Long War 2 Review: The Ultimate XCOM 2 Challenge for Hardcore Strategy Fans XCOM 2 is already a challenging game, a brutal ballet of tactical decision-making where one wrong move can spell doom for your squad and the entire resistance.

XCOM 2 is already a challenging game, a brutal ballet of tactical decision-making where one wrong move can spell doom for your squad and the entire resistance. But for those of us who thrive on crushing difficulty and strategic depth, the base game can eventually become… predictable. Enter "Long War 2," a mod so ambitious and transformative it practically redefines XCOM 2. As a seasoned veteran of the modding community, especially familiar with Source engine intricacies, I've seen mods that add content, and mods that improve gameplay. "Long War 2," however, is a complete strategic overhaul that deserves a deep dive. This Long War 2 review will tell you everything you need to know.

A look at the strategic layer in Long War 2 shows the uphill battle you'll face.

What Does Long War 2 Do? A Strategic Overhaul

At its core, Long War 2 XCOM 2 transforms the game into a prolonged, desperate guerrilla war against the ADVENT occupation. You're not just completing missions; you're building a resistance from the ground up, region by region, against overwhelming odds. The mod reworks almost every aspect of the game, from squad composition and soldier classes to research, enemy types, and the strategic layer itself. The sheer scale of the changes is staggering.

Revamped Strategic Layer: Infiltration is Key

One of the most significant changes is the Long War 2 gameplay emphasis on infiltration. Before launching a mission, you must now send a squad to infiltrate the target area. The time it takes to infiltrate, along with your squad size and their combined stealth stats, directly affects your success chance. A fully infiltrated mission allows you to start the encounter with your squad concealed, often enabling devastating ambushes. Fail to infiltrate sufficiently, and you could be walking into a buzzsaw.

For example, imagine a heavily guarded ADVENT supply convoy. With a successful infiltration, you can position your squad perfectly, take out the escort before they even know you're there, and make off with vital resources. But try to rush it, and you'll be facing down multiple pods of heavily armed enemies in a desperate firefight.

The Infiltration screen in Long War 2. This is where your strategic decisions begin.

Haven Management: Balancing Act

Managing your Havens, the local resistance cells in each region, becomes a crucial strategic minigame. You need to balance recruiting new soldiers and specialists, managing resistance tasks (like intel gathering and recruiting), and gathering intel on ADVENT activities. Neglecting any of these aspects can have dire consequences. Ignoring intel gathering, and you might miss vital opportunities to disrupt ADVENT's plans. Neglect recruiting, and your havens will be defenseless against retaliation strikes.

Enemy Pod Composition: Brace Yourself

Forget what you know about enemy pod compositions in the base game. Long War 2 changes everything. The variety of enemies is greatly increased, and the difficulty is significantly ramped up. You'll encounter heavily armored MECs much earlier in the campaign. The dreaded Gatekeepers appear more frequently, and even basic ADVENT troops are more numerous and better equipped. Be prepared for ambushes, reinforcements, and enemies with nasty surprises up their sleeves.

Gameplay Impact: A War of Attrition

Long War 2 difficulty is not for the faint of heart. The mod fundamentally alters the pacing and difficulty curve of XCOM 2. You're constantly on the back foot, scrambling for resources, fighting a war of attrition, and making tough choices about where to allocate your limited resources. This is not a sprint; it's a marathon – a grueling, unforgiving marathon.

Expanded Squad Size: More Tactical Options

To help you cope with the increased difficulty, Long War 2 classes features an expanded squad size, allowing you to deploy up to 10 soldiers on certain missions. This opens up a wealth of new tactical options, allowing you to specialize your squads and bring a wider range of abilities to bear. But remember, more soldiers also means more targets, and the aliens won't hesitate to exploit any weaknesses in your formation.

New Soldier Classes: Specialists Emerge

The mod introduces a suite of new soldier classes, each with unique abilities and roles. The Shinobi, a stealth-based scout, can infiltrate enemy positions and provide vital intelligence. The Technical, a heavily armored support unit, can deploy powerful flamethrowers and rockets to control the battlefield. Learning to utilize these new classes effectively is essential for survival.

