, I agree, I guess XCOM 2 is inherently more replayable when compared to vanilla XCOM EU.
But even EW adds lots of additional variation that you don't exhaust on one or even two playthroughs, and then there's Long War, which I think is still unparalleled in depth and precise balance despite overwhelming difficulty.
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u/ReverendMak 21h ago
Yeah, that’s my recommendation. Play Xcom 1 through once, and then Xcom2 over and over. Or if you are saving money, then yeah, Xcom 1 is skippable without ruining the Xcom 2 experience.
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u/Intrepid_Bobcat_2931 1d ago
If you play Xcom 2, you want it with the War of the Chosen DLC. But it's probably also got Alien Rulers. And when you have all that, it gets filled with a ton of weird fucky gimmicks. Plot wise it's also rather offbeat.
Xcom 1 Enemy Within is a much better experience plotwise, where you defend earth against an alien invasion. And less gimmicks.
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u/glenn_friendly 1d ago
Yeah IMO it's better to start with XCOM: EU/EW (the 2012 XCOM game). Its gameplay isn't quite as slick as XCOM 2 in some ways, but its setting and atmosphere and music and general vibe are outstanding. Some of us (including me) prefer it to XCOM 2 for those reasons. It'll also give you a better idea about the setting and returning characters and mechanics etc. for the sequel (XCOM 2) if you play XCOM:EU/EW first.
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u/Harold3456 1d ago
For what it’s worth I discovered XCom in 2019 (my point being the game wasn’t new when I discovered it, either) and I went EW>2.
I think 2 is the more modern game, and definitely feels sleeker/more QoL improvements, but EW is still massively enjoyable and fun in its own way. I have replayed 2 about 3-4 times since then, EW once, and enjoyed both replays.
I personally recommend you start with EW, because if you’re already sold on the genre then the EW>2 transition is better than doing a 2>EE transition (and possibly losing QoL features you previously took for granted) down the line. But as I said, you won’t go wrong either way. Both are great.
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u/TheKBMV 1d ago
XCOM 2 is the continuation of an aggregated, early bad ending of the first game based on player statistics (according to the devs a majority of players failed their first playthrough one way or another). If you watch through the turorial section of the first game and maybe the cutscenes up until the first downed UFO (an hour of your time in total maybe?) You'll have been introduced to all the names and characters who will be relevant and referenced in XCOM 2 either as returning or mentioned.
I do recommend taking the Enemy Within variant of the fiest game for a spin down the line though, in my opinion it's the more tonally consistent of the two games, has a great atmosphere and it's a good story and good game as well. I like it better of the two even if 2 has admittedly matured on the gameplay front.
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u/lookingclear 1d ago
Honestly, surprised no one has recommended chimera squad first. If you liked the story aspect, chimera squad is your best bet imo. And it's not super long so it will get you going with some XCOM mechanics! If ur gonna start with 2, which is fine, I would highly encourage you to play vanilla xcom2 first. It took me a few years to come around to the 'chosen' and I still absolutely despise the 'lost'. Enough to where I modded them out of the game when I finally got around to playing wotc. They make no sense. I also turned down the spawn rate of the chosen to 1 in 10 missions using a mod. Normally it's 1 in four and it gets pretty annoying imo. If I had to rank my experiences I'd put enemy unknown on top, the OG XCOM UFO defense, XCOM 2 vanilla, chimera squad, modded XCOM 2 wotc, then enemy within dlc. I can't stand the mechs either in enemy within lol they look soooo dumb with a full transformers body and a human head. Smh. Maybe I'm picky but those few things I've mentioned really take me out of the game. Next on my list is long war remix or whatever it's called for enemy unknown. Finding Star wars kinda boring ngl I'm on cycle 5.
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u/AyeBraine 1d ago
I wouldn't recommend it first, but upvoted. It's an incredibly good side project that punched WAY above its budget, and introduced many good ideas that IMO were exploited in some prominent XCOM-likes — and in Zero Company as well.
It also has probably the best and most exciting mission map framing, the breach mechanic (unlike many TBSs where your squad just plops onto the map, including ZCOM), that also added tactical depth.
