<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2016	O
turn-based	B-Application
tactics	I-Application
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Firaxis	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
2K	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
2012	O
's	O
reboot	B-Device
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
XCOM	B-Application
:	I-Application
Enemy	I-Application
Unknown	I-Application
;	O
it	O
takes	O
place	O
20	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
is	O
split	O
between	O
turn-based	B-Application
combat	I-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
command	O
a	O
squad	O
of	O
soldiers	O
to	O
fight	O
enemies	O
,	O
and	O
strategy	O
elements	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
manage	O
and	O
control	O
the	O
operations	O
of	O
the	O
Avenger	O
,	O
an	O
alien	O
ship	O
that	O
is	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
mobile	O
base	O
for	O
XCOM	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
players	O
 '	O
feedback	O
on	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
,	O
Firaxis	O
added	O
procedural	O
generation	O
of	O
maps	O
and	O
mod	B-Device
support	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
set	O
the	O
game	O
after	O
the	O
bad	O
ending	O
of	O
the	O
2012	O
reboot	B-Device
because	O
it	O
allowed	O
them	O
to	O
change	O
gameplay	O
,	O
introduce	O
various	O
new	O
features	O
and	O
redesign	O
some	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
with	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
has	O
more	O
emphasis	O
on	O
narrative	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
powered	O
by	O
Unreal	B-Operating_System
Engine	I-Operating_System
3.5	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
February	O
2016	O
for	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
;	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
versions	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
praised	O
for	O
its	O
difficulty	O
and	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
modding	B-Device
tools	O
;	O
criticism	O
was	O
mainly	O
directed	O
at	O
its	O
poor	O
performance	O
at	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
supported	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
and	O
released	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
War	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Chosen	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
expansion	O
,	O
in	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
port	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
May	O
29	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
iOS	B-Application
version	O
,	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Feral	O
Interactive	O
on	O
November	O
5	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
Android	B-Application
version	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
July	O
13	O
,	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player-character	O
is	O
the	O
commander	O
of	O
the	O
XCOM	O
military	O
organization	O
that	O
is	O
now	O
reduced	O
to	O
a	O
resistance	O
force	O
opposing	O
the	O
ongoing	O
alien	O
occupation	O
of	O
Earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Played	O
from	O
a	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
turn-based	B-Application
tactics	I-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
issue	O
commands	O
to	O
a	O
squad	O
of	O
human	O
soldiers	O
to	O
eliminate	O
the	O
aliens	O
in	O
a	O
map	O
and	O
dependent	O
on	O
missions	O
,	O
complete	O
secondary	O
objectives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
five	O
character	O
classes	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
Soldier	O
Ability	O
:	O
Ranger	O
wields	O
a	O
melee	O
weapon	O
that	O
slashes	O
enemies	O
,	O
Grenadier	O
has	O
a	O
grenade	O
launcher	O
and	O
explosives	O
that	O
can	O
destroy	O
enemy	O
cover	O
,	O
Specialist	O
has	O
a	O
drone	O
that	O
improves	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
defense	O
and	O
health	O
,	O
Sharpshooter	O
is	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
sniper	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Psi	O
Operative	O
—	O
which	O
is	O
unlocked	O
late	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
—	O
uses	O
telepathic	B-Protocol
and	O
psionic	O
powers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soldiers	O
in	O
the	O
squad	O
can	O
be	O
permanently	B-Application
killed	I-Application
by	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
2035	O
,	O
20	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
XCOM	B-Application
:	I-Application
Enemy	I-Application
Unknown	I-Application
and	O
XCOM	B-Application
:	I-Application
Enemy	I-Application
Within	I-Application
,	O
its	O
expansion	O
pack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
ocean	O
underneath	O
the	O
ruins	O
of	O
the	O
Elder	O
headquarters	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
a	B-Application
strange	I-Application
energy	I-Application
begins	I-Application
to	I-Application
glow	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
Games	O
,	O
the	O
developer	O
of	O
XCOM	B-Application
:	I-Application
Enemy	I-Application
Unknown	I-Application
,	O
and	O
its	O
creative	O
director	O
Jake	O
Solomon	O
returned	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
developers	O
inspected	O
players	O
 '	O
feedback	O
from	O
the	O
2012	O
reboot	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
was	O
considered	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
reboot	B-Device
for	O
the	O
series	O
and	O
was	O
often	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
1990s	O
,	O
Solomon	O
described	O
XCOM	B-Application
2s	I-Application
development	O
as	O
a	O
more	O
liberating	O
experience	O
than	O
making	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
because	O
the	O
team	O
had	O
amassed	O
an	O
audience	O
already	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nonetheless	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
drew	O
on	O
elements	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
procedural	O
generation	O
and	O
gameplay	O
unpredictability	O
,	O
to	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Environment	O
storytelling	O
is	O
an	O
important	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
for	O
instance	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
megacity	B-Application
there	O
are	O
signs	O
indicating	O
ADVENT	O
has	O
taken	O
over	O
the	O
world	O
whereas	O
other	O
maps	O
and	O
areas	O
show	O
players	O
the	O
remnants	O
of	O
human	O
civilizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
witnessing	O
XCOM	O
slowly	O
falling	O
apart	O
in	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
,	O
players	O
in	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
tasked	O
to	O
rebuild	O
the	O
alliance	O
