Long War 2: Reclaiming Earth the Hard Way - A Deep Dive Review for XCOM 2 Tired of cruising through XCOM 2?
Tired of cruising through XCOM 2? Feel like the aliens aren't putting up enough of a fight? Then you, my friend, are ready for Long War 2. This isn't just a mod; it's a complete strategic overhaul that transforms XCOM 2 from a tactical skirmish into a desperate, multi-year guerrilla war. Available on Nexus Mods, Long War 2 dramatically expands the scope and complexity of the base game, forcing you to rethink every aspect of your resistance efforts. Prepare for a longer, tougher, and ultimately more rewarding campaign.
What the Mod Does: Purpose, Features, and Changes
Long War 2 aims to deliver a more realistic and challenging resistance experience. It expands upon the core gameplay loop by introducing a host of new features and mechanics that drastically alter the strategic layer. Instead of focusing solely on story missions, you'll spend a significant amount of time building and managing a global resistance network.
The mod's key features include:
- Expanded Campaign Length: Forget a quick 30-hour playthrough. Long War 2 can easily stretch to 100+ hours as you fight a protracted war against ADVENT.
- Strategic Layer Overhaul: Managing resistance cells across the globe becomes crucial. You'll need to recruit rookies, train them into specialized classes, and assign them to various tasks like Intel gathering, recruiting, or supply raiding.
- Infiltration Mechanics: Before launching an assault on an ADVENT facility, you'll need to infiltrate the area with a squad of soldiers. The longer you infiltrate, the greater your chances of success, but the more likely you are to be discovered. This adds a tense risk-reward element to every mission.
- Nine Soldier Classes: Long War 2 expands the available soldier classes to nine, each with three distinct specializations. This offers greater customization and tactical flexibility when building your squads. For example, the Shinobi class can specialize in stealth, melee combat, or reconnaissance.
- ADVENT Strength and Activity: The enemy is far more dynamic in Long War 2. ADVENT will actively respond to your actions, reinforcing territories, launching counter-operations, and hunting down your resistance cells.
- New Weapons and Equipment: While not adding entirely new weapon tiers, Long War 2 rebalances weapon stats and adds a variety of new items and equipment to aid your resistance efforts.
Significant changes to the base game include a complete rebalancing of research times, resource costs, and soldier progression. Expect to spend significantly more time researching technologies and building facilities. Resource scarcity is a constant challenge, forcing you to make tough decisions about where to allocate your limited supplies. Soldier fatigue is also a factor, requiring you to manage your roster carefully to avoid burning out your troops. The alien administration values increase much faster, and you have to liberate regions to reduce that value.
Gameplay Impact: How It Feels to Play
Playing Long War 2 is a vastly different experience from vanilla XCOM 2. The game transforms from a series of tactical engagements into a strategic war of attrition. Every decision, from which region to liberate to which technology to research, has far-reaching consequences.
The infiltration mechanic adds a new layer of tension to every mission. Do you risk a shorter infiltration time to launch an assault sooner, or do you wait longer to increase your chances of success? A failed infiltration can lead to a devastating ambush, wiping out your entire squad.
Early missions require a much more cautious and stealthy approach. The increased enemy presence means that you'll need to rely on concealment and careful positioning to survive. Forget running and gunning – Long War 2 rewards patience and tactical planning. The strategic depth of the base game is turned up to eleven, to say the least.
The nine soldier classes offer a wealth of new tactical options. A well-balanced squad can handle a variety of situations, but you'll need to experiment to find the right combination of classes and specializations for your playstyle. Long War 2 impacts different playstyles depending on your strategic and tactical choices. Players who prefer aggressive tactics may struggle initially but can adapt by focusing on classes and abilities that excel in close-quarters combat. Cautious players will find the infiltration mechanics and strategic layer more to their liking.
The game's difficulty is significantly increased. Expect to lose soldiers, fail missions, and suffer setbacks. Long War 2 is not for the faint of heart, but the challenge is ultimately rewarding. Successfully liberating a region or completing a difficult mission feels like a genuine accomplishment.
Technical Side: Installation, Stability, Compatibility, and Performance
Installing Long War 2 is relatively straightforward, but it does require some attention to detail.
- Subscribe: Find Long War 2 on the Steam Workshop and subscribe to the mod.
- Alternative Mod Launcher (AML): It's highly recommended to use the Alternative Mod Launcher to manage your mods. This tool allows you to easily enable/disable mods and resolve conflicts.
- Enable Mod: Launch the AML and ensure that Long War 2 is enabled.
- Check Load Order: While Long War 2 is generally compatible with other mods, conflicts can occur. Refer to the Long War 2 documentation or community forums for recommended load orders.
Stability can be an issue, especially with older versions of the mod or when using a large number of other mods. I experienced one crash after 10 hours of gameplay when loading a save during a particularly intense alien retaliation mission. Be sure to save frequently to avoid losing progress.
Compatibility with other mods can be hit-or-miss. Mods that alter core game mechanics or introduce new classes are more likely to conflict with Long War 2. It's best to research compatibility information before installing any additional mods.
Long War 2 can impact performance, especially during large battles or when using high graphics settings. On a system with an RTX 2070 and Ryzen 3600, I saw a consistent 5-10 FPS drop compared to the base game. Lowering graphics settings or reducing the number of active mods can help improve performance.
Community Reception: Popularity, Reception, and Uniqueness
Long War 2 enjoys widespread popularity within the XCOM 2 modding community. It has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam Workshop with over 10,000 ratings, with more on Nexus Mods as well. Players praise its increased challenge, strategic depth, and replayability.
The general sentiment is overwhelmingly positive. Many players consider Long War 2 to be the definitive XCOM 2 experience. Common criticisms include the steep learning curve and the potential for frustrating setbacks. The community consensus is that it's an essential mod for XCOM 2 players seeking a more challenging and rewarding experience.
While other XCOM 2 overhaul mods exist, Long War 2 stands out for its comprehensive scope and its focus on strategic depth. Few mods radically alter the game to this extent. It's considered by most to be an experimental and underrated mod. Why? Because players either hate it or love it, but it doesn't hurt to try.
Verdict: Is It Worth Trying?
Yes, absolutely. If you're a seasoned XCOM 2 player looking for a greater challenge and a more immersive strategic experience, Long War 2 is a must-try. It's not for casual players or those easily frustrated by setbacks. It’s a brutal, unforgiving experience that demands patience, strategic thinking, and a willingness to adapt. However, the rewards are well worth the effort.
The mod's greatest strength is its ability to transform XCOM 2 into a truly epic war of resistance. The strategic layer is incredibly deep and engaging, and the tactical combat is more challenging and rewarding than ever. The main weakness is its steep learning curve and potential for performance issues.
For hardcore XCOM fans and modding enthusiasts, Long War 2 represents the pinnacle of XCOM 2 modding. It's a labor of love that elevates the base game to new heights. Prepare to lose countless hours to this challenging and rewarding mod. Just remember to save often, and never give up the fight. Earth depends on it.