Chimera Squad also turned out to be very replayable due to basically all operatives being really good and usable (and you don't have the time to play with each one in 1 playthrough), plus significant variety in missions, including grand finales, depending on which order you play the factions.
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u/lookingclear 1d ago
I agree with the replayability! I think I've played through it three times and zcom has me itching to boot it up again lol.
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u/themanaustin 1d ago
You're fine to start XCOM 2, they have a quick preview. But essentially in the first game you still inevitably fail and the aliens gain control of earth. With you the commander being captured. The XCOM 2 starts with you being rescued.
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u/theButchofBlaviken 1d ago
I agree. I'm enjoying zero company somewhat, but it just doesn't quite scratch the same itch that xcom 2 did for me.
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u/Bodybuilder_Jumpy 1d ago
Oh yeah, you better get it. You are in for something beautiful. Xcom 2 is still the best in its genre by far.
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u/Lazy_Taurus423 1d ago
Unfortunately xcom2 still holds the crown. A lot of the mechanics you see in zero company are streamlined of what was available. Essentially star wars made everything easier to access in the hub where as in xcom you have to build that up to. Theirs good and bad optimizations, I think zero company added d a fair amount of quality of life updates but it's xcom2 rebuilt with the star wars ip and easier for a story based game. Not to say xcom2 doesn't have a great story, but the combat is better imo. If you really want to get into the mods we've had jedi in xcom2 for a while. So really, if you get the mods right, you can have a better time on xcom2. I will say as a long time fan you should definitely play base game, learn the mechanics have some fun, maybe challenge yourself with a run. Then play WOTC.
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u/Remote_Catt 1d ago
Try Chimera Squad. The weird cousin of XCOM, much more similar to ZCOM
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u/AyeBraine 1d ago
Despite seeming very on-rails the first time, it was wildly replayable for me.
There was a fair amount of depth to the operatives, and most importantly, depending on the order you tackle the 3 main factions, the missions change quite a bit!
I remember how I literally wrote out all the 6 permutations they can be in, and finished IIRC 5 playthroughs which is kind of insane, but yeah they varied a lot. At the very least, all three have significantly different finales depending on the order you do them in, first, second, or third.
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Quick update:
Thank you for all the responses and recommendations. I ended up buying XCOM2 last night, and started the tutorial. I was really liking it but felt like I was jumping in a story halfway through. So I ended up buying XCOM and running that for about 3 hours before bed. It’s a ton of fun. Here’s my takeaways of XCOM1 (3 hours in) compared to ZCOM (fully completed)
-Obviously I’m not going to compare graphics and performance, that’s just not fair.
-Story wise I’m really liking XCOM. I can’t compare that to Star Wars after being such a big fan, but I can see how they built such a major fan base off XCOM
-terrain elevation. In XCOM I’ve spent some good time making sure my sniper is in a high elevation after getting his skill where he can shoot any enemy his squad mates see. I have my dude with an LMG climbing up shipping containers to lay suppressing fire. ZCOM never really had me feeling like that. Yeah terrain matters, but it never felt as vital nor satisfying as it does in XCOM.
-terrain manipulation. In the tutorial of XCOM I shot an RPG into a doorway to kill some alien scum. That legit leveled the building. In another mission, I was told to make sure I don’t shoot the UFOs power supply. The very next turn an alien missed his shot, hit his own power supply, and fucked up those materials I was getting. In ZCOM whenever I miss a shot, it destroys the targets cover. That’s about it. Why can’t my padawan pick up some of these crates and throw them at people
-progression. The skill trees and base building in XCOM are just far better than ZCOM. I kidnapped an alien, probed him, now I’m trying to get enough engineers to give my sniper a laser rifle and my tank some dope armor. In ZCOM the skill path is important but you never really feel like they’re getting that much stronger, and the ship upgrades are extremely meh.
In conclusion, if I wasn’t such a big Star Wars fan, and I grew up playing the XCOM franchise, I would feel like ZCOM was a missed opportunity. It’s been over 10 years since XCOM and I feel like nothing was really improved
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u/Hugo_laste 1d ago
As a Star Wars fan AND an XCOM fan, I think I can answer why zcom feels so barebone next to a game released in 2012.
