XCOM 2: Long War of the Chosen - Is This Brutal Overhaul Worth It?

For those of us who cut our teeth on PC gaming, the siren song of a well-executed mod is irresistible. It's the promise of breathing new life into a beloved title, tweaking it, expanding it, and ultimately, mastering it anew. XCOM 2, with its already deep strategic gameplay, is a fertile ground for modding. But few mods reach the heights – or the depths of difficulty – of Long War of the Chosen (LWOTC). This isn't just a tweak; it's a complete overhaul designed to challenge even the most seasoned commanders. If you found vanilla XCOM 2 a tad too breezy, or felt it ended just as you were getting started, then prepare yourself. LWOTC is here to redefine your understanding of "challenging."

What Exactly Is Long War of the Chosen?

Long War of the Chosen is, in a word, transformative. It takes the core XCOM 2 experience and dials everything up to eleven. We're talking increased campaign length, a brutal fatigue system, new classes and abilities, an expanded enemy roster that will make you weep, and significant strategic layer enhancements. This isn't a weekend project; this is a commitment. Expect to sink 100+ hours into a single campaign, and even then, victory is far from guaranteed.

The central premise is simple: make the war against Advent feel like an actual war. A long, grinding, desperate struggle for survival. It's designed for players who crave strategic depth and find the base game too short.

A Campaign That Never Ends (Almost)

Forget those quick, satisfying victories of the vanilla campaign. In LWOTC, you're in it for the long haul. Research projects take weeks, not days, and you'll constantly be forced to make agonizing choices: faster weapons research or better armor? Expanding to a new region or consolidating your existing territory? Every decision carries significant weight, and a misstep early on can have cascading consequences later in the game. You need to think several steps ahead, always balancing short-term tactical gains with long-term strategic goals. The feeling of accomplishment after each small victory is immensely satisfying, knowing that it contributed to a larger strategic goal.

The Fatigue System: Your Soldiers Are Only Human

One of the biggest game-changers in LWOTC is the fatigue system. No longer can you rely on the same squad of elite soldiers for every mission. After a few deployments, your troops will accumulate fatigue, leading to performance debuffs and increased susceptibility to injuries.

This forces you to manage your roster carefully, rotating soldiers and ensuring everyone gets adequate rest. Picture your barracks screen filled with weary faces, each soldier marked with varying degrees of fatigue. It adds a layer of realism and forces you to invest in a larger pool of recruits, developing them into capable fighters. No more relying solely on your A-team; you need a deep bench to survive.

New Ways to Fight: Classes and Abilities

LWOTC introduces new class options and significantly reworks existing ones. The Technical class is a standout, offering unique battlefield control abilities. Imagine deploying a powerful turret to lock down a key choke point, or using a flamethrower to deny Advent troops cover and force them into the open. Other classes receive significant reworks, expanding their skill trees and offering new tactical options. This increased specialization allows for deeper squad customization and more varied approaches to combat.

An Enemy Around Every Corner: The Expanded Roster

The enemies in XCOM 2 were already formidable, but LWOTC takes things to a whole new level. New enemy types and variants are constantly introduced, keeping you on your toes. Forget your well-honed tactics; you'll need to adapt to survive.

Encountering a "Sectopod Prime," a hulking mechanical monstrosity bristling with heavy weapons, is a genuinely terrifying experience. Or facing an "Elite Muton," an even more aggressive and resilient version of the base Muton, will test your squad's limits. These new enemy types demand new strategies and careful planning. No two missions feel the same, and complacency is a death sentence.

Geoscape Overhaul: The War Beyond the Battlefield

LWOTC doesn't just change the tactical combat; it fundamentally alters the strategic layer as well. The Geoscape becomes a much more dynamic and challenging environment. Managing Resistance Havens becomes critical, as they are constantly at risk of infiltration and attack. You'll need to defend your allies and prevent Advent from gaining a foothold in your regions. The Chosen also become a more persistent threat, requiring you to actively hunt them down and disrupt their operations. This constant juggling of priorities creates a constant sense of urgency and forces you to make tough decisions about where to focus your resources.

