The Ultimate Showdown: Understanding the Last Level of XCOM 2

The final mission in XCOM 2 is Operation Leviathan, also known as The Alien Fortress Assault. This is the culmination of your strategic efforts, tactical prowess, and hard-won victories against the ADVENT occupation and the mysterious Avatar Project. Successfully completing this mission marks the end of the main storyline, freeing humanity (at least for now!) from alien rule.

Preparing for Operation Leviathan: The Road to Victory

Before even thinking about tackling the final mission, you need to ensure you’re adequately prepared. Operation Leviathan is not something you can rush into unprepared; it’s a brutal test of everything you’ve learned throughout your campaign.

Research and Development: Teching Up

Priority one is your research and development. Focus on projects that enhance your soldiers’ combat capabilities. Plasma weapons, advanced armor (especially Powered Armor), and Psi Operatives are invaluable assets. Ensure you have a solid understanding of enemy weaknesses and exploit them with appropriate weapon mods and ammunition types.

Assembling Your Elite Squad: The Best of the Best

Your squad composition for Operation Leviathan should be carefully considered. You’ll want a team that combines firepower, utility, and survivability. Solid picks typically include:

• Rangers: High mobility, close-quarters specialists capable of dealing massive damage.
• Sharpshooters: Long-range damage dealers, especially effective with the Skulljack and a focus on critical hits.
• Grenadiers: Demolition experts who can shred armor and control the battlefield.
• Specialists: Support units with hacking and healing abilities.
• Psi Operatives: Powerful psionic units that can control minds, unleash devastating attacks, and provide crucial buffs.
• Templars: Excellent for dealing damage up close and personal.

The Avatar Project: Keeping the Clock Ticking

The Avatar Project represents the game’s doomsday clock. If it fills completely, you lose. However, each facility you disable takes blocks away. By the time you reach Operation Leviathan, it’s hoped the counter is low, but you can keep playing until you feel your squad is strong enough.

The Assault on the Alien Fortress: Operation Leviathan

Once you launch Operation Leviathan, there’s no turning back. The mission drops you into a heavily fortified alien structure. Expect to face a gauntlet of powerful enemies, including:

• Andromedons: Heavily armored and resistant to conventional weapons.
• Sectopods: Massive robotic units with devastating firepower.
• Codices: Psionic enemies that can teleport and replicate.
• Gatekeepers: Powerful psionic units that can control the battlefield with their psionic powers.
• Avatars: The ultimate threat.

Key Strategies for Success

• Use Cover: This should be obvious by now, but cover is your best friend.
• Flanking: Outmaneuver the enemy to gain flanking shots for increased accuracy and critical hit chance.
• Overwatch: Set up ambushes and punish enemies that move into your line of sight.
• Psi Operatives: Utilize their mind control and mind-fray to control the battlefield.
• Focus Fire: Concentrate fire on priority targets to eliminate them quickly.
• Use explosives: Grenades and rockets are perfect for destroying cover and dealing area-of-effect damage.
• Patience: Don’t rush into unknown territory.

The Avatar Battle: The Climax

The final encounter involves battling the Avatars themselves. These powerful psionic entities possess immense power and mobility. You must use every tool at your disposal to defeat them, using Psi Operatives, superior firepower and strong positioning.

The Aftermath: What Happens After the Ending?

Upon completing Operation Leviathan, you’ll witness the resistance finally liberating Earth. After you see the credits, you can choose to continue playing from right before the final mission; this lets you complete unfulfilled research, projects and tactical missions. The game closes with an ominous scene hinting at a new, aquatic threat.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the End Game in XCOM 2

1. Is there an end to XCOM 2?

Yes, there is a definitive end to the main storyline of XCOM 2. Completing Operation Leviathan results in the defeat of ADVENT and the Avatars, triggering the game’s ending sequence. However, you can continue playing from before the final mission to mop up outstanding objectives.