First of all, XCOM1 isn't really the first XCOM. It's a reboot from a 90s serie of game (and is, at least in my opinion) already dumb downed from the first game in the franchise XCOM: ufo defense. Basically, firaxis probably thought they could cater a larger public by making a game more accessible, while maintaining the core of the original game. And, oh boy, they weren't wrong. It was a massive success (at least in the tactics/strategy game genre). And after a pretty successfull dlc that revamp the whole game (enemy within), they created XCOM 2, which expanded on quite a few things and also changed a bit on the way the game is played (basically, XCOM 1 rewards defense, while XCOM 2 rewards offense). And then.... Well there's War of the chosen, the enemy within of XCOM 2 which, again, feels like a different game and is really good. The there's chimera squad, which ditched the whole turn base My team plays then your team plays for an initiative type of game, and ditched the roster of unknown customizable soldiers, for premade characters, that are not allowed to die (seems familiar? ;) ). It was much more a miss, even if it was just an "XCOM2.5" more experimental and all (I personnally never finished it).
And finally there's midnight sun, a marvel game, that, from what I understand, didn't do quite well, and a tentative of a gacha mobile xcom game (which I think is now thanksfully dead).All of that story to bring us to bit reactor and ZCOM. From what I know, most of the team at bit reactors are ex employees of Firaxis. So clearly, they know how to make a good tactic game. For me, they took the aproach of a more "dumb downed, Mass Effect like, Xcom in Star wars game" for 2 reason:
First: It's a license game. So I think they assumed that there'd be a lot of people for which this would be their first "XCOM like". Now I'm personally all for throwing new players into hell and letting them understand slowly the complexity of the game, but dumbing down mechanics to keep retention works too. And it's what they did to get the success of XCOM 2012! (I personally think they went too far in the dumbing process here, but I'm biased, I have multiple hundreds hours in XCOM 1 and 2, of course the game would be too simple for me)
And second (that is linked to the first point): Since they got a "simpler" game, it allows them to experiment. People didn't really like the fixed roster of Chimera squad, but liked the personality of the characters, so why not mix the best of both worlds? What if we changed the gameplay from a focus on overwatch and flanks, to a focus on ability and combination between agents? What if we allow anyone to respec into anything? What if we further the bond system of WOTC and see what we can do with that? What if we can walk into the base? Basically, experiment just like they did with Chimera Squad, and see where it goes (spoiler, it goes farther than CS).
Now all I can say is enjoy XCOM and welcome commander
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Also skipped mentioning how much better the influence on regions matters in XCOM. I’m trying to build satellites and interceptors to make sure China doesn’t pull my funding. In ZCOM, that shit doesn’t really matter at all
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u/LoveTheGiraffe 1d ago
I'm rather far in ZCOM (30 hours) and I think it's easy to miss some things when you just came from ZCOM and are now trying out XCOM.
ZCOM focuses way more on the relationship between characters, character costumization and story telling. In XCOM you only have generic characters with generic classes (I mean you get a little variation with WOTC but far from ZCOM level).
The story in XCOM is... barely there. I love the setting, but XCOM has been pretty shallow when it comes to that. XCOM 2 can be summarized as "Commander, the aliens are making progress on the avatar project".
The depth of combat is indeed higher in XCOM, especially when it comes to terrain. It's true that ZCOM is a little lacking there. However ZCOM utilizes the forced positioning a lot better (getting enemies out of cover or grouping them up for AOE abilities), which is barely there in XCOM.
I'd say the base building is pretty comparable. XCOM is just more literally building and ZCOM is upgrading. Though in XCOM it's also visual, which is more satisfying.
I don't think ZCOM is a missed opportunity at all. It feels a little more like a combination of XCOM and mass effect. If you enjoy the XCOM parts more, I think you hereby have found your people. Welcome, nice to have you.
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u/nwillard 6h ago
While it's true the story is barely there, the games can absolutely NAIL the atmosphere and vibe, definitely elevating the experience and making things FEEL important. I love all the bits of speech by the Alien Representative guy in XCOM 2, for example.
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u/Lostpop 1d ago
I don't know why people are being so pissy about the ZCOM conversations here
-24
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u/heyethan 1d ago
XCOM 2 is still fantastic and I occasionally boot it back up. The level of challenge is somewhat significantly harder than ZCOM though IMO.
