When comparing XCOM 2 vs Frozen Synapse, the Slant community recommends XCOM 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best Top-Down games on Steam?” XCOM 2 is ranked 13th while Frozen Synapse is ranked 32nd. The most important reason people chose XCOM 2 is:
One of the main aspects of XCOM 2 is preparing your squad for each mission. You need to consider the terrain, objective, and enemy types. Based on these you'll select the appropriate soldiers, weapons, and gadgets. A lot of the missions have some leeway, so you'll be able to form a squad that fits your playstyle. It can either be a group of stealthy rangers, running in with machetes to surprise the enemy. Or it can be a group sharpshooters, allowing you to systematically clear the area from afar with sniper rifles. After each successful mission/kill your soldiers will earn experience. With enough experience you'll be able to promote them and earn learn new skills. You can also research new weapons and build them. A lot of it comes down to looting alien technology and reverse engineering it back at the base. All these things add up and it's really exciting watching your soldiers grow into unstoppable killing machines.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro It's fun to manage your squad
One of the main aspects of XCOM 2 is preparing your squad for each mission. You need to consider the terrain, objective, and enemy types. Based on these you'll select the appropriate soldiers, weapons, and gadgets. A lot of the missions have some leeway, so you'll be able to form a squad that fits your playstyle. It can either be a group of stealthy rangers, running in with machetes to surprise the enemy. Or it can be a group sharpshooters, allowing you to systematically clear the area from afar with sniper rifles.
After each successful mission/kill your soldiers will earn experience. With enough experience you'll be able to promote them and earn learn new skills. You can also research new weapons and build them. A lot of it comes down to looting alien technology and reverse engineering it back at the base.
All these things add up and it's really exciting watching your soldiers grow into unstoppable killing machines.
Pro Makes you feel more for your characters than most character driven games
One of the more fun parts about this game is managing your squad. You can customize the looks, voices, and even names of your soldiers. As you take your soldiers on missions you'll get attached to them. This will create a lot of tense moments when your soldiers are about to die and you desperately try to save them.
If you decide to input the names of your friends or family, multiply the tension by ten.
Pro Excellent suspense
Throughout the campaign you'll always be running against the clock. You have a limited window of time to save humanity before the aliens take over completely. Successful missions only set them back slightly. Unsuccessful missions set you back significantly. It always feels like you're in an uphill struggle and failing means the end. It always feels like you're not gaining an advantage and the aliens have something else in store. This is reinforced in the missions. You never know what type of aliens there will be or what their reinforcements will bring. Encountering new species makes you fear for the well-being of your squad. It's rare for a game to keep you feeling like this.
Pro Good selection of multiplayer
There are 5 different online multiplayer gametypes (Secure, Exterminate, Charge, Disputed & Hostage). There is also a hotseat mode where local players can swap turns on the same PC.
Pro Randomly generated maps
Each game has a randomly generated map, which keeps the game fresh being that it is a different layout each time payed.
Pro Multiple game modes
There' s a campaign, that takes you through a cyberpunk style story where you assisting a resistance faction in a struggle against a corporate government regime; there is a skirmish mode that randomly generates a map based on a number of criteria you can set; and a multiplayer mode with 5 different gametypes.
Pro Play multiple games at once
Since the game is turn-based you can have multiple games running simultaneously. You can even play a game over e-mail.
Pro Watch replays of games
You can watch your own games or multiplayer games of other people.
Pro Great tactical depth
Frozen Synapse has deep tactical possibilities. You have to take into account your environment (there's even destructible terrain), strengths and weaknesses of each squad member, position and viewing angles of every man on the field while developing a coherent plan of action by setting waypoints, aim directions and stance of your squad members to overcome your enemy. You can even run simulations to see how things might play out before committing to action.
Cons
Con Demanding on hardware
Will not run on low-end graphics cards like the GeForce GT 740M or the HD Graphics 4600 / 5600.
Con Complaints about the new launcher
Sadly the Steam rating has dropped because of the new launcher, problems can be solved however: XCOM 2 How to Bypass the 2k Launcher without External Files or Configuration Guide.
Con Steep learning curve
XCOM 2 is not just about managing a squad of soldiers, you also have to manage your base and operations on a global scale. This includes managing your resources, identifying which missions you should prioritize, and allocating research for new technologies. It might take a while to learn everything needed to fully enjoy this game, especially on higher difficulties.
Con Story is forgettable
The story in Frozen Synapse is generic sci-fi.