We will pass directly on the items specified in the add-on information, and discern in its strengths and weaknesses.
The innovation, moving more actively during the Firaxis marketing campaign itself, in honor of them the addition and named. Favorites are three new opponents from themselves, each of which is stronger, smarter, cunning and more dangerous of any standard enemy on the battlefield. Before each of the Favorites put the goal to crush the XCOM and return the commander, that is, us back captured us back.
Actually, with the given goal, they will pursue the player with his wards on a greater length of the game XCOM 2: War Of The Chosen, intervening both in strategic leadership and tactical. It is worth recognizing this innovation successful: each of the three opposing elected us has its own distinctive character and a unique battle style. Their actions on the "globe" can really if not destroy, it is safe to sang your future plans, but in battle. Not to say that they are so dangerous as we were assured. After a couple of meetings face to face, you already laughing their tactics and can calmly fight back from further attacks.
Three fractions designed to help XCOM destroy the elected, and simultaneously provide help with new soldiers and abilities. Emotions from this innovation remained mixed: all that is associated with new features from these groupings, namely their unique fighters, secret tasks and bonus cards, looks worthy and fits into the game.
But it concerns the history of the fractions themselves, their "contradictory" motives and various features, then all this is disclosed somehow very weakly. Positioned as three groupings with their philosophy and their specialty style, in fact they are not much different from each other, not counting weapons, equipment and leader. In principle, for the whole game, we only notify that the fractions dislike each other, and that we need to unite with them.
Even the so-called "long-awaited reconciliation" looks very ridiculous and stretched. And do not be XCOM, first of all, the strategy would be very serious. But in fact, it can be left and continuing to enjoy how the fractional fighters are easily straighted with the next squad of the aliens.
In XCOM 2, we tried to convey that all the capital destroyed during the war and large cities were rebuilt with "Advent". War Of The Chosen finds out that not all. Part of the DLC missions will be held in abandoned cities, which neither aliens nor resistance are controlled. And everything in the aliens-released biological weapons released 20 years ago, which turned the inhabitants of the affected cities in mysterious wanderers.
And you need to recognize, the design of these levels is really good.The locations of the old cities are really different from the Sterile Centers of Advent, the atmosphere of complete destruction and abandonment is handed to commemorated, and the jobs passing on this territory themselves become partially unique.
So, these were three main innovations of War of the Chosen, but there are also a few more topics about which fighters are now not the same type of units with different models and different abilities. They can be tired after participating in a series of tasks, get different phobias, as well as form friendly relations with comrades. All this makes them really personalities different from others now not only by name, nickname and flag on armor. By adding it to the vanilla system of customization and the possibility of writing a full-fledged biography, you can safely assure that War of the Chosen is for the first time in the series represents fighters as not cannon meat, namely, as versatile people, combined one goal.
Bugs and bad optimization that became the main problem of XCOM 2 in the first months after the exit, in this complement I did not meet. Sometimes an incomprehensible pause between the transfer of moves is formed, but no more. The resulting strategic part of the original received enough new mechanic, and at the same time the extension of old, so now it does not create the impression of the cropped version of Enemy Unknown. There is a pleasant bonus in the form of test mode that updated every week.
In conclusion, it is worth answering the main question: "Does this supplement XCOM 2 do what should it be from the very beginning?" I think no, does not, Long War copes with this task better, while not going beyond the mechanic of the original game. However, War Of The Chosen should not be avoided, since with it XCOM 2 is really another game. Game with a lot of opportunities, a lively strategic and tactical part, and in addition and with quite good playing. Regardless of your opinion about the vanilla version, you should buy and at least once play in the original XCOM with this expansion.
