If you look at the Steam and Metacritic negative user reviews, many of which are clearly written by people who aren't:
1) Imbeciles
2) Just hating on the game for the sake of it
and are:
1) Measured and considered opinions of the game and how it works
2) A serious critique of the new 'hurry up' mechanics
The same themes come through time and time again, too much RNG, not enough chance to act strategically, run 'n gun required, bugs, glitches, magical enemies, obvious optimal strategy etc etc.
Current split on Metacritic for users is 134 negative, 65 mixed, 331 positive. Steam shows a better split for positive, 5019 versus 1717 - but the negatives do bring up all those same criticisms again and again.
Eurogamer reports that Firaxis are working on a patch for various issues, mods can perhaps take care of the timers and suchlike, although one of the reviews suggests that the game is only difficult because of the timers forcing you into 'rush' style tactics, remove that and it actually becomes very easy.
http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/xcom- ... t=negativehttp://store.steampowered.com/app/26850 ... views_hashQuote:
XCOM 2 is challenging, but for the wrong reasons. Most of it comes from the randomness that exists as its core mechanic, from the level design (procedural), to hit chances, to turn limit sizes, to world map events. Whether you'll like it or not depends on what you want out of it.
Personally, I'd prefer a more tightly designed game that is harder than this (more enemies in maps +bigger maps +more "puzzle-y" encounters), but without the timers and stress and RNG everywhere. I'd rather have developer-designed maps and missions with tough encounters where you need to utilize the terrain and your equipment in the right way, rather than proceduraly generated missions with a turn limit that is barely enough for you to sprint to the objective and destroy it, and then pray as the 4 pods that you aggroed along the way rain down on you from the ceilings and wipe out your entire squad while your overwatches miss. Only to go back to the world map and see the Avatar gaining its 3rd ping in the same week due to RNG dark events.
XCOM 2 is overwhelming in a way that makes you feel helpless. Because you are. Better read some Reddit threads and restart the whole thing, doing only the absolutely most optimal things. Why do the rest of the options exist again?
You can mod out all the crazy 8 turn limits and massive random spikes in Avatar progress though. Great. What you are left with then is an extremely easy game. Guess why. Because that's what it is. An extremely easy game, made hard only through RNG rigged to screw you as a core design philosophy. The encounters themselves are easy and the maps are poorly designed, like everything procedural. There's no actual depth. There are no "damn, I'm a genious" moments as you lure an overwhelming force back to a well fortified position with half of your squad lying in the perfect ambush. The game gives you no time to think. No time to strategize. No time to have fun.