(Kickstarter Highlight) Xenonauts 2
Oh man am i excited for Xenonsuts 2! I still have a soft spot for the first in the franchise and yes I want more. The tactical grid-based combat (when done well) is awesome. There are other grid games that take advantage of being behind or on the side of an enemy, but in franchises Xenonauts like XCOM where you have to use cover to move up is much more exciting to me. The Kickstarter page has a demo available for people to get a grasp of what the traditional combat is like. (The download took ages!) It’s not a sequel to the first Xenonauts game and they are looking to make a better and smoother game than the first outing (that I didn’t really have any major issues with).
The second iteration seems to be improving on the first more than be a sequel in a series and i think I’m ok with that. That, however, doesn’t seem to be in the combat though. One of the biggest complaints I had about the first Xenonauts was the lack of cover on a good chunk of the maps and how that was rather frustrating to move up in. I almost felt like I had to let a few civilians die to save my own people. After all, we’re the only hope for mankind right? I’m not just about to go running in blindly. (That is neglecting NPCs like the farmer in the first game who, on one level, finished off a good chunk of the aliens before I even saw them.) There is a base building element now and I like how they implemented it. A lot of similarities can be drawn to the XCOM series, but the weapons/level aesthetics and the Cold War settings differentiate the Xenonauts franchise far enough to not feel like you’re playing the same game or a ripoff. I’m all in on this and I think you should consider doing the same if you enjoy the genre.
Further Reading on Xenonauts 2: Kickstarter / Official Page