The excitement for XCOM 2 was apparent at the Firaxis PAX South Megapanel, where fans of the soon to be released title lined up hours in advance to get an early look at the game’s modding tools and meet the developers. The promise of an early look at live game play didn’t hurt either.
Less a line more a herd.
I got a chance to speak with fans about what they expected from the panel and what drew them each to XCOM 2. There was plenty of time before the event to learn about the game and — despite having never played the earlier games myself — I have to say this one is now high on my list.
Fans describe the game as being tough no matter what difficulty level it’s played on. Perma-death advance strategy and tactics were mentioned often. This was not a minus, but a plus. The game requires a certain amount of finesse.
You can power through this title if you try. But you will be rewarded for using strategy. Positioning your characters to be as useful as possible and raising stats appropriately is key. Whether or not they were in to modding, the fans were ready for anything the developers had to showcase.
Modding announcements lead the show
After being absent from XCOM: Enemy Unknown the fan demand for mods was heard loud and clear for this entry. From day one mods were being discussed for this title. I’m sure those in attendance are pleased with the results.
Weapon mods, soldier mods, and enemy mods will all be available on the day of release. The mods are designed so that those without modding experience can do impressive feats. More advanced mods will become available later but having this from day one is appreciated. Mods are connected to the Steam store so players will be able to quickly share them with the community.
XCOM 2 drops next Friday. With how easy modding is supposed to be, I’m sure we will see plenty of bizzare and hilarious creations. (One fan even mentioned doing something with Disney’s Frozen). What do you have planned? Let us know in the comments.