The Feeling of Desperation (and Triumph)

Playing Long War of the Chosen is an experience unlike any other. The tension is palpable, the risk is ever-present, and the satisfaction of overcoming seemingly impossible odds is immense. Picture this: a night-time defense of a Resistance Haven under the sickly green glow of Advent searchlights. Your squad is fatigued, your resources are stretched thin, and the enemy is relentless.

The Assassin Chosen lurks in the shadows, ready to strike with deadly precision. Every shot counts, every decision matters. A single mistake can spell disaster. You’re forced to prioritize soldier health and morale over short-term tactical gains. Save-scumming becomes less feasible due to the accumulated fatigue and the limited resources. A lost mission results in fatigue and lower morale for the surviving soldiers, compounding the pain of defeat. But when you finally manage to pull through, against all odds, the feeling of accomplishment is unparalleled.

Technical Considerations: Is Your Rig Up to the Task?

Before diving in, there are a few technical considerations to keep in mind. First and foremost, Long War of the Chosen requires the War of the Chosen DLC. You'll also want a clean XCOM 2 installation to avoid conflicts. Installation is best handled via the Alternative Mod Launcher (AML). Be warned: load order conflicts are common, and incompatible visual mods can cause crashes. Experiment and troubleshoot!

The mod can be unstable, with known issues related to memory leaks and long loading times. The community recommends using the "-noRedScreens" and "-review" command line arguments to mitigate some of these issues.

Performance can also be a concern. On my mid-range gaming PC (Ryzen 5 3600, RTX 2060, 16GB RAM), I experienced noticeable frame rate dips and stuttering during large-scale assaults or when particle effects like explosions got intense. Be prepared to tweak your graphics settings for optimal performance.

Community Buzz: Love It or Hate It?

Long War of the Chosen boasts a dedicated and active community. The Long War of the Chosen subreddit is a treasure trove of information, with guides, tips, and discussions galore. You can find solutions to common bugs and installation problems in numerous threads. Streamers and YouTubers like ChristopherOdd and Joinrbs regularly showcase the mod, providing valuable insights into its gameplay and strategy.

However, the mod's difficulty is a constant source of debate within the community. Some praise the increased challenge and strategic depth, arguing that it makes the game more rewarding and immersive. Others find it overwhelming and time-consuming, criticizing its steep learning curve and potential for frustration.

Ultimately, whether you'll enjoy LWOTC depends on your personal preferences and tolerance for difficulty.

Before and After: Seeing the Difference

The impact of LWOTC is visible even before the mission starts. Take a look at this comparison of a standard XCOM 2 mission briefing versus an LWOTC enhanced briefing:

The LWOTC briefing provides significantly more detailed enemy information, strategic options, and potential risks. It's a clear indication of the increased complexity and depth that the mod brings to the table.

The Verdict: Worth the Plunge?

So, is Long War of the Chosen worth trying? Absolutely, but be warned! This is not a mod for the faint of heart.

Who would enjoy it most? Players who relish challenging turn-based strategy games like Darkest Dungeon or Battletech. Those who found the base XCOM 2 experience too easy and crave a demanding, immersive strategic experience that will test their skills and patience. If you want to feel like every decision matters and carries significant consequences, this is the mod for you. It is perfect for gamers who appreciate complex mechanics, long-term planning, and a high degree of customization.

However, if the base game felt like the perfect balance between strategy and accessibility, or if you preferred a more streamlined experience closer to vanilla XCOM 2, or if permadeath mechanics filled you with dread, then Long War of the Chosen is probably not for you. You have been warned.

If you're ready to embrace the challenge, Long War of the Chosen offers a truly unforgettable XCOM 2 experience. Just be prepared to lose. A lot. But when you finally do manage to liberate the planet, the victory will be all the sweeter.