Gameplay
There is no denying that Julian Gollop’s signature style of strategy – both in and out of combat – is an amazing template for the genre.
Phoenix Point follows that template to the letter when it comes to most of the set up of the game. The overall design of the menus, base structure, resource building, and even the tactical elements are identical to the XCOM series.
Where the gameplay differs is its ability to have enemies adapt as things go on in the campaign. For example, if you keep using a specific type of playstyle for each interaction with an enemy, they evolve over time, making that strategy almost pointless by the end.
The option to also segment which body parts to shoot, giving out appropriate status affect depending on what you pick, also adds a lot of depth and strategy to the conflicts.
In XCOM 2, combat somehow managed to improve the already perfect technique created in the last installment. The brand new hit-and-run combat is the best the series has ever provided, making the action feel far more exhilarating, despite the fact that it is still turn-based.
Aside from this, gameplay still features the same quality as previous games in the series, with base building, resource management, and other variables providing just as much thought and preparation as the in-game combat.
This is a hard one to compare, but there is still a pretty clear winner.
Even though Phoenix Point features plenty of innovative gameplay elements, it still has a long way to go as a series to match the flow of combat that XCOM 2 boasts. As such, XCOM 2 wins this round.
Winner: XCOM 2