The Shinobi's stealth and the Technical's firepower can turn the tide of battle.

Expanded Research Tree: Tough Choices

The expanded research tree forces you to make difficult choices about your priorities. Do you rush plasma weapons to gain a firepower advantage, or do you prioritize improved armor to increase your soldiers' survivability? Do you focus on communication to expand your resistance network, or do you invest in advanced scanning technology to uncover ADVENT's plans? There are no easy answers, and every decision has consequences. Delaying plasma weapons means your soldiers will be at a disadvantage against heavily armored enemies for longer. Delaying improved armor means you'll suffer more casualties. You must carefully weigh the pros and cons of each research option to develop a viable long-term strategy.

Technical Side: Getting Long War 2 Up and Running

The standard XCOM 2 launcher has a hard time with big mods, so a third party launcher is required.

Installation Guide: Alternative Mod Launcher

Here’s how to install Long War 2 download with the Alternative Mod Launcher:

1. Download the Alternative Mod Launcher here.
2. Extract the downloaded archive to a folder of your choice.
3. Run the "Alternative Mod Launcher.exe".
4. The launcher should automatically detect your XCOM 2 installation. If not, you may have to point it to your game install folder.
5. Subscribe to "Long War 2" on the Steam Workshop.
6. Enable "Long War 2" in the Alternative Mod Launcher.
7. Launch the game through the Alternative Mod Launcher.

Troubleshooting

• Verify Game Cache: If you encounter crashes or other issues, verify the integrity of your game files through Steam.
• Update Launcher: Ensure you're using the latest version of the Alternative Mod Launcher.
• Mod Conflicts: Long War 2 installation guide warns, this mod is huge, so disable any other mods, especially those that alter the tactical UI, as they are often incompatible.
• Check the Logs: Enable "logging" in the AML and check the logs for errors.

Performance and Stability

Long War 2 performance issues fixes can be found online, but the mod does significantly increase loading times, especially at the start of a campaign. You may experience some performance bottlenecks, especially on lower-end hardware configurations. As for stability, expect occasional crashes. They're not frequent, but they do happen. Save often! Common bugs and glitches include UI issues and occasional AI hiccups.

A firefight against a Gatekeeper and other ADVENT forces illustrates the challenges you'll face.

Community Reception: A Love-Hate Relationship

The community's reaction to "Long War 2" is… complicated. There's a lot of love, but also a fair amount of frustration. The mod's steep learning curve and overwhelming complexity are common criticisms. Many newcomers find themselves completely lost and quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of systems and mechanics. There is a Long War 2 beginner starting tips guide that you can find online that can help you get started.

The prolonged campaign length is also divisive. Some players appreciate the epic scope and strategic depth, while others find it tedious and repetitive. The game over screen becomes a common occurrence.

However, the community overwhelmingly praises the mod's strategic depth and replayability. The sheer number of options and possibilities ensures that no two campaigns are ever the same. Players who enjoy intricate planning, long-term campaigns, and crushing difficulty find "Long War 2" to be an incredibly rewarding experience.

Verdict: Is Long War 2 Worth It?

So, is Long War 2 worth it? The answer is a resounding maybe. It's definitely not for everyone. If you're new to XCOM 2 or seeking a more casual experience, steer clear. You'll likely find it overwhelming and frustrating.

However, if you're a hardcore strategy gamer who thrives on challenge, enjoys intricate planning, and craves a truly epic campaign, then "Long War 2" is an absolute must-play. It's a demanding, unforgiving, and often brutal experience, but it's also incredibly rewarding. Just be prepared to lose… a lot. The Long War 2 early game tips will only take you so far.

The mod expands upon XCOM 2's strengths, turning the game into a true test of strategic skill and perseverance. If you're ready for the ultimate XCOM 2 challenge, then dive in and prepare for a long, hard fight. You might just find yourself addicted.

If you are an experienced gamer and can handle the difficulty, then try out the Long War 2 Mod here.