Can You Play XCOM Forever? Exploring the Endless Possibilities of XCOM
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The question of whether you can play a game “forever” is a fascinating one, especially when it comes to deep, strategic titles like the XCOM series. The short answer is: yes, you can play XCOM games indefinitely, with some caveats and nuances depending on the specific title. However, the nature of this “forever” gameplay varies between XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within and XCOM 2 (including War of the Chosen). Let’s delve deeper into the specifics.
The Endless Campaign: How XCOM Achieves Replayability
Both XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within and XCOM 2 are designed to allow for extended gameplay beyond the completion of the main storyline. The core mechanics of these games contribute to this:
- Procedural Generation: While not entirely random, many aspects of missions, enemy types, and map layouts are procedurally generated. This ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and unpredictable.
- Strategic Depth: The strategic layer of the game, involving research, base management, and resource allocation, is an ongoing process. Even after the core storyline is finished, you can continue to develop your soldiers and technologies.
- Scaling Difficulty: As you continue to play, the enemy forces will generally scale in difficulty and frequency. This means that even after completing the main storyline, you will still face challenging battles that require tactical mastery.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within’s Endless Loop
In XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its expansion, Enemy Within, you can absolutely continue playing after completing the final mission. There is no game over screen. You’ll continue to face increasingly difficult enemies, more frequently. This effectively creates an endless loop for those who want to keep experimenting with builds and tactics. While the variety in enemy types will eventually plateau after discovering them all, the scaling difficulty provides an ongoing challenge. The game does not end until you choose it to, there will always be more alien incursions to fight.
XCOM 2’s Forever Play
XCOM 2, along with its expansion War of the Chosen, offers an arguably more refined “forever” gameplay experience. Here’s how it works:
- Doomsday Meter and Blacksites: In XCOM 2, aliens trigger a “doomsday meter” that increases over time due to the construction of facilities called “Blanksites.” However, these facilities can be destroyed in missions, thus reducing the meter. This gives the players control to manage the countdown and extend the game as desired.
- Prevention and Guerrilla Ops: Dark Events that increase the doomsday meter can be prevented using guerrilla operations. As long as there are no active blacksites and you are on top of these events, the internal countdown can stop.
- Side Missions: After you complete the main story, XCOM 2 continues spawning side missions that will allow you to grow your team, collect resources, and continue honing your tactical skills. You’re never forced to trigger the final mission, making it a true “sandbox” mode for dedicated players.
While XCOM 2 does have a definitive final mission, you are not obligated to initiate it. The game allows you to continue playing, engaging with side missions, and improving your squad as long as you want.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions that further clarify the ability to play XCOM games indefinitely:
1. What happens when you complete the main objective in XCOM: Enemy Unknown?
You can keep playing! The game continues with the same strategic layer and tactical missions as before, with the opposition becoming tougher and encounters happening more frequently.
2. Is there a limit to the difficulty increase in XCOM: Enemy Unknown after the ending?
The difficulty does increase, with enemy types and numbers increasing to the point that all unique alien types have been encountered, but it will eventually plateau. This prevents any game-breaking difficulty spikes and allows for predictable difficulty.
3. Does XCOM 2 have an actual “end” to the gameplay?
Technically yes, there is a big final mission that will end your game. However, you are never obligated to initiate it, and the game will continue generating side missions indefinitely, allowing for an endless playthrough.
4. Does XCOM 2 have any time limits?
XCOM 2 has a “doomsday meter” that is a theoretical time limit. However, players can manage it by destroying Blacksite facilities and preventing dark events. By properly managing these aspects, you can essentially circumvent this “time limit,” allowing for continued play.
5. Can you keep playing XCOM 2 without completing the final mission?
Absolutely. You can choose to ignore the final mission, and the game will continue to generate missions allowing for extended gameplay.
6. What is “Ironman Mode” in XCOM 2?
Ironman mode prevents manual saving, forcing you to live with the consequences of your actions. It’s a popular choice for players seeking maximum challenge and added tension.
7. Is War of the Chosen a separate game from XCOM 2?
No, War of the Chosen is an expansion to XCOM 2. It can be integrated into your existing game, adding new enemies, story elements, and gameplay mechanics. You do not need to play the base game to understand the content.
8. Can you lose in XCOM 2?
Yes, you can fail a campaign. You fail if you allow the Avenger (your mobile base) to be captured, if you fail certain DLC missions, or if you lose the final missions. However, these failures result in a restart of the campaign, not a strict end to the overall game.
9. Can you lose “Chosen” weapons in XCOM 2: War of the Chosen?
Yes, Chosen weapons are unique and will be permanently lost if the soldier carrying them dies in battle, and is not evacuated. Take extreme care when your soldiers are wielding these special weapons.
10. What should be prioritized in XCOM 2 for extended gameplay?
Intel, Scientists, and Engineers should be a priority. Intel allows for Black Market purchases and revealing Dark Events, while scientists and engineers speed up research and construction. These are all essential to expanding the longevity of your campaign.
11. Does XCOM 2’s random number generation make the game unfair?
While XCOM uses random number generation for combat, it is based on a seed, meaning that the outcome of any shot will always be the same if all factors are the same. This makes the outcome predictable, but not necessarily easier.
12. What is the replay value of XCOM 2?
XCOM 2 has incredibly high replay value due to its diverse customization options, different difficulty levels, and the endless possibilities of combinations of soldier classes, abilities, and mission setups. War of the Chosen enhances this replayability with its new enemies, mechanics and character interactions.
13. How does the difficulty of XCOM 2 compare to XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within?
XCOM 2 is generally considered easier on Veteran and Commander difficulty compared to previous titles. However, the Legendary difficulty is widely considered to be more challenging than the “Impossible” difficulty of the previous title.
14. How many soldiers can you field at once in XCOM?
In the base game, you start with four soldiers and increase to six with an upgrade. In the base game of XCOM 2, you start with four and can increase to six. Certain mods allow for higher squad sizes.
15. Can you evacuate after shooting in XCOM 2?
Yes. If you are standing in the evac zone, you can evacuate even if you have used all your action points. This allows you to extract a soldier in a pinch, saving them from certain death.
Conclusion
So, can you play XCOM forever? The answer is a resounding yes. Both XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Enemy Within and XCOM 2 (with or without War of the Chosen) offer the potential for endless gameplay. Whether you are seeking to develop the perfect squad, explore all possible upgrades, or simply enjoy the tactical challenges, XCOM’s core mechanics will provide you with an endless stream of engaging gameplay. The ability to manage the “Doomsday Meter” in XCOM 2 especially, elevates the possibility of this continued gameplay to another level. The lack of a true “end” allows players to enjoy the strategic and tactical depths of the series for as long as they like. Now, commanders, go forth and conquer, or as is the case in this game, resist.