XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

Expansions encouraging the replay of a game for a second time might not sound appealing, but in this case, the changes are so extensive it feels almost more like a sequel. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen's new enemies, environments, objectives, and systems completely reimagine the experience, forcing players to figure out the abilities and tactics of fresh foes (and alter their strategies accordingly) while learning how to best navigate new types of terrain, exploit the abilities of new soldier classes -- the sneaky but powerful reaper is one of the best units in the series -- and take advantage of growing bonds between fighters on the battlefield. This is the sort of complete overhaul typically deserving of a new number behind the series name. The only reason we don't see one here is that Firaxis bolted it all onto a familiar story. Nonetheless, it feels like a fresh game.

The only potential downside is that it's now tougher than ever before -- and returning players know that the original game was far from easy. There are fewer unfair spikes in difficulty through the campaign, but the addition of new factions, objectives, and systems to juggle -- especially the fatigue feature, which at some points all but guarantees you'll be heading into crucial battles with troops who aren't at their best -- ensures that the game starts hard and then just gets harder. Some players will savor this feature as the additional, realistic challenge it's meant to be, while for others it might prove the straw the breaks the camel's back. The good news, though, is that most XCOM fans are gluttons for punishment. They tend to like their strategy games tough as a two-bit steak, and that's exactly what they're going to get from XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.