Phoenix Point’s blend of combat, research management and global exploration is thoroughly compelling, even if the factions can be a little trying. Even if I never reach the end, I will still have enjoyed the journey, and the friends (soldiers) I met (renamed as my friends) along the way. But for those with an adoration for lore and for that looming sense of desperation more so, while not entirely original in tone or presentation, Phoenix Point does just enough for those restrictions to fall by the wayside. Notable Video Game Releases: New and Upcoming, 2020 Fall Film Festival Recap: Best & Worst of TIFF and Venice, 2020 Emmy Awards: Full Winners List + Critic Reviews, Release Dates for All Notable Upcoming Games, Music title data, credits, and images provided by, Movie title data, credits, and poster art provided by. Call it an insistence on reinforcing the strategy side of things or not, the game can fall victim to its own limitations. Mixed or average reviews Despite a bit of a slog through the middle section of the game, there’s a lot to love here, and Snapshot Games has every right to be proud of the work that they’ve put in to bring this wonderful end-of-the-year delight to life. Its dynamic gameplay birthed unforgettable, heroic tales of agents who made amazing triumphs and ultimate sacrifices alike that I still remember over twenty years later. We advise you to wait a little before buying Phoenix, as it will most likely be improved soon. Even excusing these, the ideas and presentation come off as incredibly bland very soon into the adventure. While Phoenix Point has flaws, technical hiccups, needs a bit of polish and some of its systems feel dated, there are some genuinely exciting mechanics and world-building to this experience.

Phoenix point is a little rough around the edges, but if you manage to look past its bugs you'll be treated to one of the most nuanced and entertaining turn-based strategy games to arrive in quite some time. Added projectile penetration to all weapons. But it’s harder work to enjoy. Elegant, atmospheric, and energetic, Gollop’s latest remains remarkably hard to put down. Phoenix Point offers a great return to a more complex, more involving, if not a little too slow (at times) version of the XCOM style of game. Even with all its technical flaws and strategic hiccups, Phoenix Point manages to pull together some of the best aspects of classic and contemporary turn-based tactical design and, in doing so, it somehow leaves me wanting more. Overall, if you like Julian Gollop-designed experiences, experimental strategy games and gun-infused crabs, Phoenix Point is a must. The turn-based combat is probably among the best the genre offers but the hollow string of separate missions the procedurally created content weaves can’t carry the game. Phoenix Point has plenty of bold new ideas for the XCOM genre, but not all of them have the same level of shine.

- Despite a bunch of interesting ideas, Phoenix Point rarely offers a viable alternative to the many other games of the same genre. In the long run, this is a great game and one that is well worth spending your time with.

Phoenix Point is an entertaining experience for all of those who interested in the tactical-strategy genre. The gameplay is ambitious and deep, with a combat and management system that can be very satisfying. Where you dread the thud of a parasitic worm dropping from a roof to the ground at your feet. Playing Phoenix Point has been a powerful propulsion back through my past, pinballing me through 25 years of alien-fighting nostalgia.

Phoenix Point should be the spiritual successor to the XCOM games, but it only presents itself with some big staggering issues on top of its innovative and fun gameplay ideas. Die hard fans of XCOM will likely fall in love with Phoenix Point, a hard-as-nails challenge that offers procedurally-generated replayability and a suite of tactics to help you thrive on and off the battlefield. Featuring a massive amount of customisation and personalisation, from the building of your own personal Earth-saving force as well as diplomacy with the surviving factions, you have a massive amount to sink your teeth into. Julian Gollop knows what he’s doing, and his experience lends tremendous breadth to this crowdfunded indie game. It's a shame then that a reliance on procedural generation leads to a lack of variety, weapon balance isn't great, and the technical execution is rough. Phoenix Point is ambiguous: on the one hand, it will appeal to all turn-based strategy enthusiasts who are looking for an old-school experience, on the other it will surely find the resistance of those who are used to something else. Strategically delicious, Phoenix Point’s biggest problem is lackluster technical execution. Even though it doesn’t shine technically, Phoenix Point has it where it counts — in an engaging gameplay experience. A very capable game that excels at the strategy layer, but the tactical sphere is a bit sterile and leaves you feeling cold. It’s not a recommendation that comes without caveats thanks to the bugs and hiccups, but the struggle is worth it. It's hard to get started but once you master all the strategies you will become a die-hard fan. Phoenix Point stands out in the tactical-RPG genre, even from obvious comparisons to XCOM, because it so fearlessly explodes the management systems on the battlefield. Add onto this some of the best tactical gameplay around and a very replayable nature, you have something that will suck you in. Phoenix Point is a good vision of the XCOM-style turn strategy weighed down by its structure and low intensity in the fighting.

The fact that Snapshot games kept referring to Firaxis' last two Xcom games ended up hurting it.