In some instances, such as the new artificially mutated soldiers that can have both human and alien abilities, there is a clear attempt to make sure they’re not too overpowered but in other cases features and equipment seems to be thrown into the game with little real care.Ī lot of the new content doesn’t gel at all well with the base game and while you can choose to toggle it off or on, that’s clearly not ideal. The amount of new content is impressive, and proves the developer’s commitment, but for a game that was already poorly balanced every new addition only seems to make the situation worse. Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition – the aerial combat is not exactly thrilling (pic: Snapshot Games) It’s very underwhelming though and weirdly involves your transport plane shooting down enemy flyers instead of a dedicated interceptor. Other additions are less successful though, such as an aerial interception mini-game inspired by the original Amiga game and one of the few aspects of the original design not to make it into the reboots. At a base level XCOM isn’t any more complicated than point where you want to go and what you want to shoot at, but Phoenix Point has enough wrinkles and extra options that the new intro is much appreciated. The most obvious from the start is a proper tutorial, with narration and unique characters, that eases you into the gameplay and concepts much more gently. The artificial intelligence has also definitely seen improvement, in the fact that enemies are capable of doing more than just run straight at you or sit in one spot shooting, but it’s still common to see them wandering about in the open with no apparent plan.įor now, the biggest addition to the Behemoth Edition is that it includes four major DLC expansions, which add various new features and extras. The graphics in general are also impressive, but while there’s more variety in map types than there used to be, you do still begin to recognise the different templates that underlie the procedurally generated designs. The joypad controls are very good and while they use the basic set-up pioneered by the XCOM reboots, the more complex interface for Phoenix Point, most notably inventories, has been adapted very well. The way the alien mist and other horrors eat away at each soldier’s will points, which measure their sanity and resolve, is also interesting, making stress and madness almost as tangible a threat as snarling tentacle monsters. There are some areas where Phoenix Point is unequivocally better than XCOM 2, such as the more expansive destruction effects and a small range of vehicles equipped with heavy ordnance. Although that is tempered by the fact that the factions are all run by idiots, and you usually resent having to help any of them. There’s also a more complex diplomatic element, that’s reminiscent of the way factions are handled in expansion pack War Of The Chosen, but Phoenix Point’s storytelling in general is more involved than anything in an existing XCOM game, with branching plot points and multiple endings.

The backstory is different, in that you’re facing a Lovecraftian menace brought upon by a thawing permafrost, but the semi-apocalyptic world that you’re tasked with saving works similarly to XCOM 2 in terms of humanity being on the back foot and a constantly ticking time bomb – in this case a transmogrifying mist.

Phoenix point corrupted horizons