as	O
they	O
progress	O
in	O
the	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
instance	O
,	O
when	O
players	O
attempt	O
to	O
shoot	O
an	O
enemy	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
tells	O
players	O
the	O
chance	O
of	O
launching	O
a	O
successful	O
hit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
developing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
art	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
films	O
They	O
Live	O
,	O
Elysium	O
,	O
Oblivion	O
and	O
Blade	B-Application
Runner	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
designing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
weapons	O
,	O
characters	O
and	O
environment	O
,	O
they	O
looked	O
at	O
some	O
science	O
fiction	O
films	O
and	O
video	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Dust	B-Application
:	I-Application
An	I-Application
Elysian	I-Application
Tail	I-Application
but	O
they	O
mostly	O
created	O
original	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2015	O
but	O
its	O
release	O
was	O
postponed	O
to	O
February	O
5	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
to	O
allow	O
the	O
developers	O
additional	O
time	O
to	O
refine	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2K	O
collaborated	O
with	O
video	O
game	O
collectible	O
maker	O
Project	O
TriForce	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Beam	O
Pistol	O
replica	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
purchase	O
,	O
and	O
partnered	O
with	O
novelist	O
Gregory	O
Keyes	O
,	O
who	O
wrote	O
a	O
prequel	O
novel	O
named	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
Resurrection	O
that	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
10	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
only	O
be	O
released	O
for	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
because	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
expertise	O
in	O
developing	O
PC	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
believed	O
making	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
a	O
PC-only	O
title	O
would	O
allow	O
them	O
to	O
introduce	O
new	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
procedural	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
developing	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
for	O
a	O
single	O
platform	O
is	O
simpler	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
consoles	O
on	O
September	O
27	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamepad	B-Device
support	O
for	O
PC	O
and	O
a	O
mode	O
that	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
explore	O
the	O
Avengers	O
headquarters	O
in	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
season	O
pass	O
was	O
named	O
the	O
"	O
Reinforcement	O
Pack	O
"	O
and	O
included	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
responded	O
to	O
the	O
news	O
negatively	O
because	O
they	O
suspected	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
was	O
cut	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solomon	O
said	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
DLC	B-Protocol
was	O
made	O
after	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
was	O
completed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
expansion	O
for	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
titled	O
War	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Chosen	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
at	O
E3	O
2017	O
;	O
it	O
Introduces	O
the	O
enemy	O
"	O
Chosen	O
"	O
and	O
several	O
other	O
factions	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
29	O
,	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
War	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Chosen	I-Application
was	O
later	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
and	O
other	O
DLC	B-Protocol
in	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
3	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
9	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
released	O
the	O
"	O
Tactical	O
Legacy	O
Pack	O
"	O
that	O
adds	O
a	O
level	O
editor	O
,	O
new	O
and	O
remastered	O
maps	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Legacy	O
Ops	O
"	O
—	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
missions	O
that	O
links	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
and	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
on	O
May	O
29	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DeAngelis	O
and	O
Solomon	O
regretted	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
mod	B-Device
support	O
in	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
so	O
the	O
modding	B-Device
aspect	O
of	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
increased	O
significantly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
released	O
the	O
Unreal	B-Application
Development	I-Application
Kit	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
their	O
own	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Solomon	O
considered	O
mod	B-Device
support	O
a	O
"	O
win-win	O
"	O
method	O
for	O
both	O
players	O
and	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
saying	O
it	O
can	O
increase	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
longevity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
realized	O
the	O
modding	B-Device
potential	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
when	O
they	O
discovered	O
a	O
mod	B-Device
for	O
Enemy	O
Unknown	O
called	O
Long	B-Application
War	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Firaxis	O
partnered	O
with	O
Long	B-Application
War	I-Application
Studios	O
(	O
now	O
Pavonis	O
Interactive	O
)	O
to	O
develop	O
three	O
day-one	O
mods	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
19	O
,	O
2017	O
,	O
Pavonis	O
Interactive	O
launched	O
Long	B-Application
War	I-Application
2	O
for	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Brett	O
,	O
the	O
Avatar	O
Project	O
have	O
successfully	O
propelled	O
players	O
to	O
react	O
and	O
respond	O
instead	O
of	O
constantly	O
grinding	B-Application
for	O
upgrades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stanton	O
and	O
Stapleton	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
,	O
which	O
would	O
take	O
every	O
tactical	O
advantage	O
it	O
has	O
to	O
put	O
pressure	O
on	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mahardy	O
noted	O
the	O
difficulty	O
is	O
"	O
fair	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
brutal	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
XCOM	B-Application
2	I-Application
sold	O
over	O
500,000	O
digital	O
copies	O
on	O
Steam	O
within	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
release	O
,	O
outpacing	O
the	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
simultaneously	O
released	O
on	O
multiple	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
