XCOM 2 Collection Nintendo Switch Review
XCOM 2 Collection Nintendo Switch
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis Games & Feral Interactive
Genre:
PEGI:
Comments:
One of the titans of the turn-based shooter, XCOM 2, has made its way to the Nintendo Switch! Featuring all of the DLC and the War of the Chosen expansion, the XCOM 2 Collection offers the complete XCOM 2 experience on what is quickly becoming the most popular current-gen console, the Nintendo Switch. As a turn-based game that does not rely on latency, frame rate or even reflexes, it would seem to be a perfect pick-up and put-down game for the Switch. Will this be the case or will the slight performance drops hold it back? Let’s take a look!
Whole New Worlds
When XCOM: Enemy Unknown burst onto the scene in 2012, I hadn’t had the greatest exposure to turn-based tactical shooters. I had always been an FPS player into CoD, CS 1.6 and Halo. XCOM managed to open my eyes to a wonderful new genre that stimulated a different part of the brain, focusing on strategic planning and tactical play versus reflexes and muscle memory. Needless to say, I have been a major fan of turn-based games ever since, and have no illusions as to which franchise I owe that to.
Diving right into XCOM 2 Collection on the Switch, the starting menus and opening cutscenes look just as good as they did on PC when the game was first released. Since the Collection does contain all DLC and the expansion for XCOM 2, you will have the option to select which campaign you would like to start when you first create a new game. The brief tutorial is especially helpful on the Switch, as the controls are a little confusing at first, especially when you have to combine ZR, the D-Pad and the R/L buttons to simply enter combat with an opponent.
Tactical Portability
After a few quick turns, however, you get used to the rhythm of the controls and to be honest, the movement targeting with the JoyCon is a lot easier than I expected it to be. If your sensitivity settings are anywhere in the medium range you will be able to quickly and accurately dictate where to send your soldiers – one of the core elements of any tactical turn-based shooter.
While the environment in the Switch version of XCOM 2 Collection certainly has an almost sterile feel to it, with a general lack of background objects and low poly textures on the vehicles and other cover-providing objects, this a small price to pay for enjoying the tactical combat mastery of the XCOM series with the portability of the Switch.
The XCOM 2 Collection itself provides dozens of hours of intense, strategic fighting goodness while letting you run an assortment of challenging mission types and building your roster of specialized soldiers to help you take the fight to the Advent. To any newcomers who might be intimidated by all of the customization options and out-of-combat strategy required I have but one message. Take the game at your pace and do not get lost in the min-maxing. Units will die. Fights will be lost. Take it all in stride and enjoy the ride!
Conclusion: Many Pros, Only one Con – 9/10
At the end of the day, the XCOM 2 Collection offers fantastic value for fans of the franchise, and even those who have already enjoyed XCOM 2, who want to bring their experience to a more portable environment without sacrificing much quality at all. The only major drawback here is the lack of touchscreen support – a feature that seems often overlooked in Switch ports that I would love to see greater utilized!
For more information on the XCOM 2 Collection for the Nintendo Switch, visit: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/xcom-2-collection-switch/