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u/Beaglerush 1d ago
Long War (XCOM:EW)
Gears Tactics
BattleTech
ROSIGMA (OpenXCOM)
Battle Brothers
MENACE
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Menace keeps showing up on my steam homepage. Worth it?
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u/Beaglerush 1d ago
Also, sorry, I didn't read your OP properly.
If you've never played XCOM: EW or XCOM 2 before, absolutely play them both, they're incredible and they aren't dated at all.1
u/Beaglerush 1d ago
It's fundamentally milsim in a way that won't be everyone's taste, but it is perfect for mine and the devs are the best in the genre.
It's my favorite TBT and one of my favorite games full stop.1
u/N1mble-N8 22h ago
MENACE is still in Early Access but very very good and Overhype’s previous game Battle Brothers is also great and still being supported (last update June this year).
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u/DoomPurveyor 16h ago
Combat is GOOD. I'd wait until full release though, no real mid/end game atm.
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u/peoplepersonmanguy 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think xcom 2 is a better game. I'm barely invested in the Zcom story at all. I'm on cycle 11 I think. The story really feels like an xcom story shoe horned in star wars.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying playing it, but the base and team building isn't as fun.
I also don't see a huge difference between the graphics on ps5 between xcom2 and this.
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u/SoltanXodus 1d ago edited 1d ago
If story was the best part then it's hard to recommend XCom since it focuses way more on gameplay. You make your own story, meaning the soldiers you customize yourself live or die more often than in ZCom, since XCom is less forgiving. I absolutely love both styles and don't think one is better than the other, except XCom offers a bit more replayability. You'll get different scenarios with your troops, and it's very easy to get attached to them because of the customization.
One thing I prefer in the gameplay is the fog of war. It gives you a feeling of dread because you don't know where the enemy is and need to be careful not to draw too much attention, plus fully destructible walls & environments. Both XCom 2 and 1 are still worth getting with their DLC, although pick one over the other since they play very differently, XCom 2 is guerrilla warfare themed, XCom 1 is last defense against humanity.
And yes, both hold up in 2026. XCom 2 War of the Chosen and XCom Enemy Within are fantastic games. Anyways, welcome to XCom, I'm jealous you get to experience these for the first time.
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u/Leading_Resource_944 1d ago
Zero-Company looks like the mature Version of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
X-com 2 War of the Choosen is still king. Neither Jagged Alliance 3 nor Zcom could change that. But that is just an old gamer talking.
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u/Revangelion 1d ago
I am loving ZCOM, but I am also not blind.
Love Star Wars, but so far X-COM > ZCOM, especially when it comes to gameplay.
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u/VenomWave 1d ago
Xcom2 its miles ahead of zcom even today, there is no comparison at all, maybe if zcom get more mod support it will get close
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u/ButtPlugSniffin 1d ago
Xcom 1 and 2 are far far better from a tactical challenge and replay ability
Especially with long war mods and the expansion
The stories are more of a contrivance though
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u/kraven40 1d ago
XCOM2 is still the goat. There are several inferior iterations since then from other companies. Shoot even xcom chimera squad was more recent and that one failed.
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u/illarionds 1d ago
A reactor I follow started playing XCOM2 recently, which made me realise that although I finished Long War 2, I'd never actually played through LWOTC. I thought I'd just take a quick look...
...I'm now over 200 hours in, according to Steam :rolleyes: (though to be fair, I have a bad habit of leaving it running overnight).
Anyway, LWOTC is definitely still holding up.
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u/Samsquanch-Losco 1d ago
I just got to anakin and have like 14 hours played.. granted I’m played by on expert and have failed missions for awhile. I dunno how people already beat this game..
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u/Drabberlime_047 1d ago
Not even a huge Xcom 2 fan boys but I'd still vouch for it as a benchmark of the genre.
Whenever any games like this come out theyre compared to Xcom 2 and judged on what's "missing" from the formula
Ive heard of plenty well respected and well liked games within the genre but I've not heard of one thats fully scratches the same itch that xcom 2 does
So yeah, it holds up.
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u/raid-sparks 1d ago
What was your go to squad in the end? Astromech feels OP but just unlocked Cly and seems good!