2. How long can XCOM 2 last?

The length of an XCOM 2 campaign varies greatly depending on your play style and difficulty setting. A focused playthrough of the main objectives can take around 33½ hours. Completionists aiming for 100% can easily spend 78½ hours or more. The game can be played indefinitely if you avoid triggering the final mission.

3. Is Advent Network Tower the final mission?

No, the ADVENT Network Tower Assault is the penultimate mission of XCOM 2, not the final one. It’s a critical step towards unlocking Operation Leviathan.

4. Is XCOM 2 never ending?

While there is a final mission that concludes the main story, XCOM 2 can be played indefinitely. The game continues to spawn side missions and events until you decide to initiate Operation Leviathan.

5. What is the reward of XCOM 2 Advent Blacksite?

The ADVENT Blacksite Assault provides several rewards: 125 Supplies, a reduction to the Avatar Project progress by 1, and the Blacksite Vial, which is a key item needed for research in the Shadow Chamber.

6. Who should I bring on the Advent Network Tower mission?

It is highly recommended that all of your soldiers are Colonel or above, as it’s a hard mission and your squad will face many hard situations with an enormous spire located in the center of the map.

7. What is the psionic gate mission in XCOM 2?

The Psi Gate mission unlocks after researching the Codex Brain. It involves investigating a psionic gateway heavily guarded by Chryssalids and a Gatekeeper.

8. Can I play XCOM 2 infinitely?

Yes, XCOM 2 can be played indefinitely. By preventing the Avatar Project from completing and avoiding the final mission, you can continue playing through randomly generated missions. Dark events that increase the meter can be prevented with guerilla ops.

9. Does time matter in XCOM 2? Can I go on my own pace?

Time does matter in XCOM 2. The Avatar Project introduces a doomsday clock that forces you to progress. You have to be aware of the doomsday meter that ticks up whenever they build certain structures or those structures are left standing.

10. Is XCOM 2 addictive?

XCOM 2 is known for its addictive gameplay loop. It’s a game of tactical combat and resource management that can be hard to put down once you’re invested in a campaign.

11. Is XCOM worth playing after XCOM 2?

Yes, many players find the original XCOM games still enjoyable even after playing XCOM 2. They offer different mechanics and challenges that can provide a fresh experience. Enemy Within does things that XCOM 2 doesn’t, it’s not just a straight upgrade.

12. Is XCOM 2 luck based?

Luck plays a significant role in XCOM 2. Random number generation influences hit chances, critical hits, and other events. However, strategic decision-making, careful planning, and mitigating risks can minimize the impact of luck.

13. What comes after XCOM 2?

XCOM: Chimera Squad is set five years after the events of XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. It features a squad of humans and aliens working together to maintain peace in City 31.

14. What is the tutorial mission in XCOM 2?

The tutorial mission is a scripted introduction to the game’s mechanics. It results in two casualties and adds Jane Kelly (a Ranger) to your roster.

15. Can you stop dark events in XCOM 2?

Yes, you can stop most Dark Events by completing Guerilla Ops missions that counter them. Choosing which ones you will have to let go and which ones you can’t stand seeing fire can be just as important as the reward offered for each individual Guerilla Op.

XCOM 2: Beyond the Battlefield

XCOM 2, like its predecessors, offers more than just a challenging tactical experience; it provides a compelling narrative, strategic depth, and a sense of accomplishment. While Operation Leviathan marks the end of the main story, the replayability of the game is tremendous, with different difficulty settings, squad compositions, and strategic approaches ensuring countless hours of engaging gameplay.

Moreover, the game’s modding community has created a vast library of content, adding new missions, weapons, classes, and even overhauling the entire game experience. This allows players to constantly discover new ways to challenge themselves and extend the life of XCOM 2 indefinitely.

The Games Learning Society (GamesLearningSociety.org) could examine how XCOM 2’s tactical gameplay translates into real-world problem-solving skills, decision-making, and strategic thinking, especially in STEM fields.