XCOM 2 News

The best turn-based strategy games on PC

Turn-based strategy games bring out the more cerebral undertones of the genre - the break afforded by 'turns' allows us to think, ponder and plan our moves with as much expert precision as we can muster. Witnessing that mater plan unfold can create untold levels of satisfaction, and suddenly you fancy yourself the master tactician.

This genre is also home to the 'one more turn' trope - that feeling of near-addiction that compels you to click the 'End Turn' button just one more time to see what happens. Maybe you're waiting to see the outcome of a daring attack, maybe you're just trying to click through some downtime. We also have the best strategy games on PC if you're looking to expand beyond petty concepts like 'turns'.

This is a living list, in the sense that there are many worthy candidates and not enough room to fit them all in. Every so often (especially as new games come out), we'll give this article a refresh and an update to bring give other titles their turn in the spotlight. Also, don't be alarmed that games like Civ 6 aren't on the list: You can check out our guide to the best 4X games to see our thoughts on that particular niche.

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XCOM studio is working on a turn-based game with Marvel characters, according to rumor

Long time XCOM developer Firaxis is working on a “turn-based action game” featuring Marvel heroes, according to a new rumor. Codenamed “CODA,” the Redditor writes that “famous actors” will voice the characters, implying that it might tie closer to recent Marvel films than Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers did...
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XCOM 2's massive The Long War of the Chosen mod is nearly done

A huge community modding project for turn-based strategy game XCOM 2 is almost complete. XCOM 2: The Long War of the Chosen is a complete overhaul of both the base XCOM 2 game and the popular Long War 2 mod, and it incorporates the new mechanics introduced in the War of the Chosen expansion.

As Dominic Tarason points out on Twitter, this is the biggest mod for XCOM 2, as anyone who's played the original Long War or Long War 2 mods can confirm. The basic idea is to expand the base game's campaign into a much lengthier and challenging experience. The Long War of the Chosen adds a host of new features and mechanics, including building up a resistance force, the ability to field multiple squads at a time, and fighting the Chosen on both the strategic and tactical battlefields.

There are eight new soldier classes, and each of these has eight ranks to unlock, with the choice of one of three abilities at each promotion. There are officers who provide buffs to your squads, new technology trees to explore, new mission types like Jailbreak and Smash and Grab, and all-new enemy types.

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You can get the best of XCOM for a silly price via the new Steam Ultimate Collection

There have been plenty of ups and downs, but there's no doubting that Firaxis did a bang-up job with its modern reimagining of iconic turn-based strategy legend X-COM. 2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown set a gold standard for tactical strategy games, and few have managed to bottle that special blend of magic since.

Even XCOM 2, which launched in 2016, had a fairly rocky start and wasn't really set right until the War of the Chosen expansion dropped in 2018. Then came XCOM: Chimera Squad, which released last year and was a different take on the formula. It's probably not what hardcore XCOM fans wanted, but it's a fun entry into the universe and had some worthy ideas of its own, as our review lays out.

You can now own all of the above, plus all associated add-ons and expansions, for as little as $40 / £27. The XCOM: Ultimate Collection is a new Steam bundle that brings together every game and DLC between XCOM, XCOM 2, and Chimera Squad. It's integrated with Valve's 'complete the set' feature, so you only pay for what you don't already own, plus there's a special introductory price that makes the whole whack insanely cheap for newcomers and completionists alike.

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You've got 24 hours to pick up XCOM 2 for less than $5 on Steam

February 17, 2021 This sale will end at 6PM GMT on Thursday, February 18

XCOM 2 is one of the finest tactical turn-based strategy games out there. Sure, it may not have had quite the same impact as its predecessor XCOM: Enemy Unknown, but after plenty of TLC, plenty more DLC, and some mighty fine mods you've got yourself one hell of a strategy game.

It's entirely possible though that you've, still, never actually played XCOM 2. Or maybe you're like our guides editor Gina who only had it on console for some reason. Either way, I imagine you're just waiting for the right opportunity to pick it up and take it for a spin. How does a sale price of $4.80 / £2.80 sound?

That's right: until February 18 there is a 2K 'publisher sale' running on Steam, and XCOM 2 is reduced by 92%. The base game had a bit of a mixed reception on launch, but is generally a more solid experience now. It's still lacking in a few areas but it's nothing that some XCOM 2 mods won't be able to fix. The Long War 2 mod - sequel to the highly popular Long War mod from XCOM 1 - is only available for the vanilla version of XCOM 2 and is definitely worth checking out because of what it brings to the table.

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