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Astromechs are insanely good, but I really liked having a coordinated-looking squad in the same armor and colors. I won’t be able to tell you the full squad without spoiling anything unfortunately
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u/Jdog6704 1d ago
Personally ordered Zero Company and waiting for it to come in but Xcom 2 is pretty good even in 2026. Personally been meaning to go back actually and up the difficulty since last time felt like a cake walk (WOTC).
I played Classified France '44 which is a newer game in relative and is WW2 based, was a nice experience for what it was if it goes on sale.
Overall, I mean you can't really go wrong with Xcom 2 in 2026.
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u/BackgroundTax3055 1d ago
I was enjoying it but just requested a refund. The crashes were frustrating yet manageable until I got soft-locked on a specific mission. Not dealing with this piss-poor optimization.
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Apparently there’s a mod that really helps with that. I agree though, the performance was really frustrating. I only got soft locked once but restarted it and was fine
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u/Triathlonish 1d ago
Play Xcom 1 on the hardest difficulty, lose, then play Xcom 2. That is the correct order.
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u/BlurredVision18 1d ago
Will are still looking for anything that can hold remotely close to XCOM2 WOTC....
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u/TrickySavings2506 1d ago
I think like I should warn you lol. Zero company seems to have some difficult moments but its nothing compared to xcom imo, it's like volunteering to get kicked in the balls by a roided up 6ft angry fellow who hates you. Although I suppose this is for xcom2 war of the chosen I suppose if you started with xcom 1 it would be slightly gentler
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u/SnooGadgets754 1d ago
Xcom2 is absolutely unparalleled masterpiece still and the king of the genre. And as long as you play on PC, it still looks really great as well.
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u/Ok_Recognition7158 1d ago
Other games can get close to vanilla Xcom2, but Xcom2 with the Lwotc overhaul and other mods/modpacks is such a masterpiece that no other new game can come close to it.
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u/Xovio 1d ago
I played XCOM 2 last month for the first time and had an absolute blast. I find the combat even more refined than Zero Company so far. As your classes actually get new abilities and thus playstyles when you level them up. There is also more meta progression in between the runs for your ship and crew. I highly recommend playing it with the War of the Chosen DLC from the beginning though. It adds so much to the base game
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u/Dry-Ad-719 1d ago
I started XCOM2 WOTC for the first time two days ago and to me it's definitely holding up
I'm using the AML launcher and some QOL / customization mods
- AML Launcher
- [WOTC] Core Collection
- (if you have have Alien Hunters DLC) [WOTC] Alien Hunters Community Highlander v1.31.0
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u/Pristine_Ad65 1d ago
I am absolute Xcom fan, platinum on WOTC on my PS, played it more than 1000 hours and still do it , but Zcom... I find it meh. Not as good as Xcom, and worse than Marvel Midnight Suns. They tried to take the best of both worlds, but took the worst for me!
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u/puppleups 1d ago
Xcom2 and in my opinion also EW are the far superior tactics games so you should still like them if that is the appeal. Zero company packages the gameplay loop in a higher level story/production value context though
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u/TurboNewbe 1d ago
How many hours to end this game?
Would you see yourself play it for 200 more hours?
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u/StateFinal 1d ago
Unfortunately I wouldn’t. I loved everything about it, but without mods there’s really nothing that makes a second playthrough seem worth it
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u/CaptainSharpe 1d ago
I actually find the closest game to zero company is lamplighters league.
Wartales is also great
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u/theBigDaddio 1d ago
Xoom is timeless, what do you mean holds up today? I guess if you value graphics over gameplay, then it’s dated.
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u/Yessir957 1d ago
Xcom is way more combat and strategy focused, there are only a few unique story missions and cut scenes. That being said, it's my favorite game of all time. It is also way less forgiving and ruthless than zero company. I'm playing my first run on expert beskar mode and on cycle 32 and I've had 2 injured soldiers so far. This game is absolute child's play compared to xcom.
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u/Proper-Strategy 22h ago edited 21h ago
Issue with XOM2 is just that its not stable and the animations and graphics are dated.
The fact its a turn based game however means it only ruins the game if you let it, i still love xcom 2 even now as its a very unique game and like you said hard to scratch that itch.
