Xenonauts Reviews

We’ve rounded up a few early reviews for Goldhawk Interactive’s Xenonauts, a turn-based strategy/RPG title that is clearly very proud to wear its X-Com: UFO Defense influences on its sleeves.

PC Gamer, 85/100.

If you’re an old fan of the X-COM series, of course, forget about finding your old install disks or putting up with twenty-year-old graphics playing Xenonauts is the best way to relive those glory days with deeper systems. If you’re new to X-COM, Xenonauts will let you explore the series’ classic roots with added depth and details.

Strategy Informer, 8.0/10.

Xenonauts is a faithful modernization of a classic. It retains the features that made X-COM such a tense and memorable game, with base invasions and a gigantic open-ended campaign of depth and freedom. If Firaxis’ revamped take on the series felt a little too directed and linear for you, then Xenonauts is likely to delight. By removing the fat and giving us a non-headache inducing UI, the games strengths are allowed to shine through and they remained undimmed by the passage of time.

Cheat Masters, 8.5/10.

For gamers who like both the old and new, this game is definitely a must-play indeed. Not only is this a love letter and a fitting tribute to the games of yesterday, but it also is a great game in its own right. This game succeeded in where the newer UFO series failed in, and that’s an accomplishment that must be rewarded with patronage.

Mouse N Joypad, 88%.

To sum this wall of text up, Xenonauts is the closest we’ll get to a true X-COM remake, so I suggest getting all over it. My first playing session lasted 4.2 hours, according to Steam, and it was an absolute blast. While it might seem somewhat pricey, keep in mind that this game is aiming at something of a niche audience, and that it offers much more than most modern AAA titles do, which are often even more expensive. With all that said, I’m off to kill me some Reapers.