Last week I wrote about my experiences so far with XCOM 2 and its single player campaign mode, but this week I delved a little deeper into the title and tried out the multiplayer version of play, learning a few things along the way...
1) It's not just as simple as picking a team and jumping in
Players must first start their multiplayer experience by choosing a six-unit squad from a roster of nine XCOM soldiers and 16 aliens. Choosing from either the humans or the aliens isn't limited - you can have as many or as little of each as you'd like - but there is a point limit for the lobby you sit in, starting with 10,000, so that your team isn't completely overpowered.
Once your team is picked you can start looking for an opponent but whilst in gameplay, if you like me simply chose six units based on how cool they looked and how much you wanted to just dive right in, you may have a problem.
It's probably better to examine each and every unit's abilities, decide which would complement each other and then do some experimentation through your first few games. If you keep losing, something isn't right and you may need to shake up the ingredients before you get the perfect mix.
2) It can take a while to find an opponent
I sat for a good five minutes waiting for an opponent in ranked mode before giving up and jumping into a 'quick' match. This took around two to three minutes to find me an opponent and echoes the wait time I griped a little about in solo play. It just all feels like you're waiting around a LITTLE too long. That wouldn't be a problem if gameplay was fluid and smooth, but...
3) Gameplay can often lag and not run smoothly
I came across some major issues when playing against a guy residing in France. My turns would end prematurely, but I'd still be able to move my units. The counter would break meaning I wasn't able to take a turn, but would continue ticking away so that my turn time was reduced immensely and a lot of the time would be spent staring at a static screen. The timer doesn't tick according to real-time and then when it does, everything seems to happen all at once. Honestly, it's a bit of a mess.
4) Opponents can be rude if your voice chat is enabled
Because of all the above and more, opponents can be brutal if you've got your volume on and some have no issue in taking out their frustrations on YOU! Disable voice chat or lower your volume if you've not got thick skin, would be my best advice.
5) Overall, solo mode is where you want to be
Multiplayer can be a lot of fun, but moreso if you're playing against someone you know who has the patience of a saint and who recognises that 90 seconds really isn't that long to move an entire squad around a map.
For me, solo gameplay is where the bulk of my future time is going to be spent, as the missions and storyline as a whole just delivers a greater punch to the gaming gut than anything here.
XCOM 2 is available now on PC.