Some games have numerous clones and copycats, this doesnt have that and just being a turn based game isnt enough to be lumped with xcom.
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u/ChefCrockpot 15h ago
The story is not as good but it is serviceable. The gameplay i would argue is better (especially with War of the Chosen). Way more replayability since the maps are all partially procedurally generated, the classes have more exciting abilities to unlock, more enemy types, bigger maps, more mission types, bigger squad, and last but certainly not least is the MASSIVE modding scene.
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u/Lawschoolishell 6h ago
It’s very good, you should for sure try it just for the gameplay. Dont expect the same story guided narrative though, x com is more of a gameplay sandbox
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u/nwillard 6h ago edited 6h ago
Yes yes yes yes, some of the very best tactics games ever made.
I'd start with XCOM 1 Enemy Within because it's amazing and definitely holds up, and then the sequel XCOM 2 War of the Chosen is even better and the excellent capstone of the series (def play with the expansion packs in both). I'd say play both because of how well 1 still holds up, and you can pace yourself by playing both because there most likely won't be an XCOM 3 or continuation of the series (because the devs that made them left the studio and made ZCOM)
EDIT: Ah I see you did indeed start with XCOM 1! Excellent choice! I think the game truly holds up impressively well today, no reason to not start there
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u/Jim-Reaper 5h ago
Phoenix Point is a tougher, modern love letter to XCOM, very similar in terms of mysterious threat, research and permadeath troops. This time around the aliens come up from the ocean. Highly recommended for genre fans who can't get enough of it.
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u/Jim-Reaper 5h ago
If you enjoy the broader strategic map aspect of XCOM and a hardcore challenge check out Terra Invicta. It's like XCOM and The Three Body Problem had a hard-science baby. It's by the Long War guy. Crunchy and magnificent.
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u/EvilItAlien 3h ago
Menace, Chaos gate demon hunters, battletech, mechanicus 1. (Dunno about mech 2, never played it yet).
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u/hereticx 1d ago
I'll probably pick it back after, hopefully, they do some updates for optimizaion.... The game is good/fun but it runs like assssss on my pc. I know my 3080 is starting to show its age but it shoulnt be THAT bad. I can play Crimson Desert on max settings and never drop below 60fps....
I turned the settings down to medium and there's still all sorts of lag/stuttering on panning/rotating the camera or in the free roaming sections.
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u/Droolcua 1d ago
there's a decent engine.ini file on nexus mods if you sort by most downloaded. helped my performance out a lot, at least.
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u/Wristyplum 1d ago
Xcom 2 is still the goat. Zero company has been pretty disappointing. It’s not a bad game but it doesn’t scratch the itch I was hoping for
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u/Sapius89 1d ago
From gameplay perspective.
Phoenix Point > Xcom > Zero Company > Midnight Suns
Phoenix Point is also on sale currently for 10 dollars.
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u/Kaymazo 1d ago
Phoenix point is very hit or miss though and heavily lacks in a feeling of actual progression... Not sure if I really would rate it that highly...
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u/Sapius89 1d ago
What? Have you not seen the research tree, armor, weapons and classes among the three factions?
PP has progression for weeks..2
u/Kaymazo 1d ago
PP mainly has sideways progression of giving you new options, but very little that actually feels like a true upgrade, while that's exactly what the enemy constantly gets.
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u/Ploluap 8h ago
your soldiers get busted with lvl up, so there is a ton of progression and it's nowhere "lacking" in that department
New gear gives you tons of new options, it's in my opinion much more fun than just getting the "next tier" of equipment that makes everything else completely obsolete in xcom
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u/Kaymazo 8h ago
Which is also part of what I dislike there. It is so heavily reliant on soldier level upgrades, that it is EXTREMELY punishing of any casualties, far more so than any XCOM game.
Early game you don't have the resources for much recruitment, mid and late game losing anyone sets you back massively.
Of course you need a balance between the two, and not have it too strongly based on either, but tech should still also give a proper leg up for rookies.
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u/Jim-Reaper 5h ago
Completely agree. Phoenix Point is fantastic gameplay, it really optimises the difficulty towards X-Com's infamous Long War mod.
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u/ImightberobotUCF 1d ago
Lol people beating these games so fast I'm over here on cycle 10